Overnight Camping @ Clouds 360

Itinerary

Clouds 360

         Clouds 360 camp is well snuggled East valley of Meesapulimala in Kottagudi Hills near Top Station, Munnar. The vistas are wonderful. Awe-inspiring lush green slops, the dancing-changing clouds of mist and cool breeze complete the picture… “Hills are alive with the sound of music”. Chirping of birds in the back ground is melodious and riches of oxygen take you to the magical amazing ecstasy. This is the ridge between Kerala and Tamil Nadu of Palani hills and Kannan Devan hills of the high Ranges in Western Ghats near the Pampadum Shola National Park, Anamudi Shola National Park and Kurunjimala Sanctuary.

        The major habitat type in Cloud 360 is the shola-grassland complex; found at elevations of 1,500 to 2,220 m. Shola is a stunted forest, with an upper storey of small trees. A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and vegetation, in which case they are also referred to as mossy forests. Mossy forests usually develop on the saddles of mountains, where moisture introduced by settling clouds is more effectively retained. Below the upper storey are a low under storey and a dense shrub layer. These shola forests are interspersed with montane grasslands, characterized by frost and fire-resistant grass species.

Location                     -              CLOUDS VALLEY, Munnar.

Altitude                      -              2118 M

Temperature            -              8^o C – 18^o C

Views                          -              MEESAPULIMALA 2637 m ASL - 2nd Highest Peak of South India

                                                     KOLUKKUMALA  2530 m ASL - World's Highest Tea Plantations

                                                     KORANGANI VILLAGE

                                                     TRIBAL HAMLETS

                                                     TOWNS – BODINAYAKANNUR, THENI & KAMBAM

 BIRDS of Clouds 360: -

Indian Pita, Black & Orange Fly Catcher, Nilgiri Wood Pigeon, Black Eagle, Gray Headed Canary Fly Catcher, Eurasian Black Bird, Speckled Piculet, Oriental White Eye, Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, Long Tailed Shrike, Crimson Back Sunbird, Purple Sunbird, Golden Leaf Bird, Nilgiri Laughing Thrush, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Painted Bush Quail, Pied Bush Chat, Black Headed Oriole, Indian Scimitar Babbler, Many types of Warblers, Leaf Birds, Bulbuls, Swifts, Wagtails, Tree pies etc

Mammals: - Dusky Striped Squirrel, Nilgiri Marten, Malabar Giant Squirrel, Nilgiri Langur, Elephant, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Indian Gaur, Wlid Boar, Wild Dhole and Indian Leopard

DAY 01

15.00 hrs – Drive from Munnar town, thru Mattupatty, Echo Point, Kundala

16.30 hrs – reach main road head to the Clouds 360, then short trek

17.00 hrs – On arrival welcome tea

19.00 hrs – Camp fire

20.15 hrs – starter soup

20.30 hrs – Dinner

DAY 02

06.00 hrs – Sun rise walk to 360 view point

07.00 hrs – Morning tea

08.30 hrs – Break fast

09.00 hrs – Trek to Top Station

10.00 hrs – Drive to Munnar town