This brief article will share with you all my experience and few tips on hiking a beautiful fort of Torna located in the central part of India. As an amateur, I started hiking and exploring local places before starting hiking in Himalayan ranges as it needs significant experience and endurance level.

Below are few pictures of early morning hike to this fort called ‘Torna’ located in the Maharashtra state of India. It is located on top of a mountain and has an elevation of 1403 meters above the sea level with great views of small towns around and the Western Ghats. We can still see the ruins of the fort that is said to belong to the 13th century and was later in 16th century governed by the famous Maratha dynasty.

We as a group started early from Pune and reached base Village of Velhe by dawn. The drive took around an hour as we still had calm and empty road almost to us. From this village, we started our hike and it takes a good 3 to 3.5 hours to reach the top. Reaching there for sunrise was our plan as it would look beautiful from the top. Also hiking before the sun is up is much pleasant and enjoyable as it can get really warm and exhaustive during the daytime.

As planned we did reach the top near sunrise and the views were really breathtaking. There are a lot of places to see here and one could easily spend more than half a day.

After enjoying the sunrise and clicking some nice photos, we had a short break for our breakfast. Everyone had bought some light meals that we had before exploring the ruins and fortification.

By afternoon we explored the fort and surroundings before heading down. It was a great experience getting to know a bit of history and witness such a majestic place. By evening we reached back to our base village and we drove back to Pune before departing our home. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Here are few tips that I share from my experience that anyone planning to go here may want to know

1. On the way or on top, there is no source of water. I highly recommend taking enough before you start from base village

2. Also, carry enough food or snacks as it is not available on top

3. Best time to explore or hike is winter as the weather will be mild and enjoyable. It is possible during rainy season, but I suggest it is only for experienced hikers as the way can get more slippery

4. There is no place to sleep as such at night, although it is possible if you wish to camp there. Please carry your own tent and camping stuff.

Hope you enjoyed photos and information. If you have any questions related to the post, feel free to ask below and I would be happy to address them. If you have already been here, I would be happy to read about your experience.