Sri Pada-Battulu Oya-waterfall trail

Year and Month	2019 March 26th
Number of Days	One
Crew	05-Anupama, Dimal, Kasun, Vinoda and Myself
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	By train, hiking and three wheel
Activities	Hiking, Trekking, Waterfall seeing and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Hatton->Nallathanniya->Sri Pada->Battulu Oya Waterfall trail->Fishing Hut->Raja male estate-> Nallathanniya->Hatton->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey early in the morning as timing is very important if you plan this trip for a single day. Leech protection methods to be followed. There is a bus to Nallathanniya awaiting at Hatton railway station targeting the crowd coming by Colombo-Badulla night mail. Better avoid Hatton route in weekends and public holidays unless you are enjoying the crowd. It is a moderate strenuous hike. We have descend along the stream in fairly dry condition. Therefore it was not that much difficult. Ascend along this route might be a strenuous exercise. This trail would be difficult in wet condition. Flash floods and slippery boulders are main risks in rainy weather. Therefore be watchful if you do it in a rainy day. If you come across a difficult part along the water stream always follow the forest path. There are twelve waterfalls according to my counting. Height of the waterfalls are approximates. Last bus from Nallathanniya to Hatton is at 9.30pm. It targets Badulla-Colombo night mail. Follow rituals of Sri Pada journey as much as possible. Please maintain clean environment. The approximate distance of this trail is about 4km, from peak to fishing hut. (quoted from Shashika’s report)
Related Resources	Trip report on Battulu Oya waterfall trail, A New trail to Climb Sri Pada (Adams Peak) by Sashika. Trip report on බත්තුලු ඔය දිගේ සිරිපතුලට / Battulu Oya-Paradise-Sri Pada trail
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Sri Pada-Battulu Oya-waterfall trail

After completion of Battulu Oya-Paradise Sri Pada trail I was awaiting to do Battulu Oya waterfall trail within this Sri Pada season. As I mentioned in my Battulu Oya-Paradise Sri Pada report, there are eight routes to reach sacred foot prints and these two routes related to Battulu Oya are newly introduced at Lakdasun.
Actually we have planned this trip when we were on our way to home following Battulu Oya paradise trail. Therefore Kasun and Vinoda were automatically included into the trip. After went through previous reports about this trail we have realized this as a hard trek and let’s see how hard it was.

The summary of this route is, there is a feeding stream which crosses Dehena kanda trail at base of Sri Pada. We have walked down along this stream till it joins with Battulu Oya and then moved to fishing hut to finish the trail. As we have planned this trip to a single day timing was the crucial point.
We have worshipped sacred peak early morning after hiking along Hatton route. It took about three and half hours to reach the peak along Hatton route. There was a Kiribath Dansala just above “Maha Giri Dambaya” (මහගිරි දඹය) and we tasted it. The early morning view we came across along the Hatton route was breath taking. This marked as my 13th journey to Holy peak.

Japanese peace pagoda is illuminated by lights

Indikatupana-Hatton route

Sun rise

Yaka Andu Gala and Ballanbendigala

Maussakele reservoir through bushes

This might be Rilagala / Pasmale range

Japanese peace pagoda at base of Yaka Andu Gala

Ballanbendigala / Ballabendihela…Kabaragala is seen behind

Sun rise…

Posing….

Breathtaking….

Awesome

Maha Giri Dambe / මහගිරි දඹය

Misty Nallathanniya

Bana Samonala and Darmarajagala

Holy peak…

At Sri Pada

Next part of the journey was to descend along Rathnapura route and get the turn to Dehena kanda route. Though I have been at Dehena kanda route thrice this is the first descend along this path. Within one hour time we have reached the water stream which crosses Dehena kanda route at base of Sri Pada.

Starting of Dehena kanda route…

Descend along this steep part is a good exercise.

At trail head of Battulu Oya waterfall trail

Entering to Valley of Waterfalls

Perfect weather

Simply speaking it is the journey to descend along waterfalls. We have come across 12+ waterfalls in this route till we meet the other branch of Battulu Oya. As we did this trail in fairly dry condition, it was not difficult to getting down along waterfalls except few occasions. Soon we entered the valley of waterfalls the first waterfall came to our sight. (What Sashika mentioned as Sumudu Ella). Second fall is situated just below the first fall. After the third fall there was fairly flat section of the river before next set of waterfalls.

Waterfall-1. Note others on top of the waterfall.

Waterfall-1

Posing with the fall

Waterfall-1. It is about 7/8m in height.

Waterfall-2. This is about 10m in height.

Waterfall-2.

Enjoying the beauty

With Waterfall-2.

Descend

Significant third waterfall.

Third waterfall. It is about 5m in height.

Another steep path

Filling the thirst

Flat section of the river

Significant fourth fall. It is like a cascade with few steps.

There were basins at this waterfalls

Fifth waterfall. This is about 10m in height and had a nice base pool.

Fifth waterfall.

Fifth waterfall

Posing with the waterfall.

Gradually we have passed sixth and seventh waterfalls which were fairly large waterfalls, about 10-15 in height. As the drop of seventh waterfall was high it essentially needs to cross through the forest. Following the seventh waterfall there was a flat section of the river which reminded us the similar experience we had at Battulu Oya. The feeling was amazing when we walked along this area as it was shaded by forest and river base was covered with round boulders. We spent a time to get snaps and enjoy the beauty here. This flat river section ends at the top of eighth fall.

Upper part of sixth waterfall

Sixth waterfall as a cascade

Crossing the sixth waterfall in it’s side

Seventh waterfall is about 15m in height

At base of seventh waterfall

At base of Seventh waterfall

Friends…

Either side of the river are shaded by the forest

Pre shoot….

This was not a difficult task as it was a dry weather.

Beautiful back ground…

Enjoying…

Time for a snap

End of the flat area of the river….top of eighth fall

Dimal in doggy style

Eighth waterfall in WF trail

Eighth waterfall in WF trail. It is about 10m in height.

Eighth waterfall in WF trail.

Lower part of eighth waterfall.

We got down eighth waterfall in it’s right side and came to it’s base. Ninth waterfall was situated closer to eighth fall. Crossing of tenth waterfall was bit difficult along the stream and we reached it’s base through the forest.

Distance view of eighth waterfall with river

Time for a break on top of 9th waterfall

Ninth waterfall from it’s base. It is about 7/8m in height.

Note-They are on top of ninth waterfall

Ninth waterfall

Base pool of ninth waterfall

Tenth waterfall of waterfall trail

Tenth waterfall

Tenth waterfall. It is about 12m in height.

A side stream joins with the river forming a waterfall

Happy faces after visiting many waterfalls

Here after river gets a bend with a slope and halts at a beautiful pool. We decided to get down through the forest rather than follow the stream. (Actually it is not possible to go along the river). If I consider the whole journey, this is the only difficult place an average hiker can face. There is a tiny waterfall made by the river at this section, probably eleventh waterfall.
Twelfth waterfall is the last of the trail and it is the highest out of all. (Probably 15-20m in height). It is not possible to capture the whole fall due to it’s angle.

Tiny eleventh waterfall with beautiful base pool

Eleventh waterfall with it’s base pool

Eleventh waterfall

We had a long rest here

Eleventh waterfall

Last waterfall with an angle

Twelfth waterfall with an angle

Part of 12th waterfall.

Highest waterfall of Battulu Oya waterfall trail.

Twelfth waterfall in different angle

At base of the last waterfall

At base of last waterfall

After forming this last fall, river gradually slopes and joins with Battulu Oya in 100-200m distance. We have noted large size boulders along last part of the stream before it ends. We have spent about five hours to reach Battulu Oya from trail head at Dehena kanda route. Our next stop was at Battulu Oya near fishing hut and had a quick bath there. Though we planned to get a three wheeler from fishing hut it was not possible and walked to Raja male line houses. We had our dinner at Nallathanniya and waited for the last bus to Hatton to get into the train.