The Hat-Trick of Climbing: Kirigalpoththa & Many Others…

Hi everyone! Hope you guys and gals are doing great and had a fabulous New Year. Anyway by the time you read this, it must be way past New Year, probably Vesak Festival as well. So let’s get on with the story. I guess the topic might have given you a clue as to what this is about. It all started with the holidays when I got a full week off but had nothing to do. All my traveling buddies were busy with the New Year preparations making it impossible for them to do any hikes.

This is when Ana called and asked if I would like to join him for a hike. Well, this is what you call being lucky and without so much as a second thought I jumped in. Well what would you do if it turned out to be a journey which you had done twice before within the last year? I don’t think many would have been fancy to take on that offer but not me. I don’t mind visiting the same place over and over again because everytime it’s a different experience. After all, we eat the same thing again and again, do the same boring things day after day so why not see and visit the same place every now and then, I keep asking myself.  So when he suggested to do the Kirigalpoththa Trail once again (for the third time within a year), I felt elated quite different from many others.

Day 01

So we set off on the wee hours of 11 April on our journey with plans to visit many other places. However unlike all our other journeys, we didn’t have a proper plan in place. We had three key places to visit but other than Kirigalpoththa, the rest was very sketchy. This time we had two other companions, Fritz (novice hiker), one of Ana’s friends and a naturao cum veterinary, Dr. Deepani, joining for the hike. We all got together and left for Kalugala around 4am.

Tour Highlights:

1. Laxapana Ella, Koththellena.
2. Rozella.
3. Kirigalpoththa, Horton Plains.
4. Aberdeen Ella, Kalaweldeniya.
5. Martin Air Memorial, Norton Bridge.
6. Norton Pond, Norton Bridge.
7. Castlereigh Dam & Reservoir, Norwood.
8. Sunset from Rozella.

Ok, here we go but not before we have some breakfast. Weerasiri Cafe passing Miriswatte on A4 before Avissawella is a good place to have a meal and they open by 5am.

Laxapana Ella

We reached Kalugala where the right turn will take you along B189 towards Norton and Maskeliya. However this forks once again after 1-2km at Bodhigira Junction. Check my report, Waterfall Festival, for more information and higher water levels. We took the right, rather straight road that goes via Polpitiya, Hangarapitiya and Koththellena. The condition of the road is terrible and better to stay away if you go in a car or similar vehicle. Alternatively you can take the left road (B189 – Kithulgala-Norton Bridge Road) which goes via Kehelwarawa, Morahenagama, Laxapana and Kiriwaneliya. This will circle around and then come to Koththellena.

However, the Koththellena lower road is very scenic compared to the other as it goes keeping the Seven Virgins to the right along the base. We reached Koththellena and took the cement steps to the left that lead to the base of the falls. You will also see the memorial located before Koththellena commemorating the victims of Martin Air but we didn’t bother to stop and I visited it during my previous visit.

Total Length – About 750m to the base.

Elevation Difference – 236m (877m – 641m)

GPS Location – Latitude 6.90047 // Longitude 80.50023

The cement steps are fully completed now with a hand railing making it easy. The steepness is so much and one would really appreciate it. Unfortunately the water levels were not so great but the relatively thin streak of water greatly enhanced the sheer height of her. Well, unlike last time, I could get to closer to the base. Here you go and look at the pictures.

Breath-taking…

Rugged looking Seven Virgins

Here we are

Have to go down

The top

Last time, it was fully covered with water

Long and silky

Shallow base pool

Very tall and long legged

Rocky top

The base

Very little water to speak of

Portrait

Searching for breakfast

The steps

Red

Oh, hello!

Very tasty

Rozella

We took our leave and had a quick cup of plain tea flavored with ginger before heading to our base, Ana’s Nest in Rozella. After a wash, we sat down for a sumptuous meal. You wanna know what we had, don’t you? Well, here we go. See if you would like to have a similar meal.

Couldn’t have asked for more

We all were dog tired, especially Ana, having driven all the way since the early hours. So, a bellyful meal was followed by a short nap. It was a treat to have been able to get away from the blood boiling heat of Colombo. It’s like being roasted on a spit over a never-ending fire.

After a dreamless sleep, a hot coffee was in order. Then it was time for some exercises for the lazy muscles. So we hit the estate road which is ideal for an afternoon stroll. The lush green tea plants smiled with us while a couple of birds sang to us. Most important of all, the Most Sacred Mountain looked upon us over the hills giving the blessings. About 100m into the walk, we came across a scary thing. Can you guess what it is? Probably Tony guessed it correct. It’s the terrifying sight of leopard pooh, grrrrrr. Just imagine having to witness leopard pooh so close to our home. We were thrilled and sacred at the same time.

The circular trail is closer to 1.5km and we took our time to enjoy the scenery and take in the mountain air to our tired and poisoned lungs. I guess it’s time you saw the pictures without me keeping you waiting from this awesome sight. Go on, enjoy them folks!

Our home

Where I slept

Many of them

Oh, where did it spring from?

Ana taking a pic of leopard poo. This was only about 100m from our home

Dark clouds threatening us

Typical estate work

Not a healthy looking tea estate

There’s Sri Pada

What a lovely picture it makes

Hey!	Posing for the pic

The night slowly befell upon us bringing the dark from all over with a chilly wind forcing us indoors. There was a necklace of pearls glittering in the dark. I was worried somebody might steal it but I shouldn’t have for it was the lights flickering along the Hatton route to the pointed summit of Sri Pada. Would you like to see what it is like? Don’t let me stop you, go savor it.

The necklace of pearls

Closer

The dinner tasted even better. A warm and a comfortable bed was waiting for me for which I duly obliged. Through the window I could see the diamond necklace hanging in the air. The sleep slowly took over my body and took it away to a faraway land for the night.

Nutritious

Day 02

Getting up at 3am out of a comfy and warm bed needs a lot of persuasion. The sleeping angels flatly refused to let me go but there was an even better girl summoning me. So I pushed the blanket out of the way and found Ana already up and about. A strong black coffee with a punchy sugar boost got me out of my trance and we got busy preparing for the big journey. Fritz had never been to the Kirigalpoththa before so this was a big moment for him. Dr. Deepani had been there a long time ago so this was as good as going for the first time.

Chick Peas was boiling in the pot and we were waiting for the eggs to make sandwiches. It was like an anthill everyone busily chipping in. Finally we got everything nice and tidy before leaving our home around 4.30am, a good half hour later than we liked. However we didn’t know at the time that it would cost us dearly and cause some uncomfort at the end. Driving in the early morning feeling the chill in our bones is not a healthy experience so we kept the windows up and close.

Kirigalpoththa Trail

It was around 6.30am when we arrived at the ticket counter to find the parking area is full of vehicles. Every one of them had foreigners except us. We were the only local group and thanks to Dr. D’s prompt action, we managed to get the tickets soon. On the way to the main car park, we saw a little Sambar was being fed by its mother but the little fella was right under the mother Sambar’s tummy making it impossible to get a clear picture.

At 6.58am, we arrived at the car park and got down to work on the boiled and tempered Chick Peas. Having made a big dent in the portion, we got ready to begin the hike. Having shown our permit and the bags to the checking counter, we hit the trail just before 7.30am, still that half hour late. Just remember to inform the checking counter of your destination as it’d make things easier should you happen to come across any misfortune. Also, it’s imperative you inform them after the journey of your safe return. So, enough of all that, let’s make a move. Oh, forgot to tell you that this was my 20th visit to the Horton Plains since 2000. Well, little did I know that I’d get to celebrate it in an unprecedented way.

Windmills in Ambewela

Zoomed

Sun struggling to come out

Finally out on the cotton wool sky

We were waiting for the tickets

Do you see the Sri Pada?

If you look closer, there’s the cub underneath feeding

And they ran away

Good Morning!

Beautiful landscapes

Breakfast

Climbing Uphill

It’d been raining heavily over the past few days, especially in the evenings. The grassy bit of trail was like a sponge cake as a result. The invasive Eulex plants seemed to have grown further. About a 100m-stretch of the trail is now nearly blocked by them making the hikers to take a detour around them. This is worse than a cancer. I can remember in the past there were projects carried out by schools, environmental groups, etc. to remove them and their efforts paid dividends. Apparently it’s the time once again somebody did something to combat this problem. Well, here is something the Lakdasun can do for our next project similar to the one we did at Muthurajawela. This is gonna be even more important.

The Sambars kept roaming around us but keeping their distance. Agra Bopath looked greener than ever while the rest of the plains were colored with many shades of green, yellow, brownish red and the blue sky with cotton wool sky completed the show. We encountered our first and only leopard pooh passing through the first forest patch. “Tony would have loved it”, said Ana. The path was soggy in many places and we got our shoes muddy. We then came to the big stream that flows across the path and rested for a while.

Crossing it presented many problems as she had more water than my previous visits. After maneuvering a bit, we crossed over to the other side and started the walk along the path bordered by the tiny bamboo plants. Now the sun was fully up and had started lighting up the open terrain. However he failed to bring about the freshness of the real Horton Plains due to the continuous rains. That gloominess hung in the air so thick you could have leaned on it. The forest paths were soggy and darker than my previous two visits. Nearly all of the Nelu trees were gone with their colorful flowers. Nevertheless, the odd ones still kept trying to defy the nature.

Ok, Ana found it was easy to practice his triple jumps this time as there were plenty of muddy patches to cross. Fritz, the novice hiker, kept motivating us when it should have been the other way around. Dr. D had no problem at all to encounter the difficulties and looking back, I feel it was me who found it tougher despite having been here twice before. We arrived at the base of the Kirigalpoththa around 10am, having made very good ground. We were feeling mighty hungry and decided to work on the egg sandwiches before the final push. Until we do that, you enjoy the pictures up to now. It’d been nice had we more sandwiches to share with you but we have about 16 of them (barely enough for us). So it’s better you find something to eat before coming for the last bit.

The Farr Inn

We’re on the way

Eulex covered with dew

See the color combination

A group of them far away

This is some medicinal plant, I’ve forgotten the name

Here our path, Agra Bopath to the right

Red

Dead tree arts

With the half moon

One and only leopard poo we saw

Reflection

Can you read the insignia? It’s Fly Dubai

The popular stream

Well?

Here shooting away

One of my favorite things to photograph

Crossed the stream

Pinky

Miles of open terrain

Saw something similar during Maliboda Trail

Butter Cup – Another invasive plant despite the sweet look

Triple jump champion getting warmed up

Orchids

Wow	Plenty of little bamboo

Path through them

Not Gotukola

Spiky, this actually helped us fasten a torn sleeve

There goes Ana, the first jump

I guess I told you that I like them

Agra Bopath

Some more

Different one

The usual Bovitiya

He was too fast for the camera

Jumped

Pair of them

Some more

Mushroom tree

Looks like jelly, ain’t it?

Before the steep part

“Alright, let’s make a move”, said Fritz and make a move was we did. The lime flavored drink gave us a liquid boost after a hearty meal. We started the climb. The path was overgrown but not impassable. Now that we were in the steep stretch, going was very slow with continuous breaks. The higher we climbed, the better the view became making us yearn to get to the top. Finally we arrived at the first observation point about 150-200m before the summit. Remember, here is in fact the best view point. The summit doesn’t have much of a view of the surroundings. We stopped for some water and a few massaging minutes for our feet.

Dozens of pictures were taken but as I said earlier, the views were not top of the range yet enough for the casual observer. Thick grey clouds loomed in the distance obscuring the sun and the view. We decided to make it to the summit without wasting much time. We chose as usual the path along the forest, not the risky one along the rocky ledge.

It took us about 15 mins to get to the top. The summit covered with tiny guava trees doesn’t offer much view but you won’t be disappointed, lemme assure you. Fritz and Dr. D were over the moon while Ana looked on as if this is sometimes he does every other day. We all sat around the summit for a group picture. The gong of the Dayagama Factory could be heard and we all decided not to be late to get down. So after the photographic session, we decided to call it a day and head down.

Up we go

View getting clearer

Lovely

I simply love this too

This fellow was very tiny, smaller than a 25-cent coin (if you remember that coin)

“Sudu Binara” endemic plant

The path goes around

Slab Rock Falls can be seen if you look closer to the right

Waiting for us

Our destination

Closer

Here we are at the first viewing point

Dark clouds somewhat ruined the beauty

Here’s the rocky slope

Those guavas are very tasty if you happen to find a ripe one

Once again

To the peak

Looking back

Here comes

Here we are

View all around

The team at the summit, look at Fritz who kept imitating Usain Bolt. Pic by. Ana

We met another group of people coming up as we were climbing down. There must have been a dozen or so guys laboring up. The clouds kept getting thicker and darker warning about the imminent rains. We decided to step up the pace because if rained, those soggy and muddy stretches will be even more difficult to cross. We came up to the main stream without a problem and stopped for about 10 mins to get our breath. This break too cost us some vital time. About a little over half km, without any more rumbling, it started to rain.

We had no choice but to keep going. Dr. D produced an umbrella (don’t know how she managed that) and Fritz had his jacket which was waterproof. I too had flimsy remains of a disposable raincoat which I borrowed from Amila during Eli Hatha. It kept the upper body away from the rains but Ana got wet as he had no protection. The rain kept up until we reached the safety of Farr Inn around 2.20pm. It was that half hour delay that cost us and made us wet. So it’s really important on days like these to start and finish as early as possible. I went and informed the checking counter about our return before heading to our vehicle. There was a homeless Sambar (probably chased away from the house by his wife) begging for something but we didn’t comply for his disappointment. Showing his back to us, the fella went away trying the rest of the tourists.

Bunch of them

Going down from the first view point

Got lucky to find him

We were there

Rain is imminent and we hurried on

Ready for another jump

Here goes

Kept looking for a Rhino Horned Lizard but none to be found

Bamboo

Back near the stream, it started rain after another 15mins or so

Wet Sambar looking for something to eat

Giving us the tongue

Looking at us from the corner of his eyes

Had enough of us

We drove home and surprisingly there were many more vehicles heading to Horton Plains even after 3.30-4pm. All of them were locals and we kept wondering what they were going to see at that late hour and in heavy rains.

We made it home around 5pm and chatted about the day’s events after a warm bath. I spent a little more time taking the diamond necklace on my lenses which was glittering in the dark. I wish I could be on the summit of Sri Pada then.  The dinner was delicious as usual and we went to sleep after a successful journey. Tomorrow would bring more exciting experiences but let’s see what they are later. Go get some sleep coz my eye lids got some heavy chunks of lead on them and can’t keep them open anymore. Good night folks!

Omelets Pizza, another of our signature dishes

Followed by Dinner

Day 03

Good morning everyone, it’s the New Year eve. You must be busy getting ready for the new year but here we are up and about. It’s just gone 4am and we had our coffee while contemplating the plans for the day. Finally after a few cups of strong and scalding coffee we came to an agreement. We’d go to Aberdeen, Castlereigh and Dickoya Club, in that order. Looks like a good plan, doesn’t it? Well let’s go out and see. But, please wait, we’ve gotta have some breakfast before.

Good Morning Sri Pada!

Closer

Gorgeous sky

Some Kiribath for breakfast

Aberdeen Falls

Ok, we’re ready, if you are. Or should I say something like “Naan Ready – Neenga Rediyah?”. Fritz decided to stay behind and in his words, chill out. Whatever it meant, we decided not to pursue any further and left him to look after the bungalow. We drove to Rozella and then took the Sri Pada Road off A7 at 58th km post. It’s 8km from here to Norton. We turn to the right and drove towards Laxapana. After a short distance is the Kalaweldeniya Road to your right. Take this (unlike the last time closer to 18 months before) carpeted road for about 4-4.5km to reach the falls, rather the trail head.

We met a family of giant squirrels playing around and managed to take a few pictures. After that we arrived at the trail to our right and got down. The path is very steep but thankfully there are cement steps similar to Laxapana but not the same quality. Laxapana path is maintained properly as there are houses along it. It’s completely the opposite at Aberdeen with no houses anywhere near. Leeches kept slithering around the cement steps hoping for a free meal. They in fact managed to suck a decent amount of blood out of us.

Not being able to take it nice and slow was really tough due to them. To make matters worse, the not-so-used path was slippery as well. We treaded carefully not wanting to end up at a hospital when the New Year was at the door frame. I can still remember how it was like last time. The villagers then claimed it was the highest amount of water in decades while the roar of the waterfall could be heard so far up the path.  We finally arrived at the viewing point and decided to roam around. She’s as tall as Laxapana with very little water.

The eroded rocky surface almost looked pre-historic with many strange shapes and colors. Fierce sun made it quite uncomfortable especially to take pictures. After a while, as if heard our pleas, he hid behind a thick cloud giving us a more appropriate window both to photograph and enjoy. Amid vivid colors, she looked absolutely stunning falling like silk to the base pool. This is what I usually refer as kissable. We spent as long as we could enjoy this beauty unfolding before us. Finally, it was time for us to go see what other nearby attractions were. Good bye sweet heart and you can bet last drop of your water that I would be back.

Oh hello!

Looking for his partner

Got irritated by our intrusion

Just look at the amount of water when this was taken – We saw a similar view but didn’t have a chance to picture like this

Viewing platform, last time it was impossible to get to it

Ooops

This is nothing at all compared to last time

Hitting the base

Portrait

The top

The base

Look at the eroded rocky surface

This one is normally known as “Thal Ataya”

Alien?

Any idea what this is?

Whatever it is, a good actor coz now it’s pretending to be dead

Well not really

Martin Air Memorial & the Norton Pond

We retraced the route and arrived at Norton Bridge. Ana wanted to fill the diesel and I took the liberty of wondering about. First I saw the Memorial of the DC-10 tragedy which occurred more than three decades ago. One of the tires is placed by the road to commemorate the 191 lives that were lost in one of the worst aviation disasters near the police station. There are many stories about the incident and I don’t think this is the time to go into them. Just take a look at it from my angle coz I’m sure most of you must have come across this either in person or through a similar post. After that, come let’s go see the Norton Pond. Now don’t get alarmed if you haven’t heard the name. Those who have passed through Norton Bridge must have seen this without knowing the real name. So if this is new to you, lemme do the introduction.

“Facts about the Norton Pond…

Owner: CEB

Purpose: Hydropower Generation

Type: Concrete Gravity

Power Generation: 50 MW

Dam Crest Level: 873.00 masl

Dam Crest Length: 103m

Full Supply Level: 866.85 masl

Minimum Operating Level: 863.80 masl

Storage (at FSL): 0.39 MCM

Surface Area: 0.15 sq. km

Catchment Area (Direct): 19.4 sq. km

Construction Started: 1924

Construction Completed: 1948 Sep”

This is something new for me. It looked nice and placid. This is fed by the excess water from the Castlereigh Reservoir. After a few minutes, we left along Hatton Road parallel to the water stream which feeds the Norton Pond hoping to see Castlereigh Dam & Reservoir. First, enjoy the pictures of Norton Pond.

Here it is

More than 4 decades ago

Click image to enlarge

The Dam

Closer

Through the spill gates

Where water is released when it’s too much

Good looking

Time to go

But not before this

Castlereigh Dam & Reservoir

We drove along the road which ran through tea estates. Every house looked busy with New Year preparations and there was hardly any other vehicle. The kids were playing around but stopped for a while to wave at us. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Passing Osborne Estate, we finally arrived at the Castlereigh Dam. Letting Ana drive along, I got off deciding to walk along the dam. There are remains of army check points and sandbagged bunkers, signs of the difficulty time we all faced.

Places like these were out of bounds for the general public in the past and taking pictures was just a dream but not anymore. I enjoyed every inch of the over 100m dam taking picture after picture. The reservoir looked huge and the colors were simply mesmerizing. I heard that the water of most reservoirs is green due to the fast growing algae. Their growth has increased by many times due to the excessive usage of fertilizers for the farms and tea estates. Those fertilizers reach the reservoirs having washed down with the rains. See what you think about this.

We then drove on and before merging with the Bogawanthalawa-Hatton Road, we stopped to take pictures of an ancient looking church. Ana had been to it before but wanted to take a few pictures from where we were. This is the Christ Church, Warleigh, Dickoya. Here they are for you to enjoy.

On the dam

The excess water goes to Norton Pond

Closer look

Is that an elevator?

Lush greenery

It doesn’t apply anymore

The greenish slime I told you about

Endless

Probably used by the CEB

Green all around including water

Hatton-Osborne bus

There’s a beautiful and old church near here

Up there

Can you see?

There it is, couldn’t visit this time but maybe later

This is the Christ Church, Warleigh, Dickoya

Our next stop was Dickoya Club which had been built during the colonial era. Unfortunately they were closed for the New Year until the 16 April. So we had to turn around with nothing to show for the trouble.

Very old club. Pic by Ana

On our way, we passed the Hatton town bustling with people. We managed to make it home just before 1pm and found Fritz been busy drying out the wet clothes and shoes from Kirigalpoththa. Lunch was delicious and we wanted another map before anything. Don’t worry; you will see the pics of our Japanese styled cuttlefish dish too. Now that my Bundy is full, I’m gonna take a nap and suggest you do the same before coming back. Let’s see what the evening would bring.

Japanese styled cuttle fish

Followed by lunch

And the dessert

Sunset from Rozella

I woke to find the mist had been and left. There was a bit of it stubbornly hanging in the air. I came out to find Ana already up and the inevitable cup of coffee in hand. It was closer to 5pm. After a few minutes, we decided to go for an evening stroll. The chill clung to our bare skin lovingly as we walked along. Seven Virgins were to our immediate right but it was the sight of Sri Pada in the evening that stole our breath.

The sky was so colorful, with yellow, orange, crimson and purple mixed in a way that looked like a professional artist had been working with his crayons hard. To the edge of the Seven Virgins sun began his descend after a busy day and the clouds were illuminated by the final rays. We were mesmerized by what we saw. Apparently you don’t necessarily have to be on top a mountain or at a beach to witness a beautiful sunset. I saw a similar one between Palmadulla & Ratnapura when returning after a journey. Well, I’ll let you see what we experienced without a delay. However, just remember it’s nowhere near like you see it with your own eyes.

Going for an evening walk

Sun setting slowly

Cloudy and colorful sky

Almost dark

Seven Virgins beyond

At the last bit

Closer

Let’s go

The Best Mountain in the World

Can you see the tiny blood ready pearl?

Look at this

Amazing, ain’t it?

Ok, have to go now

We came back home and sat down for yet another delicious dinner. Gosh, the New Year is almost on top of us but we needed the beauty of our sleep. The lights of Hatton Trail looked more beautiful when I hit the bed. Before I go to dreamland, lemme wish you all a very happy new year full of safe and happy traveling.

Tiny peals hung in the air

Closer

Our dinner

Day 04

Good morning and happy New Year once again guys! I’m really excited coz the New Year is always a great time. We got busy with making breakfast as the Nonagathaya started at 7.23am. We all wanted to be home before the New Year Dawn around 1pm. We prepared or rather invented a new kind of burger. Kurakkan mixed Roti Burger with Omelet and Dates Chutney. Packing it, we left our home for the past four days, Ana’s Nest around 6am. Well, lemme show you our new invented recipe.

Giant omelet

Kurakkan Roti

Ready to make burgers

We had our breakfast on the way before 7.23am duly obliging the rituals. The road was so isolated save for the odd vehicle with tourists going probably to Nuwara Eliya. There were firecrackers going off all along. Finally, we arrived home around 9.30am well before the rest of the auspicious times.

So, there ends Sri’s another fairy tale. Well I’ve got a couple of Panos as well.

Pano 1

Pano 2

Pano 3

Pano 4

Pano 5

Hope you had a grand New Year and ready to face the rest of it positively. The next fairy tale will be about our heritage so be ready for something spectacular.

Take care and keep traveling. This is Sri saying goodbye.