Hunting Waterfalls from Rikillagaskada to Pussellawa

Year and Month	October, 2013
Number of Days	Two Day Trip
Crew	8 (Me, Ashan, Sri, Harinda, Sheham, Chamil, Chinthaka, Thilina)
Accommodation	Friend’s Place in Nuwara Eliya
Transport	Hired Van
Activities	Waterfall Hunt, Photography
Weather	Overcast & Misty. Rained in the afternoons
Route	Colombo -> Kandy -> Hanguranketha -> Rikillagaskada -> Padiyapelella -> Elamulla -> Padiyapelella -> Walapane -> NuwaraEliya N’Eliya -> Gampola -> Peradeniya -> Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Kandy Walapane road via Hanguranketha is under construction. It is very difficult after Hanguranketha, narrow and bumpy Walapane -> Ragala stretch is also under construction. Can be slippery when it rains Don’t take plastic and Polythene (minimize) and bring back whatever you take. Special Thanks to Niroshan
Related Resources	Trip Report: Unfamiliar cascades of Hanguranketha and Walapane area
Author	KasunDes
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Hunting Waterfalls from Rikillagaskada to Pussellawa

The long awaited long weekend came after 3 months, so did the rain. All our plans to go camping in Kumana went wrong as heavy showers hit the area and had to make our minds to abandon the trip at the last moment. It wasn’t easy for missing the weekend and we wanted to go somewhere so badly but the weather forecast wasn’t good anywhere we checked for. At the last moment we decided to do something that can be done in the rain, let it be a waterfall hunt. Within one and half days everything was ready. Sri and Harinda who also had lost after their initial plans were affected by the rain joined in and Ashan returned from his marathon rail hike to join us.

We continued passing Hanguranketha in our quest to visit some little known waterfalls we got to know thanks to Niroshan. But our journey was badly affected first by our delayed start and then by the terrible road condition past Hanguranketha. The road is under construction and is in a terrible state.

We stopped at the first waterfall we were hoping to see, Katugashinna Falls with a glimmer hope as Niroshan said the fall is switched on during the rain only. But sadly the waterfall was switched off even though it had rained for some days. Let me explain the operating procedure of this waterfall: the stream is dammed on top of the waterfall for a mini hydro project or something and they release water to the fall only when it overflows. So our first visit was unsuccessful and continued the journey.

Heeran Ella

Heeran ella falls have two parts as upper heeran ella and lower heeran ella. These waterfalls are formed of the Mul Oya which later flows into the Mahaweli river.

Proceed along Hewaheta road from Rikillagaskada town towards Wegama temple. Take a right turn near the name board of Poramadalawa MMV and continue, get direction from the locals to the Wegama temple. The last bit towards the temple can only be done by a 4×4 vehicle. So we stopped our van and walked about 500m towards the temple.

The path to the waterfall can be seen after the temple. There is an irrigation canal and a footpath along it. This footpath goes straight to lower heeran ella which is commonly called as Heeran ella. There is another footpath to upper fall along the huge waterline built for a mini hydro project which eventually will kill these two waterfalls in near future.

Beautiful Ekiriya villa

Heeran Ella seen from the footpath

Cascades of Mul Oya

Heeran Ella

.	Lower cascades of heeran ella

Village scenery

Penapus Ella/Beeri Ella
We returned to the junction where we turned off to the temple and went further from Rikillagaskada till we reached the Kithulpe bridge. There is a footpath right before the bridge which also goes along a water diversion. After walking along for about 500m we went down a little forest patch to reach the waterfall.

Trying to hide

Path to Penapus Ella

Penapus Ella which is also known as Beeri ella and Dunhida Ella among the locals is a very beautiful and little known waterfall. However there is a mini hydro project undergoing and it could be the end of this beauty as well.

Penapus Ella also called Berri ella

.	Beautiful penapus fall

Upper cascades of Penapus falls

Near Kithulpe bridge

Kabaragala Falls

Next on our list was Kabaragala falls in Elamulla area. To reach this waterfall take Mandaram Nuwara road just before the bridge near Padiyapelella town and take a right turn toward the Elamulla power plant passing Elamulla town.

Mandaram Nuwara road is a very scenic one. It had rained for about an hour just before we went and there were a plenty of cascades along the road making it even more scenic. Mandaram Nuwara area under the mist covered Piduruthalagala could be seen far away through a gap. It was a great view.

A roadside beauty on the mandaramnuwara road

Misty mandaram nuwara

another seasonal fall

Towards Piduruthalagala

Mandaram Nuwara road

Peela

This was seen far away on a mountain slope. not sure if it is seasonal, but it should be very tall

The last bit of the road to Elamulla power plant in hard to be done in an ordinary vehicle, so we decided to walk. It was a pleasant walk through cultivated lands enjoying the seasonal waterfalls flowing down each and every hill and the mighty Piduruthalagala range.

Piduruthalagala range

shades of green

Mountainous forest

one of the many kabaragala cascades

on the way to power plant

another seasonal beauty

.	they were everywhere

However as we reached the power plant our hopes started to get thin once again. The stream was flowing furiously and we could see a large cloud of mist in the place where the waterfall is situated. People at the power plant did not recommend going near the waterfall and we neither wanted to take a risk after seeing the rapids of the stream. So instead, we had a little tour inside the power plant and returned.

Furiously flowing stream

Mist created by the Kabaragal fall

Another roadside beauty

It was around 4pm when we hit the road again. It started raining and the mist came down so the dark fell early. We had to continue slowly along the muddy broken road and had no time for visiting the most anticipated Kurundu Oya Falls. Our slow and blind journey continued towards Nuwara Eliya.

Nuwara Eliya lit up

The Grand Hotel and the dhost we captured

Grand Hotel

Magasthota

Gregory Lake

The next day was also overcast. Our plan was to see the waterfalls along the A5 and to visit Dunsinan-Sheen falls if possible which we had to omit immediately thanks to as usual delayed start.

Gregory lake and Magasthota covered by mist

Gregory Lake

Peach flowers

Peaches

The team

All the waterfalls along the A5 were on the full flow and there many seasonal waterfalls and countless cascades also. We returned to Colombo enjoying these full flowing beauties.