Harishchandragad

Harishchandragad rises to about 1,420 metres in the Sahyadris, fortified from at least the sixth century, and it carries the eleventh-century Harishchandreshwar temple carved partly from a single rock outcrop, with a cave beside it holding a lingam standing in waist-deep cold water. Its defining feature is Konkan Kada, a cliff that falls around a thousand metres to the Konkan plain and curves inward at the top like a hood, so that the overhang is concave; upcurrents on it are strong enough to throw light objects back up. Several routes climb the hill, from an easy path at Pachnai to the technical Nalichi Vaat.

What you actually see

• Konkan Kada - a concave cliff with a thousand-metre drop and strong updraughts.
• Harishchandreshwar temple - an eleventh-century rock-cut shrine.
• Kedareshwar cave - a lingam standing in cold waist-deep water.
• The cave lodgings - rock shelters used by trekkers overnight.

When to go

October to February for stable weather; the monsoon makes routes dangerous and the cliff edge lethal in wind and cloud. Winter nights on top are cold. Weekends are crowded.

Honest expectations

Routes vary from a walk to a technical scramble, and people have died on the harder ones and at the cliff edge. There are no facilities beyond basic village food. Litter on the plateau is a serious problem.

Nearby

Malshej Ghat lies north; Bhandardara is northwest.