After I defeated the Widow in Bellhart, I believed the worst was behind me. I was wrong. The next area in Hollow Knight: Silksong, Blasted Steps, greeted me with a howling desert of ravenous sand worms and wind that turned every jump into a gamble. In 2026, this biome still stands as the closing area of Act 1—unless you take the alternate path through Sinner's Road. If you are like me and value your Rosaries, you will want the Blasted Steps Map early.

Why? Because the Blasted Steps is not just another room. It is a highly vertical region with thick sandstorms, heavy winds, and dunes that hide worms ready to devour me instantly. One slip, and I was gone. The map does not make the wind stop, but it does keep me oriented when the screen fills with sand. What good is a map if you cannot reach the cartographer? That is the trick.

Where I Found Shakra

Like most maps in Silksong, the Blasted Steps Map comes from the cartographer Shakra. I found them in the right portion of the Blasted Steps, tucked inside a small cave. But reaching that cave is the challenge. The route from Shellwood is a test of patience and timing.

I started at the bench coming from Shellwood. From there, I headed left across a series of small platforms. I kept walking left until I reached a tunnel that slopes upward. This is where the Cling Grip ability—found in Shellwood—becomes essential. Without it, I could not scale the walls. I carefully wall climbed to the top of the shaft and moved right. Then I climbed upward and walked left until I came across another bench. From there, I continued left until I entered the Blasted Steps.

Now, what happens when the wind gusts hit mid-jump? I learned the hard way: they slow you down and push you toward the sand below, where the worms are eagerly waiting for their next meal. So I timed every jump, used the wind currents instead of fighting them, and kept moving right.

The Route to Shakra

After entering Blasted Steps, I continued right. I handled a series of jumps and wind currents until I faced a flying enemy with a red drill-like head. That enemy is a warning: the area is not playing around. I followed the path a little further, and there was Shakra waiting in a small cave.

I spoke to them, and I purchased the Blasted Steps Map for 70 Rosaries. Yes, 70 Rosaries. It felt expensive in the moment, but it saved me hours of blind wandering.

Hazards I Faced

The Blasted Steps does not just throw wind and worms at you. I also ran into Great Conchflies, and eventually the Last Judge, the final boss of Act 1. That fight is brutal if you go in unprepared. I learned that picking up the Needle Strike charged attack from the Pinstress first makes these fights much easier. If you are struggling, do not rush the Last Judge. Get Needle Strike. It changes everything.

What makes the Blasted Steps so dangerous? The wind is not just visual. It affects your jump arcs, your dash timing, and your ability to land on small platforms. I often found myself drifting toward the dunes even when I thought I had a clean jump. The worms below are not forgiving. They devour you instantly, which means every mistake costs a full retry from the last bench.

Here is what I wish I had known before entering:

• 🌪️ Wind gusts can slow you mid-jump and push you into worm-filled sand.

• 🪱 Sand worms devour you instantly if you slip into the dunes.

• 🗺️ The map costs 70 Rosaries from Shakra.

• 🧗 Cling Grip is required to climb the upward tunnel from Shellwood.

• ⚔️ Needle Strike from the Pinstress helps against Great Conchflies and the Last Judge.

• 🪑 Benches are scarce, so plan your route before you commit to a long jump sequence.

Final Thoughts

Is the Blasted Steps Map worth 70 Rosaries? For me, absolutely. The area is vertical, disorienting, and unforgiving. Without the map, I would have missed Shakra's cave, fallen into worm sand, and probably rage-quit before Act 1 ended. With the map, I could plan my jumps, mark benches, and focus on the real threat: the Last Judge.

So if you are coming from Bellhart after the Widow, do not skip the cartographer. Head left from the Shellwood bench, use Cling Grip, climb the shaft, and keep moving until you reach Shakra. Buy the map. Then take on the Blasted Steps with confidence—or at least with fewer deaths than I had. In 2026, this route remains one of the most punishing and rewarding detours in Silksong's first act.

Between boss attempts like the Last Judge, it is easy to lose track of how much you are spending on games in general. If you tend to pick up a few Metroidvanias after finishing a hard-won act, watching for discounts before you hit the checkout can save you enough to fund a whole new playthrough. That is where a tool like DealNest comes in handy—it tracks price drops across Steam so you are not manually refreshing store pages every sale event.

Rather than buying on impulse the moment a title catches your eye, it helps to set a target price and let a steam deal finder alert you when that number finally appears. You get to keep your Rosaries—and your real money—for the games you actually intend to finish, instead of the ones that sit unplayed in your library while you queue up one more attempt at a boss you have memorized frame by frame.