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Sandhan Valley - Grand Canyon of India

 

Situated 3000 feet above sea level, Sandhan Valley is a deep natural crack in the scenic Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra. The spectacular valley is almost two and half kilometer long and 500 feet deep in some patches. 

 

Sandhan Valley is also known as "Valley of Shadows" (as the sun’s rays don’t reach the ravines) and is considered to be one of the most dangerous and challenging trek routes on Sahyadri.

Samrad Village - The starting point of the Trek

Samrad Village - The starting point of the Trek

Nevada of India

Nevada of India

Discovering life alone in the desert

Discovering life alone in the desert

Sandhan Valley descend trek point

Sandhan Valley descend trek point

Walking through the narrow streak of the valley with 500 feet rock walls on both the sides is a lifetime experience.

Sandhan valley is one of the greatest canyons in the Sahyadri mountain ranges. Located in the Ahmednagar district, near the famous fort Ratangad; Sandhan valley is undoubtedly “The Valley of Suspense”.

At some places the width between the rocks is less than 2 feets thus obstructing the rays of the sun casting shadows.

Just imagine walking along a 300 ft into the deep gorge carved by water over a million years, the sunlight flickers though the crevices and the sound of your breath will echoes against the narrow walls.

Sandhan Valley is a gorge cut by wild water streams gushing down ferociously from nearby mountains during the monsoons for past thousands of years.

The water trail inside the canyon

The water trail inside the canyon

The mystical water trail

The mystical water trail

Hiking into this canyon’s spectacular chasm involves rappelling over rocky descends, wading through pools of cold mountain water and making your way through shadowy moss covered ravines. A naturally sculptured geological formation, the sides of the canyon are so narrow that even sunlight makes brief appearances. Hence, the name is “Valley of Shadows”

Crossing the water trail

Crossing the water trail

Sandhan valley is an amazing piece of work by nature. It is a fine example of how the forces of nature – wind and water can cut through the mountains and create a valley right across it. Those forces would have worked thousands of years to sculpt this masterpiece – a canyon in the heart of the mighty Sahyadris. With walls so high that in some places the sunlight does not hit directly to the floor, it is rightly called the Valley of Shadows.

After water, now its rocky trail

After water, now its rocky trail

There are rocks and boulders everywhere. And it comes in all sizes – small stones to something as high as a four storey building.

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