Banasura Hill Trek

Starting point: Vythiri, Wayanad

Trek gradient: Moderate. Banasura is a continuously uphill trail with some rising and falling segments.

Approximate time: This Trek is a two-day activity. 4 to 5 hours to ascend and 3 to 5 hours to descend, overall 9 hours

Trekking distance: 18 km (both-ways)

Water sources: One should carry at least 2 liters of water before starting the Trek, there are numerous streams on the trail

Best months to visit: Recommended to Trek during the winter months. The best months are September to January as, during heavy monsoons, the trail becomes mucky and slippery, which makes the descent difficult, and the weather is too humid during summers.

Getting to Banasura Hill

• By Road: Mananthavady is the nearest town; Banasura is 25km away from here
• By Rail: 79 km from Calicut Railway Station
• By Air: 92 Kms from Calicut Airport

From Bangalore to Banasura Hill Trek

One can start from Bangalore the previous night, arrive at Kalpetta in the morning, concluding the Trek, and return to Bangalore on the same day.

• Drive from Bangalore to Kalpetta, Wayanad
• Distance covered: 288 km
• The average time it takes is 8 hours

Other Options to reach Banasura Hill Trek from Bangalore

• One can travel from Bangalore to Kalpetta (Wayanad), via the NH 212, but keep in mind that you will have to pass through a stretch of the highway that resides within the Bandipur Tiger Reserve and has night traffic ban between 9 pm to 6 am.
• From Bangalore, one can likewise take the way to Mysore to Sulthanbathery or Mananthavady.
• There is likewise an alternative of taking the late-night transport (Karnataka/Kerala RTC) from Mysore Road Satellite bus stop. Alight at Kalpetta on the next day early morning by 8 am.
• There is another option to board a night bus to Calicut from Bangalore. Alight at Kalpetta stop, which will be at around 7.30 am.
• On coming to Kalpetta, take ST transport to Padinjarethara, which is 18 Kms from here. (Kerala State Transport transports will be accessible from 6.00 am at Pinangode junction).
• From Padinjarethara, take an auto to Kappikulam, which is 5 Kms from here.

From Kozhikode to Banasura 

• If you are going from Kozhikode, one can take the Thamarassery–Lakkidi Ghat road, a segment of NH 212 that links south of Kozhikkode and rest of Kerala with Wayanad.
• Lakkidi to Banasura is 45 km. When you reach Lakkidi, drive up 10 km to Vythiri and go left to Padinjarathara Road through the Banasura dam. Then to point to Vellamunda to Punlinjal to Banasura Hill.
• Several state public transport buses operate between Vythiri and Wayanad. One can take the bus from Vythiri to Wayanad and then continue with a taxi to reach the spot from Wayanad.

Banasura Trekking Trail

The trekking trail begins close to the forest office. Make sure that you start no later than 6.00 am. It's a 4 to 5-hour trek, one-way. The forest office commands that a designed guide ought to be with you during the Trek. The expense charged is Rs.500/ - The charge for trekking and authorization can be checked at the forest office. It differs as indicated by the number of hours you desire to Trek.

The Trek up to the Banasura hill is well-marked pretty much till the highest point. The path prevalently twists through the Shola forests. The outline of Banasura, which is an enormous cone-like hill, can be witnessed from the base. The Banasura Falls bends off into a murmuring stream and wanders over rocks and stones and underneath the abundant vegetation. The Banasura Sagar Dam Wayanad, the biggest earth dam in India and the second biggest of its sort in Asia, is another point where one can start the Trek. The beginning point of the climb is 2.5 Kms from the Banasura dam Wayanad. You can trek to the Meenmutty waterfalls, a 30–45 mins trek from the Forest Office (beginning stage of the Banasura Hill trek). The Meenmutty falls cascades are the biggest and the most excellent waterfalls in Wayanad. The 1000 foot cascade is well known for its three-layered course zone.

The ascent to the head of the hill is challenging. The trekking trail slithers through moving fields that cover the valleys. The grandness of the Shola forests is at peak at a few sections during the Trek. The bewildering sight of the Karamanathodu tributary of the Kabini River from the trail keeps on getting better. The three-hour ascent to the top is both energizing and challenging as the path is undulating and steep simultaneously. The course is steep right from the start, and it is difficult for 45 minutes. Individual sections of the Trek loaded with leeches and prickly-thick shrubberies, so they have to walk through them cautiously. Mid-way, you can spot 3-4 incredible mountain streams; you can fill your water bottles there. Post the steep climb; it's a steady ascent for the following 1.5 hours. This area is especially lovely since you get the opportunity to trek along with the moving fields that have a yellowish hue. The grass is knee-high, and the trail additionally has rocks and boulders. The magnificence of the territory is the highlight.

The last one km stretch is steep, and one may feel dried out since there is no tree spread. There are rock faces from where you can get an all-encompassing vista of the mountain ranges. Keep on strolling along the path; there are a few hillocks on the way to the pinnacle. The peak is the ideal vantage point where you are blessed to receive stupefying perspectives on the whole landscape. The mountain ranges reach out to the extent that the natural eye can see. Wayanad Banasura dam is the top trekking destination in Kerala. 

Getting Back:

Follow the same route and descend along the same course. It'll take about 3 to 4 hours to get down since it's a nine kilometer stretch twisting through thick brambles, mountain streams, prairies that are knee-high and inclines that are at an edge between 60 to 70 degrees. On the off chance that you start the Trek by 6 am, the odds of coming back to the base around 4 pm are high, with the goal that you can begin towards Bangalore and cross the Tiger Reserve stretch before 9 pm and arrive at Bangalore by 1 am in the first part of the day.

1. Walkthrough different landscapes like meadows level sloppy ways and thick backwoods trails
2. Offers an entrancing beautiful perspective on the Wayanad Mountain Ranges of Western Ghats
3. The Banasura Hill Trek is an energizing opportunity for trekkers who need harmony among isolation and experience.
4. Experience the delight of trekking amid the flawless fields of the Shola timberlands.
5. Witness the Banasura Sagar Dam is India's biggest earth dam and the second biggest of its sort in Asia.
6. The short Trek to the Meenmutty cascades is a special reward. It is the most significant and most excellent cascade in Wayanad.
7. Visit the excellent Banasura Hill Resort at the base deemed as Asia's biggest mud shelter
8. An extraordinary trek for nature aficionados one can see and hear in abundance that the flying creatures, butterflies, and creepy crawl here.
9. The whole Banasura district in the Nilgiris ecosphere, including the property, goes under the UNESCO World Heritage goal.