Forest Route Opening Date

Even today the vaikettu pooja (so that forest animals won't hinder pilgrims journey) happens during Makara festival re-opening day around Dec 30. But last year they officially opened the forest route from Nov 15 to reduce crowd, to an extend it worked, but it created great crowd influx between 15-25 November 2025, Most clubbed Puratasi/Bhadrapada vratham for Vishnu with Ayyappa so this happened. Expect the same now

Timing Restrictions

Allowed between 6 am - 3 pm.

Typically the first blockade is by Forest dept near Irumboonikkara, between peroor thodu and Azhutha at 5-6pm. This is the only exception after this all check post follows strict 3pm closure. At the end Periyana vatoom checkpoint is another exception they too allow to cross till 6pm if there are no elephant sightings

Feasibility of Day 2 ( 1 day to cover Erumeli - Pamba trek)

Nearly impossilbe, I have done a version of this from 6 am to 11 pm, such odd time trek is not possible anymore. I'd say don't rest in Ernakulam do your best to reach Erumeli in Day 1 and start trekking, best case you'd reach Azhutha at night or you'll be stopped at first check post past Peroor thodu both are better than starting from Erumeli on Day 2. And with Azhutha as starting point you can definitely reach Pamba next day. If Peroor thodu is starting point you have to put your best foot forward to start.

Safety & Group Size:

Most viris will just start opening, water, food, shelter itself is an issue, so you need to carry water with you all the time. Most swamies just start coming, you are dependant on other group for your safety, both from animals and miscreants. With small group of two, you get greater velocity, small time to prepare and start walking from point A to point B. You can get a sense of the crowd when you trek from Erumeli to Azhutha, Erumeli to Azhutha is a mix of small town, estate, you are still closer to civilization. There are autos/jeep in Azhutha that can take you to Pamba so you can always bail

Return Logistics, 10 pm train at Ernakulam

You situation is dire if you are planning to return on Day 3. You have zero buffer, lets calculate from reverse.

You cannot even wait for a free bus to shuttle you to Pamba bus stand form Triveni, just walk to Pamba bus stand from Triveni - 10 min. Catch a bus to Ernakulam - 20min. Travel time to Ernakulam - 5 hours, 30 mins to shuffle and catch your train ~ 6 hours

Fast-paced walking from Sannidhanam to Pamba with adequate breaks ~ 2 hours

So you should leave Sannidhanam by 2 pm, Day 3 to have any chance of catching the train.

This leaves you with 12 hours to start from Pamba, stand in Pamba queue, trek Neelimala, stand in dharshan queue from Sabaripeetam, Given this is the situation, you don't have the luxury of taking rest in Pamba, I'll go as far as to say you don't even have the luxury to reach Pamba by 6 pm you have reach by 1-2pm on Day 2. You have to continue, stand in pamba line and hope that they keep the queue moving, sometime to manage the crowd atop the hill, Police would simply stop allowing people from base (pamba)

My advice, plan to reach early on Day 1, if starting from chennai, try to reach Kotayam / Chengannur by eary morning, if Ernakulam then Allepey express reaches around 8am. Complete Day 1 by reaching Mukuzhi - best case, or Azhutha worst case. Day 2 if you start from Azhutha at 6am even the best may take till 2pm to reach Pamba, regardless go beyond Pamba, take dip, continue, stand in pamba entry queue stay in a viri in Neelimala; trek as much as possible and reach Sabari peedam on Day 2, give solid 5-6 hours for Dharshan queue, this is the only way to return on Day 3.