Trekking Holiday on the Hawk

[pahujaamit]

Couple of months back I completed a trekking and adventure holiday and have written a travelogue. Though the details are on my blog, I'm putting some key posts and pics here as well.. enjoy

Location:: Annaerangal
I wanted to go out for an adventure trip and chose to go for a trek as an extension to our holiday trip. We chose to go to Anaerangal camp site which was somewhere near Munnar – our holiday place.
So we headed out for this adventure trip with my buddy and our families and had a great time with ups and downs of emotions, anxiety, pain and happiness :) It was a great time spent after soo long with my buddy on a trip full of adventure. We wanted to go for a holiday and the theme what we chose to this time was Adventure and hence we found out a place near Munnar, Kerela which is near Chinakkal area or Munnar. This place was very remote as expected with actually no amenities except a camp site which was adequately done up for a comfortable stay as per the camping standards. Here are the details of the Trip.

​

Place: Anaerangal Camp, Chinakkal, Kerela - Around 60kms from Munnar town​

Camping Company: Kalypso Adventures​

Time and Season: May 2012, Peak season at Munnar​

Experience: Fabulous, Amazing and WoW​

​

Details of the trip ​

As I said we wanted to do an adventure trip this time, so we opted for a Trekking and Camping site instead of just going to a tourist place and spending time. We started our journey from Munnar where we spent about 3 nights before we came to the camping site. (Read the Munnar Triplogue by clicking here). It took us about 1.5 hrs to reach this place with little but of difficulty in locating it. We had to ask for directions several times and as the camping site was far off from the town. But once we located it we realized it was not hard to find. ​

Apologies for some of the pictures not being very good as were taken form inside the moving car with dirty windscreen.

Route to the camping site was amazing. As usual in Munnar region it was full of Tea plantations.​

​

Beautiful tea plantations of Munnar​

Beautiful tea plantations of Munnar​

Just before the camping site this was a huge Lemon Grass plantation. We noted this place so that we can take some lemon grass home while going back.​

lemon grass plantation​

lemon grass plantation​

lemon grass​

Smile :)​

en-route to the camp​

en-route to the camp​

 

[pahujaamit]

After a nice drive, So we reached there around 1Pm which was lunch time and quickly we were shown our tents to camp. We dumped our luggage in it, freshened up and straight away went for lunch. The lunch provided was yummy though many of the veggies we not something I would cherish to have personally :( but it wasn't bad. The buffet spread was good but very basic as can be expected for a camping site. Food was yummy and we enjoyed the lunch to the fullest. Here are some pictures of the dishes..

Outside view of the camps​

​

Outside view of the camps​

​

Inside view of the camp​

​

Inside view of the camp​

​

Outside view of the camps​

​

Beautiful surroundings of the camp​

​

​

​

After settling in we quickly got refreshed and came out to have lunch. It was a buffet lunch arranged just for us and looked pretty clean and good.

TBC

 

[pahujaamit]

After a yummy lunch, we went for the our first trek which was around 3~4kms away from the camp. Initially the climb and the trek was not very tough but sooner it got tougher and tougher and tougher. We were all excited for the challenges en-route.. but we somehow managed to finish it in about few hours time. Please see below the pictures of the trek and the experience we had...

As we started the trek we passed through a very dark area and the “Crickets” were making noise “crrr crrr crrr crrr” so loud that it was too scary…​

Cricket insect​

Start of the trek​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

Wonderful views from the trek !!​

View of the camp from the trek​

View of the camp from the trek​

View of the camp from the trek​

On the trek – our gang and our superhero !!​

Coffee Beans !​

Wonderful Views​

Wonderful Views​

The trek getting steeper and tougher​

​

Wonderful Views​

​

​

Wonderful Views​

​

Water well on the way to the top​

​

​

​

Tougher and tougher !!​

​

​

 

[pahujaamit]

​

amazing views…​

​

​

​

​

​

still not there.. taking rest and this time my daughter refused to go any further.. but we had to boost her give her some confidence that she can do it and we got started again..​

​

trek full of bushes…​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

come on.. now its not the time to give up !! its hardly 200mtrs form here..​

​

​

​

view of the camp form the top​

​

the dark jungle we had to pass through to reach the top​

​

​

​

resting in between.. re-charging ourselves..​

​

The first view of the Top of the Hill or our Destination :)​

​

​

And we conquered it !! The first team was of the kids and my wifey !! and then me and my buddy and then her wifey :) The main person who deserved the clap here was our 2 yr old kid who kept his calm and was excited to reach the top …​

​

​

​

​

And it got hazy the moment we reached the top of the hill. But certainly we loved every bit of the time we spent there and during the climb.​

​

​

​

​

​

​

The feeling to reach the top was very good that i cant describe in words…​

​

and that's my buddy almost reaching the top​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Full team. .bhaiya ji smile moment :)​

​

Full team. .bhaiya ji smile moment :)​

​

​

​

and the return journey ..​

 

[pahujaamit]

and the return journey ..​

​

and the return journey ..​

​

and the return journey ..​

​

​

​

​

​

amazingly beautiful valley view​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

from here it was too rocky and was very difficult terrain to walk also.. took us around 1hr to cover a km or so…​

​

rocky terrain​

​

rocky terrain​

​

rocky terrain​

​

rocky terrain​

​

rocky terrain​

​

rocky terrain​

 

[pahujaamit]

rocky terrain​

​

​

​

rocky terrain of the mountain we climbed..​

​

beautiful views​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

By this time we were all dead tired and wanted a miracle to happen and take us back to the camp and it happened. We saw one guy driving his Mahindra Jeep and approaching us. We stopped him and asked him for a favor to drop us to the camp and he obliged. He was infact a friend of our guide and gave us ride back to the camp. May GOD bless him .. that was the feeling we had that time. On the way to the camp we realised that we had about 3kms of trek left back to the camp on this rocky torturous road.. and the rain would have made it worst !!

​

​

The A-Team :)​

​

Our hero deserves to be on the blog !! Thank you buddy !!​

​

​

​

​

​

 

[pahujaamit]

After we came back from the trek we were certainly tired.. so ordered tea/coffee and snacks. The snacks and refreshments were good to have after the trek over a great chat. So we relaxed there for a while and then it was time for Bon-fire !! Yippeee.. and it was something which we were waiting for as it was getting a bit cold !! So we lit the fire and enjoyed the moments with chit-chat, dancing, antakshri (songs) and photography :) soon after the bon-fire we had dinner and then crashed into the bed.

All set for the bon-fire party​

​

Kids having fun at the Bonfire !!​

​

Next morning, we woke up around 6am to take some early morning shots and then had our breakfast and started our journey for the World's highest tea factory. We were informed before we started that it is a bumpy ride but but but.. I guess we thought it will be bumpy but it was back brr brrr brrrr breaking ride.. :((((

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

early morning shots !!​

​

 

[pahujaamit]

However, it was a great experience as the scenery around us made it for the discomfort. The road was terribly (in fact there was no road for say) bad but the Mahindra jeep was very much capable enough to climb the rocky roads without any problems.

So we visited the factory, had lovely fresh tea, bought some tea leaves for us and came back to the camp.

​

​

​

​

​

​

Beautiful views on the way !!​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Beautiful views on the way !!​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

This place is the highest border between two states in South India. Left side is Tamil Nadu and right side is Kerala state.​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory Entrance​

​

 

[pahujaamit]

Tea Factory Entrance​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory entrance​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

​

​

​

​

Tea Factory ​

​

Back form the tea Factory ​

​

Beautiful views ​

​

Beautiful views ​

​

Beautiful views ​

​

The team from Left to Right: Our Driver, Manju – our guide, Me and my buddy
+ far right is the Camp crew !!​

​

It was time to say good bye to the excellent camp and proceed for our next stop.. oh sorry for returning home :( It was a good but very tiring ride back home as I was soooo much tired and only driver who had the challenge to pull it to Bangalore from here continuously. Though we thought we would halt somewhere in between instead of continuous drive to Bangalore but we did not stop and slowly and with many breaks in between we touched Bangalore around 2AM and crashed into the heavenly beds. Thanks to my lovely ride :: Scorpio which completed the trip without any hassles or fatigue because of driving. It was very comfortable and enjoyable ride....




Summary and Highlights and Suggestions

• Had an excellent time at the Adventure camp. Was very very good !!
• Munnar before monsoons is ok but after the monsoons is much better.
• Avoid taking the internal roads to Munnar from Bangalore. Take NH4 which is very good until the turn towards Kodai/Dindigul.
• Never drive at very very high speeds as the driving conditions may be good but you might get unwanted traffic/cows/dogs on the expressways which will be a threat !!
• Never Drink and Drive and take regular breaks during drive.
• DO not drive under stress.
• For more pictures and my other blogs go to Amit Pahuja's Travelogues

 

[visran]

Wonderful place man, and nice write up too thoroughly enjoyed reading it

 

[mukeshus]

Wonderful travelogue, Amit.

All the pics were so lively.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Superbad]

wonderful pics amit.

did you by anychance try offroading with the scorpio?

i see no mention of it in the travelogue.

 

[Chandranath]

Very good pictures and captures the mood nicely.

Liked the Mahindra Jeep which gave you a lift for the last 3km of trekking.

 

[AppU]

Greeny Pics with excellent naration..

Great

 

[smooth rider]

very beautiful tlog mate.the trekking part in munnar is news to me. will try it when i go there.