The online bookings for this year’s trek to Agasthyarkoodam was wound up in record time, much along expected lines.
All the 3,100 tickets that were available for the trekking season, which will commence on January 14 and continue until February 13, were fully booked within one hour and twenty minutes on Friday, according to Wildlife Warden (Thiruvananthapuram) Y.M. Shajikumar.
He added that the process witnessed increased demand for bookings on weekends and holidays during the 31-day long season.
A total of 100 entry passes are issued for each day of the trek.
The Forest Department has entrusted guides provided by the eco-development committees to handle 10-member groups. The trekkers will depart from the Bonacaud forest station by around 8 a.m. on each day to reach the base camp at Athirumala by evening. The steep 8-km climb to the Agasthyarkoodam peak will commence early next day. The travellers will be able to return to the base station by afternoon. Slow trekkers will be able to stay at the base camp for another night before returning to Bonacaud.
