Meesapulimala was a peak that I wanted to climb since I was in college, even before I knew anything about trekking. It’s the second highest peak in the entire Western Ghats and situated in Munnar, in my home state of Kerala.
Getting access to the trek itself is a chore. You have to book in advance with the Kerala Forest Department, as they can only host a limited number of people each day. I had missed out on this trek a few times, but the stars aligned this time. My friend, who lived in Kottayam, about 150 km from Munnar, accompanied me.
Our journey commenced on a bike from his home, with the Meesapulimala base camp as our destination. The ride to Munnar was picturesque, leading us through the ghats and forests. Just before reaching Munnar, Google Maps diverted us to an off-road path, with many unmanned checkposts along the way.
Eventually, we were stopped by an official at a checkpost, who wouldn’t let us through even after we showed our booking confirmations. After a bit of back and forth, we realised that we weren’t supposed to come via this road in the first place. This route was banned for tourists. Ideally, we should have visited the forest department office in Munnar, taken their jeep, and arrived at this checkpost from the opposite side.
Luckily for us, this checkpost was the point where both these roads converged. After a short wait, the other members came in the jeep from Munnar. We followed the jeep until the village of Silent Valley and parked our bike next to a tea stall.
The jeep ride further on was beautiful, taking us through many tea estates and plantations. Silent Valley, true to its name, was quiet and peaceful. The village reminded me of stills from old Malayalam movies, with children rolling bicycle wheels, old men gathered at tea shops, and women working in the fields.
Eventually, we reached the base camp at around 5 pm, met the rest of the team, and were shown to our tents. We had quite the diverse crowd, with people from across India and the world. There were tech professionals and teachers from Kerala, an extended family from Gujarat, and a foreign couple from Lithuania.
After bonding with a few, we put our explorer shoes on, and headed into the wilderness nearby. Among dense trees, we followed a trail which gave us a view of a waterfall on the other side of the hill. The food at the base camp was delicious, and well worth the amount charged. Since there wasn’t any network, I spent the time socialising, clicking photos and reading my copy of Into the Wild.
The camp officials set up a small campfire at night, and it was quite amusing to see the social disconnect and awkward conversations between the middle-aged Kerala teachers and the young foreign couple. Eventually, everyone retreated to their tents, until my friend and I remained, recollecting our old adventures while gazing at the stars. The temperature dropped a lot, finally forcing us into our tents.
I had a great sleep in the tent, which is unusual, and my friend barely got any sleep, which is even more unusual. Either way, we got up at 4:30 am, had a glass of tea and boarded the jeep to Rhodo Mansion where the climb began. The Rhodo mansion was an alternative stay option for people who didn’t want to stay in tents. The views were spectacular, but a bit too expensive for our taste.
We started the climb with a steep ascent, which was draining without a warmup. Right on the first hill was the sunrise point, which gave a wide-angle view of the mountain range. After waiting for the sun to rise, we were treated to a golden glow that shined upon the adjacent peaks.
Next was a 4 km climb to the peak. This 4 km was comprised of 9 different hills, so every ascent was followed by a small descent. On the way, we saw the famous Neelakurinji, a flower that blooms once every 12 years, although this one seemed to have bloomed randomly.
The peak was beautiful. On certain days you could see a proper cloud bed at the top, although we weren’t so lucky. However, we got to see Kolukkumalai from afar, which is another peak in Munnar. After clicking photos up top with the group, we started our descent, in an alternate path covered by shades from Rhododendron and Pine trees.
After reaching Rhodo Mansion and completing the trek, we returned to the base camp, had breakfast, and said our goodbyes. After being dropped off in Silent Valley, we began our journey back, our minds fresh and free of all thoughts.
Overall, Meesapulimala is a great two-day retreat from everyday life. The trek itself is relatively easy and straightforward, but that doesn’t take away from the journey or the view from the top. This trek is for everyone, irrespective of age — eight-year-olds were climbing merrily with us. Families are more than welcome to bring their kids for a day of wild adventure.
Wandering Sid 
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