Wayanad Trekking cum Nature Study 2027 (By Kerala State Branch)

Wayanad sits high on the Western Ghats in northern Kerala - a green plateau of spice and coffee plantations, bamboo thickets and forests that run on into Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This Kerala State Branch programme combines trekking, camping, a wildlife safari, nature study and heritage study, all from one base at Kalpetta.

In five days you walk up to the Stone Age carvings of Edakkal, raft on bamboo across the Kabini to the wooded islets of Kuruva, look for elephants and hornbills in Tholpetty and finish at the ancient Thirunelli temple below the Brahmagiri hills. Early February falls in Wayanad's dry season, with cool mornings and clear trails.

Highlights

• Edakkal caves - not a true cave but a deep cleft roofed by a huge wedged boulder on Ambukuthi mala, its walls carved with petroglyphs believed to date back to at least 6,000 BCE. They were brought to notice in 1890 by Fred Fawcett, a police officer in Malabar.
• Ambalavayal - the Regional Agricultural Research Station for the High Range Zone, set up in 1946 and part of Kerala Agricultural University since 1972.
• Uravu - a non-profit bamboo craft, design and training centre at Thrikkaipetta, working since 1996 with local craftspeople and running a bamboo nursery.
• En Ooru - Kerala's first tribal heritage village, opened in 2022 near Vythiri and run with the tribal communities of the area, with replica tribal huts and a tribal market.
• Pookode lake - Kerala's smallest and highest freshwater lake, at about 770 m, wrapped in evergreen forest. It is the only home of a small barb, Pethia pookodensis, and the source of the Panamaram stream that flows into the Kabini.
• Kuruva island - 950 acres of uninhabited, densely wooded islets in the Kabini river, reached by bamboo raft.
• Tholpetty - the northern section of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, bordering Karnataka's Nagarhole: elephants, tigers, leopards, gaur, sambar, spotted deer and sloth bears, and over 300 kinds of birds, among them the Malabar grey hornbill.
• Thirunelli temple - an ancient Mahavishnu temple below the Brahmagiri hills, known as the Kashi of the South. A stone aqueduct still carries cold mountain water into the temple, and ancestral rites are performed on the banks of the Papanasini stream.

At a Glance

• Dates: 1 to 5 February 2027 (4 nights / 5 days)
• Fee: Rs. 14,500 per person
• Base camp: Hotel Newform, Kakkavayal, Kalpetta, on the Kalpetta - Sulthan Bathery main road
• Day 1: orientation at 6:00 PM

The Fee Includes

• Accommodation
• Food
• Transportation
• All entry fees
• Boating fees
• Insurance

Program Coordinator

• Muhammed Jaffar, Treasurer, YHAI State Committee Keralam - 88481 96952 / 94956 44060
• Email: muhdjaffark@gmail.com
• Address: Jaffer Manzil, Muzhathadam, Kannur 670002

Who Can Join

• Any YHAI member above 15 years of age, on a first come, first served basis. The booking page accepts ages 18 to 65.

How to Join

• Apply on the prescribed registration form with payment in favour of "Youth Hostels Association of India Kerala State Branch", payable at Canara Bank, Ponnani, Malappuram district, Kerala.
• Or pay online or by bank transfer to the State Branch account: Canara Bank, Ponnani, Malappuram - A/c 0756101040595, branch code 756, IFSC CNRB0000756. You can also book at www.yhaindia.org.
• Send the application with a medical fitness certificate, a copy of your ID card and a photograph by speed post or registered post to Mr. Muhammed Jaffar, State Treasurer YHAI, c/o Jaffar Manzil, Muzhathadam, Kannur, Kerala 670002.

How to Reach

• By air: Calicut International Airport (88 km) or Kannur Airport (101 km).
• By rail: Kozhikode (CLT) is the nearest station, 82 km away; Kannur is 125 km.
• By road: frequent private and Kerala RTC buses run from Kozhikode (Calicut) to Sulthan Bathery. The base camp is on the Kalpetta - Sulthan Bathery main road.

Stay and Food

• Double or triple sharing AC rooms with good bathrooms and toilets
• Vegetarian food and safe drinking water

What to Bring

• Raincoat
• Torch with spare batteries
• Soap and towel
• Medical fitness certificate, ID card, photographs and your original ID
• For forest registration: Aadhaar card and a passport-size photograph

Rules and Safety

• Alcohol, narcotics of any description and smoking are strictly prohibited during the programme.
• Deviation from the set route is not permitted. If you wish to join any other activity, you may do so at your own responsibility and risk, only after the programme ends and you have checked out.
• Field volunteers and camp leaders have visited the area and checked the details. While every care is taken for your safety, YHAI cannot be held responsible for any accident, illness or other unforeseen eventuality.

Cancellation Rules

• If you cannot join after paying, you get a 50% refund provided your request is received at least 10 days before your reporting date.
• No refund is admissible on shorter notice.