Dodhani to Chavni

The stage opens on a road walk west out of Dodhani, then turns south toward Waghachiwadi. Old access routes here are gradually getting blocked by private fencing and land boundaries — trails once used by locals, cattle, and hikers are disappearing. In the coming years the longer road route may become the only way between Dodhani and Waghachiwadi.

The trail through Waghachiwadi crosses a series of farmlands with multiple side paths — easy to lose the line here, follow the mapped route carefully. It climbs onto a north–south ridgeline and rises to the broad plateau of Nimda Dongar.

The soil here often looks black with ash from periodic controlled grass burning, done by locals to return organic matter to the soil, encourage fresh growth, and keep the route open. For hikers this makes navigation easier. From the top: wide views of Matheran's western face, and north to the Chanderi range.

The trail continues along the open ridge, through open forest, to a saddle at Vaje Khind, then descends through a gully to Thakurwadi. The descent is gentle in gradient but hard to navigate — low foot traffic means the path is faint in places, with grass 4–5 ft tall in sections. This is open scrub, not dense forest — the challenge is tall grass and route-finding, not bushwhacking.

An unpaved road from Thakurwadi reaches the northern side of the Kalavantin–Prabalgad massif. A short climb through a saddle joins the more popular north-approach route to Kalavantin, arriving at Prabalmachi — the base settlement for Kalavantin, on the first plateau shelf.

Prabalmachi is a refuel and stay point — camping gear rental, small homestays, and basic accommodation are available. Clear views from here of the Kalavantin pinnacle, Prabalgad, and the saddle between them.

A short, steep climb through a gully reaches the saddle between Kalavantin and Prabalgad. From there, rock-cut steps spiral to the top. The final approach is a roughly 20 ft exposed rock patch — confident climbers may free-climb it, but a local guide with a rope is often available on top for a small fee (check availability at Prabalmachi beforehand). The summit holds a small Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue and 360° views.

Descend back to the saddle between Kalavantin and Prabalgad. Instead of losing elevation toward the base like most day-trekkers, the EST line traverses at the same contour along the base of Prabalgad's rock face. At the next gully, turn and climb through a boulder field to the Prabalgad plateau.

On weekends, small dhabas set up along this ascent selling limewater and bottled water — a useful backup given how little water this section otherwise has.

A short out-and-back to the northern edge of Prabalgad is worth the detour — this is the best viewpoint for Kalavantin's iconic pinnacle profile, which you can't actually see while standing on Kalavantin itself.

Prabalgad's plateau is large and mostly forested, with a temple (multiple signboards, good rest point) and remains of old structures. The forest cover keeps this section noticeably cooler even in afternoon heat.

The descent off Prabalgad's south side is marked with blue or orange ribbons — some may have fallen with their branches, so don't rely on ribbons alone. Footing is loose rock and soft soil throughout; move carefully.

**Water at the 620 m contour, off-trail to the left of the route, sits between rocks — the only water on the entire plateau.** Carry a 2 L minimum and confirm the source is usable before depending on it.

Dense forest opens into scrub as the trail contours the base of Prabalgad's southern face to the next ridgeline, then turns south along the ridge centre toward Irshalgad. Expect karvi sections and heat exposure — hydration management is critical here, with no water source until town.

The Irshalgad massif comes into view; the trail contours its western side before reaching the southern face, then turns east at the base for the climb.

Historical note: On July 19, 2023, a massive rain-triggered landslide obliterated the remote tribal hamlet of Irshalwadi in Maharashtra's Raigad district, near Irshalgad Fort. The disaster claimed 27 lives, left dozens missing, and completely flattened the village of roughly 228 residents amid relentless monsoon downpours. The summit's old rock knob with its natural hole (locally, a Nede) no longer exists after the collapse. Today's practical high point is a small shrine, Irshal Devi Mata Mandir.

Back near the 470 m contour, the trail joins a sparse, open ridgeline that descends south to Chowk. Morbe Dam is visible to the left (west) on the way down. This marks the end of the range-trek portion of the stage.

A major gap in the mountain system here means the only current connector is a ~32 km road section — walk, run, or hitchhike it depending on plan. Future exploration of the ranges on either side of this gap may eventually shorten or replace this road walk.