This trip was planned by our crew when we hiked Eratna to Sri Pada last year. We were informed about this route by the shop owner at Indikatupana, so with the help of Lakdasun team members we were able to fulfill our dream this year.

We started around 4.30 am from Kolonnawa, had our Breakfast closer to Deraniyagala. We had bought all our requirements on the previous day so we did not have any problems in the morning.
We were at the Dik elikanda Primary School junction by 9.am; We got down from there and asked our Driver to meet us at Nallathanni following morning. We were at the Trail head by 10am..

Due to the dry weather we did not have many problems from the leeches, for which we were thankful though we were prepared with Tobacco spray and other things..

Tobacco spray was good enough to get rid of few leeches which climbed, but I am not sure if they in larger quantity.

Crew looks very happy….
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Now you can see the worried and tired faces…	Beautiful jungle……
Beautiful jungle……	Beautiful jungle……
Beautiful jungle……	Beautiful jungle……

.	Beautiful jungle……
.	Beautiful jungle……
Elephants had been here before us	Elephants had been here before us
Elephants had been here before us	.
Kuru ganga crossing…	Kuru ganga crossing…
Kuru ganga crossing…	At Eranthna Trail (Click Image to Enlarge)
Happy faces having seen the lights at Erathna Trail	At the summit…
At the summit…	At the summit…

At the summit…	At the summit…
At the summit…	At the summit…
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Panorama shot inside the jungle… (Click Image to Enlarge)

I have a dream to visit Uda-Maliboda, ඇලි හත (Seven Waterfalls) for quite a long time. Finally with some of my friends we decided to do it in beginning of the year 2012. Our objective is to visit all the seven waterfalls without a guide and also explore the area.

In the early morning at 5.00 AM we started the journey from Kiribathgoda by hired van. At around 9.30 AM we reached Uda-Maliboda. From there we had our breakfast and started the hike near the Naya Ganga.

Map of the area

Naya Ganga with Bambaragala at distance

1st and 2nd waterfalls

Old bridge goes to Uda-Maliboda

Babaragala and Seven virgin mountains

We had to walk about 2KM to reach the base of 1st waterfall. New mini hydro power plant is building at the base of 1st waterfall. We reach there around 11:30AM. Mahinda Aiya is the supervisor of this hydro power plant and he gave us direction to waterfalls and also kind enough to offer a tea. After having the delicious tea we started hiking parallel to Naya Ganga water stream inside the forest from lest side. Within 15 minutes we were able to visit the 2nd waterfall. It’s quite high and beautiful waterfall. We stayed some time with enjoying the beauty of waterfall.

1st waterfall	2nd waterfall
Mushrooms	Gon Diva

Again we entered into forest and climbed parallel to Naya Ganga form left side. Because of steepness we had to climb down to water stream. The time is near 3PM and we find a place to camp and decided to stay there. We had a cool dip of the water steam and prepared rice and dhal curry for the dinner. In the evening there is a mist and some rain. Because of rain we have to keep alert of the water level.

Where we camped 1st day night

Early morning

Next day morning we rise with the sound of singing birds. We prepared noodles for breakfast. We started hike around 9.30AM. We couldn’t follow the steam from left hand side of the stream because of the left bank is so steep. Therefore we cross the stream and entered to forest from right side of the stream. There the undergrowth is thick and we need to make a path though the bushes. About an hour we were able to reach the base of 3rd waterfall. Threre is a ‘Dhothuru’ tree side of the 3rd waterfall and this may be the reason to call it ‘Dhothuru Ella’.

3rd waterfall with ‘Dhothuru’ tree

Upper part of 3rd waterfall

Again we climbed though the forest to top of 3rd waterfall. On top of 3rd waterfall there is a quite space and can see the distance from there. We crossed the stream and again entered into forest from lest side of the steam. After climbing half an hour we were able to reach 4th waterfall. Along the water stream we climbed to 5th waterfall. These are small compared to other waterfalls.

Top of 3rd waterfall

4th waterfall

Time was around 4PM and we thought to camp top of 4th waterfall. We prepared rice for dinner with soya-meet and sinisambol. There was a clear sky and we can see the moon very nicely. Also it was a cold night.

4th waterfall	Wood carving?
Top of 4th waterfall	5th waterfall
Where we camped 2nd day night	Early morning view

Next day morning we got ready by 7AM and stared climbing without our backpacks. Our aim is to climb up to top of 7th waterfall and climb down to the place we camped second day. We started from the bottom of 5th waterfall and cross the stream to right bank and went parallel to stream. Then we climb down to bottom of 6th waterfall which is we think most beautiful. Then we cross the stream and entered to left bank and climbed up to where we can peek into upper part of 6th waterfall. From there again we climbed up to top of 6th waterfall where 7th waterfall can be seen. There is a quite flat space in top of 6th waterfall where you can clearly see the valley.

6th waterfall	Upper part of 6th waterfall
Top of 6th waterfall	7th waterfall

Top of 6th waterfall

More views from top of 6th waterfall

Fish tank?

After spending more than half an hour we started climbing up till we found the top of 7th waterfall. Here also there is a flat surface where you can see the valley. Time is nearly 1PM and we stared to climb down. Around 4PM we were able to reach our camp site near the 5th waterfall. We had noodles for dinner and also prepared rice for the morning since our plan is to leave early in the morning.

Top of 7th waterfall	Top of 7th waterfall
Bambaragala mountain peak	Achievement

Next day morning at around 7AM we stared to climb down. At around 2PM we were able to reach bottom of Bambaragala near the tea plantation. After meet Mahinda Aiya we haven’t seen any human been for 3days. Even no cell phone signals after 3rd waterfall. Then we had to walk more than 2 km to reach trail head. We had a bath from Naya Ganga and hired two three-wheelers and came to Deraniyagala. From Deraniyagala we took the bus to Avissawella and from there to home. This is the most adventurous memorable hike I have ever done.

Thank you very much for reading.

It was about 7.30am when we started our journey from Kaduwela and our only stop was for breakfast past Avissawella. The scenery changed after the turn off at dehiowita, it was a gradual ascend with the not so good road conditions giving us ample time to admire the beauty of mother nature.

Along the way…

Eli hatha as seen from the road

Sri Pada close-up on the way to uda maliboda

It was 11am when we reached the end of the motorable road and by 11.30am we were at the trail head.

Nade…

At the trail head-pandeniya river crossing

The crystal clear water at the river was so inviting that we were tempted to have a bath before the start but decided against it which in the end was the correct call with what we were about to encounter along the journey.

Pandeniya river

Entering the forest..

The initial phase of the journey was through thick undergrowth in some areas with ascents and descents..

Ascents..

Through the thick jungle..

And obstacles….

Also an occasional glimpse of wildlife…….

Minding it’s own business…

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Time for refill of water and to take care of leeches….

As the journey continued we deviated off the track on 2 occasions in spite of carrying and following the trail through GPS, due to the fact that my friend who is using his GPS for the very first time had missed a couple of waypoints when downloading the trail to his device.

We were lost for more than 2 hours…climbing a mountain not mentioned in the Lakdasun trail guide, the elephant dung, foot marks created by elephants with their constant travelling along the paths and the changing GPS readings to the next waypoint made us realise that we were lost.

Elephant dung…

Lost…deciding which way to go with the help of Lakdasun guide..

View of the surroundings on top of the wrong mountain..

Climbing back down…..

Back down..

Back on the correct path…

After getting back to the last correct waypoint and searching for any clues to identify the correct path, did we realize that there are cuts made by knives on the trees on either side of the path and other markings…these cuts and markings helped us when we got lost again afterwards .We were very much hungry by this time, the chocolates and the biscuits was not enough and was yearning for some pol rotti and katta sambal..we were desperate to reach the kuruwita trail by now…

Having lost a considerable amount of time being lost it was almost 6pm and dark when we reached the kuru ganga ..

Kuru ganga

Since the light was fading, it was very much difficult for us to find the correct point of crossing and we were scurrying to find the crossing point not wanting to spend the night in the jungle.

After about 30 minutes of searching it was pitch black when we found the crossing point and entered into the jungle again..

Finally…the entrance to the jungle after crossing Kuru ganga

And into the darkness…

It was an eventful 1 ½ hour hike with constant slips and falling over rocks in the wet conditions till we arrived at the erathna trail at around 8.30pm.

Kuruwita-erathna trail

After a 1 hour rest and change of wet clothes at the ‘indikatupana’ ambalama, we were back on the trail looking for a shop that would serve us ‘pol rotti’ and ‘kiri kopi’ and it was not until we came to ‘galwangediya’ did we find the one and only shop.

After a meal of rotti, soyameat, katta sambal and kiri kopi some of us decided to take a nap..

Some of us decided to take a nap..

4th glass of kiri kopi before the final ascent..

At about 1.30am we started the final phase of the climb and reached the summit at around 3am.
The summit was crowded with people eagerly awaiting the sunrise and was a dreadful 3 hour stay at the top with the gust of wind making the cold unbearable…

It wasn’t the day for a clear view of the sunrise because of the heavy mist and cloud cover.

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Mist and cloud cover dampened everyone’s expectations..	.

At the summit

At about 6.45am it was time to leave..

It was time to leave

The views when getting down was stunning..

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.	Two becomes one….meeting of two rivers

It was about 3pm when we reached the end of the trail at erathna and after a cool dip in the river it was time for us to head back home after one unforgettable journey..

From the very first day I heard about the centuries old tradition of Pada Yatra  and the opprtunity it provide to walk across Yala and Kumana, I wanted to do this walk. Eventhough Pada Yatra is mainly a religious and cultural event, my main interest was getting close to the wilderness of Kumana and Yala, to walk the terrain that one could only traverse in a 4WD otherwise.

As with many other excursions, this was limited to a dream due to logistical reasons and lack of infirmation to properly plan it out. Eventhough Pada Yatra had been taking place for centuries, there was very little information available to the general public. Communities who take part in this major cultural & religious event relay on experience and information passed down from one generation to another. As a result there is very little written on it.

Once again Lakdasun made it happen!

In 2010 couple of Lakdasun members lead by Priyanjan participated in Pada Yatra. As usual the resulting discussions in the forum provided every little bit of information one would need regarding the cultural event as well as the walk. In 2011 Priyanjan planned his North to South excursion along the full Pada Yatra route all the way from Jaffna. I couldn’t have got a better opprtunity to do this walk than joining Priyanjan at Okanda to do the last stretch!

After a month of walking from Jaffna, Priyanjan was supposed to start the last stretch from Okanda (Kumana) on 24th of June.  Therefore I left home on the 23rd night and caught the night bus to Pottuvil from Colombo. A group of five other Lakdasun members lead by Chaturanga also joined me. After a long journey through the night, we were at Pottuvil by 5.45 in the morning on the 24th.

Thanks to Theshantha ( and Lakdasun again!) we had a truck waiting for us at Pottuvil to take us to Okanda. The early morning drive to Okanda from Pottuvil passing Panama was fantastic!

At Pottuvil 5.45 in the morning. A truck was waiting there to take us to Okanda

Towards Panama on Brand new Tarmac

Sun rise over a lake close to Panama

Golden Goose! - A black winged Stilt

Early morning at Panama Wewa - Daily routine has already started

Dirt Road to Okanda from Panama

We met Priyanjan at Kumana entrance. First thing we did was to take a close look at what was in backpacks and to reduce as much weight as possible! We had approximately 80km to walk from Okanda, mostly through dry, harsh environment of Kumana and Yala (particularly block II) so every additional gram of wieght mattered.

It was the first few days of Pada Yatra so not many pilgrims had entered the park. We were given a number tag at the park entrance for tracking purposes.

After re-pack and a quick breakfast we started walking at around 8.00 a.m.

The surrounding was so was nice and beautiful. Sky was deep blue and the trail was sandy and white. Our first planned stop was at “Bagura”. Enjoying the beauty of kumana we steadily walked towards the destination.

Kumana National Park Entrance at Okanda

The sky was deep blue and the trail was sandy and white

As the sun rose, the surrounding began to heat up. Gradually the walk became tiring. Soft sand of the jeep track which looked so beautiful a hour or so ago was creating drag on every step we took. We realized the gravity of task ahead of us with in the first two hours of the walk. Within the first couple of hours, one realizes the value of leaving as much things as possible and carrying as much water as possible. Lukily we were well informed and reasonably prepared. With couple of short breaks we reached Bagura a little past noon.

Beauty of Kumana - walking across this landscape was a wonderful experience	Weaver bird nests
Dead and Dry!	Light became harsh and the walk became tough
Passing the giant hearth	Towards Bagura

9km out of 80km done! and more importantly that 9km did set the right expectations on what the most of the remaining 71km was going to be like!

In the burning heat,  shade of trees at Bagura was heavenly. We had some sweek cakes for lunch and relaxed for couple of hours. Bagura is a designated rest area for Pilgrims and there is a fresh water well at Bagura.

Bagura Oya and the Wooden Bridge

A well earned rest at Bagura

Bagura Kalapuwa - In the rainy season this will turn in to a sea

Blessings for safe passage

We fetched water from the well, purified it with Alum and Chlorine, filled the water bottles  and set out despite the heat.  We did not forget to make some Jeevani solution as well. The next target was to reach Madame Thota (මඩමෙ තොට), Kumbukkan Oya at the border of Kumana before the night fall.

There was almost 12km to reach Kumbukkan Oya, the designated night halting place. Apart from the last 1km or so before the river which was well shaded, the rest of the trail was similar to what we tackled up to Bagura; sandy, dry and hot!

From Bagura we walked passed the site of Thunmulla wildlife department bungalow and several  open areas and water holes such as Kotalindawala, Andaraka Kalapuwa and Yakala Kalapuwa (Open the trail map in Google Earth, Priyanjan has added images of all these places in GE)

By the time we reached Kumana Villuwa it was late after noon. Kumana villuwa was a sight to see in that beautiful light. The beauty of Kumana villuwa along with our almost worn out legs compelled us to spend about 15 minutes there.

Most Pilgrims don't seem to find the walk as difficult as we did. Is it faith, practice, preparation or simply having the right expectations	Did I say it was dry?
Sand Dunes. The sea is just on the other side	An occasional onlooker
වීර	Passing Yakala Kalapuwa (යාකල කලපුව)
Towards Kumana Villuwa	Kumana Villuwa - the Oasis in the middle of Kumana
Kumana Villuwa and Coconut trees marking the now abandoned kumana village	We spent some time here enjoying the tranquility and beauty of kumana villuwa

Walk from Kumana villuwa to Madame Thota in the banks of Kumbukkan oya was not that difficult. Of course my legs did not want to walk any more from Kumana villuwa so I was literally dragging my feet

Approaching Madame Thota (මඩමෙ තොට) at Kumbukkan Oya

Kuda Kabiliththa Devalaya

We settled down in the bank of the river to spend the night.

Day 2

Early morning on the following day we started our walk by crossing Kumbukkan Oya to enter Yala Block II. Next major milesotone was Menik Ganga at the opposite border of block 2 which was 30km from where we were. Pilgrims would generally spend two days walking this distance with a night park at Navaladi/Pahala Poththana fresh water wells (a.k.a Pahala Poththana camp site).

However our plan was to try and do this stretch in a single day and earn a full rest day at Menik Ganga. It was a demanding task. To accomplish our objective, we had to reach Navaladi wells before noon so that we can rest their during the mid day and do the second stretch in the afternoon when heat subside. There is 14km from Kumbukkan Oya to Navaladi wells and further 16km from there to Menik Ganga.

Crossing Kumbukkan Oya was a breeze since the river mouth had been cleared the day before and the water level was very low. We were told that the water level had been at chest height few hours before we arrived at Kumbukkan oya the day before .

The first 6km from Kumbukkan oya was mostly through open areas and scrubs. It really helped that we staretd early. By 9 a.m. the heat was so high that we could feel the rising heat from the ground hitting the face!

Crossing Kumbukkan Oya - Time 5.45 a.m.	Walking through scrubs towards open areas
Sunrise over tree tops	Vast open areas of Yala Block II - The trick is to cover as much as possible before it heats up!
Two Long Shadows - 6.30 in the morning at Ettarakke Eliya	Passing Karambe Aru

By the time we reached Karambe Aru it was 7.00 in the morning. We took some rest there particulalry to make sure that I get my feet properly dressed with plasters to avoid water blisters.  Continuous walking in heat is a perfect formula to get water blisters all over your feet. Even though I was wearing a light pair of sandles which I had used for some time, there were certain points which showed vulnerability. The best way to deal with blisters is to avoid them. To avoid them one should carefully dress vulnerable points with layers of platers and maintain the plaster cover. It was particularly difficult to maintain plasters in this stretch since there were couple of water crossings.

Also thanks to Priyanjan I was able to change my foot ware couple of times. That too helped a lot particularly the seasoned sandles Priyanjan had worn from Trinco downwards were very useful.

Passing Karambe Aru we reached vast open areas of Uda Gajaba eliya. Time was 8.00 in the morning but the heat of the sun was already high in the open muddy bare lands of Gajaba Eliya.

Muddy	...and dry in some sections
Stretches with Thorny bushes needed some additional care when walking	කෝප්‍රල් කටු - The needles resemble the insignia of Corporal and hence the name

Passing open areas of Gajaba Eliya, we entered more scrubby forest. While the presence of large trees occasionally provided the much needed shelter from the simmering heat, underfoot conditions became more difficult with long stretches of deep,hot,soft sand.

Entering the scrub forest

Hot, deep, soft sand which covered considerably long stretches did not help at all!

We battled through the scrubs, dragged down by the sand for about 4km and reached open areas of Etheliwela Kalapuwa. Time was quarter past nine but the dry open stretch looked and felt like a desert!

Dry open stretch of Etheliwela Eliya looked and felt like a desert

Left Behind

After Etheliwela Eliya it was again a brief scrub forest and then we were in Pahala Poththana where we had to cross some what deep water to avoid a long walk around the water body. Crossing over and a brief walk took us to Navaladi/Pahala Poththana rest area.

Water Crossing at Pahala Poththana

After the water crossing - Those layers and layers of plasters did the job very well. I finished the walk with no water blisters

It was just 10.30 in the morning but heat was already unbearable. We settled down under a huge Dun tree to spend time until the heat subsides in the afternoon.

We boiled some water and purified some more with Alum and Chlorine. Chaturanga and his colleagues had come prepared for some serious cooking so a heavy lunch was ready in no time!

Cooking Rice and Boiling Water	Lunch!
Place of God	Three Fresh water wells at Navaladi

We left Pahala Poththana around 2.30p.m. Heat was still high but at least it was on the declining trend! There was 16km to reach Menik Ganga from where we were.

From Pahala Poththana, after a brief walk in a forest patch, we reached Uda Poththana, another vast open area. We had to cross some water again and re-dress my feet with plasters!

Back on Track after more than 4 hour break at Navaladi/Pahala Poththana Wells. Occasional large trees like this provide much needed shade for short breaks	Time was 3.00 p.m. We were approaching Uda Poththana Open area
Water Crossing at Uda Poththana Lawaya	Uda Poththana

After Uda Poththana, it was a long walk through the forest. Heat was low now and walk through the forest was slightly easier.

Long walk through the scrub forest

We stopped every hour or so to take a short rest

End of another day at Yala

By the time we came out of the forest in to the open areas of Pilinnawa Eliya, it was late in the afternoon. Light was fast diminishing and we saw few groups of Pilgrims who had decided to spend the night at Pilinnawa Eliya without proceeding to Menik Ganga due to night fall.

We were however determined to reach Menik Ganga. It was about 5km to Menik ganga from Pilinnawa. We continued our walk along the jeep track in the dark with the help of head lamps.

We almost missed Katupila Ara crossing point where the Pada Yatra route takes a short cut through Yala Wela and deviate from the jeep track. Lukily, there were couple of army personnel setting up a water point for Pilgrims who showed us the right way. They had also marked the path through Yala Wela which helped us reach Menik Ganga without further trouble.

At Menik Ganga we reached an Army point where they had setup a “Dan sala” to offer plain tea to Pilgrims. We decided to spend the night there.

Walk in the dark with aid of head lamps	Signs showing us the way through Yala Wela
At the bank of Menik Ganga - We decided to spend the night here	Fire!

Day 3

The following day was the well earned rest day for us. We woke up early in the morning. Guys who chose to sleep outside have had a time with mosquitoes while Priyanjan and I slept in the small tent we brought.

On the first light of the day we packed up and moved little further upstream on Menik Ganga bank to find a place where we could dip in water for the whole day! Roughly a kilometer along the river from the point we reached Menik Ganga towards Warahana was a designated camping ground during Pada Yatra so we had plenty of choice in terms of camping locations.

Good Morning!	Little tent saved us from Mosquitoes
Beautiful Mekin Ganga beside the location we chose to move our camp to	This is where we spent most of the day three - Enjoying the well earned rest day in the river

About 1km along the river from the point we reached Menik Ganga towards warahana is designated camping ground during Pada Yatra

Place of God - Some groups may spend couple of days here after the long walk, some walking all the way from Jaffna. If you are interested in the culture aspect of Pada Yatra plan to spend some time here with the pilgrims.

Our Camping Location of the Third day - Just couple hundrad meters away from where we spend the second night

Cooking! - Even though Priyanjan and I had planned for zero cooking Chaturanga and the team were well prepared for it!

Day 4

Fourth day walk was by far the easiest out of all five days we walked. We only had to cover 8km, all of which along the jeep track through well shaded Riverine forest. It was a piece of cake compared to the terrain we tackled before!

Well shaded track to Warahana	While walking towards Warahana we did not forget to reach the river from time to time and enjoy the serene beauty of it
Reflection!	A tarantula we came across - It was hunting termites when we found it

By 10 a.m. we were at Warahana. Chaturanga and the team decided to continue to Kataragama on the same day while the two of us, the old folk, decieded to spend the rest of the day again in the river!

We set up our tent at a nice location in the river bank and spent the rest of the day in water watching  fishing action of a white bellied sea eagle. It was so peaceful and refreshing. We were also lucky to receive some tasty ආමි බත් ගෙඩි for lunch and dinner from the Warahana camp !

Looooong dip for the second consecutive day	The sea eagle which entertained us for hours with acrobatic fishing
Our tent at Warahana - again in the bank of Menik Ganga	ආමි බත් ගෙඩිය
The veteran - Collapsible bucket which helped us in water purification throughout the journey

Day 5

On the fifth and the final day we queued up early with Pilgrims and waited until the gate was open for us to cross Warahana bridge and enter block 3 of Yala. The gate is only open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is not allowed to stay over night beyond Warahana until you move out of the national park via the Katagamuwa entrance.

Total distance to Kataragama is roughly 20km from Warahana.

From Warahan to Katagamuwa Entrance it was around 7km. All of that was  a walk along the jeep track through scrub forest typical in Yala block 1 & 3.

Waiting for the Gate to open	Crossing over to Yala Block 3 - Warahana Bridge
Directions	Blossoms
Sithulpawwa	Dead and Decaying

Walking out of Yala - Katagamuwa

At Katagamuwa Entrance - Yala National Park

Leaving Yala, we continued our walk along the gravel roads through Katagamuwa Sanctuary on Sithulpawwa road towards Kochchipatana (7km from Katagamuwa). Kochchipatana is the night halting place for the pilgrims who generally spread the walk from Warahana to Kataragama across two days.

It was 10 in the morning by the time we reached Kochchipatana. None of the pilgrim seemed to have arrived by that time. Preperations were underway to welcome the first large groups of pilgrims. There was a kovil at Kochchipatana.

Sithulpawwa Road through Katagamuwa Sanctuary	Katagamuwa Sanctuary (Click Image to Enlarge)
Signs of Civilization close to Kochchipatana	Kovil at Kochchipatana

Passing Kochchipatana we entered tarred road towards Kataragama. With a stop at a small “kade” to have some short eats and a drink, we arrived at Kataragama Devalaya by 12.30 p.m. Preperations for the annual festival and Perehara was at full swing. We ended our walk there visualizing what it will look like in the coming days when thousands of Pilgrims, who come walking in Pada Yatra and some others who chose to use more modern and easier modes all to get here for the Perehera!

From Gravel road to tarred roads	Where we stopped for some short eats and a drink
80km Vs 800km - I must do the 800km walk before I die!	Approaching Kataragama Sacred city
At the destination - Kataragama Devalaya	Preparations for the festival

It was a short Backpacking session [Travelled alone]. Left Colombo on the 23rd Dec [Friday] night and reached Pattipola on the 24th Dec at 04:30 hrs. Slept at the Pattipola train station till dawn and commenced my walk to Thotupola Kanda, 3rd highest peak in Sri Lanka, via Horton Plains at 07:10 hrs. Reached the summit and got back to the Pattipola Station by 11:46 hrs [18Kms by foot]. After a short break I started my railway trek to Ohiya from Pattipola at 12:00 hrs [06 Kms by foot]. Was able to arrive at the Ohiya station by 13:50 hrs and on my way I have walked through 04 railway tunnels including the 3rd longest Tunnel in Sri Lanka [Tunnel No.18]. Got to Badulla by train from Ohiya by 18:30 hrs [train was delayed a bit] and got into the train from Badulla on the same day and got back to Colombo by 06:00 hrs on the 25th Dec 2011.

I started my Journey from Colombo on the 23rd Dec 2011. Though I was informed that the tickets for Colombo – Badulla Night-mail train was fully sold out I tried my luck again on that day as I got down from Pettah Station around 18:00 hrs and I was lucky enough to obtain a 3rd Class Pre-booked Seat for my Journey.
The Night- mail train left the Colombo Fort Station exactly at 20:00 hrs and I reached my destination Pattipola Station at 04:30 hrs on the 24th Dec.

After I got down from the station I looked around for the friendly face of our dear old Station master Mr. Jayathileka. But to find out that he is been transferred to a nearby station and a new humble Station Master by the name of Mr. Rajarajasinghe [Hope I got the name correct] has been appointed for the Pattipola station who will be officially commencing his duty from 1st of January 2012. He is a very down-to-earth gentleman who is a nature enthusiastic as well.

Since it was still dark I had a little nap of around 2 hours at the Pattipola Station on a cold frozen bench when the temperature was around 12C.

After having an early Breakfast at a small shop nearby I commenced my walk to Horton Plains from the Pattipola Railway Station @ 07:10 hrs

NOTICE BOARD NEAR THE PATTIPOLA RAILWAY STATION (Click Image to Enlarge)

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME ON MY WAY FROM PATTIPOLA TRAIN STATION TO HORTON PLAINS

On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains
On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains
On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains	On the way from Pattipola Station to Horton Plains

FAMOUS AMBEWELA FARM GREENLAND

I reached the Horton Plains Pattipola Entrance at 08:20 hrs and was met with my Trekker – Thushara [21 years] who is a young energetic person who is working for the Wild life Dep on volunteer basis! With him I commenced by journey to Thotupola Kanda which is the 3rd Highest Peak in Sri Lanka standing at an altitude of 2359M from the Mean Sea Level. It was just a 02 Km hike to the summit from Horton Plains. However as we climbed we felt that the O2 percentage is comparatively less hence we had to control our breathing and to inhale air as much as possible which will be a very good experience for those of you who have not encountered such an altitude before. On our way Thushara explained to me many things and also about how the maintenance of the trek is done and as per to him the path which leads to the summit is been cleared by the help of YZA [Young Zoologists’ Association

Thotupola Kanda (Click Image to Enlarge)

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME ON MY WAY TO REACH THE SUMMIT OF THOTUPOLA KANDA

On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda	On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda
On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda	On the way to summit of Thotupola Kanda

The GPS point at the summit

From the summit of Thotupola Kanda you are able to get a superb 360* Arial view of the Horton Plains and of course all the mountains that are quite a picturesque sight!

Adams Peak in a distance

On completion after spending sometime at the summit I returned to the Horton Plains Pattipola entrance and bid farewell to my Fellow Mate Thushara and walked back to the Pattipola Station on foot.

After a walk of around 1 Hour and 10 minutes I reached the Pattipola Station by 11:40 hrs. I rested until 12:00 hrs while getting ready for the rail Hike. I have kept my mobile phone inside my back-pack while bringing out the torch where I can reach it easily and with my jacket and boots well tucked to avoid any wet condition that I may have to encounter during the hike.

Finally I checked with the station master about the train timings to check if I am to expect any trains while I am hiking upto Ohiya along the rail track [AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO CHECK TO AVOID UN-EXPECTED DANGER]

Then by 12:00 hrs I was on my way along the rail track. ETA for the next train was approximately around 14:00 hrs.

PICTURES TAKEN BY ME DURING MY RAIL ROAD HIKE FROM PATTIPOLA TO OHIYA

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Tunnel Number 18 - The 3rd Longest tunnel in Sri Lanka 321.95m long	Tunnel Number 18 (Click Image to Enlarge)
Tunnel Number 18 - Halfway through the tunnel it is pitch black and the ground below is slippery

The exit from Tunnel No. 18 towards Ohiya

from Tunnel No. 18 towards Ohiya

If you walk through the Tunnel No. 18 from one side to the other you will realize how unique it is since the climates of the two ends are quite different from one another. While the Pattipola Entrance to the tunnel is comparatively warm and hot the exit towards Ohiya side is with a chilling/cold climate as you can see in the picture above

TUNNEL NO. 20 - My favorite..!

TUNNEL NO. 20

Even though you can see the exit at the other end of the tunnel, when you enter it just keeps on going and going like in those nightmare movies where the light is running away from you when you try to reach it

Though it is not very obvious you need a torch to go through this tunnel as well since it get’s pitch dark towards the core of it even when you can see the end at the other side.

During my trek from Pattipola to Ohiya I came across 04 tunnels.
Tunnel No. 18, 19, 20, 21 out of which Tunnel No 18 & 20 are comparatively long.

Just before I came across the below shown metal bridge all of a sudden out of nowhere there was a flying insect buzzing in my right ear and I believe it bit me before flying away leaving me with an aching ear [didn’t get a time to have a proper look at it but it was more or less like the common “kumbala” insects you get here in Colombo] to get rid of the pain though that is not the proper medicine for such incidents I applied Salonpas which I carried in my medikit just to be on the safe side since I do a lot of walking

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After 06 Kms by foot along the rail road I arrived at the Ohiya Railway Station at 13:50 hrs

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As usual the station master at the Ohiya Railway station greeted me with a humble smile and a chat about my journey so far and I enjoyed the chat with him pretty much.

The train which was expected around 14:00 hrs arrived pretty late around 15:30 hrs only. I got in and reached Badulla around 18:30 hrs from where I purchased a 3rd class ticket for the Badulla – Colombo Night-mail train putting an “End” to my short back-packing session for the Christmas 2011!

We organized this hike as a university tradition. There were seven secret members for organizing the hike.

We started the hike at about 9 in the morning from the Faculty canteen with a guide dog “White Fang” .

towards Udaperadeniya	We walked along the Udaperadeniya road to Upper Hanthana Bungalow
Upper Hanthana Bungalow

Then we entered into Hanthana forest reserve with sudden a rain fall. We had to face a terrible leech attack at the start.

Inside the Hanthana Forest Reserve	Inside the Hanthana Forest Reserve
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Inside the Hanthana Forest Reserve	Inside the Hanthana Forest Reserve

We came to a huge area with pine trees. Then we climbed through the tea estates to a plain area of the mountain range. We had our lunch there.

Pine Trees	Pine Trees
mist around pine trees	one after one
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.	White Fang needs a rest
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through the tea estate	beautiful
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Then we walked through the highest margin of the mountain range to Bowalawatta end.We could see the whole area of Heerassagala, Bowala, Gatambe and Mahaweli river from Peradeniya to Gohagoda.

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.	Bowalawatte
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.	White Fang

Then we climbed down towards Hotel Amaya Hills,Bowalawatta.

We came to Bowalawatta at about 7 in the evening and then walked to the university via Rajawatta.

We organized this trip during our university vacation.

We started our journey from Kandy to Matale by morning 7:10 train and arrived Matale at 8:30 a.m.

Katugastota Bridge

All the crew members gathered at Matale town. After buying some necessary food items at Matale we hired a van to go to Riversturn.

Our Team

On the way to Riversturn we visited Bambarakiri Ella which was located about 1-2 km from Rattota. It was a short and easy path about 100m to the falls from the main road.

towards Bambarakiri Ella	Hanging Bridge
Hanging Bridge	Kuda Bambarakiri Ella
Maha Bambarakiri Ella

Then we continued our journey towards Riversturn through the tea estates, mountain range and mist.

On the way to Riversturn

Tea Estate

There is a radio transmission tower at the summit of Riversturn.

Riversturn	Riversturn
Mist	Mist
On the way to the summit	.
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Summit	Freeeeee

We had our lunch at Pitawala patana, then we walked along the pathana towards mini-worlds end.

.	Pitawala Pathana
Mini-worlds End

We arrived Telgamu oya wana niwahana at about 4 p.m. We introduced ourselves to cook and helped him to arrange the place.

At Ilukkumbura	Wana Niwahana
Wana Niwahana

Then we took a bath and spent unforgettable night with ghost stories, fearful sounds of wild animals and delicious dinner.

Telgamu Oya	Relax
Dinner Time	Ghost Stories
Good Night

Next day we had our break first and start our trial to Manigala. It was a dry season for Ilukkumbura area. We spent our evening at Telgamu oya and returned by a hired van.

Good Morning	.
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.	Early morning at Thelgamu Oya
.	Our break first
Manigala Nature trail Head	Manigala trail
Manigala trail	Manigala trail
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Trip Video at http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-0215-5522-92f2

We began our journey from Kohuwala at 8am on Friday morning. After brief stopovers at Ratnapura and Balangoda to purchase some items we reached Bambarakanda Eco Resort.

Bambarakanda Eco Resort is run by Mrs Sera Mayakaduwa and her nephew Parashara. It’s a perfect place to get away from the hustle and bustle of day to day life in the city. While the facilities are very basic, the “back to nature” concept is very appealing. Waking up early morning to the sounds of birds and seeing the waters of Bambarakanda falls cascading down in all its glory is an unforgettable experience. The wonderful hospitality shown to us and the delicious food made us wish we could stay a few more days at Bambarakanda Eco Resort.

Bambarakanda Eco Resort with Bambarakanda falls in the background

Having stretched our legs a bit after the long journey and having had our lunch, we set off for our first hike.

The first hike of the day was to Lanka Ella falls. While at first we were contemplating skipping this, Mrs. Mayakaduwa strongly recommended that we do this hike and it’s a decision that we did not regret. The hike at first began through a pine forest and this was the trickiest part since the ground was very slippery.

The trail leading through the pine forest

Thereafter we hiked through a grassy mountain and then reached a forest patch before emerging near the base of the waterfall.

Walking through the grassy area

Walking through the grassy area

Lanka Ella falls was quite breathtaking. A sheet of water cascading down into a pool that is shaped like Sri Lanka. The pool is said to be extremely deep and legend has it that a portion of King Walagamba’s treasure can be found at the bottom. We were warned not to even think of swimming in that pool since quite a few people had drowned there.

Lanka Ella falls

Lanka Ella falls

Our next hike was to the top of Bambarakanda falls. The last portion of the hike was once again through the pine forest with sheer drops on both sides. This part of the hike was tackled with extreme caution, one slip and the consequences could be disastrous. Most of us took off our shoes/slippers and did this part barefoot which helped. However the leaches enjoyed it too

The trail to the top of Bambarakanda with sheer drops on both sides

Just before reaching the top of Bambarakanda falls we reached a rocky outcrop which allowed us a virtual 300 degree view of the surrounding. Again we were extremely cautious when venturing out on this outcrop since there were sheer precipices on three sides.

300 degree view from a rocky outcrop

Finally we reached the top of Bambarakanda waterfall. There was another smaller waterfall cascading down into a pool at the summit. The flow from this pool then headed off into sheer space and as it began its descent formed the start of the Bambarakanda waterfall. It felt great to stand at the top of Sri Lanka’s highest waterfall and to enjoy the spectacular views all around.

Small waterfall at the top of Bambarakanda falls	Bambarakanda Eco Resort seen from the top of Bambarakanda falls
The start of Sri Lanka’s highest waterfall

Since dusk was fast approaching, we began our descent back towards the resort. On our way back we stopped over at the base of Bambarakanda falls and three brave souls decided to brave the freezing water and have a bath. It was pitch dark once they were done, but luckily we had all brought torches and didn’t have much difficulty in finding our way back to the resort.

Pool at the base of Bambarakanda falls (taken during a previous trip)

As day two dawned, we prepared for our main hike. The intention was to walk along the road from Bambarakanda Eco Resort all the way up to the Ohiya – Pattipola highway. Depending on energy levels, we would then do the Worlds End hike as well. The driver of our hired van was given instructions to pick us up near the worlds end ticket office. The poor guy had to travel over 50 Kms by vehicle while we had a mere 13 KMs to hike (or so we thought ).

While the original plan was for the six of us to do the hike on our own, we had an unexpected companion join us. Duke – one of the dogs resident at Bambarakanda Eco Resort decided to accompany us as our guide (even though we later found that he had not done this trail before ).

A short distance after leaving the resort, the concrete road gave way to a rubble path with patches of tar here and there providing evidence that in days gone by this was a better maintained road.

Concrete road gives way to a rubble path

Bambarakanda falls seen from the road to Ohiya

A couple of KMs later we realized that this hike was going to be a lot more testing than expected. The road kept continuously ascending and the next way point in the Lakdasun trail guide never seemed to materialize . After about 1.5 hours, we reached the area known as the V-Cut – A passage through the mountain that is considered a holy place by some. A small altar was visible in the middle of the passage.

The V-cut

Altar in the middle of the V-cut

The V-cut seemed to be a passage marking two different worlds. The hike upto the V-cut was a twisting road through mountains with breathtaking scenery looking upon the Bambarakanda waterfall and the surrounding areas below. Soon after passing the V-cut, the scenery changed to an estate setting with mountains towering high above us.

Change of scenery after the V-cut

A short while after passing the V-Cut, we arrived at a place where a stream flowed across the road. This stream is what feeds the Bambarakanda waterfall.

Duke inspects the stream across the road

After taking a short break for breakfast, we continued with our hike towards Devil’s staircase. The road now traversed through the estate and line houses continuing its steady ascent towards Ohiya.

Breathtaking scenery all along the trail	Breathtaking scenery all along the trail
Breathtaking scenery all along the trail	Breathtaking scenery all along the trail
The top of Lanka Ella falls visible from the trail	One of the many mini-waterfalls we passed on the way

The more we climbed our energy levels kept dropping. However, we were in no hurry and took our time enjoying the scenery and taking as many breaks as needed. The key was that no one was in any mood to give up and resolved to complete the hike no matter whether we reached our destination at 2pm or 2am the next day.

After another couple of hours, we reached another passage through the mountain similar to the V-cut. This marked the start of the Devil’s Staircase. The Devil’s staircase was a concreted stretch of the road with very steep hairpin bends descending sharply. When viewed from a mountain opposite, this stretch of the road looks like a series of massive stairs – hence the name Devil’s staircase.

The start of Devil’s Staircase

Devil’s Staircase

After passing Devil’s staircase, the path was fairly level with a mild descent. A short distance before the turn off towards Worlds End we met Raju, a local guide who was recommended by Mrs. Mayakaduwa. Raju then accompanied us for the rest of the journey and helped cut short the journey by guiding us via shortcuts through estate paths.

A few minutes after meeting Raju we reached a fork in the road. The descending road lead to Ohiya which was approximately 9 KMs away. The other road was a sharp ascend up to the Ohiya – Pattipola highway which was our route. Our energy levels were now so low that we had to take short breaks at almost every turn in the road. So near and yet so far was the phrase that came to mind. Less than 3 KMs to go… but boy wasn’t that tough.

One of the many shortcuts we took towards the end of the trail	The final 3 KMs
The final 3 KMs	The final 3 KMs
The final 3 KMs

Having had a short break for lunch en route we finally reached the Ohiya – Pattipola highway around 3pm that afternoon. Here we had an amazing piece of luck. We had asked the driver of our van to meet us at the World End ticket counter which was a further 1.5 KMs away, however just as we emerged out into the road our van passed by and we were able to stop it.

All of us thankfully filed into the van. Duke who accompanied us all the way also decided to take the easy option of taking the van back home rather than walking all the way back.

Five of our team then went on to do the Worlds End trek while I remained in the van resting my poor feet and keeping Duke company.

Day three was a quiet day assigned for rest and recovery. After breakfast, we headed back home stopping en-route at Eheliyagoda for a river bath and lunch arranged by one of our group.

We started at 5 am and reached Sinharaja via Mathugama/ Kalawana (Kudawa Entrance) at 7am. Unfortunately we had to park the vehicle 1 km before the ticket office at the regional forest office as a bridge was under construction.The climb to the park entrance was steep and by 7.30 we were inside with the tracker Somapala( 045 7210845)

May be Brown Shrike (migrant)

Green pit Viper

We came across the 1st bird flock around 8 though there were only about 6 species consisting of Orange billed Babler, Crested Drongo, Malabar Trogan, White faced Starling, Laughing Thrush and Schimeter Babler.

Malabar Trogan	Greenish Wabler (migrant)
Dark fronted Babler	Brown Breasted Flycatcher (migrant)
Orange billed Babler	White faced Starling
Female Jungle Fowl	Yellow fronted Barbet

It was a perfect day with the Sun up and was a very good session for photography.The best thing was finding a Frogmouth couple inside the shrub.I hope that some of the Birding members might enjoy looking at the photos.

Blue Magpie	.
Frogmouth	.
Sri Lanka Laughing THRUSH	Crested Drongo
Asian Paradise Flycatcher	Schiemiter Babler
Black Headed Bulbul	Kunakatuwa (a Pit Viper)

Giant Squirell

Nelu flower blossoming every 4 years

Back at the Entrance

While returning from Sinharaja yesterday, from Mathugama we turned towards the highway and after checking the credentials of my friend who carried a special pass we were allowed to proceed. We started at 3.15pm and by 4.45 we were back at Kottawa exit.

There were some work been carried out to finish before the opening on the 27th and the different colours of the carpet due to re-doing at places were seen but it was a good experience but it will be a different ball game when the full vehicular flow starts. The noteworthy concern was the number of dogs staying near the middle fence but hope that the necessary action will be taken to sort this out.

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Ampara had been in the ‘to do’ list for far too long. Untidy circles and notes scribbled in red permanent ink makes reading my maps of the Ampara area quite a difficult task. There is such a lot to see and I had not seen any of it. Was waiting for a chance to scoot off to Ampara.

Day One
A call from a friend took me in the direction of Barons’ Cap. Well that’s what the Surveyors named it. For the people in the area it’s Kudumbimalai. As a direct result of the idiot box (OK… TV) the rest of the country (including me) calls it Toppigala.

Destination

It was Deepavali and the kovils I passed were full of activity. A good day to photograph kovil activity. Unfortunately, time (the lack of it) did not allow me to make any photo stops. Had to be satisfied with giving a lift to a group of ladies in bright coloured sarees, hands covered with bangles and flowers entangled in their hair…… obviously late for the pooja! They told me that there were no buses…. Lame excuse….. Surely the reason had to be extra time spent ‘dressing up’.
Maps opened, compasses out….. The measurements taken calculations made indicate a distance of 2.5 km on a bearing of 321 degrees magnetic that’s to the base of the rock. Later, it was a climb to the top… on low first gear, yet with the engine boiling!!! It was time to finish off the jujubes – emergency rations.

The climb is an interesting one. Lots of tell-tale marks reminds of its past. The circular mound on the top is definitely what remains of a dagaba of ancient times. An inscription in Tamil lettering tells us of its more recent past. Accept it or not…. It’s all part of our history.

More to go

Inscription from the recent past

Whatever said and done, the views from the top of the rock as well as the view of the rock is breath taking.

Shaa!

Cap!

Day Two

Heavy rain the previous night. The water level at the culverts / sapaththu paalam along the road linking Toppigala with Kiran had risen. Sooner or later vehicles will have to be replaced by boats…. That will only add to the suffering of the people in the area…. As if they have not had enough of it.

Time to get the boats ready

It was a rather quick drive to Ampara. By the time I had reached Ampara, I had counted at least ten ‘kalu boards’. Did not try to ‘explore’ as I was alone and walking into jungle patches alone is never a good idea. But, there were lots of interesting things that happened on the road.

Balancing Act	The place to go to when Feeling Blue
Notice Board!	Maaara Trees
Hot Water!	Until the rain falls

Day Three

Rain. Yet, the plan for the day was too good to be given up. Had heard a lot about the ‘site’ planned to visit that day…. Rajagala….. It had to be done.

Two others who also believe that rain will not cause us to dissolve joined me.
We climbed.. jumped.. crept… pulled… pushed… walked for a good five hours or more.
STUNNING! That’s all I can say about this ‘site’.

Can’t possibly write about everything we saw. The gloomy light and bursts of heavy rain did not help me with using the ‘Auto’ button in the camera. I will try to share what was on display with a few viewable photographs. But, this certainly is Justice denied!

Drainage line	Strange! A drain cut right through an inscription
The little dark brown/black thing in the cavity is iron	Scratch marks… said to have been caused by an iron door!
Carved In	Carved Out
Ah! Digging through…. Probably the back door to China!	Displaced

The cave complex was certainly the best I had seen

Entrance to (what I like to call) the VIP Quarters

Drip ledge worked perfectly	Walls still In-tack
Spacious corridors	Wall painting(s)

Sadly, there is also lots of evidence of destruction and treasure hunting seems to be the main cause. Whom can we blame? Those who hid/buried the so called treasure or those who dig it out?

Reference to Minindu Thero

The only one left

As is always the case, the view from the top is fantastic.

Ah! Toppigala

View from the top. Nawakiriaru Wewa

Back in the car… soaked… dripping….. cold… and like I said…. STUNNED!

Day Four

What could it be that I saw when I opened the door? Rain.

In the car with a friend…. Drove the whole day in whichever direction our heads turned to. Managed to visit a few places whenever there was short lulls.

Talking Secrets! – Himidurawa Wewa

Owagiriya Ruins

Bridge over Pallan Oya

Luke warm water!

Senanayake Samudraya…	Held up traffic for a good 15 minutes
Boat Yard – Namaloya Wewa	Here comes the rain – Namaloya Wewa

Ah! As usual food was from where ever we found it. Lunch at a kade at the Polwatte Junction. රෝස්(ට්) පාන් and මාලු හොදි…. Talk about being vegetarian! Later somewhere along the Bibile-Inginiyagala road it was plain tea with roti with lunu miris at Ralahami Akkage Kade. She did mention that she used kochchi miris.

Buddies!

Day Five

Although my visa to loiter around (as a friend called it) was ‘unrestricted’ there was no point in hanging around. Such a lot was on the list. More got added on the way. Yet, the South-East Monsoon was in command.

Forced to return home. But, then it would have been a crime to take the normal route back. Had to see something. Had to drive along roads that I had not been on. It was one of those Parangiya Kotte Giya circuits. Yet, was well worth it.
Was able to visit some places with ruins as well as the Wahawa hot water springs

Wilaathigoda - Bibile	Nagala - Bibile
Wahawa	Shower!
One of many ponds/wells

Something else that struck me was the Sigiriya like rock formations that I saw. There were a lot but was able to photograph only three of them.

Ululla - Ekiriyankumbura	Helagala - Wahawa
Leygalla - Ekiriyankumbura

Like I’ve mentioned the rain did force me to change most of my plans. But, who can blame the rain.. It does bring lot more than gloomy weather.

Somewhere along the road

Somewhere along the road

Got to go that way again…….. Soon

This was one of the best hikes we experienced so far and on the other hand a good example on how the travelers will have to survive the consequences caused by unavoidable delays.

I have done the same hike in 2002 with my school friends and this is after 6 years of that.

We were planning to start our trip at 12.00Noon from Colombo. Due to some unavoidable situations it was delayed for 2 hours and finally we left Colombo by 2.00PM. We took the low-level road and unfortunately there was heavy traffic at Orugodawaththa since construction of the flyover was taking place and we had to wait almost 1 hour there. After so many delays we were able to come to Rathnapura by 6.30 PM and still had a lot of things to be bought from Cargills. By the time we started the journey again we knew that we won’t have time to cook our dinner and decided to buy dinner from Balangoda town.

We turned left from A4, Colombo – Badulla road to Hirikatuoya camp site somewhere around 162km post (1.5km – 2km after the Belihuloya Rest house) and from there we had another 5.7 km to our 1st day destination. But the time was 10.30PM.
After several obstacles we were able to reach our day 1 destination by 11.00 PM. By that time the care taker has gone home assuming that we would not arrive on that night.

.	From A4 road to camp site 5.7 KM

‘Hirikatuoya’ Camp Site

Scenery…

Next day morning our plan was to get the breakfast & lunch prepared with the help of the care taker. Since he was not there we had to go to the main road to buy food for both breakfast & lunch. Group of people went back to main road (A4) while others were getting ready for the great hike. Bad luck was at its worst for us during the trip. When we were coming back the wooden bridge between camp site and main road was repairing by estate workers and we had to wait there another 1 hour till they give us a temporary solution to pass it.

The Wooden Bridge, we were given a temporary solution	‘Hirikatuoya’, from misty mountains…
Marvelous creation of nature	Scenery on the way to Non Pareil tea factory

Finally we came back to camp site with necessary food items for the hike. Then all of us got in to the van and went up to the Non Pareil estate Tea factory. From camp site to tea factory was another 9km and view of the surroundings was fantastic.

Beyond this place vehicles are not allowed (with prior approval you can go if you have a 4X4 vehicle) and therefore we started our hike (We told driver to go to ‘Maha Eliya’ bungalow via Ohiya). From the tea factory it is 15km to World’s End. We started our hike at 11.30AM. Fortunately we met an estate worker and he said “මහත්තයා short cut වලින් ගියොත් 7km, මම පාර පෙන්නන්නන්.” But we didn’t believe him because reducing 8kms was not seemed to be possible.

Non Pareil tea factory, where we started our hike. From here 15km to World’s End	.
Breathtaking…	Little Break

After several hours we were able to reach Bekar’s bend and view from there is marvelous. In a clear day you can see up to the Southern coastal line.

The famous Bekar’s bend - Click Image to Enlarge

Clear view of Samanalawewa

At the ‘Nagrak’ we had our lunch. From ‘Nagrak’ there is another route to Bogawanthalawa side.

Where we had lunch

Breathtaking…

After having little rest at ‘Nagrak’ we started our journey and came to the upper end of the Non Pareil Estate.

“Garden of the God”, View from the garden of manager’s bungalow at upper end of Non Pareil Estate	Bloomed for Sun
Bloomed for Sun

From here the jungle is thick, and another 3km to go.

In thick jungle…

Above all…

After 5 hours of journey we were able to come to our destination. Estate worker was correct. We were able to reduced 8km using shortcuts.

Breathtaking…	Hills and Clouds
Climax….	The way behind. Non Pareil tea factory where we started our hike marked in red circle. Finally travel distance is 6.99km, walking time 2h & 24mins, Waiting time 2h & 44mins
We made it…

Have a safe and enjoyable trip!!!

Learn what happened the day before. Read the report – The lost aim at Namunukula

Before the Sun wake up, we were busy in examination on 1:50,000 maps, to ascertain how & why we loss our goal during the last exploration. After such a hard trekking (not less than 13+3 =16km on foot) in the previous day, the crew was still aggressive to re-do the hike & not known the meaning of giving up.

Having an idea on the road (Jeep track) network at the tea estates in and around Namunukula range, we decided to follow the path of the previous day as much as possible with our jeep & reach the village where we suspended our exploration last day.

Namunukula range

Since we wanted to verify what happened in the previous day, we decided to follow the estate road started from the 5th Mile post. Otherwise the route started from 3rd Miles post was much shorter to reach the Glane Alphine Estate, where the shortest trail to the highest peak of Namunukula was started.

On our way to upper division of Wewassa Plantation

It was only needed 15 minutes to reach the three way junction where a Hindu shrine was located. On the other hand it was few meters below the 9th peak of Namunukula. If we walked, it would only take 30 to 45 minutes to reach there from A5 road at 5th Mile post. But unfortunately we spent more than 2.5 hours with much of our energy to reach there, even having a lift of a kilometer by a tractor. That was more than enough us to understand what happened last day. We realized that the guide we hired last day had a hidden agenda.

the Hindu shrine

What he practiced was taking us through a long & long way until we loose our energy and make ourselves to give-up the hike in the middle. If we decided to abundant the journey, he could return home early with full fee. Whole the day of ours could be spoiled by that idiot. But the woodpecker had hit on a wrong tree at that time; none of the crew was known the meaning of give-up. As a result, neither party could achieve their targets completely.

Scenery of Badulla town – on our way descending to the Glane Alphine Estate

From the said junction where the Hindu shrine was located, we took the right path which was heading 3rd Mile Post. The road was narrow & descending to the base of the range. We felt that we were moving around Namunukula, at the level of her base. Having descending nearly 4km, we reached a 3way junction from where the road from 3rd Mile Post connected. We turned left & reached the tea factory at Glane Alphine Estate.

The tea factory of Glane Alphine Estate.

From the factory onwards, again we moved towards spring-valley with a descending. Having traveling nearly 4km, we reached a 3 way junction & turned left the uphill path to reach the Deyanegalla Division where the highest peak of Namunukula was located.

velvety tea lands of Glane Alphine Estate

velvety tea lands managed by Balangoda Plantation Ltd

Passing velvety tea lands which provide the finest Ceylon tea for the world market, we reached the Tamil-village where we climbed down for water last day. Two Tamil villagers voluntarily agreed to guide us & we started climbing the giant for the second time. It took only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the forest patch where we gave-up the exploration last day. In the next 15 minutes, we reached a semi-opened area. Then we noticed another hilltop was existed with 100ft in distance. Though our guides discouraged us because of wild buffaloes, few of us visited there for a GPS way point

It took only 20 minutes to reach the edge of the forest patch

With a minor descending, the trail was turned in to dramatic ascend. In the next 15 minutes, we reached a Y-junction. Both trails of the same were heading the summit of the highest peak. We took the shortest but dramatic one laid along the backbone of the range

Trail

Having a short break

From there onwards, the environment began to change in each step. Pigmy trees, ferns & feathers like old man’s beard provided evidences for an upcountry wet (cloud) forest

Evidences for an upcountry wet (cloud) forest

It was an unbelievable fact that the summit of the highest peak of Namunukula was a plane of few acres. The vegetation was mainly consisted with pigmy trees of “Ashoka” (මහ රත්මල් Rododendron zeylanica). Earth was unbelievably white and might be foamed with quartz. It was seemed to be a popular camping site and a little water was available in the abundant well located in the middle of the plane.

At the summit of Namunukula	seemed to be a popular camping site
a little water was available in the abandoned well

There were several view points. We were lucky to be there with no mist. Having visiting each, we enjoyed the panoramic view for hundreds of kilometers. View point for North was located in nearly 200m distance from the summit. It was special that the place was considered a holy place by Tamil villagers and a shrine made with few boulders was there. Our jeep parked at the heart of the village could also be observed from there

A shrine at the summit	මහ බෝවිටියා Osbeckia parvifolia
Asoka (මහ රත් මල් ) Rododendron zeylanica

Spending few minutes more, we decided to climb down through the long path. In the next 30 minutes, we were able to get out from the wood & reached the tea estate to feel the civilization. In the next 15 minutes, we reached back to the place where we parked our jeep

View of the North

Having saying good bye to the villagers there, we left for Spring Valley. Passing a series of narrow & steep estate road segments; we reached the same junction where we got in to the main road of Badulla-Spring valley last night. Spring Valley was a tiny village town surrounded by healthy tea lands. Having a little refreshment at a café, we decided to visit Black-pool the most attractive location at Spring Valley.

Unfortunately this vehicle was not available there, last evening	The crew
the place where we parked our jeep

To reach there we had to move nearly a kilometer towards “May-Malar Estate” and turned a by road at our left and continued until we find a bridge with wooden sleepers. Parking the jeep at the premises of Devalaya located at a bank of the stream, we started trekking for 300m along a trail.

Spring Valley

The black pool could be introduced as an eye-catching creation of the nature. The pool was nearly 50 x 25 ft. in size. A tiny waterfall was located at the far end of the same. Blackish water was given evidence for how deep it was. But the other end was shallow and sandy bottomed, where we had a cool dip

bridge with wooden sleepers	Towards black pool
Black pool