Suggested levels to get better at Knytt Stories?

In order to vote in the KS Level Competition, I've been trying to play through the entries. However, Dark Sea 2 is just ridiculous! It's an amazing level, and the challenges are great fun, but it's well above my skill level.

Any recommendations of levels to try that are a bit easier than Dark Sea 2, but still challenging, so I could work up to Dark Sea 2? 

In order to vote in the KS Level Competition, I've been trying to play through the entries. However, Dark Sea 2 is just ridiculous! It's an amazing level, and the challenges are great fun, but it's well above my skill level.

Any recommendations of levels to try that are a bit easier than Dark Sea 2, but still challenging, so I could work up to Dark Sea 2? 

Dark Sea 1?

In all honestly, it is the most genuinely hard of all the entries in the competition.  I had to strangle myself to get through the first time.  I'd suggest playing the first dark sea, and all the other levels in the competition before attempting to tackle it again.

Don't Stop Running is a personal favourite of mine. You might also enjoy Upper Levels or Monochromatica Grotta. Lastly, gamerjc21's tend to have some interesting and varied challenges... actually now that I think about it, these levels might be too easy, or the wrong kind of hard. Barely easier than Dark Sea 2 is a hard difficulty level to get my head around!

For my own levels, I agree that Dark Sea 1 is a good start. Amidst the Clouds too, perhaps. Industrial Trap is really close in difficulty, as its obstacles are generally long and complicated, so it's probably not a good jumping off point. And the rest of my levels aren't worth suggesting.

As for other levels, you can just search for Very Hard levels on the forum that get a lot of attention.  Generally those will be worth the time.

I must also note that you just have to do the best of your own abilities, and don't stress out if you can't legitimately beat my level as a whole before the end of the voting period. It's very long and very challenging and it takes a quite some time to beat for almost anybody.

+1 Monochromatica Grotta. It's probably my favorite challenge level, and I'm sure I've replayed it at least a dozen times. It's my Go-To level when I stop playing Knytt Stories for a while and need to get "back in shape" so to speak.

I just finished Dark Sea 2 and it is one of the toughest levels I've ever played.

Also, I find most of Talps' levels to be Hard/Very Hard, much less difficult than Dark Sea 2. Talps' are invigorating and fun and the story really pushes you forward to complete them. I highly suggest them if you want to get better and have a good time doing it. My personal favorites of his are Eurydice and I Dreamed of the Sky, but they are ALL tip-top quality.

You can test Your umbrella skills in My Loving Hadron Collider by Talps  .

Interesting level is Invisable Coin by MelvonDD - black and white everything with water and very tricky jumps for those with good reflexes and timing. (it's in Knytt level archive if you click on By author and search for MelvonDD)
The Laser Wars by NRA13 is pretty challenging too. For those who likes to be torn to pieces.   (it's in Knytt level archive too under name The Relic Hunt 2)

I have to mention LPChip's Learning to Jump. The title says it all.

The Laser Wars by NRA13 is pretty challenging too. For those who likes to be torn to pieces.   (it's in Knytt level archive too under name The Relic Hunt 2)

Just tried The Relic Hunt and I have to disagree here. It's extremely inconsistent... some places are a cakewalk, others are absolutely Lunatic. Furthermore, many of the difficult sections are based on random enemies and you just have to wait until they move and/or shoot their crap in a better distribution before you are able to pass.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 I especially enjoyed Monochromatica Grotta and Learning to Jump. Invisable Coin was great as well.  Maybe next time I attack one of SecretGlitch's levels I'll be able to get further!

Thanks Millsmess.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 I especially enjoyed Monochromatica Grotta and Learning to Jump. Invisable Coin was great as well.  Maybe next time I attack one of SecretGlitch's levels I'll be able to get further!

I'll have to try Invisable Coin [sic].

If you liked Learning to Jump, you'd probably also like Monochrome Jumping by A ClockWork Lemon, found in the archive. It's simple and basic and covers jumps from simple to Very Hard.

Don't Stop Running is a personal favourite of mine. You might also enjoy Upper Levels or Monochromatica Grotta. Lastly, gamerjc21's tend to have some interesting and varied challenges... actually now that I think about it, these levels might be too easy, or the wrong kind of hard. Barely easier than Dark Sea 2 is a hard difficulty level to get my head around!

I played Don't Stop Running last Friday and the song has been stuck in my head all weekend! It's a new personal favorite/classic of mine, along the same lines as Don't Eat the Mushroom.