A One Day Trip to Unwind With Your Family at Swamimalai (Yelagiri Hills)

Worried about your fitness? Fed up of maintaining diet to size up your figure? Bored up of visiting malls, movie theatres on weekends? Tired of starring at your computer monitor at the workplace? A simple, easy trek can rejuvenate your spirit and give an alternate experience of life.

Many are afraid to go on a trekking due to the challenges it presents on the journey: fear of wild jungle, fear of bodily strength, fear of getting stranded in an unknown place etc. But I assure you, this trek could change all your assumptions, and this can even be your first step to begin your adventure.

Swamimalai, a small hill, lies on the mountains of Yelagiri close to the scenic village ‘Mangalam’. We left from Chennai by bus around 1 am in the early morning and reached Jolarpettai at dawn. A bus from there took us to Yelagiri in an hour. As the vehicle ascended through precarious bends, it gave goosebumps at every turn. Beaten by the cold spell, we yearned for the sun to show its full glory.

Mangalam is a quaint village, mostly undisturbed by the burgeoning population except for the visitors from nearby towns especially on weekends. People, here, depend on farming for livelihood and the green vicinity is the clear proof how agriculture is done in full swing.

As we alighted, I was apprehensive if I could find a toilet in this small village. An old man directed me to the toilet, and to my utter surprise, it was neat and clean with modern flush system which is even hard to find in cities.

Snaking through the tiny hamlet, we trailed upward to Swamimalai. The climb uphill is a pleasant experience with breathing fresh air of the mountain and listening to the occasional cry of the birds and insects. It was an easy trek as the path is well paved out due to frequent visitors and intermittent man-made steps along the way.

Locals sell fruits grown from their farm to earn few bucks from the tourists. It was interesting to indulge in a friendly chat with them and get to know about their customs and traditions. On reaching the top, a breath-taking view of the hill was the gift of our climb. With clouds and fogs sweeping over the canopy of the mountain, it was an ethereal experience to be one with nature.

This is an ideal trek to enjoy with your family as it does not present any dangers and exert much energy needed for rigorous climb. Commencing your trip in the early morning is recommended as the sun may not be merciful in the noon. The climb may take up to 3 hours to reach the top and less than 2 hours for coming down. Behave responsibly without littering as lot of animals die due to plastic consumption.

Eventually to spice up the trip, we tried to find an alternate route for descending. But the unclear path sent chills through our nerves, we quit our endeavour and returned for the sake of not getting into trouble in the middle of a jungle. Below is the video showing how we tried to seek adventure through a path less known to us.