Jambhali to Jor

The corridor from Jambhali to Koleshwar Mula is known locally as Raikanchi Waat.

The stage opens on the wall of the Jambhali reservoir before entering forest. Jambhali sits at 800 m; the trail mostly follows a ridgeline, with the forest thickening progressively as you climb. One short section near the top has tricky trail-finding — offline navigation is worth having ready here. The leg finishes through a gully of gradual rock that deposits you onto Dhangarwadi, an isolated two-house dwelling.

A short walk from Dhangarwadi's ruined houses brings you to Koleshwar Mandir — an old temple with a shivling under large old trees, deep in forest cover. This spot was itself once a settlement, also called Koleshwar Mula, and is now in ruins — referred to here as Koleshwar Mandir to keep it distinct from the functioning settlement of the same name further along the trail.

From the temple you're on the plateau proper. Heading south, then turning east, the trail alternates open scrub with dense forest, no road in sight, for five and a half kilometres with almost no elevation change. This is the wild heart of Koleshwar.

The leg ends at Koleshwar Mula — two or three houses, farming families with electricity and cattle. Expect guard dogs; move calmly and give them space.

**Koleshwar Mula is the only confirmed reliable water point on the entire stage. 2 litres covers Jambhali → Koleshwar Mula comfortably; carry another 2 litres for the Kamalgad out-and-back below.**

Indian Gaur are present across this plateau. Make your presence known — no other action needed.

A clearly marked approach — signboards, ribbons, a laid trail — with an iron ladder to the top. The real draw isn't the summit view, though it's good: it's what's underneath. Stairs cut into the fort's interior descend to a well; the temperature drops noticeably as you go down, even in peak summer. The water at the base sits under deep red-pink mud, ferns line the walls, and light barely reaches it even at midday.

From the saddle between Kamalgad and Koleshwar Mula, a contouring trail on the plateau's east-facing slopes leads to Mandganlwadi (10–15 houses, a small shrine).

The stretch from Kamalgad toward Mandganlwadi — under a kilometre — is a balcony trail: open exposure on one side, plateau forest behind, a clear line of sight across the landscape. One of the best short balcony stretches on the entire EST.

A short, clearly marked climb closes the Kamalgad–Mandganlwadi loop back at Koleshwar Mula.

Excluded section — Western Koleshwar Plateau: three to four kilometres of the western plateau are deliberately not included in the EST line. On an exploratory hike to map that face, the trail had been reclaimed almost completely by forest — locals had stopped using it and there was no clear line on either side. Left out not because it isn't beautiful, but because an unused trail can't be trusted, and the route favors lines that are alive.

Return west, retracing the outbound route about 3 km toward the temple until a junction splits off the plateau — don't miss it. This is the trail locals use to reach the Krishna reservoir backwaters and the village of Jor, dropping 480 m. It opens onto wide views of the north-facing Mahabaleshwar plateau slopes before an open ridgeline gradually enters forest and drops to Jor, where the stage ends and the route into Mahabaleshwar begins.