World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 4)

After an enjoyable 3 days of trekking and interaction, we all were under the impression that we had quite got the hang of things around Munnar. Trekking was almost second nature to the group as we moved along noisily everyday.

Little did we know what Day 4 of the trip had in store for us!

The trek today was a lot more challenging and strenuous. The entire group was quite exhausted by the time we were done.

An awesome dinner made up for whatever aches and pains we were complaining about. A huge spread - just what the doctor ordered in after the long and tiring trek.

An there was still more to look forward to - The Cultural Programme. Our objective - to give our Edinburgh team members an insight into the local culture of Kerala and India. Looking forward to it!

We get back to Kochi tomorrow! Log in soon, for a full fledged account of our eventful 5day Munnar trip. And don't forget to check out our videos and photos once we're done uploading them!

Want to go on a similar trek? Contact us at Kalypso Adventures and we'll cook up a trip tailor-made to suit you. Visit our website at www.kalypsoadventures.com! We are looking forward to hear from you!

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 3)

Day 3 proved rather interesting in terms of sights to take in but was challenging as we spent almost 14 hours walking around.

The group's enthusiasm remained through it all and kept their spirits up. The group went through cardamom plantation and the Kalypso crew did a splendid job of teaching the group about tea-processing. Doubts and questions continued to be asked as we trekked through the plantation.

A long day of trekking and we finally reached our camp for the day Santhanpara...

Santhanpara is a picturesque village nestled among the dense forests of Idukki District. It is about 30km from Munnar. The name Santhanpara is derived from the saint Santhamuni, who is believed to have meditated in this place.

Situated in the foothills of Western Ghats, the magnificent stretch of land with tea, pepper and cardomom beckons one into an aromatic and dreamy landscape. The mountains surrounding the place make it ideal for trekking and long walks.

Last day tomorrow! Looking forward to it!

Check our updates out regularly as we trek through Munnar!

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 2)

Today we restarted our trek early morning.

More beautiful scenery and more climbing and trekking brought us to a tribal village. We mingled with the local people and the children in the village and spent some time there.

The group from Edinburgh had a lot of fun giving the tribal children a lesson in performing arts at the tribal school in the village. The kids too, thrived in the attention, and showed off their prowess. The group mingled well and everyone seemed to have a real good time.

The tent pitching competition was held at the camp in Suryanelli. The competition was rather challenging with the wind blowing hard and disrupting the groups trying valiantly to pitch their tents. The wind speed at the camp here was insane!

Suryanelli is an enchanting hill resort near Munnar in Idduki District. It is enriched with the scenic western mountain ranges and an ideal place for a break. Suryanelli has a beautiful lake, surrounded by tea plantations. Anayirankal Dam and Power House Waterfalls are next to this spot.

Tomorrow a 14 km trek awaits! Log in for more as we progress...

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group

I was privileged enough to be selected to go along with the group based from Edinburgh who were now in Kerala, for The World Challenge Expedition organized by Kalypso Adventures.

If you haven't been reading our older posts, World Challenge organizes expeditions to different countries for students in the United Kingdom as an opportunity to develop skills that cannot be taught in the confines of a classroom. Kalypso Adventures is proud to be able to give these students a chance to see more of India (Kerala to be more specific) and challenge themselves as they trek through the terrain in Munnar.

Munnar is a town located in the Idduki district of India's Kerala state, situated in the Western Ghats of India. The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) to 2,600 meters (8,530 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a salubrious climate. The temperature ranges between 10 °C (50 °F) and 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and 8 °C (46.4 °F) and 16 °C (60.8 °F) in summer. The tourist season in Munnar is from August to May. However, even the monsoons are lovely with many streams and rivulets in the area and post drizzle the dew drenched tea gardens looking majestic and heavenly enshrouded in light mist.

Early today, we started our trek in Munnar and were enthralled by the beauty and serenity the hills of the region had to offer. The sights and sounds and smells, the chatter of the group as they made their way along the trekking route with the guides - everything seemed surreal and peaceful as we took in the beautiful scenery around us. Even the occasional drizzle didn't dampen our spirits.

We had a few thrilling moments every now and then - the most interesting being the seemingly precarious crossing over the ricketiest bridge I'd ever seen! Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched their team-mates crossed over.

We trekked through a leech-infested land and a steep uphill climb along a barbed wire. The girls from Edinburgh seemed excited and chattered away as we trekked, not really bothered by the leeches or being tired.

Our day ended with a tent-pitching demonstration carried out by our very own Kalypso Adventures guides. A competition among the group would be held the next day, and the girls listened intently.

An eventful first day of the trip!!!!

Check out our progress tomorrow night, as we move on to discover more around Munnar!

World Challenge - Team Kerala, Dublin

World Challenge organizes expeditions to different countries for students in the United Kingdom as an opportunity to develop skills that cannot be taught within the walls of a classroom.

Last week, Team Kerala came down from Dublin with the objective of challenging themselves. The team was an all girls team and ably guided by their Team Leaders – Peter and Helen. They checked in to Kochi on the 5th of June and settled down to familiarize themselves with the climate and culture of a different country.

Chinnakanal was the first destination about 13 kilometers away. From Chinnakanal, we started the trek through the grasslands to the Anaerangal camp in Suryanelli. The sky was overcast but the team was lucky that it didn’t pour. In Kerala, whenever it rains, it pours.

It was on this route that we were fortunate enough to sight elephants. We did have the necessary ammunition to scare them away – fireworks, but we didn’t have to use it, luckily! More exciting things happened when we hopped across a wooden bridge to cross a stream, a bit more of a challenging task than it looks at first glimpse. It wasn’t so much of a bridge as few logs put together!



The next part of the trek was when the group moved from the Anaerangal camp to a place which we call Suryanelli Camp. On the way, we were able to interact with school children at a tribal school. The group donated toys to the kids through the funds that they raised and brought a smile to their face. The group also managed to go to a tribal village to see Keralan way of life and interact with the locals. The locals were initially a bit hesitant and observed the group from their

rooftops.

At the Suryanelli camp, the group had to set up their Basha beds, a hammock sort of bed although

it is covered – good protection from pesky mosquitoes. Check out the pics, if the description isn’t enough. It was over here that the group got themselves involved in outdoor team building activities. Aside from being lots of fun, these activities showed the group the importance of working in a team.

We were awoken by a girl screaming and we ran over to see if there was some wild animal attack. In a way, perhaps, but it depends on whether you count a leech as a wild animal.

The most striking thing about the group was their bundle of energy. It is outstanding to see a group so filled with enthusiasm – they sing throughout their trek. The day’s trek started near Anaerangal dam. The destination was Santhampara about 13 kilometres away. The trek took us through the world famous Cardamom Hills. We passed the Mathikettan Shola National Park, although we did not enter the park per se. The word Mathikettan is derived from Tamil and means “Mind Confuser” – signifying that once you enter, you forget the path. A place you shouldn’t enter, obviously.


From Shantampara, we moved on day four to Chaturangapara. This section of the trek is relatively difficult as the path is steep. The trek also goes through the Kerala-Tamil Nadu state border. On the right side, lies the state of Kerala and on the left, Tamil Nadu. Although the distance was only ten kilometers, the topography of the area made it probably the most difficult bit of the trek. However, Team Kerala did not lose any of their resolve and managed to complete it without any unnecessary breaks and little fuss. Kudos to them! The wind was blowing at a high velocity and it made climbing very difficult indeed. Again, team work helped as people decided to move in groups and conquer nature’s obstacle.

At the Chaturangampara camp, we organized a cultural ceremony. A simple event to understand one another’s cultures, and we really did understand the Irish! The team sang songs and performed traditional Irish dances; they even taught us a bit of their language, or rather, their dialect. They even taught us a lesson on Indian culture when three of the members dressed up in saris and performed the AR Rahman song “Jai Ho”. Imagine our shock. Not to be outdone, we too put up a show and performed songs in different languages, including Tamil, Hindi and our native Malayalam. However the energy of Team Kerala just proved to be immense and we, sadly, had to concede defeat. They graciously cooked us a meal of noodles, soup and chicken curry as well – a little experimental, but worth the effort.

It was sad that the expedition had come to a close, however for Team Kerala, their project was still left. And after we said our goodbye’s the team proceeded towards their project and to make a difference in the lives of a lot of Keralite children. In Thekkady they were interviewed by four regional TV channels and are considered mini celebrities in our state – what all one can achieve just by teaming up with Kalypso!