A view of Avalanche Lake
Avalanche Lake is one such place, the lake being named after a huge land slide "Avalanche". 28 kms away from Ooty, in route to Upper Bhavani passing through one of the most beautiful landscape in the Nilgiris, the final destination the lake itself is a sight to behold!
Starting from Ooty, passing through lush green Horticulture fields, one reaches the Forest Check post at Avalanche, nearby which there is a one of the few Trout Fish breeding centers in India.
The rolling green hills and blue sky are just picture perfect
From the check post the road to Avalanche Lake passes through Mountane type forest full of mosses, ferns, flowering plants, orchids and beautiful waterfalls all of which makes up a part of the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve.
Merrily cascading water falls and blooming flowers are a sight to behold
Being a protected area, tourist vehicles beyond the check post are not permitted, but a local community initiative by the charming people of the Toda tribes is available, through which one can hire a jeep and a guide for the entire trip up to the lake and back to check post.
Beautiful grasslands and Sholas
All along the way the guide provides wonderful facts about the plants and ecology of the region and insights on Toda tradition and customs.
Also one comes across flowering variants of the famous Kurinji Flower or Neela Kurinji ( Strobilanthes kunthiana ) which is know for flowering once in every 12 years, causing a mass blooming of flowers during the monsoons creating a look of velvet carpet across the higher hills of the Western Ghats.
The flowering bushes, water gently cascading down the stream makes the place picture perfect.
Another beautiful vista
The Bhavani Temple located half way through the route is one of the most beautiful places i have ever been. The humble little temple along the stream surrounded by the rolling green hills gives the ultimate touch of spirituality to serene and tranquil location.
Tranquility at its best
The lake with its emerald blue waters and the lush green hills is a wonderful sight. If lucky one can spot wildlife along the lake and also in route.
A curious Jackal looks on
The avalanche lake tourism is modeled in a effective sustainable method by employing the local communities and also restricting the number of tourist flow per day to around 10 trips approximately some 100 to 150 persons a day. Its one of the best example for conservation based Eco tourism and can act as an example for tourism in other ecologically sensitive area. As long as such an initiative works, conservation and tourism can go side by side ensuring preservation of the fascinating life among us.
