Loitering Around Passara

We got off the train from Badulla in the morning after a long 12 hour journey. The list of “must do” in Uva province was getting longer ever since Ashan started roaming in Uva and his reports started flooding into the Lakdasun forum. We were hoping to cover a few of those places and 5 of us were on a hiking trip, hoping to do 3 trails in 3 days. Our accommodation was close to Passara so we quickly did shopping and got into a Passara bus.

The dawn

Namunukula seen under the dawn from close to Idalgashinna

View from Idalgashinna

Bandarawela

Day 1

After dropping our baggages and stuff, we were off for our 1st mission, to climb the Lunugala peak. We went to Passara town and tried to find a bus going in that direction. Since it was Saturday afternoon we could not find a bus going in that direction from Passara, so had to hire a 3 wheeler to reach to the place where the trail started. It was past noon when we started the lunugala hike. It was not a difficult hike. There’s no path but neither a chance of getting lost. It is an isolated hill with no tree cover, so we could see where we were going.

Lunugala peak seen from 9th mile post

Towards Monaragala

Landmark of the trail head

Medawelagama junction where the trail head is

The trail

here we go

But the lack of tree canopy meant we had to walk directly under the sun. Humidity was also high as some dark clouds were gathering. So we were sweating a lot. But a staggering view was unveiling in front of us making us to forget all the tiredness. From one side we could see the endless view towards Monaragala and from another side the beautiful Loggal Oya valley was seen.

Pinkc quartz

no tree cover at all

Loggal oya valley

Loggal oya reservoir and Randenigala range

.	Massive plains towards Wellawaya

.	What a view

Towards Monaragala

Gal Oya Reservoir

Gal Oya range and Wadinagala peak

When we got to the top we were simple stunned by the view. It was full 360 degree view from there. One side was towards Buttala, Monaragala and beyond all the way up to the coastline over the south eastern plains. Majestic Namunukula range was seen from another side. The never tiring lovely valley of Loggal Oya and the Knuckles range in the far corner were straight ahead. Madulsima range was standing like a huge wall from the other side.

The summit

There was this large whole at teh summit. wonder what was teh purpose

Maragala kanda peak – what a place it was…!

Senanayake Samudraya

Passara town

Wow

Towards Buttala

Beautiful Loggal Oya valley

Namunukual gets the blessings from the gods

After some time we started descending and came to the road. As it turned out there were no buses, so we decided to walk until we met a bus or a 3 wheeler. But unfortunately there were no buses and all the 3 wheelers we met had people onboard. So we kept walking along the beautiful road stretch and after some distance we met an old person and we inquired how far it was to the Aradunu falls from there and got the answer “not more than 1km”. We were energized by the answer and did not even bother to get into the bus we eventually met. It was too late when we realizes that we were misguided and were very tired, had no water left in our bottles.

We had walked more than 4km when we reached the turn off to the falls and found we had to go another 2km along a tea estate. None of the 3 wheeler guys agreed to go saying the road is too bad, but luckily one guy who felt sorry for us agreed to go as far as he could. That guy was so genuine; he went all the way down and gave us directions to the top of the fall and down, as well as a route to return to Passara. He even waited to make sure we got onto the correct path.

Aradunu falls was an absolute beauty formed from the Loggal Oya. There is a water diversion to a mini hydro project, so the fall should be not so great to see when the water level is low. But fortunately it had enough water to make us happy. We had little dip to wash away our tiredness

Top of Aradunu falls

top view

WOW	Water level is low but My God it’s a beauty..!

Aradunu Falls

WOW

Day 2

We had reserved the whole day 2 for visiting the World’s End in Pitamaruwa. The one and only bus is scheduled to reach Passara at 9.00 am so we did not have to be in a rush. But what we hear on the previous day regarding the availability of bus created a doubt in our minds, so we left early to Passara.

Namunukula

WOW

Like a painitng

The Pitamaruwa bus – a rusty, little, had battered CTB bus – reached Passara on time and started the journey at around 9.30. It was pretty crowded and the journey was slow and long along the spectacular road with a magnificent view. The view kept getting better and better as we closed in to Madulsima. The mighty Piduruthalagala range was standing like a huge wall across the hill country. We were enjoying the endless view of the summit of Sri Lanka, Thotupola Kanda, and the Haggala peak. The Namunukula range was in between standing alone majestically.

On the way to Madulsima – Piduruthalagala covered

Hakgala peak

It was a spectacular view

The scenic road to Madulsima

The one and only bus

After a 2 hours journey, 1st part along a good tarmac and then on a stretch which hardly can be described as a road, we got off at the turn off to the world’s end. Prior to getting down we inquired about the return of the bus and the driver and the conductor said we have about 2 hour until they return and promised not to leave us.

The turnoff

Directions

It was about 1 km more on the washed away estate roads to reach the abyss. The Elamanne World’s end drop is situated at a very unique place. It is one boundary of the central hill of Sri Lanka and the highlands ends suddenly creating a huge wall like slope. The abyss is somewhere in the middle of that, a dead drop of more than 1200 feet. It is a very scary looking drop but staggeringly beautiful and unique.

WOW	Hardly a road

Warning

The drop

Oh My God..!

The view

Bibile town

That is scary

Almost all of the eastern Sri Lanka can be seen from there. It is said during clear mornings it can be seen all the way up to the eastern coast. But we were there around the noon and there was a bit of haziness in the air. But still we could see from one side up to Ulhitiya reservoir over Mahiyanganaya, directly upto Senanayake reservoir and mount Inginiyagala over Gal Oya range, from another side upto Siyambalanduwa and from behind up to the Mount PIduruthalagala. The knuckle range also was seen faintly in the far corner.

Though it is called the “Mini World’s End” and little known, for me, the very famous World’s end in Horton plains is nothing compared to this. It was such a mesmerizing place.

Ulgala, Berawahela and Senanayake Samudraya

What a view

South Eastern plains

WOW

At the view point

The drop

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Kokagala of Padiyathalawa

Govinda Hela of Siyambalanduwa

Narangala

After enjoying the view there we walked towards the mini abyss close by. That was not deep as the greater one, but still was as beautiful as its big brother.

The mini abyss

the drop

.	Paddy fields

Below the drop

The bus returned 1.45 pm and we sadly had to say good bye to the endless view of eastern plains and return.

DS Rock

Madulsima range seen from the 9th mile post. Note Elamanna peak with telecom towers

Day 3

It was the last day of our trip and the most anticipated climb, the Namunukula hike was planned for that day. While others were preparing our breakfast and getting ready to leave, I grabbed the camera and went down a bit to vitness a spectacular sun rise over the Lunugala peak.

The dawn

Vibrant sky

Namunukula under the first rays of teh day

Wow. the first rays hits Passara

The light and the shadow

Sun is rising over the Lunugala peak

Here it comes

WOW

After the breakfast we packed our bags and left towards 3rd mile post. Priyanjan gave a contact of 3 wheel driver who agreed to take us to the trail head. After getting off the bus at the 3rd mile post we kept our bags in a nearby shop and started our 12 km long torturous, bone scattering but scenic journey towards the trail head. The first half of the journey was not bad but the second part was a nightmare because the road hasn’t been repaired for ages.

On our way to Deyanagal division

Hakgala

Piduruthalagala

WOW

The 3 wheeler went up all the way it could go and dropped us. From there to the trails head was about another 1km or so, which we had to go along the foot paths through the tea bushes. With the help of a local we reached the trail head.

our target

Uva basin and Piduruthalagala range

mist is gathering

From there to the top of Namunukula has a clear path which runs along the neck of the mountain. After about 1 hour we reached the summit which was a heavenly place. The view point towards Passara was covered by a thick mist, the view towards Wellawaya also partly covered and the view towards Nuwara Eliya was clear. Once again we were quite ecstatic by the beautiful views. The whole Uva basin was seen beautifully from there.

the path

the path

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camp site 1

The summit

the view

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Colors of the jungle

Camp site 2. what a place….

After spending some time there we began to descend and called the 3 wheeler guy to come and pick us up. We reached the 3rd mile post and took a bus to Badulla where we paid a short visit to the Muthiyanganaya RMV and headed Colombo.

.	Tea pluckers

.	Nalini falls

Muthiyanganaya

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