Samrad to Kumshet

Samrad sits on the crestline, at the centre of a large plateau just south of the Bhandardara reservoir. From here the trail heads southwest for a couple of kilometres across flat plateau, then through open forest, to the edge of the crestline — known locally as Deshmatha.

This is the first of the stage's four ghatvaats: Nisandara Ghat. The trail drops through a ghatvaat gully — narrow and firm-rocked at first, widening as you descend. Expect gusts near the top.

Once past the grassy, open-forest section, a flat ridgeline leads to the isolated dwelling of Kundachapada. The trail would ordinarily continue to the larger village of Veloshi, but on the EST it turns south from Kundachapada instead, toward a larger river valley.

There is no water on Nisandara Ghat between Samrad and Kundachapada — refill at the Kundachapada settlement.

The trail follows a wide, open riverbed that gets very hot during the day in summer. Expect to pass dysfunctional Dhangar huts and possibly villagers collecting firewood along the dry bed. After 3–4 km of flat riverbed walking, the trail forks. The left fork climbs back to the crestline — this is Karoli Ghat, marked with white arrows painted on black volcanic rocks.

The Karoli Ghat climb crosses dry riverbeds into open forest — expect langurs here, which won't bother you. From there, the trail climbs through a mix of open forest and soft ground, with one rock-cut-step patch to gain higher ground, then a stretch of loose stone chips leading to the base of a large rock wall at the crestline.

Close to the crest, a roughly 20-foot rock-climbing section requires the four-point technique — not technical, no rope needed, but a real scramble. There's a water spring on Karoli Ghat just before this boulder section.

Once on the flat plateau, Samrad is about 2 km away — expect tall grass and multiple trail options here, but a clear line of sight makes navigation straightforward back to the village.

From Samrad, the trail heads southeast toward Ratangad ("Jewel Fort"). The first 4–5 km run through farmland, then the trail climbs through open scrub toward Khutta Pinnacle, a rock pinnacle visible ahead. The trail contours its southwest-facing base, then enters a steep gully of scree and boulders, with an iron ladder leading to the saddle between Khutta Pinnacle and Ratangad.

From the saddle, a contouring balcony trail — with 4-foot railings installed — leads to Ratangad's entrance gate. The entrance itself is a set of large rock-cut steps carved into the rock sheet (each step feels like a lunge — four-point technique again, with an iron railing for support). Just before the main entrance, a small rock patch has a rope installed for support. Through the gate, you arrive just below the fort massif.

From here you can do a clockwise parikrama (circumnavigation) of the first plateau level, passing water cisterns and more balcony-trail sections on the eastern face. There's also a southern approach to the fort top via the Kathrabai side.

After the parikrama and the Nede detour, descend the same way back to the Khutta Pinnacle–Ratangad saddle. Instead of retracing the same trail to Samrad, the EST descends the east-facing slopes of Khutta Pinnacle, through a small gully and a beautiful forest section, back to the main road. A 20-minute walk from there returns you to Samrad.

Sandhan Valley is the only technical section on the entire Epic Sahyadri Trail — the rest of the 2,000+ km route requires no rope skills at all. It's also one of the most popular trails in Maharashtra.

Guides who bring you down typically hike back up to Samrad via Karoli Ghat — both trails share a common riverbed at one point.

Once you're back on the riverbed, you'll retrace the same 4 km flat stretch shared with Karoli Ghat and Nisandara Ghat, before the trail turns south toward the village of Worpadi. Refill water at Worpadi — it's essential before the next stretch.

From Worpadi, a long 6–7 km trail follows a flat, dry riverbed — the approach to the last of the stage's four ghatvaats, Kalamanjacha Dara.

Water in this riverbed is generally not potable — where it exists at all, it's typically used by locals for washing clothes. Refill fully at Worpadi before setting out. The next water point will be in the side valley that takes you up to Kalamanjacha Dara.

Once the trail reaches the main gully leading up to Kalamanjacha Dara, expect an endless boulder field in a very remote landscape. At the saddle you'll pick up mobile network coverage (Jio specifically) — one of the few spots on this stretch where that's true.

The ascent to Kalamanjacha Dara isn't easy, but the descent — short as it is — is trickier at the start, due to dense yearly karvi growth that makes the trail genuinely hard to find.

The descent runs through a karvi section, then a short, exposed traverse to reach the main gully (switching from the saddle to the gully line). Once in the gully, the descent is through rock slabs rather than boulders — a dry-waterfall landscape — after which it's a smooth, easy walk all the way to the large plateau of Kumshet.

The landscape opens into a large flat plateau dotted with a handful of settlements. The trail passes Thakurwadi and Bonchiwadi before ending at Kumshet — the end of this stage. Network connectivity is limited in Kumshet, but the village has good food and accommodation options.