KOCHI: It’s a big blow for the aspirants of the National Munnar Hills Trekking Expedition. The applications invited for the trek have been withdrawn as the organisers fear that the Mullaperiyar issue may be a hurdle. Last year the trip was cancelled due to elections. “I was looking forward to it and feel disappointed. The expeditions are memorable, for each year we explore new paths. I enjoyed the stay near Sitadevi lake in a tent the most. I always make it a point to join the Youth Hostel Association trips organised in each state as they are very cheap and entertaining. Since people come from different parts of India, it’s a wonderful and truly integrating experience,” said Sajeevan who works with KTDC, Alappuzha. The Central government grants special leave for those interested, he said. “Now I’ll have to wait for some other expedition trip such as the Nilgiri trekking. It’s nice to meet people from Assam, Gujarat, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Bengal etc. We make use of the facilities of youth hostels and National Adventure Clubs,” said Larry Sebastian a chartered accountant in Aluva. Organised by the Youth Hostels Association (YHA) of India state unit in association with government youth hostels, the four-day trek is usually held in January. It aims to strengthen national integration, build up environmental consciousness and promote adventure, especially among the youth. It has been a large success from 2002 to 2009, said Yoosuf Taikadan, state vice-president of the association and convener, State Adventure Promotion Council. Anyone aged above 16 with a thirst for adventure can participate. The majority of the participants are from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Only about 20 per cent are from Kerala, he said. Around 300 people from across the country trek in batches of 50 each, he said. The base camp is the Adventure Academy, Devikulam from where the trekkers find their way to Munnar, about 24-km off the town, cut off from the range of cell phones. Breathing unpolluted air, they drench in the beauty of fauna and flora. “It’s a learning process with botanists escorting them,” he said. A tent is pitched at Meesapulimala, believed to be the second highest peak in the South. After covering top station, middle station and bottom station and a trek through Korangani, a tribal hamlet in Tamil Nadu, they get back to the Academy and disperse the next day, he said. The fee is around `1,600 which includes food and boarding, he said. “Now, we can only look forward to the Himalayan trip which is usually conducted in May and June or treks conducted by the YHA units of other states,” said a few participants.
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