Bhairavgad Trek – 5 Tips For A Perfect Adventure
The Bhairavgad fort trek is one of the most challenging treks in Maharashtra. It is on the bucket list of every experienced trekker.
We all have seen & been mesmerised by the scary Instagram reels of the trek.
It is a hill fort in a dike formation & is nearly 3000 years old. It held strategic importance and acted as a watchtower for the trading routes of the surrounding region. There are different names for the fort, like ‘Moroshi Bhairavagad’ or ‘Moroshiche Bhairavgad’, as the base village of this trek is Moroshi.
It lies near Malshej ghat, in the Sahyadri range of Maharashtra. Once you reach the top, you can easily see the famous forts of Alang, Madan, Kulang, Harishchandragad, Rohida, Naneghat, Malshej Ghat and Jivdhan.
- Base Village: Moroshi
- Altitude: 3,465 ft.
- Difficulty: Very Difficult
- Best Season: Winter (November – February)
How To Reach Bhairavgad?
The base village of the fort is easily accessible from Mumbai, Pune & Nashik.
Public Transport (Mumbai):
To reach Moroshi village from Mumbai, you need to take a train to Kalyan from Dadar/CST & then take a bus to the base village. It has an excellent bus frequency and will take around 2.5 hours to reach here via bus. The journey from the Mumbai suburbs to Moroshi will take approximately 4-5 hours.
Private Transport:
From Mumbai, the distance to the base village is around 120 kms, and it can take approximately 3 hours to reach via car/bike. GET DIRECTIONS.
From Pune, it will take around 4 hours to reach by covering a distance of about 150-160 kms. GET DIRECTIONS.
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Trek Route & Difficulty
Bhairavgad is one of Maharashtra’s most strenuous treks, and only experienced trekkers should attempt it.
The trek distance one way is approximately 5kms and will take around 3-4 hours to complete, with breaks in between.
The trek starts from the National Highway itself; once you reach the start point, you can see a main entry gate for the hike. Click here to see the start point on Google Maps.
There are two distinct parts of the trek: From the start point to Machi & then from Machi to the fort.
Start Point to Machi:
The first part of the trail is through a forest, and there are various diversions on the route; hence there is a slight possibility of getting lost; however, if you have a guide, this should be fine.
This part of the trek is relatively easy but requires good stamina as there are some steep ascends on the trail. It will take around 2 hours to reach the Bhairavmachi from the start.
Machi to the top of the fort:
This part of the trek is tricky yet very thrilling. One needs to be very focused on the rock-cut steps as the steps are very small and are more exposed and steep.
At the halfway point, there is a small cave where you can rest for a while; till this point, you will not require any ropes.
However, after this comes to the overhang patch, where there are no steps and the rock curves out, making it difficult to get a grip on the wall. It is necessary to have an experienced trekker or a guide who can help you with the ropes and climb this patch.
The last section of the trek has tiny steps again; after you finish, you reach the top. The top of the fort is like a ridge, and it’s a minimal area; hence camping and staying here for a long duration is impossible.
The tricky part is descending again on the same rock steps; you should be very careful while going down. It would help if you took your time and went down at a slow and easy pace.
Important Information
- Route Link on Ramblr
- We highly recommend doing this trek with an experienced trekking group.
- You can also start the trek at night from Moroshi & camp at Bhairavmachi & cover the remaining part of the trek in the early morning.
- Carry packed lunch and have it after descending from the fort and at the machi.
Thrilling Video Of The Trek
Nomads of India recommends doing this trek with a group as the Bhairavgad trek requires high level of expertise.
We have listed over 50 trekking groups in Maharashtra with their events, contact details, social links and ratings.