The Dangerous Harihar Fort

The Famous 80 degree incline

Perspective

My life came full circle when I ascended the steps to Harihar fort. I’ve wanted to scale this peak ever since I saw the terrifying looking vertical climb on Instagram a few years ago. A trip planned during college failed to materialize and even a planned visit to Nasik ended with other places taking priority. But this time, on my second visit to Nashik, I finally ticked Harihar fort off my bucket list.

I did this trek at 12 pm(The worst time to do a trek), but fortunately Nashik is cool during February, even at noon. The cool breezes provided a great distraction from the sun right above my head.

Reality

Getting into the details of the trek, all’s not as it seemed. The terrifying vertical climb and return turned out to be the easy part of the trek. The steps themselves proved to be less challenging than the treacherous slopes that led up to them. After getting past the steps, there is another view point further up, which is the highest point out there. The final climb to that peak was also a bit difficult as we had to directly climb a few boulders.

All in all I’d say it’s a beginner/moderate trek. It’s about 3 km one side, so physically it isn’t very demanding, but there are many points where you’d have to use your hands to pull yourself up.

There isn’t any need to worry about hydration or hunger as there are plenty of small shops along the climb and even at the top, right after climbing the stairs.

Also there are many points where you can click beautiful pictures. I personally found the steps, the gate, the rock ledge and a cave like opening at the top of the steps as the most picturesque. Of course there are open landscapes too, after the steps, on the way to the very top. Just remember that not many people can stay at the top at the same time, as it’s a very small area. So if there’s a crowd, get down after enjoying the view so that others can get a chance.

For all the religious folks out there, you could come to Harihar right after visiting Trimbakeshwar temple. There are idols of lord Hanuman and Shiva on the way to the very top, adjacent to a small lake.

The way down for me was personally marred with a lot of slips. The steps were easy enough, but the part right below the steps took some effort. Also, the fact that I was wearing a 2 year worn down Crocs might have played into the slips :).

All things considered, you should have little trouble reaching the summit if you have prior trekking expertise and you carry trekking shoes—or at the very least, sports shoes with adequate grip. Many senior citizens, both male and female, successfully climbed to the top at the same time I did, so no-one should shy away fearing the 80 degree incline. The trek is a great experience and the views were certainly up to the mark.