The short, hardy shrubs on the edge of the mountain obstruct the vision of the track very effectively – so we have to find vantage points free from the vegetation for taking pictures.

Yet more 1024 Up pics.

The water from the Walvan dam is led from Lonavala to Khandala in an open canal. The canal terminates in a “Forebay” facility near the top of the catch sidings. From this point, three huge pipes carry the water down the slope to the powerhouse in Khop

Getting rid of this water is a safe way, has practical difficulties to overcome – the edge of the mountain, over which the water is supposed to flow, has a rising gradient. Thus the water stream is channeled through a tunnel cut through solid rock to ma

Finally the stream emerges in a perennial waterfall, running even in the hottest summer season. This water serves the villages in the valley. As mentioned earlier, the edge of the mountain has a rising gradient; hence the mouth of the waterfall is some di

A general view of the area shot from the top of the portal of the Tunnel 25 – looking towards Khandala. The well heeled have fabulous houses in this area – the one in the picture is built right on top of Tunnel 25C ! One can see the well protecting th

Triple WCG 2 bankers exit the 900 meter long Tunnel 26.

Apart from the fun we had in slip sliding down the mountain slope, we would also have to find a way to cross these newly laid retaining walls – there is none ! The lofty walls are too tall to jump from – we walked gingerly on the vertigo inducing top

More bankers descending the ghat – as seen from the portal of the Tunnel 25.

One more view of the area as we crawl down the slope – the pipe line in the picture also carries the water from the water stream mentioned earlier to a far away place like Karjat for drinking.

Why did we want to come down to the railway line ? To do the Tunnel 25C of course. We used the service tunnel which is located near the entrance of Tunnel 25 visible in the earlier picture to enter the 25C. The service tunnel now has a concrete floor and

Just past the junction of the service tunnel and the railway line is the enigmatic ventilation shaft. The harsh effect of the flash has killed the beauty of the moment – at this instant Ashish stands bathed in a pillar of ethereal blue light being led f

You know what this is, I just find the massive size a little hard to believe.

Another view of the Ventilation shaft – looking up through the grill.

A view of the tunnel – you are warned NOT to go into this tunnel if you are even mildly claustrophobic. There are very few places I know of that match the sheer remoteness and the horror value of this tunnel.