Meesapulima – trek to the second highest peak in South India

Prologue

The trek to Anaimudi in Kerala, the highest peak in South India was in my backlog for a long time. I procrastinated and then at some point of time, the forest department banned the trek to Anaimudi as it was inside Eravikulam National Park. Hence my attention then shifted to the second highest peak, Meesapulimala which is also in Kerala!! I used to think about it beginning of each year but did not act on it. Finally, I managed to trek to this place last month with my friend Subbu.

 

Meesapulimala, at the height of 2,640 meters (8,661 feet) above sea level and trekking to this peak is possible only with the permission from Forest department. In this post, I will explain the process to trek to Meesapulimala and my experience.

Registering for the trek

The first step was to make booking with Kerala forest department for the trek. This was a very easy process via KFDC website. The trek to Meesapulimala cannot be done as a day trip from Munnar. You have to stay at one of the KFDC accommodation and trek. Currently, they have three types of accommodation

• Base camp – Cheapest option with tents, also the one I booked.
• Sky cottage – A km away from Base camp overlooking mountains and a waterfall
• Rhodo Mansion – Further up above the Base camp, this is a full-fledged accommodation. The location is great!!

Reaching Basecamp

We took an overnight KSRTC (Karnataka) bus from Bengaluru to Munnar. It was 10:30 AM when we reached Munnar and we went directly to KFDC office which was about 2 km from the town to get the pass and information about reaching Basecamp. We got the pass quickly but we were advised to reach the camp after 2 PM. The lunch on day 1 was not included as part of the package.

We still had some time and hence walked back to Munnar town. After spending some time aimlessly roaming around, we went to “Saravana Bhavan” to have lunch and then hired a Jeep to Base camp. The Jeep rate was fixed (Rs 1,000) and there was no need to bargain.

The drive to Basecamp took about 75 minutes. The road was decent for most part and passed through tea estates with nice sceneries all along the way.  The last 2 km was steep and the road was really bad. That explained the need for the Jeep to Basecamp. But I was quite surprised to see a sedan and hatchback parked at Basecamp. It was a risky attempt, I felt.

Basecamp

Basecamp was nothing but a small area with lot of tents placed. A common place formed kitchen, stay for forest officials, office, dining area and campfire. Common toilets were situated on the other side of the camp. A simple and nice place.

 

I was bit excited about staying in tent. Last time I stayed was during Kashmir great lakes trek (Link here) and that was 8 years ago!! Time flies very fast. We rested for some time and went for a short walk to the nearby waterfall. It was a nice place but the water quantity was very low. It was expected during January. We met few fellow trekkers from Kerala and chatted for a long time on various topics.

Sunset at Basecamp

As expected, it was a beautiful sunset from Basecamp. Post sunset, the temperature dropped and we moved to the dining area for campfire. It would have been great if the “Pokadas” we served but we just had to wait for dinner.

Trekking plans

After dinner, we started making plans for the trek. There were two options to trek to Meesapulimala.

• Start after breakfast from Basecamp. Reach Rhodo valley and continue towards Meesapulimala. It would take about 8-9 hours of walking both ways. Packed lunch is provided.
• Start from Basecamp at 5:30 AM from Jeep to Rhodo valley. After sunrise, proceed to Meesapulimala. Come back to Basecamp by 11AM. The cost of the Jeep was Rs 1,500 which was to be shared by 8 people.

 

We would have loved to trek all the way from Basecamp to Meesapulimala but then we would miss our 5 PM bus from Munnar. Also, we did not want to miss sunrise, which was the most beautiful part of the trek. We chose the second option.

To Rhodo valley

It was dark when we started at 5:30 in the morning. The Jeep climbed up continuously on the bad roads to reach Rhodo valley. We climbed up for about 20 minutes to reach the top of the hill behind Rhodo valley. The scene on top of the hill mesmerised us.

 

We were surrounded by mountains and the sky was lighting up. The clouds far away but below the mountains gave a great feeling. In front of us was Meesapulima and the sun was somewhere behind it. A small lake at the base of the mountain looked spectacular in that dim light.

 

It was one of the best sunrises I had seen so far. As the sun appeared from the top of Meesapulimala, it provided a great array of light everywhere. The light was first seen on a mountain far away. It has to be the highest mountain in the area. The guide confirmed it saying that the mountain was Anaimudi, the highest in South India!! As the name mentioned, it indeed looked like an Elephant head.

Towards Meesapulimala

After enjoying sunset for a long time, we started our walk towards Meesapulimala. The initial stretch went down on a steep decline. Post that, we had to cross series of mountains to reach Meesapulimala. The light morning sun made the walk very easy. We reached Meesapulimala without much difficulty.

 

Since it was the highest point in the area, Meesapulimala provided 360 degree view of the surrounding. We were seeing Kolukkumalai Tea estate in TamilNadu, which was another route to Meesapulimala but highly restricted. Top slip, one of the tourist spot in Munnar could be seen. Guide showed us Kodaikanal hills and my thoughts back to the trekking I did between Munnar and Kodaikanal.

 

We spent a long time on top of the hill. A nuisance was from a group of people who had brought a portable speaker. I think people lack common sense and do not know there is something called as headphone/earphone if they are so addicted to songs. Thankfully, the cacophony group went back after sometime.

Return back

Guide took us through a different route while returning back. Just before Rhodo valley, we reached a small pond. It was in a very picturesque location. The bones of deer and skin of an animal indicated that it was a favourite hunting ground for carnivores.

 

Rhodo valley is situated in a very beautiful place. I would recommend to stay here rather than Basecamp due to its location.

 

Back at Basecamp, we had Kerala Puttu as breakfast. They also served yellow rice as lunch. Basically, they provided brunch!!

Few points to note

• Check-in on first day is only after 2 PM. They also do not serve lunch on day 1. There are no restaurants nearby.
• It is better to bring some light snacks as KFDC only provides biscuits as snacks. Food is basic and do not expect lavish spread!!
• Jeep cost from Munnar to Basecamp is Rs 1,000 one way. You can ask the drive to come back on the next day.
• Hot water is not available in Basecamp.
• Tents are good for two people to stay. There are also few tents for three people. Sleeping bags are provided.

Epilogue

It will be unfair if I do not mention about KFDC. Their process of online booking is simple and straightforward. The staff at both Munnar and Basecamp were very friendly. They have ensured that it is a safe place for families to come and experience trekking.