KOCHI: A peak covered with green pastures and woods, a heart-shaped lake to its side and a gentle breeze that soothes your heart and soul. Mist that joyfully dances around you giving a visual embellishment to the entire valley. This is Chembra in Wayanad - blissful little heaven.The road towards Ooty from Kalpetta, the small but busy headquarter of Wayanad district, would take you to Meppadi. From here starts the journey to Chembra. The entry pass and guide for Chembra trekking are available at the Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS) office. There is road access till a private estate. The trekking to the peak starts after name and address are recorded at the estate gates.First phase is relatively very small and quite easy. A short brisk walk will lead you to the watch tower, from where you get a panoramic view of the area. Now starts the second phase, trekking through the grasslands towards the ‘Hridayasarassu’ (named because of its heart-shape). Walk slowly, in tandem with the soft rhythm of the breeze and you will experience a walk of your life time. With an hour and half of soft trekking, you will ascend 4500 ft. Here is the first destination of the trekking. The lake stretches out in front of you with its water as clean as a loving heart. Even in harsh summers, Hridayasarassu has more or less the same water level. After all, love is not something that changes with extremes!With the beauty and peace of the lake, you would feel like spending an eternity here. But if you are intending to do the next phase of the trek, you must hurry a little. From the banks of Hridayasarassu, it is a hard trek to the top of the Chembra peak. After climbing the first 6300 ft, there is an unwarranted change in nature.Gentle breeze gives way for continuous winds. But still the climb is worth because of the breath-taking view of the valley it offers. If the mist allows, you can even see Kalpetta, Vaithiri, Banasurasagar dam, Karappuzha etc. And if you are lucky enough, you can spot wildlife, even leopards. There is permission to stay in the peak only till six in the evening. There is also the possibility of rain showers in the afternoon. It makes the route slippery and dangerous. So it is best advised return from the Chembra peak before evening.(The author is an official with BSNL, Thiruvananthapuram, and is a member of the Worldwide Fund for Nature)
Comments
0 comment