Sandhan Valley (The Valley of Shadows), Ahmednagar District, India,

Sandhan Valley, "The Great Canyon" in the Sahyadri ranges which is combination of a canyon and a valley. Located in the Ahmednagar district, India, near the famous fort Ratangad. Sandhan valley is undoubtedly The Valley of Shadows.

It can be reached from Samrad village which is the base village. Samrad is approx. 30 Kms from Bhandardara and 3 Kms off the Ghatghar Dam road. Sandhan Valley is known by many names viz. Valley of Suspense, Valley of Shadows, and Grand Canyon of Maharashtra. However, Sandhan is no comparison to the Grand Canyon in the Arizona State of USA which is a 445 Kms long canyon cut by the Colorado River, Sandhan is barely 2 Kms long. Sunrays reach the gorge only for a short span of time during the day when the sun is directly above the gorge, thus the gorge remains in shadow for most part of the day. There is no suspense in the gorge or the valley beneath. Sandhan Valley is a wonder of nature with stunning views, chilly weather and the spellbound majesty of nature.

Best time to visit Sandhan Valley is during winters from November till February. Sandhan valley is inaccessible in the monsoons as the area witnesses heavy rainfall.

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 streams fall in to the valley beyond the gorge and form a pond. To reach the pond one has to rappel down from the far end of the gorge in to the valley. The views from the far end of the gorge are truly breath taking and the experience is amazing.

Sandhan valley and Bhandardara region is surrounded by mighty mountains from all sides offering challenging treks. The trekking grade could be ‘Moderate’ or ‘Difficult’ thus requiring good endurance and experience. Treks in this region are not recommended for novice trekkers. The most challenging trek is a trek popularly known as the AMK named after the three mountains Alang, Madangad and Kulang to the northern side of Samrad. Far north is Mount Kalsubai, the highest peak of Maharashtra at 5400 feet ASL. At close proximity from Samrad in the east direction is the famous Ratangad and to the south stand high the Ajoba and the Bann peaks. All the peaks are amongst the mightiest peaks in the Sahyadri range.

Being a remote village there are no hotels in Samrad. The locals make homestay arrangements. Trekkers and Mountaineers can opt to stay in their own camping tents carried along.