Sugan Krishnan

We visited this trail a few days after a festival. The section around the temple was littered with festival waste, making the area noticeably dirty during our visit. This temporary condition detracted from the otherwise natural surroundings, although the rest of the trail was not similarly affected.

I noticed evidence of what appeared to be a recent animal sacrifice at the summit. The remains had been left exposed to decompose, making the area unhygienic and unpleasant during my visit. This appeared to be a temporary condition rather than a permanent feature of the trail, but it significantly affected the experience at the summit.

We visited the trail as summer was approaching, and the seasonal change in the grasslands was clearly visible. The lush green cover seen after the monsoon had largely disappeared, with the landscape transitioning to shades of golden yellow as the grasses dried. Strong winds were present at Z Point, making it one of the windiest sections of the hike during our visit. Apart from these seasonal conditions, the trail remained in good condition and the hike proceeded without any significant obstacles.

We visited the trail when flooding in the Cauvery River had led to its temporary closure, allowing us to complete only the initial section. The route normally involves crossing multiple shallow riverlets before reaching the destination. During our visit, these crossings carried significantly more water due to the flood, making it impossible to proceed safely beyond the accessible section. The final stretch could not be completed because the swollen riverlets blocked further progress.