Trek to Agasthyarkoodam Location: 60 kms from Thiruvananthapuram, near The Neyyar Dam and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary.
Day 1 Four of us colleagues decided on an adventurous trip in Kerala. First option was Munnar but being a destination visited by all of us at one time or other, we decided on trekking to Agasthyarkoodam. Agasthyarkoodam is the second highest peak in Kerala. Jerin, one amongst us four belonged to Thiruvannathapuram so we put up at his home and arranged the trip. We had to obtain passes from the office of the wildlife warden. We started off early morning in a jeep. We were told that we would be dropped off at Bonacaud check post from where we had to trek. After getting the clearance from the check post, we began our trek with Babu as our guide and advisor arranged from the wildlife department. As per plan we were headed towards Athirumala Rest House about 20 kms from Bonacaud. The first half of the trek was not pleasant with bad roads but as soon as we entered the forest area, the jungle calls and scenery made us forget the initial hurdles. Athirumala Rest House was our stop over for the day.After about 9 hours of rigorous trekking we reached the Athirumala rest house and after a bath in a near by stream, had dinner and slept.
Day 2 The next day was the trek to reach the site of sage Agastya, a disciple of Lord Shiva. It was a steep climb for about 20 kms and there were areas of barren rock which we climbed using a rope. The abode of sage Agasthya is believed to be at a huge rock known as Pongala Para. The stone sculpture here is belived to be of the great sage.We spent some time here and then proceeded higher on the peak. Agasthyarkoodam is part of the Sahyadri range of mountains and is an area of ecological diversity.The area is rich in medicinal herbs also. Our guide and companion Babu advised us that we must reach our guesthouse before nightfall so we started the trek down reluctantly after lunch at Agasthyarmala.
Day 3 The next day was set aside for exploring the nearby areas. After breakfast, we set out to explore the flora in the surrounding slopes.The rare orchids were indeed wonderful and the rare butterflies seem to swarm the area. The leeches getting stuck to our legs was the only slight discomfort during the trip.A last minute decision, we decided to spend the night atop a close by mountain. We trekked to the top with our sleeping bags and we were in time to see the setting sun casting different shades in the sky, seemed so near us. The clouds seemed so near us. It was an experience we’d never forget. Our camp fire was great and so was dinner and we curled into our sleeping bags in the make-do tent.The night was too windy and cold yet we enjoyed this privilege away from the routine of daily life.
Day 4 Early morning, we started back to the resthouse and refreshed ourselves and got ready to go back. Packed our bags to return to civilisation but there was lots more to explore and each one of us wished we could come back again. We bid goodbye to our friend and guide Babu who told us we missed visiting the nearby Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. Hopefully next time, we can make it a longer trip. We stayed at Jerin’s home and early morning left for Bangalore to resume our duties.
Trip Report submited by Bonny http://kerala.travel
