Kalpetta is yet another town of Wayanad and an excellent hub to nearby places of interest. The much hyped Chembra peak trek start point at Meppadi is 11 km from Kalpetta.
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| Chembra peak trek highlights, heart-shaped lake at Chembra (a blog) |
Stay options at Meppadi, start point for Chembra peak
It was already noon, and finding a budget hotel at Kalpetta seemed no easy feat, so I continued onward to Meppadi hoping to find a place to stay there. My hunch was right, along the hilly (motorable road) towards Chembra peak were several small unlisted homestays catering to trekkers. so I took up a private room at once.
Sampling street food 😜
Due to being at a higher altitude, it was much cooler and I had to snuggle in my warm jacket. It was well past lunchtime. There were plenty of makeshift eateries, but not being much of a street food fan, I walked by gingerly and decided to sample a bit of this and that~ chicken gravy with parotta, a small portion of fried fish with onion lime for garnish, followed by hot chai (tea).
The rest of the day I spent exploring the tea and spice plantations around.
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| the lush tea and spice plantations at Chembra, Wayanad |
< Day 2 >
Chembra peak trek highlights
Trek distance~ 6 to 7 hrs to & fro
Terrain~ shola grasslands
Level~ Easy to Moderate
At 2,100m Chembra is the highest peak in Wayanad. This time I was on my own (without a trekking group), but that's not a matter of concern. Scores of local trekking guides hang around the Meppadi forest office, which is located on the slopes. After a short wait, I was joined by 2 other girls from Bangalore and a few more guys.
Tip~ A local trek guide is mandatory and assigned by the forest office. There is also an entry fee and camera charges. No permits are issued after 2 pm.
There are few locals selling snacks and water bottles at the trek start point. It's a good idea to get what you need here.
Tip~ Keeping your backpack light is a good idea. Just some snacks and water.
Far from the daily grind of a monotonous life, there were scores and scores of people from the cities and towns. The only other crowded trek I have witnessed so far is Tadiandamol hills, but nothing could compare to Chembra today.
The initial trail to Chembra
It was a clear day and the initial trail was easy. We got about chatting and the walk went on pleasantly. Our guide showed us pepper and coffee plantations which were in abundance on the slopes. Suddenly there was a buzz among the trekking guides that an elephant 🐘 had birthed along this route and there would be a diversion of the path. This is wild elephant territory and they have the right of way before we do.
The Chembra forest officials are also paranoid about forest 🔥 fires. Smoking is strictly prohibited. So also camping 🏕️ is not allowed due to the threat of wild elephants. After 20 mins or so we were walking through a beautiful forested area.
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| Along the trail to Chembra peak, shola grasslands |
The shola grasslands of high altitude Western ghats
Tip~ The Chembra peak trek terrain is shola grasslands which means~ less tree cover and more exposure, do wear a cap/ hat for protection from the sun.
We continued towards a vast expanse of rolling hills. Known as the shola grasslands, the blades of grass here grow up to 5ft, that is typical of higher altitude Western Ghats like the Nilgiris. The landscape, I imagine, would be a stunning emerald green just after monsoons. The shola grasslands abound in a special variety of grass which is the major diet, and probably the reason why elephants thrive in this region.
The walk was easy and fun, but steep so we stopped a lot. As we climbed higher up, powder soft soil with loose gravel at a few patches made the climb intimidating. But our guide, the saviour, was always around encouraging us. At the end of 3 hrs we had finally reached the famous heart-shaped lake of Chembra.
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| The heart shaped lake at Chembra that never dries up, even in peak summers |
The looming peak in front of us looked so incredibly out of this world. There is a further 1.30 hours climb to the peak, but it is banned 🚫 for fear of human-animal conflict. So we had a lunch break, took loads of pics and rested here while soaking in the beauty of the place.
The descent took much less time, but the soft earth and loose gravel patches were even more scary. We reached the foothills by 4 pm. The 2 girls from Bangalore asked me to join them for boating at Pookode lake, but I declined. Without spending any more time here, I boarded a bus to Sultan Battery 32 km/ 1 hour ahead.
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| Chembra peak trek highlights, Wayanad |
Mountains or Beaches? What would your answer be?
The thought crossed my mind too. After checking in at a hotel at Sultan Bathery, a hot shower and change of clothes, I dialled room service. 'Firstly, why on earth would someone come up with a cliche like this?' My thoughts were interrupted by a staff member, asking me what I'd like to have. "A beer 🍺 ?' That was more like it, to celebrate a good trek! Having spent the winter months on the beaches of western India was just as amazing as the summers in mountains of South India.
So my answer is both! There's a knock on my door, I'm sure it's room service with my beer.... Thanks for reading.
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