Ever wondered what our purpose of life is?  Do we exist only to lead a mechanical life?  Honestly, an explanation to my first query is vast and beyond the scope of this article.  However, I do comprehend it and will interpret in another article.  Let’s get onto my second query.  I know some of you may hold a response to it.  I will be happy to hear about it.  With this article, I am going to narrate experiences of how I spruced up my life to achieve a perfect work-life balance.

Ever since I stepped into the passionate world of travel and photography, there’s been a satisfying blend of balance with my professional responsibilities and passion.  Striking a fine balance between the two is never an easy task.  During the initial stages, it is grueling.  However, all it takes is a determined approach, smart mannerism, and diligent devotion of your time to achieve that magical perfect life.  For anyone in the field of Information technology, life’s is not as easy as it is perceived from the outside.  Those enormous amounts of cramped deadlines in conjunction with a sedentary lifestyle and domestic issues back home wreaks havoc on the physiological well-being of a human body.  I was fortunate enough to identify, at an early stage, the sufferings arising out of innumerable ill effects of such a lifestyle and devised a schedule that has helped reap great amounts of benefits both in terms of physiological and psychological prosperity.

I developed an intense passion towards travel and photography, not out of obligation, but with sheer dedication.  Time management is critical to successfully molding a well-balanced lifestyle and with a great sense of gratification I can say that I have a good amount of mastery over it.  Over the years, I have implemented several techniques that keep evolving, yielding better outcomes.  It’s been a well-heeled five years of adhering to the said schedule that keeps me motivated no matter how difficult a day could be.  I neither feel emotionally down on Mondays nor crave about weekends.  Profession and passion have their own space and I make sure they don’t interfere.  Additionally, the other significant aspect is the association with people.  It is of paramount importance to tag along with the like-minded, that help level up your performances, and disregard the rest.  It’s this constant practice that has benefited me with substantial gains in overall well-being of physiological and psychological health.

Over the years I have traveled across the length and breadth of our beautiful and diverse country reaching out to the far flung rocky terrains of the majestic Himalayan ranges and Western Ghats.  Each of those journeys has benefited me with immense amounts of healing powers the nature has in offer.  In fact, the more time I spend around these magical structures the more energy I gain from within.  It’s this exchange of energies that happens when one fully devotes self into the sheer magnificence of the creation.  The quantity of positive vibes I have experienced over the years nullifies every other negativity built up within.

There’s no dearth of knowledge when being surrounded by these spectacular hills and mountains, something that can only be felt and experienced.  Wandering on these spectacular mountains and spending time in solitude with nature has helped me delve profoundly into the complex insights of my subconscious mind.  Immerse yourself with exhilarating travel articles and get inspired to explore.

With every trek, my passion and desire for exploring mountains and spending time around them gains momentum exponentially.  Here, in this blog, I am going to take you into a fascinating journey to the second highest peak and the highest any civilian can trek to on the Western Ghats – The Meesapulimala peak.

Having gotten a taste of summiting the highest trekkable peak in India, there was a sense of an impending state of accomplishment doing the rounds in my mind.  I was looking for ways to trek to the highest peak on the Western Ghats.  At an altitude of about 8,841 feet from the sea level, Anamudi, is the highest peak on the Western Ghats and outside the Himalayan mountain ranges.  Without a permission from the Forest department, trekking on Anamudi is prohibited.  Due to its reserve forest status, permissions are, typically, provided only to researchers and surveyors.  With travelers kept of out of reach, the only alternative is to trek to the second highest peak.  At an altitude of about 8,661 feet, Meesapulimala is the second highest peak in the Western Ghats.

With cyclone Ochki keeping us at crossroads, we started off from the city of Coimbatore at around 7 AM and had our first halt at Pollachi for breakfast.  A high calorie breakfast followed by a cup of caffeine to keep us going for our journey ahead was refreshing.  We got behind the wheels and zipped past Udumalpet, Chinnar wildlife sanctuary, Marayur and the many winding roads leading towards Munnar to reach our base camp nestled within the Silent Valley Forest (not to be confused with the Silent Valley National Park) amid the lush green scenic landscapes of tea estates.  There are several check posts leading to the base camp and some of them may require prior permissions to be allowed in.  This base camp at Munnar is maintained and managed by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation Ltd and a prior permission is required to visit their premises.

A journey that was both arduous and refreshing had frequent halts at almost every spot that aroused interest.  The highway was pleasantly appealing with several water bodies, each of those bestowed upon us with a much-needed stimulation.  Moments after sunset, the temperatures began to plummet.  A sumptuous dinner by the dining hut and I quickly moved in to my camping tent for a sound sleep.  The overnight temperatures hovered between 7 – 8 degrees Celsius.

Unzipping the camping tent, the next morning, presented us with a splendid view of the valley.  Low temperatures, pleasant green valleys and a near-clear sky were breathtaking.  Following a healthy breakfast, we buckled up for our trek to the second highest peak on Western Ghats – The Meesapulimala peak.  The initial trails were a tad steep for any beginner/moderately seasoned trekker.  However, a beginner must not attempt this trek.  It is quite arduous.  A steep and steady incline of about 4 km greeted us by the Rhodo Mansion.  This mansion is maintained by the Kerala Forest Development Corporation Ltd and offers stay to guests.  This is the last man-made structure en route Messapulimala peak.

After a brief halt to energize ourselves, we set our foot forward for the remaining journey of trek.  Unlike the earlier trial, our path ahead was remarkably scenic.  A bird’s eye view of the valley beneath with towns and villages at a distance giving an appearance of chunk of LEGO blocks, the panoramic view of the valleys, and waterfalls at a distance were some of the spectacular visuals that are sure to behold one’s attention.  Not to mention about the numerous rhododendrons blossoming giving an appearance of giant red balls from a distance.

These are some of the remarkable sights that kept us going despite an arduous climb up the peak.  It was 30 minutes past noon, and we arrived at the much-coveted second highest peak on the Western Ghats and the highest any civilian could reach at – The Meesapulimala peak.  We sat down for our lunch relishing the beauty of the valleys beneath.  As responsible trekkers, we made sure there’s no littering.  Post our lunch, a few group photographs were captured and we began descending to the base camp.  As with any trek, the descend is the most strenuous activity.

The amount of pressure the various joints of your lower body, especially the knees and ankles, must endure is enormously high and must be sufficiently taken care of.  Each of us comfortably got back to base camp around 4 pm.  A quick bite of refreshments, we bid goodbye to each other and left towards our respective destinations.

A long journey back home was tiring, however, was rewarding with breathtaking photographs and splendid experiences.

RESOURCES:

HOW DID I TRAVEL?

As with every journey, I look for an opportunity to travel with one of my most favorite mode of transportation – The Indian Railways.  I started off from Chennai on a train bound to Coimbatore.  And, then hit the road alongside fellow adventure loving people.  Here’s the route we went with:

Coimbatore – Pollachi – Udumalpet – Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary – Marayur – Munnar

Anyone skilled behind the wheels can make it to the destination in approximately 4.5 hours.

BEST TIME TO VISIT:

• The winters begin from the month of December and last till February.  This is the perfect season to have a go at the peak.
• The summer months from March to May are pleasant with temperatures ranging between 19 degrees Celsius to 30 degrees Celsius.
• Any attempts of trekking during monsoon must be avoided.  The monsoons begin from June and remain active till September.

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