The Shola Forests In Between

Most people talk about the grassland ridges and the summits. Fewer talk about the shola - the dense, stunted forest patches tucked into the folds between grassland hills.

These aren't incidental. Shola-grassland systems are one of the defining ecological features of the Western Ghats, holding water, moderating temperature, and hosting species you won't find on the open ridge above. Walking through one is a different experience entirely - cooler, quieter, slower.

Next time you're on a ridge trail, notice where the forest starts and stops. It's rarely random.