To help you plan & prepare for your adventure

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Charleen Parrish
5 years ago
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1 To help you plan & prepare for your adventure

2 THE ITINERARY DAY 1 - Sat 24 th Nov: Arrive Kochi The group, Action Challenge Leader and Doctor will meet at Lotus 8 Hotel in Kochi at 10am. We will then take a 5 hour transfer high into the Western Ghats - the highest mountain range south of the Himalayas. We arrive at the bustling and vibrant hill town of Munnar which is set amidst the dramatic mountain scenery, craggy peaks, tall redwood trees, high altitude rain forests and some of the world's highest tea plantations. After check-in we have a short tea factory visit and explore the local bazaar. Tonight we will have a briefing from our Action Challenge Leader and enjoy a welcome meal together. Meal: Lunch, Dinner Accom: Hotel DAY 2 - Sun 25 th Nov: Meeshapulimala 14KM 6-7 hrs trekking We will take an early transfer to the Silent Valley where we start our trek to Meesapulimala - the second highest peak in the Western Ghats at 2640 metres. The route passes through grasslands and high altitude Shola rainforest with lots of opportunity to spot the large variety of wildlife. From the summit we can rest our eyes on a beautiful landscape of deep green forests and the world s highest tea estate at Kolukkumalai. This is a full day trek which ends with a short jeep transfer to Suryanelli Camp. DAY 3 - Mon 26 th Nov: Anaerangal Lake 11KM 6-7 hrs trekking We have breakfast in camp this morning, waking to the Malabar Whistling Thrush, a bird local to this region, singing in the cloud forests. We start trekking to climb Phantom s Head overlooking the Papathy Shola (Butterfly Forest). We then descend to the beautiful Anaerangal Lake. Many tribal colonies have sprung up around it to farm for spices and cardamom which grow abundantly in the salubrious climate here. We then visit a Muduvan tribal village, who have colonised the upper reaches of the Western Ghats for centuries. Their habit of carrying their children on their backs has earned them the name of back people. We continue walking to reach our Elephant Trail Camp. 2 P a g e

DAY 4 - Tue 27 th Nov: Mathikettan Shola 14KM 7-8 hrs trekking We trek along roadside and grasslands to reach the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park, home to a wide variety of flora and

3 DAY 4 - Tue 27 th Nov: Mathikettan Shola 14KM 7-8 hrs trekking We trek along roadside and grasslands to reach the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park, home to a wide variety of flora and fauna including the Malabar giant squirrel, gaur, sambar and elephants. The route winds through hilly plantations and local settlements where we have an opportunity to interact with the farmers. Tonight s camp at Shantanpara overlooks the Mathikettan Shola National Park. DAY 5 - Wed 28 th Nov: Chaturangaparra 13KM 6-7 hrs trekking After breakfast we trek to Chaturangaparra through the local spice growing village communities and learn a little more of their way of life. The route initially follows the jeep and community trails passing through the cardamom and pepper plantations which give us an excellent opportunity to get firsthand information about how these spices are grown from the local trackers who will be accompanying us throughout the day. We will continue trekking through thick cardamom forest and isolated villages until we reach our camp. DAY 6 - Thu 29 th Nov: Kochi 14KM 4-5 hrs trekking For our final trekking day we wake early and start our trek to Pushpakandam at 7am. We aim to arrive at our finish line for a late lunch and then transfer 5 hours to our hotel in Kochi. There will be time to relax and recuperate from our tough day before we prepare for our final celebratory meal. Tonight the celebrations will last well into the night! Accom: Hotel DAY 7 - Fri 30 th Nov: Departure Day We share a final breakfast together in Kochi. The itinerary is complex and subject to change, a final itinerary will be shared 1 month prior to departure. 3 P a g e

4 LIFE ON THE TREK What is a typical trekking day? Our trek is through the highest mountain range south of the Himalayas - the Western Ghats. We rise early for breakfast at camp and start trekking together as a group. We will take regular breaks to fuel-up on snacks and fluids. We will be trekking through mountainous and cloud forest climates so must stay hydrated. After a lunch stop we continue trekking to the next campsite where we spend the evening relaxing. Every evening the Action Challenge Leader will give a briefing about the following day, with information such as topography and any hot-spots to look out for. What weather can we expect? November is the start of the dry season in Kerala and whilst it is likely for there to be rainy showers, the rainfall is much less than in previous months. Temperatures average 27 C dropping to a comfortable 23 C overnight. The support crew The trip will be led by a Qualified Mountain Leader and also an Expedition Medic. There are also local guides who will support us during the trek. Your main bags will be loaded into vehicles and transported to the campsites each night so you will only need to carry backpacks with daily items and water whilst trekking. Accommodation We have two nights in a comfortable 3* hotel whilst in towns and 4 nights camping on the trek. The camps have 3-4 man tents with basic toilets and hot water will be provided each morning for washing. All accommodation is on a twin sharing, single-sex basis with people of a similar age where possible. There is a single supplement option where available at an additional cost of us at ask@actionchallenge.com to book. 4 P a g e

Food & drink Breakfasts each morning will be in camp or at the hotel. Lunches will be taken in villages on the trail and evening meals freshly prepared in camp in time for your arrival.

5 Food & drink Breakfasts each morning will be in camp or at the hotel. Lunches will be taken in villages on the trail and evening meals freshly prepared in camp in time for your arrival. In Kochi, all meals will be at the hotel or a local restaurant. Meals will usually consist of traditional Indian dishes such as Dal, curries and Thali. Cuisine here usually includes rice with several accompaniments such as vegetables, fish and red meat curries. All meals are full of carbohydrates, protein and nutrients to keep us well fuelled throughout the trip. Dietary requirements can be catered for if we are given as much notice as possible. Treated water will be provided and we recommend drinking at least 3-4 litres per day. All meals will be provided apart from during free time. We also recommend bringing a selection of snacks to keep your energy levels up while trekking, such as cereal bars and trail mix. 5 P a g e

ITINERARY- OUTLINE FOR BESPOKE TRIPS

KERALA TREK 1 ITINERARY- OUTLINE FOR BESPOKE TRIPS DAY 1 DEPARTURE We assemble at the airport for our flight to India. DAY 2 MUNNAR Arriving in the early hours, we transfer a short distance to an airport