Hollow Knight: Silksong – Sands of Karak Survival
Sands of Karak guide: learn how to get there, master golden-orb traversal, and uncover vital items for the Taste of Pharlom quest.
Ah, the Sands of Karak. If you thought the Blasted Steps were a walk in the park, think again. This godforsaken desert at the edge of the world is crawling with desiccated husks and ravenous fiends, and it’s about as welcoming as a kick in the teeth. But fear not, fellow wanderer—I’ve been through the wringer and come out the other side. So buckle up, strap on that cloak, and let’s dive into the Sands of Karak. Trust me, you’re gonna need all the skills you’ve got.
How To Get There
You can access this area as soon as you have the Clawline ability, found in The Cauldron in the Underworks. While you may want to head there immediately, first, I would recommend that you go and get the Faydown Cloak from Mount Fay, giving you the ability to double jump. This is going to help you so much in terms of traversal that I can’t imagine playing without it now.
Once that’s done, head back to the Pinstress’ house that you found way back in the Blasted Steps. Remember that blue house suspended above the sands? Well, there’s a Clawline ring to the left of it, which will allow you to climb higher. Platform up, and through the next chamber, avoiding the little spiders on the walls. And soon you’ll reach The Sands of Karak.
While this area is optional, there are quite a few things here that you’ll definitely want to grab. Including a very important item for the Taste of Pharlom Quest.
A New Mechanic
The first thing you’ll notice are these little golden orbs that sit near the sand. Striking this will produce a temporary vine that stretches across the sand and provides you with a little platform to traverse across. However, not all of these platforms are walkable terrain; some of the spiky balls need to be bounced on instead.
Start heading east, bouncing on the sprouting coral spines and crossing the vine, until you reach an entrance with spikes on the ceiling and ground. Clawline through to reach another orb, which will lead you back out and upwards. Continue to the right until you reach the main vertical chamber of the area.
In the cave up and to the left, you can find the Map Merchant, so grab it before you continue.
A Glorious Bench
Continue east, through to the next area, where there will be another set of vine puzzles, but they’re more of the same. Once again, bounce off the spiky coral and wall-jump up to the next room. You’ll reach another vertical shaft, but just keep going right; you’ll come back here soon. The next room contains a lift that also returns to the Blasted Steps, just before the Last Judge fight. Trigger the shortcut, and then return to the lift entrance. Go right one final time, through the long hallway and ignore the enemies that spawn. In the next room, there will be a bench where you can rest and pick up a Simple Key!
Tricky Vine Platforming
Ok, are you ready for some quick finger work? It’s platforming time. Return to the vertical shaft just before the elevator and now float down. Try and take out the enemies as you go, or let your cogflys do all the work, as you’re going to be climbing back up in a second. You don’t have a lot of time here, so get ready. Bounce off the spike coral and wall jump off the platforms that grow from the vine, using the cave wall to climb higher. Keep following the vine until it takes you to the top of the shaft, then head left into the next room.
Trigger the orb, and jump forward while it’s still growing. It’s good to anticipate the vine growth to maximise your time limit. Leap to the long vertical wall, jump right and trigger the next orb while dashing back to the wall. If you have the Ascendant’s Grip, this works wonders here.
Wait for the next vine as the wall crumbles, and it will take you up to another cave entrance. Now you have to drop and Clawline the spike coral. A vine platform will form with an orb above it, so quickly strike it while you have time. Continue left on the path. Honestly, Clawline is your friend here; use it liberally. You’ll now be at the top of the main vertical column.
The Elusive Crustnut
Before you continue, you’ll want to head down into the vertical column and left through a breakable wall. Check your map t