Great Western Hike

Year and Month	January, 2015 (28th)
Number of Days	One Day Trip
Crew	2 (Dakshina & Me)
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Night mail train
Activities	Hiking & Trekking, Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	From Polgahawela to Great western by train. Return to same way.
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Very special thing is the hike should start early morning as much as possible. It helps to capture the amazing view of crossing train. (But it depends on your luck because it decides by the mist) You must pay your attention well about the weather condition of that area before you go there. The track is slippery very much in rainy season. If you don’t use a GPS tracker it is very important to accompany with an experienced guide. Morgan is the best guy for this journey. You can contact him 077-079 100 2 He prepared everything for you after calling.(Even food & beverage, lodge) The easiest way of transport to great western is Badulla night mail. You must keep it your mind polythene is unwholesome to here. Leave only your footprints & bring only sweet memories. Special Thanks to First of all I thanking very much my loving companion Dakshina for materialize my dream Thanking very much Morgan for great guiding and also to your family members for treated us well. Thanks Lakdasun for publishing valuable reports that was very helpful to me.
Author	upul nandana
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If the desire of cossing Sri Lankan 6th highest mountain is born in my heart very earlier, it spent a long time to materialize it. The main reason for that is the vary weather condition of there. However I found a guide by didn’t leaving the try & contact with him. As a result of that finally Morgan responded me which I expected for long time & then prepared to crossign.

I got on to Badulla night mail from Colombo Fort at about 9.40pm. & my companion joins with me at Peradeniya junction. Although we are in sleeping booth, we couldn’t get a comfortable sleep & we reached to the railway station of Great Western at about 3.00am. Two friends of Morgan were come to carry us to Morgan’s house. After getting little sleep in his home, we start the journey at about 7.30 am.

Great dawn

Sacred “Sri padaya”

Tea Estate

Correct Focusing

The security guard of Morgan

It’s shoot at Morgans’ garden

Ready to commence the trail

This is the 6th highest mountain in Sri Lanka

Entering to the rail way track

He disentitle one leg (He met and accident on his childhood)

Now it’s old

Lonely Rail way Station

Nice view

It’s feel dispassionate

Enter to the correct line :-)

The Seven virgin

Just click

Lonely

Along the rail way

We started the journey with entering to railway from Morgans’ house. After walking 2km like this we climb the stairs which situated on the left side of the railway line. Passing about 200 steps like this we could sceen a shrine & Morgan said that it is a most sacred one in this area.

There is only one place to take water which suitable for drink from here. So we filled up our bottles. There after we walked ahead along the way which falls near to shrine.

Now entering to steps

It’s get into mind “MAHAGIRI DAMBAYA”

Nice view

Blue Sky

Little fane

Enter to the Forest

It’s imagine an art

Another angle

crowns

Waiting for bait

Freight train

Five petal

Direct sun light gives us more tired, because of the foot path lays across an open area. And also cossing become more hard because of the tough ascent & without any support to hang. We went forward very dificully with fallings. (It’snt spent much time to understand the journey of here when rainy season.) Then we entered to a plain area & took the breakfast from there. We swallowed all the foods vey quickly because of hungry & tired. Then ready to go after getting half hour rest.

Peeping through it

Clear destination

Nice color

“Nelu” buds

Way is not easy

He is going to be dead

Another angle

Want some rest

Ready to get breakfast

Everything vanished at ones

Now reach to plain area

It dead harshly

Little bit tough

This time she is photogenic

Another angle

Buds

We reached to the first top of this mountain which including five tops at about 11.00am & we could scene very beautiful land area. When looking from here we could scene Haggala mountain range side & the Horton plains, Kirigalpotta & Thotupola mountains could be scene very clearly in the other side. Piduruthalagala, Kikiliyamana Mountains & the maiden forest range which spread towards Nuwara-Eliya could see clearly.

After stay few minutes there we left with the intention of see the exchange of two trains. Rests of four tops were situated as very small, so we could went easily forward.

First view point

Kirigalpoththa & Horton plains

Rainy wind

The way of “Shortcut”

Radella Stadium

Trail head at hand

Great guidance

Piduruthalagala & Kikiliyamana

Landscaping

Haggala Mountain

Amazing up county rail way track

Now we close to it

The forest range which spreads towards Nuwaraeliya

Through the bushes

we raech to the destination at about 11.45am and by then a beautiful image of the surrounding is appeared. Specially we hope to feel the splendour of the view of cossing 2 trains which came from Colombo to Badulla & Badulla to Colombo on air. This is the only place which we can see this view in Sri Lanka.

But the unexpected misty condition is made us very inconvenient with broken our all hopes. As time spending like this we had herd only the sound of the train. The train is waiting at the rail way station for the arrival of next train & three of us herd the sound of that with looking the mist. morgan said that, its depend on the fortune.

The other train is coming from Badulla by now & our fortune is arising according to the Morgan. Because the mist is dissapeared little by little & the beautiful scene is appeared. Really we were lucky to see that beautiful sceneries which related on that place only.

The trail head

Railway Station

Morgans’ village

Misty is flowing

All is covered by the mist

Podi Menike waiting for Udarata Minike

Udarata Menike is coming

Mist make us inconvenient

But we are lucky

That’s the view which we waiting

Now it’s time to leave

Udarata Menike Start the journey to Colombo

Actually it’s an amazing

The longest Train in Sri Lanka :-)

It’s areal photogenic

Mist again disturb us

She passing the Morgans’ colony

Podi Menike get permission to Badulla

Another view

She is very flexible

Nice view

She is near to vanish

She moves her own rhythm

She also reaching to vanish

The clear surrounding which exsists till dispearing the trains is change orderly and covered by the mist & we stay there a moment & left at about 1.00pm. There is a camp site on the highest place of the mountain & our hearts were pain by looking the damage of surrounding there because of polythene which throw by travellers.

Red leaves

Mist is come again

Mist is governed there

Misty world

The victorious gang

A great guide

We did it

The camp site

It’s an safe method… lol..

After stay some time on the rock, we start the journey again with the start of small rain. It’s little hard to come down, so we have to use the rope for some places.

Just click

Colorful forest

It’s like a flower

Just click

Beautiful blossoms

Seeking the infinity

Red buds

Relax in heaven

Hanging legs in freedom

Little bit adventure

It’s too risky in rainy season

Through the misty cloths to Badulla

Ready to bend

Turn around the mountain

Fully damp

She covered her face by mist

We came to kovil premises at about 3.00pm & we entirely get wet by then. The surrounding is swallowed by the mist and it gains a novel experience for us.

We entered to the rail way track and start came back and completed the journey successfully at the rail way station at about 4.30pm.