Before hitting this trail, make a detour to an account of day 1 to find the right track.
Retiring early for the day doesn’t guarantee a good sleep as we found out the next day. The biting chillness was the sole culprit and as much as we struggled to get going at the earliest, it was finally close to 7am before the pack set out. A short prayer to Mother Nature as a preamble before hitting the woody trails in fast mode helped us find clear perspective on the task on hand.
The ascent by itself though tiring was not an impediment as such. We have done it before and it can be done again. The main worry would be the changing climate that betrays no warning signs. The mist on the peak that can blur vision to zero levels also played on our minds. It’s just a case of a fast descent after the summit attempt. Moreover the first water point midway through the trek is a medium sized stream that will be hard to navigate if it rains. We put aside negative thoughts to silent death and marched on.
The terrain undulating in character is a myriad of jungle lore by itself. Tiger scats at random intervals betray the presence of the king of the jungle. A solitary pugmark here and there elevates spirits to unimaginable proportions. Crushed grass, fallen trees, sambar hoof marks, porcupine quills, all but gives a recap of the stage plays enacted by the denizens of the forest.
We navigate through one foot winding paths across corny hills that need to be tackled with extreme care. All round vegetation thrived as much as the cold climes allowed, dense small shrubs, half bloom orchids, frost bitten grass, all of which made us look askance in wonder enthralled. The trail was a zig zag labyrinth, sloping drops and draped elevations that pounded our knees to pallid defeat. Large tracts of water, the catchment lakes glimmered in the sunlight. Taking in the sights and blinded by joy, we jostled forward. A walk of an hour and so brought us to the first stage of our goal – the river crossing at the first water point.
This can be also called the half way mark of the journey, the point where we normally have breakfast. Here a small river cascaded among slimy and shiny rocks of abstract proportions. Rains though have the capacity to transform this water serpent into a gushing windfall of gigantic proportions. We were lucky. Less rain during the past few days ensured that we could cross over bounding carefully over the brown rocks. We decided to skip breakfast here ignoring the protest of one team member who felt that the earth might give way if he was made to go hungry.
The trek continued. A short climb followed by a pleasant walk through pleasant grasslands. Lulled to an easy stroll we relaxed but were brought to stilled attention by a team member who spotted a lonely sambar in the distance. I grabbed the camera and managed to click a couple of shots of the 300 pound deer who was more inclined to look into a thicket intensely. A good camera with an 18x optical zoom would have made a big difference here. The sambar bounded away oblivious to our attention. We continued and came across a tent provided to the forest department for their beat teams. We made no attempt to meet anyone holed up inside. We did meet the elusive Kurunchi flower famed to blossom once in 13 years (there are two schools of thought – some say 13 years, some say 11 years.).
Then came the more difficult part of the trek. Famously called the “Nenjumedu” in Tamil (“nenju” means chest, “medu” means elevation), it has a real crunching effect on the lungs. The steep elevation of almost a km has laid many low with the sheer incline of its visage. We made a determined attempt, a huffing climb that made us puff in exhaustion at the end of it all. I remember struggling a lot during my first visit ten years back. Strangely I was able to scale it at one go which made me secretly pleased. We have reached the base of the sharp edged Muhurthi Peak. We had a breakfast of bread and butter here before starting the climb.
Two more hillocks proved no challenge as we picked up pace. Seeing the peak in the distance filled us with more than extreme joy. Adding more excitement was the spotting of two feline look-alikes in the distance bounding away. There are mixed debate about its identity but the more we looked it finally dawned that they were plain ol’ jackals. Jackals don’t bound like they did, but they were the same, no doubt. We remembered that we passed across three definite areas where the stench of rotting flesh lingered for long and maybe the jackals are lucky today. Enough gourmets for the next week or so.
Well the next phase of the journey was a blur. Not because of the tiredness. More so the unalloyed beauty of the environs, jagged mountains, misty clouds, meandering winds, an amazing conflux of nature in mythical hues. We are at 2400 metres and the chilly winds spoke in their own language of love. Sometimes it was gentle, other times it was fierce. We chugged on and rounding a small corner found ourselves at the top – a small table fifteen feet by ten feet with astounding drops on both sides and powerful winds to boot. We had finally done it. We are at 2554 metres above mean sea level.
We looked around. Shouldering mist caressed the adjoining Niligiri peak, the 4th highest peak in the Western Ghats. We spotted the Kolaribetta peak, the second highest in the far distance. We are now on the third highest peak in the Western Ghats. The guard lighted incense at the small makeshift temple while we sat in trance, speechless, yet triumphant. We have covered a distance of 12 and 1/2 kms to reach where we are. The time was 3 and 1/4 hrs, not too bad when considering the teams average fitness levels. There is the question of the return back to the hut. But it was a small issue compared to this.
After a small break of 20 min atop the peak, we charged down, more so in an effort to beat the mist which has stared enclosing the peak. We didn’t want to get caught in low visibility. The only thing that has to be taken into account is the pounding the knees take when descending. We managed to hit a fast pace. Glad in the aftermath of scaling the peak, lulled to delight by the forest’s green canvas, we managed to reach back to the Fishing Hut in 2 hrs and a little. It was time to plop ourselves on the spacious verandah, triumphant yet grateful to Mother Nature.
An account of this nature on nature is just simply a helpless narrative. Mere words strewed together to find reason in existence and maybe paint a pretty picture. Yes, it will definitely fall short of what happens inside. The intrinsic journey that one partakes, akin to a waterfall in divine song, a flower in secret bloom, butterflies in soul freedom migration, a river in spate, a cloud in trance and beyond can never be expressed.
I have just word- Amazing!
I have just one word- Amazing!
Fantastic description 🙂 Makes you want to go there almost immediately.
True Satish! It is more than what one can express. I bet you wont be disappointed, no matter what time of the year you are there.
Mukurthi is magic, best felt with closed eyes.
Hi,
I’m avid trekker(also a staunch believer of eco-conservation) myself,could you please let me know how I can get accommodation at the Fishing hut and also permission to trek to Mukurthi Peak.
Thanks in advance.
Varun, I have sent you a mail regarding Mukurthi. Good to hear from another nature lover.
hi,
I have been trying to get permission for Mukurthi Peak for the past 2 years.
Can u please let me know how did u get permission and accomodation
Hi Prasanna, Do give your contact information using the contact form. We will arrange a trip for you and your team
Great blog.. just one detail. The altitude of Mukurthi is around 2600 meters above sea level, not feet. Makes a big difference
Anand, You are right. Corrected the inadvertent typo.
Your account of the Mukurthi Peak trek brought back memories of my climb with the YHA Ooty group’s trek with about 15 people in 1995. We trekked up to the Peak from the road route from Ooty to Mysore taking a detour a little after the wayside lake through the wattle farms and resting at the forest rest house for the night. WE trekked through the pine forests and sholas and grasslands upto the tent site on the crest for the second day’s night of restless sleep due to high-speed cold wings. We climbed the Peak on the following morning and traversed the crest leading onto the Nilgiri Peak. We returned by the same route which you had taken from Porthimund dam resting at the Fishing Hut on the third day’s night and the Radcliffe Cottage on the fourth night. The trek was through meadows with excitement of seeing the portly and intimidating Nilgiri bisons at a distance and the Porthimund dam then made famous as a substitute for a Kashmiri border bridge in the film “Roja”. We had dinner in the middle of a cold, rainy fourth day’s night at the lone tea shop you have mentioned in your account. From near this tea shop on clear mornings one could see the shapely aquiline Mukurthy peak, as we did on the fifth day morning. From there onwards, we rattled back to Ooty in a bus and I returned by bus to my home in Trivandrum through intensifying rains all the way. In a couple of days, Nilgiris became impassable with severe rains and landslides wiping out the rail tracks, roadside shops and settlements above Mettupalayam. Thus ended my memorable Mukurthy peak trek. Treks to the Peak are now restricted, I understand, after declaration of the area by Govt of India as Mukurthy Biosphere Reserve. The area is in the process of being declared a World Heritage Site.
Hi Chandra Sekhar,
Good to have you here sharing your experience. I guess in 1995, Muhurthy must have been much much more greener, wilder and lush with what nature has to offer, than in recent times. I can imagine, it must have been an incredible experience.
Amazing account of your trek!! A few friends and I are would very much like to trek to Mukurthy this January. Could you please let me know how I caould arrange for the necessary permissions? Many thanks indeed!!
hi,
I can’t say i’m a trekker as i’ve never been on a real trek!!!
But i’m a nature lover for sure. I’ve been into the greens of the kodaikanal hills when i studied in a boarding school there(5th-8th). But since i was a kid couldn’t get any real experience( these pics remind me of those hillsthough:-)). Now i’m almost done with college…..so can someone help this begginer?
Hi Giftsondass, I have mailed you regarding the same..
thanks lol:-)
Hi ,
Sir can you provide me with the details of a trek to Mukruthi Peak .
Me and my Friend would like to do it . Can you arrange for the entire trek ??
Regards,
Anil.S
Hi Prakash,
I just reached here to gain some quick reference about mukurthi trek, but i got mesmerised by the way you narrated your experience.. As a sincere lover of western ghats i really want to get into mukurthi peak.. could you please help me to get over there.. my id is sudhan.khan@gmail.com .. Thanks in advance!!!
Hi Prakash!
I am from hyderabad. I would like to take a team to the mukurthi peak. Could you help me with the details of getting the permission and the accomodation?
I am a very avid trekker. This would be my first trek in the Nilgiris though. Your blog was very helpful. It is very nicely and soulfully written!
Hi I was delighted to see this well written blog about the trek toMukurti peak. I have scaled this peak on a four day camp when we were in KPS boarding school. ( 8th grade).I loved it and has it been my dream to do it again. To stand on the summit and be blown away by the misty clouds and howling winds and get a peeking view of the Silent Valley below, send a different kind of chill down my spine. Something to be truly experienced not read about. I will take the memories to my grave. Its been 29 yrs now and although I have trekked many others including the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park, this is my first love. The one that introduced me to the rugged beautiful outdoors. Can you get me details on permits and trek expeditions that are organised now..? Thanks and God bless.
hi…an awesome blog…shows yu are an avid nature lover!!
am plannin for a trip to ooty with my family…
can yu pls let me know regarding the permission to trek to the mukurthi peak???
i tried t last yr but in vain..
can yu pls help me with this?