Year and Month May, 2012 Number of Days One day Crew 2 Accommodation N/A Transport Public Transport & Trishaw (Sanjeewa the trishaw driver doubled as the guide) Activities Waterfall Hunting Weather clear sky Route Maharagama -> Pelmadulla -> Kuttupitiya -> Kirindi Ella -> Narangoda village-> Marakkala Ella-> Pelmadulla -> Pathakada -> Maharagama Tips, Notes and Special [...]

Back in 2011, February I myself along with another 02 well experienced trekkers decided to explore the Prehistoric world of “Waulpane” which dates back to approx 500 million years..!! We started Early in the morning from Colombo and by mid-day we reached the rendezvous point close to Pallebedda.

We were able to get a booking at Aligama Village. It was not a place recommended by anyone and it so happened that it came up on my Google search and we just liked the details on their web site. The main attraction was that it could accommodate only a small number of people – 2 cottages and 3 rooms – and we wanted “a quiet place that was green – away from all mankind”, so to speak! They responded very quickly to my email and booking was done in no time.

Kokmote campsite is located 2 miles away from the Kokmote bungalow at very close proximity to the Modaragam Aru River(branch of Malwathu Oya) , the tents were put up. Due to lack of rains, there was not much water in the river. However, we did not have any problem with washing, bathing and collecting water for toilet purposes. There was a toilet at the campsite.

Athwelthota is a well-known place for naturalist simply because many endemic species being found in this immensely bio diverse area. My visit was mainly to hunt few waterfalls which belong to Kaluthara district. I previously visited the same location in January 2012 but the water levels were so low due to the drought at that time. There have been few on and off showers around the island and that was enough to motivate me to re visit the area.

Everything was set for the journey and we took off from Moratuwa around 6 p.m., after a full day work at office. The idea was to travel somewhere close to Kalupahana and start journey in the next day early morning as we needed a full day to cover both off-road driving and hiking. We reserved ‘The Jungle Rest’ (just 500m away from the Belihuloya Rest House) which was situated away from the road as the name implies. The place was quite ok and affordable.

Early morning on the 30th December we started heading south on the E01. It was my first time on E01 and I couldn’t have asked for anything better! Cutting across paddy fields, rubber plots and forest patches, E01 was virtually emerging from a sea of mist. Even though the scenary was heavenly, capturing it on camera at 100kmph was not easy. The dirty windshield did not help the cause either.

In good old days we used to come to hot water springs in the morning for a bath and a glass full of pure hot milk from a nearby polathu kade and the area was deserted other than that kade. Now it is a carnival and even the springs have lost their warmth to some extent!!!!! We wanted to visit the secrete tomb of the Muslim saint which is in the wilderness beyond the springs but the security people warned us off telling that the trail is now vanished and wild elephants are roaming around. Someone should do something about that.

On the 18th two of us left delgoda at about 4am and picked up the other two crew members from ambepussa and we were past gampola when the sun was rising above the mountains. It was a beautiful morning with a slight chill in the air and the scenery that unfolded before us when we drove past nawalapitiya on the talawakelle road was simply amazing.

Almost one week after the peacock hill adventure, it was time for another hike. Mount Kabaragala was an unknown mountain for me until one week back when I first saw it while I was on top of Monaragala. I had no idea about the geography and how to conquer it. Only few google images, survey departments map information and few photographs which I have taken few days back, were there for my aid. Kabaragala is unique in the sense it’s the tallest mountain peak of Dolosbage range and it has an almost flat terrain on top of it which makes you feel that you are walking in heaven.

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.

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!