In general, people says nature, have the magic power to heal and refresh our soul and body intensively.
For me, from an urbanic background,a thick woody forest with greeny surroundings really felt like a goddamn blessing from most hated rush full never ending busy hussy headache days..
Kottancheri hill station is situated in Kerala, Kasargod District. It canbe called as a rainforest and a part of Western ghats in Kasargod District and an extension of Ranipuram wildlife sanctuary. The nearness of Brahmagiri mountain ranges adds much more charming to its beauty.
For those trekking enthusiastics, this place is definitely a paradise for them. Because,we need minimum 2hrs to reach the top of the point. And meanwhile, there is one more spot to cover up. So, In my speculation, it needs around 4 hrs to cover up the two spots.
There is two ways to reach the destination.
Kanhangad is the nearest railway station and the major town. You may take a 1 and 36 mints to reach the destination (51km distance) .Konnakkad is the nearest village around 3km away. You can collect food items from there. Don't forget ,You are a 'Responsible Traveller' 'Don't Dump Plastic Inside the forest, Carry them with You'.
If you are coming from Karnataka, You can either came through Sullia, Vijajpeta highways.
Pannyarmani and Koomban mala are the two main attractions of Kottenchery hill station. We first decided to climb Pannyarmani, because, it's already 9 am, Koomban mala is slightly much far from the starting point.
Most importantly, Before you start the hike, dont forget to take the permission from the Karnataka forest officers.The weather condition inside the forest are unpredictable. There are plenty of wild elephants are there, so it's compulsory to take permission from the forest rangers .
There are two ways to climb Pannyarmani. The traditional route is quite simple. It start with a road way and finally you got a hill way to climb. But we choose another way. It's quite different. From the starting point to the end, it's like climbing over a huge mountain, personally I felt like I'm gonna climbing Everest. 😂....
The top of the view is just amazing.. You can get a clear picture of Brahmagiri mountain region, the beauty of Coorg in a big canvas. The hill top is covered with grassy fields, you can't stand proper, because the wind is slightly powerful, so take care of standing in the edge of the rocks.
Koomban mala is situated in Karnataka forest range. You have to take a long walk through the muddy road through the forest. You can see the forest quarters of Kerala and Karnataka. From Kerala forest quarter, take a right turn, walk a bit more, then you will reach at a point where you can see a short walking way in the right side. That's the starting point of Koombanmala. Unlike Pannyarmani, Koombanmala is like a huge rock, in top of the hill. While climbing the hill, I think I'm climbing a ladder, because I don't have much experience with trekking. There is no resting point. My companions are restless. So I'm also became restless to reach the top. The top view is not quite different. It's also marvolus. Blue sky in the top and the greens are under.... What a canvas..
Climbing was not much easy and step down is also a difficult task. Don't forget to wear a gripped shoes other ways chance for slips and falls.
If you are an adventure seeker, never skip this place.. It's a complete package for satisfying your wandering thirst.
