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Hiker's terrifying climb up a 2,300ft high carved stone staircase with no handrail

This fearless 'hiker' made the terrifying climb up a 2,300ft-high carved stone staircase -- with no handrail.

Nitish Tiwari, 26, took three-and-half-hours to climb the vertigo-inducing - and famously slippery - stone staircase, which stands at an 80-degree angle.

The trek is considered one of the most difficult in the Western Ghats, a chain of mountains running parallel to India's western coast.

Nitish made the spine-tingling journey to Kalavantin Durg's peak on a rainy day, making the climb even more difficult and dangerous.

Two deaths have been confirmed at the site since 2016. Both climbers are believed to have fallen from near the peak.

Nitish, a travel and fitness influencer, from New Delhi, said: "I just started my journey without thinking about anything, I just checked on the internet first on how to reach the top.

"The most difficult parts of the journey were the beginning and the end, where we had to climb using ropes..

"There were many times during my travels that I felt in danger, on the way down the stairs were very slippery from heavy rain."

At one point in the video, he is seen hugging the rock wall behind him, the stairs being too narrow to stand normally, a sheer drop to one side.

Nitish was aware of the deaths that had occurred and chose to undertake it nonetheless.

He added: "I had heard about them on the news only, but it was my decision to climb the peak anyway and overcome my fear."

Kalavantin Durg is said to have been built in honour of a Queen, called Kalavantin, in the 15th century.