Kirigalpoththa and Thotupola Mountains

Standing 2388 meters tall, Kirigalpoththa is the second highest mountain in Sri Lanka and the highest that is freely accessible to the public (You need to get permission to climb Pidurutalagala - the highest mountain since it is a high security zone).

Not too far behind, Thotupola is the third highest mountain and stands 2357 meters tall.

Most people who visit Horton Plains National park opt to hike on the World's End trail. While no doubt scenic, this trail tends to be crowded especially on holidays which can be a turn off for the nature lover. A lesser known fact is that there are two other trails that lead to the 2nd and 3rd highest mountains in Sri Lanka.

The trail to Kirigalpoththa is a challenging one since you need to ascend and descend a few smaller mountains before reaching the base of Kirigalpoththa. The notice board at the trail head states that the trail is 7 kms long, however the actual distance is probably shorter.

The Kirigalpoththa trail lets you experience Horton Plains in all its glory and if you are very, very lucky you may even be able to spot a leopard (for sure, one of them will spot you even if you don't see them).

The Kirigalpoththa trail starts off from the Farr Inn wildlife office and descends into a valley with an open view of the plains all around. The trail then alternates between the plain and forest patches with short climbs and descents from time to time crossing numerous streams on the way until you reach the base of the Kirigalpoththa mountain.

Kirigalpoththa - as seen from the trail head

Zoomed in view of Kirigalpoththa

Descending into the valley

This stream needs to be crossed after about 1.5 kms from the trail head. Take the footpath to the right after crossing this stream

Shh! Be quiet, there are wasps around.

I am no expert... but could this be leopard dung?

Kirigalpoththa says hello as we walk towards her

Finally, we have reached the base of the mountain

From here on, its a continuous climb through the forest until you emerge on to a clearing at the mountain edge. You have now reached the slab which gives this mountain its name. From here you have a fabulous view of the the surroundings. The Horton Plains National park can be seen in all directions beneath you and you can even glimpse the windmills far away at Ambewela. Make sure that you reach this point as early as possible since mist tends to drift in obscuring the view towards the late afternoon.

The windmills at Ambewela

Do not take this path to the summit, there is another short trail through the forest that avoids this stretch.

For those who wish to reach the summit, head back into the forest for a very short distance and you will emerge on to a ledge with a precipice on both sides that leads to the summit. Please exercise caution from this point onward and do not attempt to reach the summit if the conditions are rainy or very windy - a slight misstep could spell disaster. Scrambling on all fours may not be dignified but its a safe way to get across this short stretch.

The last stretch which should be tackled with caution.

A short walk later, you emerge on to the summit of Kirigalpoththa. The summit point is marked by a circle of rocks. Enjoy the cool breeze and the panoramic view and let the sense of accomplishment soak in.

Summit point

The trail to Thotupola Kande (3rd highest mountain) is a much easier trail and can be done within 1 - 1.5 hours of hiking. The trail head begins close to the Pattipola entry point to the Horton Plains National Park. The trail takes you through small forest patches (at times, the forest cover closes in and you feel like you are travelling inside a tunnel) and then emerges on to a clearing offering you a nice view of the surroundings. A further climb up the mountain brings you to the summit which like Kirigalpoththa has been marked with a circle of rocks. The view from the summit is somewhat obscured due to the forest cover but the hike will certainly be rewarding and you will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the views on the way to the summit.

If you need additional incentive to climb Thotupola, folklore has it that this mountain was an airport for Ravana's flying machines in ancient time.

From Kalupahana to Ohiya via Devil's Staircase

 Do a search on Google maps for the distance between the towns of Kalupahana and Ohiya and you will find that it is 35-40 kms. A little known fact though is that there was a road many years ago between these two towns which was less than half this distance. This road still exists though it is little more than a jeep track now and can only be navigated with a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

Devil's Staircase is found when travelling on the jeep track highlighted in blue. The route shown in grey is the standard route other non 4WD vehicles need to take.

The trail between Kalupahana and Ohiya is easily one of the most scenic routes I have traveled on. While most prefer to navigate this trail within the confines of a 4WD vehicle, my personal preference has been to do this by foot. 

The first part of the trail is a well paved road leading from the Kalupahana junction to a little beyond the Bambarakanda waterfall. Bambarakanda is Sri Lanka's highest waterfall and at 863 ft it is the 299th tallest waterfall in the world.

Bambarakanda Falls

If you have time on your hands, take a break to visit the foot of the waterfall. If you don't mind plunging into freezing cold water, this pool is perfectly safe to bathe in. For the more adventurous, take the opportunity to hike up to the top of the waterfall. If you hike to the top, don't miss the opportunity to visit Lanka Ella falls - a small waterfall where the base pool takes the shape of the island of Sri Lanka. More details on this will follow in one of our future articles.

The base pool at Bambarakanda falls

A mini waterfall at the top of Bambarakanda falls, the water falling into the base pool here carries on to create the main waterfall

The base pool at Lanka Ella falls. Look closely and you can make out the shape of Sri Lanka. The water falls into the Puttlam/Mannar area and flow out of the Batticaloa area

If you need to have a break for meals, Bambarakanda Eco Holiday Resort is situated close by overlooking the falls. Despite being named as "resort" don't expect any of the luxuries to be found in other places. This is a very rustic back to basics type of place which is part of the charm. Mrs. Sera Mayakaduwa who runs the place is a great fount of knowledge about the area and can advise you about plenty of nature trails in the area.

Once you decide to resume your journey, continue on the road past the waterfall and Bambarakanda Eco Holiday Resort. The road meanders on through tiny village houses and pine forests until all of a sudden the well paved road makes way for the jeep track which shows remains of what must have been a tarred road a long time back. 

The final part of the well paved road, making its way through a pine forest

The paved road ends and the jeep track begins

At the time of visit, there was a plaque mentioning a road rehabilitation project, therefore the entire jeep track maybe restored at some date in the future

The track now meanders through the mountains, steadily climbing. Right throughout you will have a view of the Bambarakanda waterfall. 

After a while, the road travels through a split in the mountain. Known as the v-cut, this place has religious significance for the people in the area and you will notice a small altar as you pass through the v-cut. Quite often you will notice significantly different weather on the two sides of the v-cut. While one side can be very windy, the other side can be very calm. 

Approaching the v-cut

An altar at the v-cut

A short distance after passing the v-cut, you will pass a small stream that runs across the road. This stream is what eventually flows down and becomes the Bambarakanda waterfall. 

This little stream running across the track is what forms the Bambarakanda falls

The jeep track crossing the stream

The trail now continues steadily climbing. The scenery alternates between panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, streams and mini waterfalls and tea estates. When you pass through tea estates you are bound to come across little children fascinated to see strange people walking through their domain on this little used road. Some of the little tikes have the most gorgeous smiles which become all the more wider if you pass them a sweet or two.

After continuing to climb a number of kilometers, you will come across a notice board - Udaveriya Estate, West Haputale division. Soon after passing this notice, the road once again cuts through a mountain similar to the v-cut. You have now reached Devil's staircase. The road descends steeply through a series of hairpin bends. When seen from neighboring mountains, this winding road appears as a series of giant steps which only the Devil can climb - hence the name.

The notice board which marks the start of Devil's staircase

The road travels through a split in the mountain just before the start of Devil's staircase

At the top of Devil's staircase. The road steeply descends in a series of hairpin bends from here onwards

Devil's staircase seen from above

After passing Devil's staircase keep travelling along the trail towards Ohiya. On the way, you will reach a fork where the main trail continues downhill and another trail forks away and begins a steep climb up. The road on the left is a shortcut to Horton Plains and emerges on to the main road a few kilometers before the ticketing counter. The other road continues on to Ohiya.

The road on the left is a short cut to Horton Plains while the one on the right leads to Ohiya

And so ends one of the longest blog entries on Uncommon Paths. I will leave you with a few pictures of the panoramic vistas that can been seen on this route. Pictures however, does not do justice to the beauty of this trail - it is something that simply has to be experienced.