Scaling Vellarimala

     Yesterday was an eventful day for me. My long cherished ambition was fulfilled. Vellarimala was always my craze for the last many years. I had visited many times the surrounding villages to get the outer view of the location. Sky-touching mountains covered with fogs and their majestic look always tempted me to scale  the mountain at least once in my life. Many times before I attempted to arrange a trek with some of my friends though, all the times it all gone to vain. Wild fire, Maoist threat and many other obstacles pulled us from having an attempt. 

All pictures of this trek are available here 

     But this time, with my friend Najeeb Thottathil my brother-in-law Thufail CMR and 7 others from Valiyaparamb, near Mukkam (Anees, Jasir Vp ,  Amjad Vp , Shahul Hameed , Hashir Bz, Yousuf Sha and FäHiz Muhammed ),  I made it a reality.

     The trek was highly risky one and the way to the top of vellarimala is entirely through dense forest. No roads are there after the inhabited area is over. We had to cross all the way without even any guide. Only Shahul and Yasar among us had scaled this at least upto the half way before. So we hadn't the clear idea about the route. In some places we missed the foot trail and we had to make the way ahead ourselves. Anyway somehow we managed to reach upto the highest level as much as a team could do in a single day time-frame.

     The vellarimala range is not only one mountain or two. It comprises a lot of mountains including, Vavul Mala, Masthakappara, REC Para, Vattapara  and beyond that it reaches through Wayanadan mala towards Chembra near Mepadi, Wayanad. It has connection with Nilgiri hill ranges.

     The place is located near Muthappan puzha, in Kozhikode district, Kerala. (Route : Kozhikode-Thiruvampady- Anakkampoyil- Muthappanpuzha).  I shall try to write a detailed treklogue with more photos later.
All pictures of this trek are available here