Knuckles Doowili Eli from Etanwala-Walpolamulla and return to Rambukoluwa. – Mapping the Dream Trek

After two years of planning and reading trip reports in Lakdasun and posts on Elakiri about Doowili ella, finally we were able to gather 4 people (well, in the beginning there were 6 and on the day sprit was remain), who were extremely needed to do this hike. Two three time we got together and discussed, and planned as we knew this hike is not a regular hike but once in a life time one, and need proper planning to success. (here I would like to thanks Harinda and other contributors for providing very useful tips.)

The well-known “Malaka’s Map” was very helpful for planning the event, but I decided to provide full detailed route and POI map with elevation profile. Hope it would be very useful for next visitors.

Once I start preparing the trip report, I realize that the most of the photos taken are selfies or people involved. Sceneries are very less, that was due to in proper planning.

Also, Reporting the trip was taken almost a year…!!

Route travel by foot (Orange Line) and Interest points along. (Click here to enlarge)

Route profile form Rathinda to Doowili ella through walpolamulla (Elevations showing on Y axis are Relative) (Click to enlarge)

Route profile from Doowili ella to Rambukoluwa. (Elevations showing on Y axis are Relative) (Click Here to enlarge)

Day 01

We started the journey by my motorbike from home (Galle) and Sanjeewa and PY by motorbike from colombo. Sana came to kandy by bus. All met in a guest house in kandy around 10.00 PM. Made the final planning for next day and spent the night there.

In the next morning, we start from Kandy around 08.00 AM, on two bikes, reached Mathale around 1130 AM. On the way had the breakfast from pol roti shop.

Where we had the break first

Buying Food items for next three days. Should be properly planned and the weights also considered.

Bought all necessary food items from Matale Food city. And started towards Reverstone around 12:30 PM.

On the way. Reverstan Area.

Pitawala Pathana

Maningala seen from the Pitawala area. The foot path goes through the Gap.

We reached Rathhinda Junction around 2.00 pm. On the way we collected our lunch parcels from wasantha’s place. Ekanayaka Mama (The most experienced doowili ella guide. Lives in Etanwala Village. A well-known person among hikers) was waiting at the junction for us. Mama informed that we cannot cross the river by bikes, So, we drop our bikes at one of a villager’s house (We decided to drop all our additional/unnecessary items at that place to reduce the weights of our backpacks. We had brought 2nos.of 4 Person tents. We drop one of them too.) and start waking to Etanwala.

Wedda Peni Ella

Maningala Closer Look

Beautiful Etanwala Paddy Fields.

Only 100m, Already Tired..!!

We reached Ekanayaka Mamas Home around 2.30 PM and had our lunch. And started walking towards the Walpolamulla village.

Our guides Home

Resting was the most frequent thing we did

From Etanwala to walpolamulla is 3.0 Km Aprox. First 1km Average of 20% ascent, 2^nd km irregular and the last 1Km average 15% descent.

Get Blessings..

View from Weheragala Muduna.

Obstacles.

Elephant dung. Days old

The “Abandoned Wewa”. A Mysterious place

We Reached our destination of Day 1 around 5.00 PM. That was the only remain house in Walpolamulla village. Few years ago villagers’ Abandoned the village due to frequent elephant attacks. But still this house in good condition as the owner maintaining it properly for tourism purpose. There was one bed and some mats available and the house was good enough for accommodate 8~10 people.

The Famous, Only remaining house in Walpolamulla village

“Galwala” Water source. 100m south of the house

As mama instructed, we drop our things inside the house and went for water and firewood collecting. The source we take water from is a small stream which was 100m south of the house.

Then we visit the most beautiful place in Walpolamulla area, the abundant paddy field. Its 100m south east of the house. The landscape view from there was breathtaking. Most of the waterfalls of Kalu Ganga can be seen from there.

Walpolamulla Abandoned Paddy Field and the Giant Thunhisgala Peak. (Most of the falls in Doowili series can be seen

Our Guide Ekanayaka Mama

Closer Shot using Sunjeew’s pirate binocular

We spent some time enjoying the scenery, and return back to house as Mama wanted us to collect enough fire wood before the dark. On the way back, we’ve seen some destroyed houses and gardens of the village.

Collecting firewoods for campfire

Preparing the dinner

We cooked some rice, dhal curry and dried fish for the dinner. As always happens, the Cooking department almost run by Sana and Sanjeewa. PY and me played the Joker and Adviser respectively.

Before the dinner we celebrated the “Day 1 Success” with a bottle of wine. Mama had tons of stories of his adventures and girlfriends to tell. Also he sung his own “kawi” which he was sent to his wife during their young age. That was a happy night.

Around 8.30 PM we had our dinner and went to sleep. Night was very cold, and full of mosquitoes, but we had a good sleep.

Night was Cold there.

Celebrating the first day success

Day 02

As we discussed last night. We waked up around 5.00 AM (Rarely happen at Home), and prepared Rice, Dhal curry and boiled eggs. Dried fish was available from last night cooking. We made 5 parcels for lunch as well. Had the breakfirst at house and start the journey to doowili around 7.00 AM. We strictly followd the harind’s advice in his report regarding time management. That is the key of successfully reach to the target in one day.

Preparing lunch parcels

Left the walpolamulla house at 7.00 AM

Fully equipped back packs

Good Morning Knuckles

After an hour of descent of slope 30%, we reached the first stream across the path, called “Nugathalawa Ela”. We had a small break there, filled up our water bottles and continue the walking. The next hour is an ascent of 10% slope up to nugathalawa. (villagers using their own names for almost every landmark along the route. I tried to collect all important landmarks on the map using GPS, Mama helped me for naming. Refer the KML file for more detail).

“Nugathalawa Ela” First water stream to cross

First water stream

After “Nugathalawa” there was a steep slope (Descent of 40%. 30 Min) up to “Weddahena”. Weddahena is an open grassy land. As mama’s explanation, Wedda people used to live in this place on few decades ago.

The distance from Walpolamulla to Weddahena ~ 3 Km.

Weddahena is also the place that, path from Walpolamulla and path from Rambukoluwa to doowili ella are meet. the path from weddahena to Rambukoluwa village is a continues descent. Most doowili ella visitors use that path when return back as no more climbing involve along that route.

“Wedda Hena”

Wedda hena. Someone made a campfire recently.

End of weddahena was sloped dawn to “Weddahena Oya”, The second water stream across the path. We had 15 min rest there, had some biscuits. And continue walking.

Weddahena Oya Better resting place.

Next 2km was a miner ascent (9%), Until we reach the first very very steep slope. The path almost parallel to “Kalu Ganga” but couldn’t see the river yet. On the way we’ve seen the biggest tree mention in Harind’s report, And one small waterfall 50m away from the path.

The Biggest Tree

A Small waterfall 50m away from the foot path. Must be nice in rainy season.

Then the biggest challenge started. The average slope was 42% and the distance around 300m.

Extremely Exhausted..!!!

Finishing the first steep slope.

After the first steep slope, we passed nearly flat area of 1.3 KM and reached to “Naran Atta Oya” the third, and the biggest stream across the path. On the way we heard sound of several waterfalls but we didn’t waste time on those as our main target was to reach to doowili ella before the dark. We had our packed lunch there and had a 30min rest. Then started walking again around 1.00 PM.

NaranAtta Oya

NaranAtta Oya

We had a small nap after lunch.

From here to doowili ella, distance was around 1.5 Km, but the slope is very steep. First 0.5Km average slope is 40% and the next 0.5 10% and the last 0.5 was 30%, all were climbing up of course..!!

As mentioned in malak’s report, there are 7 waterfalls exist including Doowili ella. But except No:5 and No:6, all other are away from the foot path. If you want to explore all of them, you need to find your own route, or need to climb dawn along the stream. (Not possible at some places).

However, on the way up, we visited No:6 and No:5

Water fall No 06

Another cascade of No 06

Unbelievable.. Top of No6

We had some fun time at Fall No:6 and started climb up again. After an hour of climbing final we saw our dreamed destination at 3.30 PM, The Doowili Ella.

Destination. Finally….!!

Doowili..

.	The Dream became True after many years….

Side Shot

Bottom of the falls

You can see the size … The Cave is on level of upper part, RHS.

After having a nice bath, we lit a camp fire, had some hot tea and started cooking the dinner.

View from the Cave, Walpolamulla Side

Tea time after freeze bath

The natural cave is enough for accommodate ~10 people. Tent is not required here. Since we carried it all the way u

The cooking Experts “Badai” “Ledai”

The Dinner getting ready..

Getting Dark.

We cooked some vegetable noodles and salmon curry for the dinner. We didn’t forget to celebrate our success and had the dinner around 8.00 PM. Had a fun chat and went to sleep around 10.00 PM. Sana and Mama choose to sleep inside the cave while rest of us slept inside the tent. I heard funny conversations and beautiful Kawi between Mama and Sana until I fall asleep.

Day 03

A Beautiful morning

Preparing the break first + lunch.

We waked up late on next day. It was around 8.00 AM already, the yesterday plan was to leave the cave by 8.00.!!

We cooked some rice, dhal curry and soya bedum for the breakfirst, and made parcels for the lunch.

As I previous mentioned, our expected return route was, follow the path which we came here up to “Weddahena” and take the easy descending route to Rabukoluwa Village. We left Doowili ella cave around 10.30 AM in the morning. Our plan was to visit as much as waterfalls we can in the return route. But Mamas’ intention was that we were already late for anything and we should go back without wasting time in the woods before the dark.

Good bye for a while. We will come back again for sure…

No5 “Padipela Ella”

I wanted, at least to visit Fall No:4 in Harind’s report. Mama was agreed to take us. But, finally when we reached to the fall No:5, I realized that Mama purposely ignored the request. As we already climbed dawn considerable vertical distance, and our bodies and legs had such a pain from exercise of last two days that, nobody (including me) wanted to climb back. We postponed those we missed for next time visit  B-)

NaranAtta Oya Again

An open Area(pathana) 10~20m off the foot path

After the Naran Atta Oya, about 2.5Km from Cave, (2.5Hrs), We heard a closer sound of a water fall. We decided to climb dawn along the river bank and, found the Fall No:9, the most fantastic one I’ve seen here. Cannot explain, should see and feel.

Photo shoot

Fall No9 (7 & 8 we missed as those are very far away from the foot path, may be next time)

Fall No9

Doowili ella Side form Fall no9

Closer Shot I believe this was the one we seen beside the doowili ella

These all warefalls are not small ones.

After the Fall no:9, we climbed dawn the second steep slope and at the end of the slope there was a foot path leading (200m Only) to the Dumbara Ella aka “Podi Doowili Ella”. This place was also a nice place but not recommended for swimming there. We had our packed lunch there and rest some while. There was a cave dawn the falls, and mama told some visitors used to camping there too.

Dumbara Ella (Podi Doowili Ella)

We started climb dawn again around 1.30 PM. After 1.5 hrs we reached to Weddahena Junction and took the Rambukoluwa route.

Should go out of the woods before dark

Rambukoluwa Edanda

We didn’t want to try the Edanda

Abundant paddy field or Chena

Galthalawa Good place to rest

We’ve seen few of live nests near to the foot path.

Aswedduma Paddy field.

Water tank. Still 1km to the village

From Weddahena Junction to Rambukoluwa school, total distance around 5.2 Km and it took us 2.75 hrs to complete. The average slope was 10% descent.

Rambukoluwa School. Trekking completed. Time is 5.45 PM

We did it..!!!

So Tired Guys..

We hired a Three-wheeler from there to Rathinda junction. We collect our bikes from there and met Wasantha for our accommodation. He had arranged his parents’ house for us. We invited Mama also to stay that night with us, and made a big celebration..!!

Next day morning we came to Kandy by bikes, Then Sana and PY took the bus to Colombo, me and Sanjeewa came homes by bikes after long ride around 10.00 PM.

Team in Kandy. Happy Ending of the Journey.