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]]>Text Credits: Gayathri Prasannan
When it comes to planning a trip outdoors, camping offers some of the most affordable options. It is a popular choice for those who love to wake up to beautiful views and wish to be far from the mad rush of city life to relax, escape stress, and clear their minds.
Whether it is the wildlife, verdant tea estates, breathtaking viewpoints or cool hill stations; choose where your heart leads you and escape to one of these picturesque destinations.
Suryanelli
Situated 40km South East of the popular tourist location of Munnar, Suryanelli is located in Chinnakanal village in Idukki. It is surrounded by tea plantations and many resorts. The place gives you an astonishing view of Anayirangal Dam. It is recommended for all those who crave for a harmonious gateway.
Vagamon
Vagamon is a hill station located on the Kottayam-Idukki border of Kerala. With a never-ending line of lush green hills, breathtaking narrow steep-sided valley and windy rivulets, it is definitely one of the most charming locations for camping.
Yellapatty
At a little distance from Munnar and close to Top Station and Mattupetti Dam lies Yellapatty. The hills here offer a stunning view of the tea plantation and has a natural vibe that will impress you. The beautiful valley surrounded by forests and the panoramic mountains, offer mesmerising views to wake up to.
Kolukkumalai
Kolukkumalai is the world’s highest tea plantation. To visit Kolukkumalai is to touch the sky. It is without argument one of the world’s most beautiful scenic destinations.
Mankulam
Mankulam is a village in Idukki district. Experience a proper farm house ambiance and wake up to splendid views of the Mankulam valley. Explore this delightful part of Munnar and enjoy trails like the famous Royal Route.
Kodaikanal
Kodaikanal is a hill town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is in an area of granite cliffs, forested valleys, lakes, waterfalls, and grassy hills. The Kodaikanal region and especially the Kodai-Camp offers a unique atmosphere of peacefulness.
Coorg
Kodagu, also known as Coorg is one of the top destinations of Karnataka Tourism. Kodagu is the largest producer of coffee in India. Undulating hills covered in lush green forests and a landscape dotted with coffee plantations, tea gardens and orange groves, this hill station has breathtakingly stunning scenic beauty.
Gokarna
Gokarna is a town on the Arabian Sea, in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka. It attracts a crowd for a chilled-out beach holiday and is an alternative option to the crowded beaches of Goa. Most accommodation is in thatched bamboo huts along its several stretches of blissful coast.
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]]>Text credit: Charishma Thankappan
“Fire on the mountain; Run! Run! Run!” A childhood game was brought back to the minds of people; however, in a painfully realistic form. It was a pleasure trip to get close to Mother Nature. Comprising the young and the old, it was meant to be a brief getaway from the bustle of city life to walk through some of the most beautiful ranges of the exquisite Western Ghats. But little did anyone know that the journey back would end in the mouth of hell, literally.
A group of 39, including children, women, and men set off from Chennai on March 10 for a trekking expedition from Kurangani to Kolukkumalai hills. As per the latest reports, 11 people have died, 27 are injured in various degrees, while three returned safe as they exited the trek in its early stages. After staying overnight in Kolukkumalai, during the return journey on March 11, the group split up, losing their way, and were engulfed by the flames of a forest fire that raged their way in the Kolikkumalai area. While rescue processes have concluded, several questions are being raised about the cause and handling of the tragedy.
While blame games are flying thick and fast between the Forest department which is backed by the Tamil Nadu government, and CTC; a thought needs to be given to the actual victims and the whole community of pure trekkers, who are dependent upon the organisers to indulge in the activity. Afterall, what is pursued for thrill and adventure cannot be undertaken at the cost of life.
What happened at Theni cannot be repeated and it is the responsibility of the organisers to be fully equipped for any adverse situations. Who is responsible is indeed a question that has to be answered; however, what is more important is to ensure that such a situation never recurs and if it does, necessary measures are in place to mitigate the consequences. Who is responsible for a mishap? Every party involved in it is equally responsible – the authorities , the organisers, and trekkers.
The concept of travel varies with individuals; while some enjoy a lazy afternoon dip in a rooftop pool, others enjoy trekking up a steep terrain carrying a 10kg backpack. ‘Why’ is not important, but how it should be facilitated is what is the primary question that needs to be answered.
The breathtaking view from Kolukkumalai
Source: navrangindia
Kerala Tourism Department Corporation (KTDC) has taken all necessary steps to cater to the affluent tourists but what about the nature-enthusiasts or trekkers? Probably this lack of regulation is what resulted in the creeping up of incompetent, unqualified individuals or groups into organising treks in nature by blinding the responsible forest officials with a few currency notes.
KTDC has to work with forest departments into identifying trek routes, marking them in a non-invasive manner and regulate and monitor the usage of such treks. Regulation does not mean monetising it but being knowledgeable in the aspects that are to be fulfilled to ensure safety in adventure and being accountable for actions.
Says Arjun Majumdar, founder of IndiaHikes, the largest trekking community in India, “I see this as a freak accident and not something that we are likely to see happening more often, even if trekking grows. To our mind, the forest department must be more careful about alerting people about possible fires. I don’t think a blanket ban on trekking is advisable. These early summer months are some of the best months for trekking. However, with advance notice they can put a stop to trekking for a weekend or two or when a fire is likely to grow. From the organiser’s side, training on fire management is something every leader must know. Forest fires are rare, but fires at the camp do happen, for example, a kitchen tent catching fire. So such training is imperative for every trek leader.”
Seasoned trekker Toms Varghese echoes the sentiments of the trekking community, “The people who organised this trip cannot shirk the responsibility of this tragedy; neither can the authorities who keep trying to put the blame solely on the organisers as the forest department is well aware of the risks involved. This tragedy should lead to an in-depth inquiry into the reasons behind the wildfires as it not only poses danger to human and animal life but to an entire ecosystem that took centuries to develop.”
Here is a critical checklist that all concerned parties need to be aware of during a trek:
- Trek routes should be identified and marked in a manner which is non-invasive to nature but fulfils the purpose of finding the way
- A grading system for identified treks should be prepared based on which all identified routes will be graded
- Comprehensive information about the trek route i.e. route map, terrain, grade, best season, banned season, charges, must-carry items, number of trekkers, should be made available on the public domain
- Some form of a registration mechanism for organisers should be employed with marginal fee on the basis of criteria that need to be fulfilled in order to be eligible to be a trek organiser
- Identify and list out criteria that have to be fulfilled by organisers and trekkers before the commencement of trek
- A safety training talk should be conducted before the start of the trek. All information regarding contact personnel should be relayed to maintain communication at all times.
For organisers
- Should include one leader for every ten participants, certified first-aider, trained in emergency rescue procedures and knowledge about whom to contact and when to contact
- Should have necessary equipment that is required as a minimum to mitigate or cancel risk
- Should be knowledgeable about the treks conducted with records of pilot test treks conducted in a particular route before bringing trekkers
- All necessary permits and regulations should be fulfilled and the local authority should be met in person before arranging the trek.
Trekkers
- Trekkers should always be prepared and should know what to expect in every stage of a trek
- A trekker is the most responsible person for herself/himself so they should be aware of everything pertaining to the activity they are embarking upon.
The bottom line is that every party involved should be well aware of the hazards and consequences present in the pertinent activity and should be knowledgable to curtail such risks by early identification and also be capable of mitigating the consequences in the occurrence of a calamity.
As the nation mourns the loss of innocent souls lost to what was meant to be a thrilling memory, let us vouch to bring back the fresh grass over the path that was filled with charred bodies and make it a distant memory relegated to a fateful history.
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