Jor to Vadakumbhroshi

Jor sits at the base of Mahabaleshwar with a working relationship to the mountain above it — locals commute up for work each morning and back down each evening, so hikers are rarely alone here early in the day.

The direct route crosses the Krishna river basin on a well-trodden, soft-underfoot trail from Jor to Dabevasti — impassable when the monsoon floods the basin. A monsoon alternate crosses a drier stretch of the same basin further west, through green forest.

Both options converge at Ganesh Mandir, on the easternmost edge of the old Mahabaleshwar plateau.

From Ganesh Mandir the trail reaches Old Mahabaleshwar and picks up a road section. At the road's hairpin turn, a forest trail cuts straight through the plateau, avoiding the full loop. From there it's half a kilometre of road to Arthur Seat.

Arthur Seat has small eateries and breakfast stalls right at the point — a good place to eat if you start in the dark and cover this leg before the town wakes up.

The viewpoint's iron structure gives a clear line of sight down to the ridgeline you're about to descend onto.

The trailhead is 100 m back from the viewpoint and is genuinely tricky to find — expect to check the map here rather than follow blindly.

Once on the ridgeline, a small rock face requires a 4-point down-climb. Before committing body weight to a hold, ledge, or foot placement, do a Trust Check — look at it, press it gently, feel whether it moves, then load it. This matters more descending than ascending, since your weight is already moving toward the fall. Rock that's still wet just post-monsoon changes the grip completely — slow down and test everything. In a group, spot each other and pass packs down rather than down-climbing with a shifted centre of gravity.

From the rock face to Bahirichi Ghumti, expect to duck through overgrown karvi — the trail isn't always visible, but it's always there; no bushwhacking required.

This is the last point with cellular signal for the next couple of hours — send messages here.

Bahirichi Ghumti is a viewpoint with a small shrine, looking out over the valley toward Chandragad.

Dhawale Ghat has a reputation among North Indian hikers as a steep fitness climb — the EST descends it instead, since navigation above the 700 m contour reads far easier from higher ground looking down than from below.

The descent opens on a thin balcony trail through karvi, contouring roughly 400 m while losing altitude on shifting scree underfoot.

Lower down, landslide-affected sections can make the trail look like it's disappeared. Stay oriented and follow the orange ribbon markers — there's one line through here.

Below the 700 m contour, the trail turns straightforward, running due north through a valley. From the base it contours around Chandragad's northern side into Dhawalewadi — your water refill point.

The approach through farmland near the start is tricky — field paths cross the route; stick to the mapped line. Past the farmland, the trail climbs onto a rocky volcanic outcrop above the 500 m contour, with rock-cut steps and one or two 4-point moves onto the fort — Trust Check every hold.

The summit has 360° views and an ancient shivling.

Coming down, the scree descent is a slip-and-fall risk, worse on tired legs after a summit push.

A contouring trail just south of the Dhawali nala leads to Dhawle — a distinct settlement from Dhawalewadi despite the similar name. Dhawle is connected by road and bus; an exit is possible here.

An initial ridgeline climb briefly avoids the road, but the Khopad–Chandke stretch is mostly road walking — on a near-traffic-free road.

A locally-used trail crosses the saddle at Karan Khind — straightforward navigation, no map-reading challenges.

Half a kilometre of road from the Karan Khind roadhead, then a descent into the valley to Lahulse — a village strung along a spur, open valley ahead, mountains behind. One of the most scenic village settings on the EST.

The trail runs through farmland and crosses a bridge over a dry riverbed into Dabhil, a village connected by road.

Deprecated trail: an older map still shows a valley-route trail from Dabhil that avoids the SH72 climb. Locals confirmed nobody walks it anymore, since Dabhil is now road-connected. Not included in the EST line.

The final ascent climbs a lesser-used, now-mapped trail from Dabhil, with some bushwhacking early on.

Once on the ridgeline proper, the trail runs straightforward along the ridge nose to SH72. From the highway, it's just under 2 km to Vada Kumbhroshi, where the stage ends among roadside dhabas and eateries.