AN ENLIVENING TREKKING EXPERIENCE
IN THE PARADISE ON EARTH

 

‘In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks’ –  John Muir, an influential Scottish-American Naturalist

 

Opening Note

            In the blog posts of my blog so far, readers have been exposed to the trials and tribulations, the denizens of the wild are facing in the hands of human. But what Mother Nature offers to the very same thankless man in form of amazing landscapes, myriad forms of wild plants and animals and the enthralling moments in mans’ life when he is nearer to or in the midst of jungles and forests forms the thread of this narration. It is all about how a group of diverse individuals from various walks of life gathered together to undertake and feel the experiential learning activity from a three day long trekking programme in one of least visited scenic spots of the Western Ghat segment of the South India, spread over Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This tough trek, covering the Eravikulam- Anamalai National Parks’ ‘Nilgiri tahr conservation complex’ is considered as ‘the Mother of Treks’. I was part of this trekking group in March 2005, when I served as the Conservator of Forests, Coimbatore Circle. Indira Gandhi Sanctuary and National Park, which forms the present day Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) was within the administrative jurisdiction of Coimbatore circle then. Though it was 17 years back, I am able to recount most of the events as they are fresh in my memory.

Day One

For the urban dwelling busy bees, used otherwise to the hustle-bustle of the city life and its concrete surroundings, throwing them into the lap of a broad canvas of wilderness is expectedly an altogether enthralling experience. That is how the 30 odd urbanites spoke of their three day trekking experience in the midst of one vast enclave of high elevation montane shola-grassland ecosystem in the upper reaches of Eravikulam National Park in Kerala and Indira Gandhi National Park of Tamil Nadu, where they parted way at the end of the hike from Attakatti on the Aliyar-Valparai highway.

When the team set out for the event, then an annual feature slated for February-March, from the dry hot plains of Pollachi on the noon of 18^th March 2005, many of them, as they were the first timers were not aware of the thrill and adventure that were in store for them. After 11/2 hour drive in the Swaraj Mazda van of the Indira Gandhi National Park on the Udumalai-Munnar highway meandering through the dry scrub and deciduous jungle of the sanctuary, the team reached Chinnar Forest Rest House on the banks of Chinnar river in Kerala for lunch. The team travelled further for 11/2 hours leaving behind the sandal forests of Marayur and the lower elevation tea fields when the van driver announced the arrival of the Manager’s bungalow in the TATA managed Lower Vaguvarai tea estate. We had made a considerable climb by this time and are about 1800 m above MSL. This is the point where the trekkers had to alight from the vehicle and commence their uphill march. Time was around 3.30 pm.

The steep slope clothed with a green carpet of well-maintained tea tables marked the first lap of the three kilometer ascend. The end of tea signified the beginning of one big chunk of shola forest, part of Eravikulam National Park after which the members of the team gradually climbed up the hill on a 3 feet wide bridle path winding its way through the grassy mounds, dotted with well-wooded valleys. At around 5.30 pm, after about two hours of walk, the trekkers landed upon a huge trough like swamp with a large body of water, impounded by a check dam made by the Kerala Forest department. To provide water for wild animals during the pinch periods! This turned out to be the point where we too quenched our thirst. After a brief break, the team moved on a serpentine line along the grassy meadow for another 30 minutes from where we were blessed with a full view of the distant Anamudi peak of Anamudi Reserve Forest in Kerala, the highest peak in the entire Western Ghats at 2690 m above MSL. To a query from an eager youngster in the group, I had to tell that the second highest peak in the Western Ghats is none other than the much mutilated Dodabetta at 2637 m in the Nilgiris. Even as the members moved further up, the setting sun threw its fading rays through the gaps in Sambamala (2306 m) on our west.

As it was getting dusky, we were keen to encounter some wild animals on our way, though ultimately we had to be satisfied with the tell-tale evidences of their recent movement in the form of fresh dung piles of elephants and scats of small cats. In response to an anxious query from a first timer, announcement about the team in close proximity to the scheduled spot of the first evening’s halt brought in cheers to the tired members of the group. Even as darkness descended on the horizon, the team members walked into Eravikulam hut standing at 2200 m above MSL after logging about 12 km on foot. The watch displayed 7.00 pm. After stretching our weary legs on the chairs over a cup of steaming black tea, it was time for some relaxation. It was dinner time at 8.30 pm. The gentle breeze in the high range sent a feeling of acute chillness as the night advanced. The bare minimum facility in form of wooden floor in an enclosed hall and a sleeping bag to be contended with didn’t deter the weary members to get into deep sleep soon. Shortly afterwards, interrupted and loud snoring from some members of the team was alone heard, breaking the eerie silence of the hillside for the rest of the night.

A view of Eravikulam hut

Day Two

The rigours of the day to follow were announced over supper table the earlier night, which brought the members on their toes even by 6.00 am. Morning hot water bath is a luxury for such a larger group, unless one is brave enough to have a dip in the freezing jungle stream. After an early breakfast and lunch pack stuffed into the haversack, the trekkers stepped out of the hut for the second day’s event at about 6.45 am – a day poised for great adventure and thrill given the terrain to be negotiated and the distance to be slogged- as dished out by our guides. Otherwise, for a trekker used to the long trails, covering a distance of 32 km from Eravikulam hut located at a higher elevation to Konalar Fishing Hut at a lower altitude of 1889 m in a day may look like a safe bet. But as one comes across the proverbial ‘ups and downs’ in one’s life, the day’s walking experience turned out to be many downs and many more ups. That is how the first timers came to realize the day’s work which took the nerves and sweat out of them. The first hour of the day’s walk brought us down the slope of Eravikulam malai in a zig zag fashion to the bed of Eravikulam Ar – a straight drop of 200 m. Out of full admiration for the flowing waters, the team rested on the banks for about 20 minutes before resuming their walk. Soon, we entered one large sheet of shola patch bordering the river called as One mile shola. It was impenetrable vegetation all around but for a narrow walkway, which probably wild animals use. On the opposite side, we could get a panoramic view of a silvery waterfall cascading on the rocky slopes from the same height as we descended.

Eravikulam National Park

    As we exited the shola, the path picked up a gentle ascent for the next few kilometers throwing on both sides an enchanting landscape of grass hills, juxtaposed with wooded depressions. The advance party marching ahead of the main group suddenly stopped to the growling of a larger carnivore- most likely a tiger from within the nearby dense evergreen forest and alerted the team. The trekkers halted for quite some time till the reverberations gradually vanished. We continued to climb further to reach at the foot of Kathadi malai, a vertical cliff of 2548 m above MSL. As if to justify its name, wind was blowing at very high velocity at the ridge as could be inferred from the fact that many of our hats were thrown off. Brazing its onslaught, trekkers after a strenuous climb cooled their heels at this point from where one got a breathtaking view of the far away Marayur valley, much below the precipitous southern slope. Turning back, the trekkers gained a clear, though distant view of Anaimudi peak.

Our path gently descended from there to provide a full view of the northern face of Kathadi malai and on this rocky slope, we sighted a herd of about three Nilgiri tahr scaling the peak. The pair of binoculars was found handy to achieve a closer view of these endangered mountain goats, protection and conservation of whose habitats is the main mandate of the National Park staff. By about 10.00 am, we were close to a small stream where our luggage carriers arranged to provide us with some fresh black tea. Even while relaxing some members who went to bail drinking water were excited to notice the recent pug mark of a tiger on the sand bed of the stream. The other members were given the benefit of understanding wild animal movement based on such bio-signatures. A few members went down the stream to get a closer look of some orchids found perched on the branches of a Rhododendron tree. Though this is not the prime season for the orchids to bloom in the hills, the sporadic one was of a striking pink colour.

Niligiri tahr landscape

Sufficiently rejuvenated, the team further marched down and continued to walk through the folds of grassy slopes, punctuated with pocket sholas in between, which is found bordering a vast expanse of a swamp. The vastness of this frame of nature unfolding before was truly mesmerizing and the view was enchanting. Though the sun was moving up over our heads, high altitude trekking kept our body warmth quite under check. One turn after that long three km walk along the folds, we got close to Poovar trekking shed located on the bank of Poovar Nadi in the foot of Siluvai malai. Here, we noticed that thick iron channels that formed the pillars of the erstwhile trekking hut were brought down to shambles by the might of wild elephants. Understandably, Kerala Forest department now operates its present anti-poaching camp from a roofed building, fortified with an Elephant Proof Trench (EPT) all around. The time was 11.30 am. Yes, we had done a neat five hour walk.

A rather long break of an hour was given so as to allow the trailing members to catch up. The ones to arrive in the end were in great cheers as they had sighted a herd of Indian Bison and Nilgiri tahr very close to the Poovar river. Back on our foot, we gradually moved up from the hut and continued to climb up and down for the next two hours to reach a ridge point from where we were blessed with a commanding view of Perattu malai on our west. Perattumalai peak, we were told, is the interstate junction point. From here, the team members had to negotiate one of the most grueling descends on the hot open slope over the rickety bridle path laden with pebbles and dust. The drop was enormous as we found ourselves down by 150 m to the bank of Kumarikal Ar within a kilometer. The rustling sound of the crystal clear water flowing through the rocky bed was inviting, as we remembered the saying ‘but for the rocks in the bed, waters in the river would not have songs’. Many of us had a full gulp of the sparking icy water from the river.

Making a new way into the thick riverine forest by cutting the undergrowth, the team emerged out into the grassy slope. Two laps of steep ascend awaited us. This was the toughest stretch of the day’s walk, given the fact that one was already on foot for more than eight hours. By 4.15 pm, the first batch of about ten touched the interstate border at Podumalai where the staff from the Indira Gandhi National Park laid in waiting near the originating point of Chinnar Ar with evening snacks and tea. A much needed break indeed. The news that we are only two hours short of our destination for the day, Konalar hut was reassuring.

It was turning cool as the sun was gradually moving behind some far of hill slope. The other redeeming feature was that we don’t have to climb any further as it was continuous descend from now onwards. All through the trek, we gathered evidence of abundant wild animal movement in form of pug marks, hoof marks, scats, pellets and dung piles. As if to announce the arrival of Konalar hut, we could see the tops of the alien Eucalyptus and Pine trees, popping out of the hilltop from a distance. Located in the bank of Konalar Ar, known for the rainbow trout fish, this British-time fishing hut was managed by the Konalar Fishing Association of Valaparai planters till recently. The hut lies in the midst of verdant greenery made of a diverse mosaic of grassy swamp, evergreen shola and the exotic Eucalyptus and Pine. The time was 6.15 pm, when the first group walked into the hut, 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. Everyone in the group felt that we had achieved a lifetime feat.

Grass hills in Anamalai

It turned completely dark. The hurricane lamps and battery charged torches broke the darkness around us with thin streaks of light. Around 8.30 pm, the last batch reached the hut. After a rejuvenating bath, members exchanged pleasantries over a bowl of sizzling hot soup and spicy dinner. Too tired to hold them back around the campfire for long, the team members soon retired into their sleeping quilts.

Day Three

The morning opened up with a grand view of the swamp enveloped in thick mist. Some members braved in the jungle stream for their bath. The plan for the day was to cover a 10 km trail to the Akkamalai check gate, a well beaten track on foot, board the van in waiting, travel to Attakatti and depart after lunch. Accordingly, the trekkers left the Konalar hut after breakfast around 9.00 am. On their way, they could stop and view on their left, distinctly shaped shola pockets, aptly nick-named mango solai, India solai etc. Nearly half the distance of the trail meandered through the grass hills, throwing a continuous view of a mighty looking sheet rock, the ridge of which takes one to Thankkamalai peak (2513 m above MSL), the highest in the Anamalai part of Tamil Nadu. Here one of the Forest Guards drew our attention to the six mountain goats walking across the precipitous rock close to the ridge. What a sharp eyesight! Tahr usually merges with its background in perfect camouflage. Rest of the trail moves through the thick moist forest of mighty Mesua trees.

View of mango shola in grass hills

As the team reached the Akkamalai gate around noon, the landscape takes a totally different look with vast swathe of tea fields. As our van winds its way through the sprawling tea gardens, the sanctuary officers explained with a heavy heart that the Valparai plateau was once miles and miles of thick jungles, some 20,000 hectares of which were converted into tea, coffee and cardamom plantations around the end part of the 19^th century by the early British settlers. This fragmented landscape is the potent theatre of human-wildlife conflict today, involving recurrent episodes of elephants, panthers and tigers. After another hour drive, we were at Attakatti Highway Travelers’ Bungalow where a sumptuous lunch waited for us.

End Note

The trek that covered over 56 km spread on three days brought in a sense of accomplishment in the minds of everyone, as it was unique in more than one respect. It provided an opportunity to be nearer to un-spoilt nature and wilderness, which is a highly restricted area for casual visitors. It carried us through the most magnificent and scintillating landscape of Southern Western Ghats abundant in biodiversity. It heightened awareness about the need to protect and conserve such unique wild landscapes among the non-forestry persons in the group. It made such a diverse age group of 10 to 60 to move around in unison for over three days. The youngest in the group was a student of fifth class. The fact that women can also take to tougher tasks was reinforced by the presence of a lady member past her 50s in the group. It helped us to prove our physical and mental agility. It taught us to put up in life with bare minimum facilities. It brought all of us together with a feeling of camaraderie, cutting across ranks and levels. And a lot more!

With loads of fond memories to cherish for long, members parted way from Attakatti around 2.30 pm on the 20^th March with the fervent hope to reassemble somewhere else, sometime after.