Chavni to Ambavane

The stage starts at Chavni. The first climb, Kurvande Ghat, rises roughly 700 m over about 4 km to the village of Kurvande — the source of the ghat's name — right below Duke's Nose. Near the river head at the base there are multiple small trails, but once the climb starts properly there's only one route, and it's wide, open, and well used. You begin in open forest and gradually emerge onto a broad ridgeline as Duke's Nose starts dominating the skyline.

A well-marked trail reaches the viewpoint on top — a temple, and a spot also used for slacklining. A short out-and-back covers it before the main trail turns south.

The valley south of Duke's Nose drops toward Phalyan. This was once the line of Kotaldara, a regular village connection that is fading as fewer people use it — hints of trail remain in the upper sections, but it disappears completely closer to the forest below.

Since Kotaldara is no longer reliable, the EST runs an alternative line parallel to it: staying on the crestline, moving west past a small temple, then following a ridgeline down to Mangaon Budruk, west of Phalyan. This is mostly a shepherd's route — isolated dwellings and small shrines along the way, open scrub throughout (no forest complications), though tall grass can slow you down. Trail finding is slightly tricky but manageable.

From Mangaon Budruk, the climb up Karvandi Naal — a gully east of Phalyan — regains the crest line near Lion's Point. The lower section is gentle and flat along the valley floor. A recent soil-testing project has installed a large pipeline in the gully (not a water source); the lower section simply follows the pipeline uphill, though it doesn't run all the way to the top.

Past the end of the pipe, the route steepens — scree, some exposure, a short dense forest patch, nothing extreme for hikers comfortable on rough terrain. Above that, the trail on top is faint and thin; navigation and route-reading matter here.

At the crest, a sharp arête opens onto a hidden valley behind it, with a massive overhang that would turn into a spectacular waterfall in monsoon — a drop that contour lines alone don't prepare you for.

The final stretch to Lion's Point is disappointing for a different reason: the popular viewpoint itself sits above slopes full of dumped garbage, thrown over the edge by visitors who never see where it lands. A viewpoint gets celebrated, while the landscape and approach trail leading to it get neglected, abused, or treated as disposable — when people care about the destination, not the route, the culture suffers from what's worth calling trophy point syndrome.

A quick 2 km road walk from Lion's Point reaches the start of Paymodi Waat, which drops to the village of Bheliv roughly 1 km south. The trailhead can be easy to miss — look for old rock-cut steps. Once found, the route is excellent: regularly placed cairns, good visibility, and an intelligently designed line.

The trail is a good study in how locals read terrain without ever touching a contour map — every turn exists for a reason (a rock face above, a fall risk to one side, an efficient traverse line). Where rock is slippery, steps are carved into stone; where the terrain narrows, the trail uses natural cracks; where loose rock threatens exposure, the line stays clear of it. The route feels airy near the top but eases into dense forest and flatter ground lower down, making it one of the most enjoyable descents on this stage.

Bheliv to Mangaon Khurd is only about a kilometre, but fencing is increasingly blocking the traditional line, pushing hikers onto longer road detours.

Mangaon Budruk and Mangaon Khurd are two separate, nearby settlements — Budruk generally marks the larger of a pair of Marathi village names, Khurd the smaller. Worth knowing, since the pattern repeats across old Sahyadri maps.

After a short road walk from Mangaon Khurd, the final climb of the stage — Nishnichi Waat — begins on a gradual ridge heading south: open forest, then an exposed ridge, then a small rock patch where locals have placed a wooden plank (with steps cut into it for grip) to help crossings — simple, practical mountain engineering.

Beyond the ridge, the trail re-enters thick forest before opening into scrubland near the Ambivali road on the crest line. The stage ends near the hamlet of Ambevane, having linked a chain of old ghatvaats into one continuous route — living trails, forgotten paths, clever trail design, a damaged viewpoint, and the ongoing tension between connection and loss.