Pahine to Taake Harsh

The stage begins on the Pahine–Kajali road section (3 km). From here the trail climbs 1 km north, gaining 200 m along a well-used trail — the same route locals use to commute between Kajali and Metghar Killa.

Metghar Killa sits on a padar — the flat middle shelf of the mountain, above the base villages and below the crown (here, Brahmagiri peak). It's a small settlement of 6–7 mud houses. As of 2025, road construction is underway to connect State Highway 160A to Metghar Killa. The village's only water source is a well roughly 300 m from the settlement.

The trail climbs another 250 m over 3 km to Brahmagiri Mandir. It runs through a gully, mostly hard rock underfoot, with one iron ladder installed on a steep section.

Expect to pay the Monkey Tax here. You will meet 2–3 macaques in this gully who have no fear of humans — they know how zippers work, will climb onto your shoulder, and can check your bag from close range. This is riskiest on the iron ladder. It is one of only 3–4 places you'll meet real monkey pressure on the whole EST.

From Brahmagiri Mandir — locally believed to be the source of the Godavari River, flowing from a Nandi idol's mouth — an out-and-back runs to Durg Bhandar: 3 km round trip, +100 m. A dhaba before Durg Bhandar sells snacks (biscuits, limewater), has internet connectivity, and online payments work.

From the dhaba, the trail to Durg Bhandar is a balcony trail. Be careful — a slip here is fatal.

It leads to deep rock-cut steps cut inside the Brahmagiri mountain, through a fissure, onto a natural bridge (a fine vantage point — avoid it in gusty conditions), and up another fissure to Durg Bhandar.

The trail ends at Kade Lot — literally "to push someone off the cliff to kill them." Local lore holds this was once a punishment cliff for those who had committed serious crimes.

The trail returns south from Durg Bhandar, climbs quickly over a ridge, and switches sides. From here it's a long series of rock-cut steps all the way down to Trimbakeshwar.

Expect monkeys here — the same hazard as before, but bigger. On a busy weekend, expect hundreds of monkeys on these steps. The same precautions apply. Near the base of the steps, Indian langurs are common in the trees — unlike the macaques, they don't bother hikers.

Trimbakeshwar is a temple town — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. It's a solid refuel and stay point, with plenty of hotels (no booking required), food stalls, and restaurants. Plan your route to avoid passing through on a weekend — it gets crowded.

The trail climbs west out of Trimbakeshwar, circling the base of Durg Bhandar, then contouring south through dense forest to the small hamlet of Supli Met — a water refill point.

The trail is thin, with thick canopy overhead (shade, but no open rest spots). Whenever you stop, run a trust check on the ground for scorpions and snakes before you sit on a stone. Making your presence felt lets them sense you from a distance, and they move away.

The trail connects to Gautamrishi Khind, a saddle with a temple that visibly breaks the north–south road on the map — stairs reach the temple from both sides. This works as an exit if you need it.

A 5 km contour west, crossing the base of Kaapdya hill. Multiple cattle trails cross here — stay at the base to avoid confusion. One water spring lies before the next saddle, Waghbari Khind, which connects Brahma Dongar with Harihar Fort.

Waghbari Khind is a trail junction — take the ridgeline approach toward Brahma Dongar.

A small balcony trail runs through Karvi, a dense native shrub common across the Sahyadri. It slows movement and hides the path during the monsoon, but its stems also anchor and support safe passage on steep scree in the dry season.

The balcony trail connects to a narrow, steep gully of loose rock.

The gully opens onto the Brahma Dongar plateau — look for an orange flag marking a tribal shrine with a brick-and-mortar boundary; it doubles as a rain shelter and a vantage point. The trail contours north, descends quickly through a gully, switches to an open ridgeline, then turns south at a lower contour. One perennial water spring here. A short climb over a small saddle connects to Harshewadi — the base village for Harihar Fort.

The out-and-back ends back at the saddle between Harihar Fort and Fani Dongar. The route turns south and descends 200 m to the village of Nirgudpada. From Nirgudpada, Taake Harsh — the end of this stage — is a 15-minute walk along the road.