* The king would be Vavulmala for sure.
Date of Journey - November 27 - 28th 2010.
Date of Journey - November 27 - 28th 2010.
The view from Muthappanpuzha is daunting in every direction to say the least. That is if you plan on climbing one of those high misty forest covered peaks all around you. Else it is the stuff dreams are made of. Imagine a last village at the fringes of a 12000 acre forestland that extends after it. Well the view from the top was quite mesmerizing indeed. Miles and miles of undulating forest covered peaks, far reaching higher peaks, clouds sweeping over the peaks, clouds rising above from the valleys and in the far distance below in the valley lay a small speck which was the nearest village from this entire wilderness.
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| Misty View of Olichuchattam Falls |
Deep in the interiors of Kerala, we learnt that the mountains here are higher than most of Western ghats, that the forests here grow till great heights of 2000 meters and above, that the shola grasslands so typical of western ghats do not grow in this part of the state, that deep inside the jungle plummets one of the most beautiful cascades, that climbing this mountains wouldn’t make sense most of the time but in the end it all can seem worthwhile, that following animal trails is the only way out here, that the guide was so well versed with this jungle that he found the lost trail in the darkness of night, that it was a fun two days we spent in one of the most challenging terrain yet.
Having trekked for close to two years now in all sorts of terrain like Himalayas, Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats, I found the forests and mountains of Vellarimala to be most challenging yet. I’ll tell you why. Every time I trekked, there was high motivation to reach the destination – be it clear views of snow capped peaks, green grasslands spread all over, clouds kissing the sky, clouds below our feet, thundering waterfalls or crystal clear pools. They did not talk about the mind over body theory just like that. That theory is actually true. Mind has great power to take you through the toughest of times with much ease as long as it is motivated and determined to so.
So how does it matter here at Vellarimala? See, the thing is, you’ll be made no promise of a dazzling sunset, no promise of a grand view, no promise of never ending grasslands. Plain relentless climbing through the thickest of forest in a trail that has been previously used only by animals is the promise instead. The only motivation if any would be to challenge yourself and then certify yourself as a hardcore trekker by the end of it if you survive. I do not mean this in a sense that it is very difficult. Just that the inspiration that comes from an ulterior motive to see something grand is missing here. There are good views agreed but as easy to find as a needle in a haystack. :)
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| Misty Forests we were going through |
I am not saying I did not enjoy the trek. I enjoyed the trek for the challenge it presented, for the persistence we showed, for the diversity it showed, for the waterfall we relished, for the trail lost, for the campsite found. But it was a bittersweet journey all along I guess. Now that it is done and I am sitting home remembering the two days I think it was all well worth the effort and the hype.
