Wind Perch Trail
Kanakapura
Overview
A short but intense climb from a temple under a natural stone arch up to a windswept clifftop a couple hundred meters further - steep enough that the descent doubles as a trail run.
Photos
🌨️ Season
Any. Just be careful on rock and steeper sections during monsoons.
🎟️ Permit
No permissions are needed to hike in the area. But read the warning about using footwear here.
Trail Description
This is a short but intense hike. Since this is a well-trodden trail to the temple, it's also suitable as a trail run especially when coming down.
Temple under the stone arch
The most striking highlight of this trail is its huge natural stone arch with a Basaveshwara temple underneath. The locals offer prayers at the temple on Mondays and Fridays. They walk the trail barefoot and would frown upon hikers with shoes on. So respect the local tradition. Hiking barefoot might also be a good challenge on this short but intense hike. This trail is easy to follow because the locals walk it very regularly. If you want to hike with your shoes on, hike on days other than Monday or Friday.
There is a lot of space in the shade under the stone arch, so you could take a break here to rehydrate and have a quick snack.
Clifftop
If you are feeling like going further ahead, you might want to go the cliff some 200-odd meters further. It's not very far away, but the trail is a bit steeper to the clifftop. Could get slippery in the monsoons, so be cautious.
