Interest for caving deepens, more explorers take the plunge in state

CHASING the tale of an outlaw of yore, an agile, elusive and generous mountain thief who scaled cliffs and leapt ravines to feed the poor — a hero of sorts — is an inevitable part of caving at Kalladanthy caves in Munnar.

- VARSHA SOMARAJ @T'Puram

CHASING the tale of an outlaw of yore, an agile, elusive and generous mountain thief who scaled cliffs and leapt ravines to feed the poor — a hero of sorts — is an inevitable part of caving at Kalladanthy caves in Munnar. "People arrive from different places to crawl through the cave, which was once the abode of Malayil Kallan (thief of the mountains),"" says Siju Varghese, who runs cave tourism at Kalladanthy.

Though not everyone's cup of tea, caving is rising in popularity in the state, as more turn cave explorers, looking at the activity not just as an adventure sport, but also as a means to chase a little mystery, get acquainted with a touch of history, dabble in a bit of challenge and bask in the thrill of escape. "The number of visitors has gone up. Initially, families and groups of friends came as part of travel packages, and engaged in all the adventures. Now, caving is gradually becoming a hobby. Enthusiasts seek stories of the caves, of the life lived before, and engage in the timelessness of nature and its creations,"" says Siju. Kalladanthy caves are partially man-made, and have been carefully maintained and adapted for exploration.