Palkkulammedu
Palkulamedu, situated at an altitude of about 3,200 feet above sea level, is located in the Idukki district. It is at a distance of 60 kilometers from Muvattupuzha. One can reach Palkulamedu via Alpara by taking the road on the right side of the bridge at Churali Junction, on the Vannappuram-Chelachuvadu-Kattappana route. Two kilometers past Alpara from Churali, the road forks into two. The straight path leads to the bottom of the Palkulamedu waterfall, while the road on the right leads uphill to the top of the waterfall. It is a rocky and muddy path, barely wide enough for a jeep to pass. On one side is a deep abyss. This three-kilometer road has 21 hairpin bends. Due to the narrowness of the road, the jeep had to be reversed multiple times at each curve to make the climb. I had heard that elephants frequent this path. By good fortune or bad, we didn't get to see any. Upon reaching the top, what we saw was an indescribable view. Mountains surrounded by rolling grasslands. Shola forests filled with various unknown species of flora nestled within the mountain folds. And then, a cold breeze blowing 24 hours a day. From here, the Cheruthoni Dam can be seen very clearly, along with other mountain ranges.
