A Real Chennai Trekkers Club: 2013

Place - Velliangiri Hill (Near Coimbatore)
Veliiangiri hill is in the western Ghats near Coimbatore on the way to Siruvani Dam, the Hill is one of highest peak in the Western Ghats (10th Position) almost 2240 meters (7349ft)

Date - 23-Mar-2013

Gang - Anand, Vinoth, Bala, Sathish, Senthil, Karthi, Venkat, Ramkumar, Paneer, Palani and myself (Hari)

A gang of eleven members started our journey to Coimbatore from Chennai central through duronto express and reached coimbatore by 2:30 PM. We were already booked one Tempo Travelers van to accommodate us. Our plan was to climb the hill overnight to see the Sunrise in the morning. Hence we spent the day time in Isha Yoga center till 8:00PM and reached Poondi(base of the verlliangiri hill) at 8:30PM. Filled the stomach with Parotta and Utthappam in the mess @ foot hill. Packed our trekking essentials like 2 litter water bottles, torch light with extra batteries, glucose, energy drink, dry fruits, snacks and one towel. There was a debate on wearing a shoe. Devotees believe that the hill itself is holy place of lord shiva and also you have to pass through the base temple and few more small temples in between. Hence few of our gang accepted to climb by bare foot and few with shoes. We purchased the bamboo sticks for all. We could see lots of devotees are climbing over night since the day was prathosam and also weekend.

We flagged off the trek at quarter to nine in the night at poondi shivan temple with full energy. The climb went on and the steps seemed endless. With the high spirits and energy we were able to reach the “Vellai vinayagar” temple by 11:15 PM which is on top of the 1st hill. Our energies are getting drained in a faster manner, not sure who is going to down next and we took some rest and had a lemon soda near the temple. We started climbing and it goes on.. on.. on.. Moving further on together with a few stops we reached the 3rd hill.

At one moment, energies completely drained and most of us feel sleepy since we didn’t had a good sleep yesterday, Brain says stop trekking and take rest but the heart says keep going to have a dharshan of the Swayambhu Lord in the sunrise, decided to keep away our body and mind for some time and just be with the trek. We felt we were pulled up and nothing could hold us anymore.

Walk… rest… rest walk…walk… walk… rest… and so on…

At 4’o clock in the morning we could see the peak of the 7th hill from the 6th hill. The last climb was ever steeper, and took us another hour and half to reach the peak. We had taken 8 hours to climb the hill in spite of being strenuously sleeps, tiredness and took enough stops. Finally reached the top at around 5:45 AM before the sunlight which was our actual plan.

The view was fabulous.. What a view!!! The surrounding was so peaceful and pleasant. It is the abode of the Lord of Vellingiri. We should call the place by different names - truly God's Abode – A place for divine blessings - Heaven on Earth - God's Home. The view was fabulous, breathtaking and mesmerizing one.
It was a life time achievement and we all enjoyed to the core… climbing a hill even higher than the Kodaikanal is not an easy job.
After clicking a few snaps on top with mist, we started climbing down by around 8:30AM. We took a few more stops and reached Poondi at around 3 pm.
At last we have completed the trekking with great effort and of course with the blessings of Lord shiva J
This is one of the supreme trekking experience for us,...it will take the guts out of you, it will kill your power and strength by the time you return. But upon return you would have attained renewed will power, enjoyments, more self-confidence and so on…..

For sure , we will go there someday again and again J

Following is a list of some of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats (Source Wikipedia)

Rank	Name	Elevation (meters)	Location
01.	Anamudi	2695	Idukki, Kerala
02.	Meesapulimala	2640	Idukki, Kerala
03.	Doddabetta	2637	Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu
04.	Kolaribetta	2629	Mukurthi National Park, Tamil Nadu
05.	Mukurthi	2554	Mukurthi National Park, Tamil Nadu
06.	Vandaravu Peak	2553	Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu
07.	Kattumalai	2552	Eravikulam National Park, Kerala
08.	Anginda peak	2383	Silent Valley National Park, Kerala
09.	Vavul Mala	2339	Vellarimala, Kerala
10.	Velliangiri Peak	2240	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
11.	Kodaikanal	2133	Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
12.	Chembra Peak	2100	Wayanad, Kerala
13.	Elivai Malai	2088	Palakkad, Kerala
14.	Banasura Peak	2073	Wayanad, Kerala
15.	Kottamalai	2019	Periyar National Park, Kerala

Wow.... what a view - 7th Hill

Sunrise @ 7th Hill around 6:15AM

Cave temple - 7th Hill

Heaven on earth - 7th Hill

Panoramic view from 6th Hill

Small temple in 6th Hill

Is the way we crossed? Yes, its 5th Hill

Vazhukku parai - 3rd Hill

Vella vinayagar - End of 1st Hill

Irregular steps...

வெள்ளயங்கிரி - தென்கயிலாயம்
பயண நாள் : 23-03-2013

மேற்குத் தொடர்ச்சி மலைத்தொடர்களில் உள்ள உயரமான மலைகளில் 10வது இடத்தில் உள்ளது.

Following is a list of some of the highest peaks of the Western Ghats:

Rank	Name	Elevation (m)	Location
01.	Anamudi	2695	Idukki, Kerala
02.	Meesapulimala	2640	Idukki, Kerala
03.	Doddabetta	2637	Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu
04.	Kolaribetta	2629	Mukurthi National Park, Tamil Nadu
05.	Mukurthi	2554	Mukurthi National Park, Tamil Nadu
06.	Vandaravu Peak	2553	Palani Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Tamil Nadu
07.	Kattumalai	2552	Eravikulam National Park, Kerala
08.	Anginda peak	2383	Silent Valley National Park, Kerala
09.	Vavul Mala	2339	Vellarimala, Kerala
10.	Velliangiri Peak	2240	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,^[13]
11.	Kodaikanal	2133	Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
12.	Chembra Peak	2100	Wayanad, Kerala
13.	Elivai Malai	2088	Palakkad, Kerala
14.	Banasura Peak	2073	Wayanad, Kerala
15.	Kottamalai	2019	Periyar National Park, Kerala

வெள்ளயங்கிரி ஒரு விறுவிறுப்பான, ஆபத்தான மற்றும் மிகவும் அற்புதமான மலையேற்றம். இது எங்கள் வாழ்க்கையில் மிகவும் தைரியமான பயணமாக அமைந்தது.

வெள்ளயங்கிரி மலை அடிவாரம் பூண்டி, கோயம்புத்தூரில் இருந்து சுமார் 30 கிலோ மீட்டர் தொலைவில் உள்ளது.

மொத்தம் 7 மலைகளை கொண்ட ஒரு அற்புதமான பயணம்

1 வது மற்றும் 2 வது மலைகள் - பாறைகளை பயன்படுத்தி செய்யப்பட்ட படிகள், உத்தேசமாக - 4000 + படிகள், உங்கள் பொறுமையை சோதிக்கும். மிகவும்செங்குத்தானதாகவும் அது உங்கள் முழங்கால்களுக்கு சவாலாகவும் அமைகிறது. அதிர்ஷ்டவசமாக கல் படிகள்உள்ளன எனவே மலையேறுவது ஆபத்தானதாக இல்லை (கரடுமுரடானது என்றாலும்)

3 வது மலை - ஒரு வழுக்கும் பாறை சிறிய படிகளுடன் இருக்கும் மற்றும் பாறைகளுடன் கூடிய படிகளையும் காணலாம்

4,5 ம் மலை - ஒரு கடின இலக்கு, வெறும் பாறைகளுடன் கூடிய படிகள்.... இரு புறமும் மரங்கள் இருப்பது ஒரு ஆறுதல்...

6 வது மலை - மிக மிக கடின பாதைகள், மலை மேலே ஏறி கிழே இறங்கும். எந்த மரங்களும் இல்லாத ஒரு திறந்தவெளி பாதையாக இருக்கும். இங்கிருந்து நாம் 7வது மலையில் உள்ள குகையை பார்க்க முடியும்.

7 வது மலை - செங்குததாக மேலே ஏறும். பார்பதற்க்கு 30 நிமிடத்தில் ஏறி விடலாம் என எண்ணம் வரும் ஆனால் 70-90 நிமிடம் வரை ஆகும். எந்த மரங்களும் இல்லாத பாதை, மண் நிறைய இருக்கும் எனவே ஏறுவதற்க்கு சற்று சிரமமாக இருக்கும்.