We always try, not to miss the opportunity that extended weekends give us, and my entire family being travel freaks, the best way to utilize extended weekends for us is to take a trip. Given the hot summers Bangalore is experiencing right now, we already had mountains on our mind, and Wayanad being about 4-5 hours ride from our place, we zeroed in on this hill station in God’s own country (Kerala).
Image Credit: Runaldeep Nandy
While we decided traveling to this place, we already had the Chembra trek in mind, as both my husband and me are very fond of trekking. Thus, we had booked a resort which was at a location where the Chembra peak was just about 5 kilometers behind the resort. However, after we reached our resort, the locals informed us to our utter disappointment that the trek to the Chembra peak was closed due to forest fire. Chembra is the tallest peak in Wayanad, Kerala, and this trek is also famous because it holds a heart-shaped lake at the top of it. However, seeing that we are disappointed hearing the news, Shintu, a caretaker at the hotel informed us that we could trek up to a place behind the resort, which was not as high as Chembra, but would give us a good view of the entire valley. So, we decided to do it the next morning.
Image Credit: Runaldeep Nandy
Early morning next day, we put on our trekking shoes and were ready to explore. We went trekking up through the trail Shintu had suggested for some time and albeit the view was splendid and we witnessed the sunrise from there. However, that did not quite satisfy our thirst for a wholesome trek, and thus, we ventured a bit farther upwards. We could guess why going farther was prohibited, because the trail was not much used and we had to wade through the prickly mountain grass to find our way. Being forbidden, it was obviously an exciting trek.
Image Credit: Runaldeep Nandy
After about an hour of trek farther upwards, we noticed that we had already lost sight of our resort and had landed onto a different mountain from the one where we started. The view from here was mesmerizing and we were literally on top of the clouds. We could also see the Chembra peak right beside us. Since this was a zone not much used by people, I was afraid of snakes and insects, and we could also hear the sound of some foxes howling. However, after about a few minutes of trek, when we could see the peak nearby, there was no trail to be found at all, and we would totally have to trample on the wild mountainous grasses that were about 2-3 feet high. So, we thought it would be a better idea to start descending.
Image Credit: Runaldeep Nandy
The descent was of course tougher, and our shoes failed grip at certain portions of loose rocks. However, the trek was fun, exciting and we loved it more because we risked trekking on a path that was unexploited by human feet. All we could see was greenery around, tweeting of several kinds of birds and chirps of hilly insects.
So, next time you visit Wayanad, and the Chembra trek happens to be closed, try some other adjacent peak. The hills won’t disappoint!
Read Also: Five Great Indian Treks For Solo Hikers
