Conquering the Chembra peak

One of the best aspects of the road trip to Kerala has been the trek up to the top of the Chembra peak, the highest peak of Wayanad district in Kerala. Located at 2100M above sea level, this is one of those moderate difficulty ones. Filled with scenic view of the Wayanad ghats and also with a heart shaped lake at the top of the hill, this trek is a must do for all those adventure lovers.

Cloud covered most of the time, the peak is a delight to watch. It took us a grueling 2 hours 15 minutes to reach the peak which included 4 liters of water among three of us and innumerable breaks on the way. The base of the trek starts through tea plantations and then proceeds through hills and plains that reminds of the scenes from Lord of the rings.

The top was cloud covered most of the time with a strong chill wind that blows. The top overlooks a valley to either of its sides and the Wayanad ghats to the other side. Owing to the slippery conditions, the descent was as tough as the ascent. The best time to do this trek though is Jan - Feb when people are actually allowed to camp. The charges for the trek is Rs 500 per group which can be upto 10.



Chembra peak is located about 7 kms off the road from Meppadi, which lies along the way from Sultan Bathery to Vythiri both which are hill stations in Wayanad. The climb to the ascent is another 4 kms from the base. One must be cautious with leeches that are common along the trek.

of bikes, roads and hills

2 bikes, 3 guys, 7 days, 40 towns, 100 liters and 2183 kms are the numbers involved in this grueling road trip. This road trip was the result of a whim at one of those lunch discussions. At the end of it all we consider this an achievement to do a bike trip from Hyderabad right to the heart of Kerala in a span of one week.

Hyderabad(0) - Jadcherla(93) - Kurnool(215) - Gooty(315) - Anantpur(367) - Chikballapur(515) - Nandi Hills(535) - Banglore(640) - Mysore(780) - Gundlupet(840) - Bandipur WLS(862) - Muthanga WLS(872) - Sultan Bathery(900) - Meppadi(960) - Vythiri(1020) - Chembra Peak(1040) - Lakkidi(1065) - Koyilandi(1120) - Mahe(1165) - Thalessary(1180) - Kannur(1205) - Bekal(1300) - Kasargod(1335) - Mangalore(1390) - Moodbidri(1420) - Karkala(1438) - Agumbe(1490) - Tirthahalli(1520) - Shimoga(1580) - Honhalli(1621) - Harihar(1665) - Harpanhalli(1705) - Hospet(1780) - Gangavati(1830) - Sindhnur(1875) - Manvi(1925) - Raichur(1970) - Mahbubnagar(2071) - Jadcherla(2090) - Hyderabad(2183)

That was the list of towns we passed and the odometer readings. We got a chance to watch some of the most amazing views, beautiful hill stations and some awesome roads. Like some of my previous trips, the objective was to spend as less as possible and do what we like. Most of our expenses obviously went towards fuel. We slept in Railway stations, tea plantations and once in a tree house. We climbed a 2100 M peak which is the highest peak of Wayanad District of Kerala. It took us about 2 hours to reach the top which was completely covered in clouds. It gave us some of the most breath taking views of the plains below.

Also check out the pics at http://picasaweb.google.com/sriram385/KeralaBikeTrip#