Along the Horse Tracks – Galagama Ella…

What would you give to be able to lose yourself among the virgin cloud forests of Sri Lanka? Well, I’m sure you would be ready to sacrifice quite a lot to experience the freedom and peace inside the protective womb of the Mother Nature. I, sure as hell, would go to extreme lengths to feel the chilly winds on my cheeks, the icy-cold dew on my skin and on top of everything, the soothing music of the rustling leaves in my ears. That alone is enough to lift you from the greater depths of sorrow, frustration, depression, pain and anxiety. Mother Nature, after all, is the best doctor you can find in this world for innumerable physical and mental disorders.

Now you might be wondering whether you’re reading a nutcase’s unrealistic imagination. Well, you are correct about the former but not the latter. Aren’t we all crazy in our heads in one way or another? It’s just a matter of containing the insane characters, rather overpower them with the sane ones. So long as you do that, well there’s nothing to worry. Even though you may not be able to do that, the chances of anyone knowing about it are minimal, I suppose.

Well, that is about it the psychology lesson for today and be sure to do some research into it in your spare time and find out who you are and what your craziness is. Remember, when you know who you are, the mental hospital is not so far. Well if you are not crazy about the nature, you wouldn’t be reading this article in the first place. The reason is only a fellow nature-crazy person can understand the symptoms of another. Ok, let’s dig deeper and find out what the Santa has brought you for this Christmas, shall we?

I’m a dreamer, a wild one at that. Once I’m obsessed with something, I won’t let anything get in the way in my quest to make it come true. Thankfully I bought myself a camera not a packet of cigarettes or any other dangerous drugs when I could afford it. My passion for visiting the nature and photographing her has kept me safe and away from many harmful things, especially the drugs which has, is and will continue to plague the innocent lives. So I’m grateful for my wisdom that steered me towards the Mother Nature. If you are a worried mother or father about your children and their future, buy them a camera and take them to the nature a couple of times. You can’t go wrong with that. Well, I’ll leave the decision with you.

From the first I heard about Galagama Ella, I fell in love with her. It’s not love at first sight (like it was with Lakegala) but at first mention. There were so many theories and stories relating to her and even the very existence of her itself was shrouded in mystery. Finally, Ashan pulled out a stunner and revealed this hidden beauty to the rest of the world. As he correctly put it, that really was unveiling one of greatest mysteries of Sri Lankan natural beauties. I’m sure the Google Earth too needs to be congratulated for helping solve this puzzle.

When I heard about Ashan’s visit, it was pure torture to wait for the report. The day I read it made my heart beat so fast I was wondering if my ribcage was strong enough to keep it inside me. It hammered hard against the bones screaming at me to go see this beautiful girl. I was in love, once again, probably for the umpteenth time. Well, willingness to go see something is great, especially if it’s as good looking as Galagama Ella but making it happen is a completely different ball game. So it took almost one year of deliberation for me to make this dream come true. I’m gonna tell you about it and get yourself comfortable.

Getting on the Journey

The year-end holidays brought with it so much freedom and opportunities for my passion. So I decided to take advantage of it and visit one of the most-wanted ones. Galagama Ella was the natural first choice. I put it to the interested parties and managed to find Atha and long-lost Tony as the crew. We then decided on the 27 Dec and were ready by 3am.

We left Kolonnawa just after 3am and drove along the old road towards Kaduwela and Avissawella. There was a noticeable difference especially about the shops either side of the road which are usually closed till 6-6.30am, as they were open very early. Then we realized it was the Sri Pada season thus the reason for them to remain open probably 24/7. We stopped at our usual shop in Ratnapura for an early snack and some coffee. Even they looked busier than they usually are.

Anuruddha, one of our friends in Balangoda, was to join us but we found him still in bed after a late night so decided to leave him behind. The dawn had broken out over the mountains to our left, most notably the Hawagala (aka Haagala) and Dethanagala. It was nice and sunny but there was this strange gloominess hovering above it all. We were hoping for clear weather coz it’d been nice and sunny over the past few days.

We reached Belihul Oya and I called Premadasa and got the directions to his place along the Belihul Oya-Landuyaya road. Yeah, you guessed right coz another beautiful waterfall known as Pahanthudawa Ella is also located on this road. Premadasa’s house is in Galpoththenna, Ibbanwala about 3km from Belihul Oya. However we missed him and drove all the way to Ihala Galagama School. It was a good thing coz we could see the Galagama Ella in the far distance and so far higher in the mountains bordering the Horton Plains. The elevation difference was around 1000m (yeah 1km) or probably more. Nagrak Bungalow is located well over 7200ft (almost as high as Sri Pada). Therefore Galagama Ella must be one of the falls located at the highest altitudes in Sri Lanka, of course in closer competition with Baker’s Falls aka Gonagala Ella.

We turned around and came back to Galpoththenna where Premadasa was waiting for us. We then drove to his house which was less than 1km away from the road. It was around 7.45am when we reached his house and without further delay, got ready to start the hike. This was one of those hikes that took us completely off guard as we didn’t expect it to be that strenuous. So don’t expect any freebies. Carry some water as the streams are sort of polluted by the estate and the line houses above. Also take as much as possible to eat. Leech protection is very important coz the first 2-3km you will find millions of them, especially if it’s the rainy season. So be prepared and boy are they big? Ok, here are a couple of pictures before we take to the path.

That’s Nelu

Closer look

At the start of the path, all smiles but at the end we were almost in tatters and tears

On the Way Up

We started walking up a fairly wide road, about 10-15ft wide. Premadasa explained that this was the horse trail used by the planters in the past (in the 19th century till mid-20th century) to travel between Belihul Oya and Nagrak. Interestingly enough, he’d worked at the Nagrak Bungalow since 1978 till 2000. If you had read my Nagrak Report, you might have seen the remains of some buildings behind the main bungalow. According to Premadasa, that complex had been his and other workers’ quarters.

The path from Nagrak bungalow to World’s End used to be a Gamsabha Road (RDA Road), according to him and older workers at Nagrak. However the declaration of HP as a National Park had changed things. Especially the inability of the Wildlife Department to man this beautiful and easily accessible trail now has become illegal which is a great pity. The same fate befell on the Dayagama Trail and Bagawanthalawa Trail (Bridle Trail) as well. The closing of these trails has deprived the nature enthusiasts of experiencing a true natural feeling. Not only that, it’d also invited the poachers, illegal gem miners and loggers into this sensitive natural habitat as they are no longer in use by the public.

If the Wildlife Department thinks that they can curb these severe illegal activities with the skeleton staff they have, well they have another thing coming. The best way to protect and conserve this is allowing the public to enter through these trails which will greatly discourage the hunters, miners and loggers. I wonder if the lame excuse of not enough staff to man these entrances given by the Wildlife Department is really an indirect helping hand to these illegal activities. I sincerely apologize from the respective powers that be if it really is not the case. However from what we have seen, especially how corrupt our government agencies are, it’d not be a sinful thought I suppose. If they really want to open them, they can certainly do it and it’ll also create a number of jobs for the people in the villagers nearby. It will also reduce the insane congestion created at the only two entrances at weekends and holidays. Unfortunately that might remain a dream forever. If they decide to close one of the remaining two entrances, well don’t be surprised.

Well, I suppose I got carried away a bit. Ok, let’s go on. Mighty Hawagala was now behind us but the gloominess hovering above us made the view bleak. We soon entered a thick Pines Forest. We kept taking short cuts which cut down on the distance along the original horse trail. Premadasa said that it’s 7 miles (around 12km) from the Galpoththenna to the Nagrak Bungalow. So we had a good 9-10km hike all the way up with an elevation gain of around 1000m. My legs started to shake coz we had another 2-3km hike to the Galagama Ella from the 33rd bend. All in all, something between 22km to 26km hike going up and down.

“Take it easy chum, you can do it”, my pep talk sounded too feeble. To our horror the pines plot was full of vicious leeches from 1mm to more than 2 inches. They kept coming after us and we had to keep moving or be bitten by them. There were many different ones, with two strips, single strip, greenish, brownish and blackish. Atha said most of the army ranks were represented by the number of strips they had. It had a mysterious beauty inside the forest but we had very little time and peace to enjoy it amid the constant attacks by the merciless creatures.

“How about some batter-fried leeches?”, I asked Tony who licked his lips mischievously. “I wonder if anyone or any predator eats the leeches” I asked the others. In fact, I’d thought about it numerous times. Well a simple Google search showed an article that says Fish (nearly all freshwater fish especially the Red-Eared Sunfish), Turtles (aquatic and semi-aquatic freshwater ones) and Birds (the ones regularly feed on insects and small fish) prey on leeches. Well it doesn’t look like there is any (if there’s any at all) that feed on leeches are found in Sri Lanka.

We walked hurriedly along the pine needles littered path evading the spear-carrying leech terrorists. Finally we managed to come out of the pine forest and entered a bushy area with some intermediate hills looming ahead us. We just stopped at a rock to assess the damage and have something to eat. You can enjoy these pictures till then.

Hawagala or Haagala, another of camping dreams

The path led to the pine forest infested with leeches in many sizes

Pine cones, used as an ornament too with a touch of silver or gold spray paint

Just love these tiny plants

Lots of shade but no peace coz of the leeches

Already panting twenty to the dozen

Reaching to the skies

Here’s the horse trail, must’ve been pretty wide and well paved

Seen some tapping

Defying the leeches

Looks serene but you gotta come during the dry season to enjoy this

Sun appeared at last

Looks gorgeous

Like cotton wool

Non Pareil Road is beyond this

Getting dark and gloomy

Like clad in velvet

Towards Belihul Oya

Ok, let’s go then. We soon entered a semi cloud forest and the leech population was somewhat less in here probably due to the altitude gain. The shade offered by the trees was of no use as there was no sun shining. It looked dark and I was very worried about the rain. After a while we emerged out of the forest to find we were surrounded by hills except towards Belihul Oya which lay way below. Beyond that was the long range of Hawagala or according to the villagers Haagala. Looking up at the path we had to take sent shivers down my legs. This was going to test my poor legs to the breaking point. Already Atha was feeling the brunt of the hike largely due to the less hiking recently. Even I’d not done any serious hiking for a long time and it’d prove almost fatal. Well, let’s find out how we’ll fare until you check some more pictures.

Situation getting critical

Hanging creepers

Oh wow

Closer look

Another

That shade of green is unbelievable

View from a higher position

Hawagala looking grim

Typical ones

Not come across her before

Standing tall

Just got about halfway

Right, get ready to climb along the steep slope. “How on earth did a horse manage this?”, Atha sounded unbelieving and I too shared the same thought. Probably in the past this might have been in a better situation as constant rains and sun might have eroded it over time making it steeper and dangerous. One slip would probably help you get to Belihul Oya faster but not in a very good condition. It was rugged terrain with a narrow uneven and winding uphill path through thick Mana bushes.

The view was superb but the lack of sunlight made it less glamorous. The greenery of the surrounding countryside didn’t have the lushness as a result. Not to mention the dull grey in the sky. The nagging feeling inside my mind increased as the clouds got thicker and darker signaling the imminent threat of the rain. There was hardly anything we could do as it was next to impossible for us to increase our pace. If only we were as lithe and strong as Premadasa. He climbed with such ease and grace like a Mountain Goat leaving us burning with envy. Ok folks, I’m sure we’ll soon have to put the camera in as the mist was also coming thick and fast. We’ll see you at the line houses closer to the main Nagrak Road. Until then, check out these pictures.

Where we have to go

Didn’t miss them

Atha looking up, feeling exhausted already

Found them too

One of them is a vantage point you can come to the edge

Full length of Hawagala

Maha Rathmal

Life on the hard rocks

Dead tree art

This doesn’t seem to end

There comes the mist

Now we have to go through this thick cloud

Looking majestic

Color of love

Some others too

Closer look

Finally climbed the steep part and found this narrow but clear footpath

It was as if night

Final Push

After a back-breaking, knee-creaking and thigh-burning climb, we arrived at the first line houses which was within the sight of the 31st bend. Premadasa explained that there had been more than 80 families residing here but they had left in the 80s and presently only a couple of families are living here. The rain finally eased giving us a break. Thankfully there were no leeches after the semi cloud forest. Otherwise climbing up that steep path would’ve been a killing field.

“There must be a sign at a particular height saying No Leeches”, Atha marveled at their absence. We traversed up while the mist cleared up. We also saw a basement which had been used to handle the sending of tea leaves downtown towards Belihul Oya using a long cable. It’d be used quite successfully in almost all tea estates in the upcountry in order to avoid taking them over difficult terrain.

Arriving at the sign board near the 31st bend was one of those most relieved moments. There were new electricity poles and a transformer placed and we were told that they would be getting the electricity soon from the main line. It’d help the line houses and the Nagrak Bungalow. We walked up towards the next set of line houses where Nishan was waiting. It was gone 12 noon but it looked like the early evening. Premadasa said that he’d stay here while we went in search of the Galagama Ella. Oh I almost forgot to tell you that Atha decided to stay behind as well coz his cramps had become unbearable. We had a long way downhill and then he had to do the driving too. So as a precautionary measure, he decided to take a break. We tried to find a way to go to the main road but as it was a Sunday, none was available. Ok, take a look at these pictures for now.

The drizzling eased a bit

Wet after the mist and rain

Maha Bovitiya, beautiful but an invasive plant

Another commonly found flower

First set of line house, only a single house is there now with 2-3 families

Found some more

Endless

That’s the Nagrak Vantage Point where Ashan had been recently

Towards the 31st bend

Mist and clouds in the distance hills

Popular point and see the elevation

Had to take a pic there

The oldies

Dream Comes True – Galagama Ella

We walked up the Nagrak road which is familiar terrain as we were here last February. There were a couple of more additions of concrete paved sections. However it is still a tough road to maneuver around in an ordinary vehicle. We reached the 33rd bend which is painted with green and quite distinctive. The drizzling kept on while the mist hung stubbornly around us. “Are we gonna get a clear view?”, that was a very worried me. “It’ll be ok and give us a chance”, that was a not-least-disturbed Nishan. Well he was the expert and I was quite happy to accept his verdict on the weather.

Following the Nagrak Bungalow road

Nishan and me at the 33rd bend where you have to enter the jungle

The road continues towards Nagrak

We entered into the dense cloud forest by the 33rd bend. Getting in was very difficult due to the slippery and muddy slope. From here we were faced with a densely packed tiny path which was muddy, slippery and uneven. So there won’t be many pictures as the water kept falling on us especially from the trees when we leaned on them for balance. At first, it looks like the path is straightforward but as you enter deep into the womb of the forest, there are many paths branching off the main one and it’s not possible for ordinary folks like us to identify the difference.

So I highly recommend you take Nishan on this journey despite having to pay him Rs. 2000/-. As I mentioned earlier, one group had tried to do this the day before without Nishan’s help and had got lost for more than 6 hours. Finally they had got back without even seeing the waterfall. There are two main streams that you have to cross which I think the same ones flow behind the Nagrak Bungalow. If you have been to Sera Ella, there’s a similar stretch where you have to walk parallel to a huge rocky wall.

All along the way, the rain persisted and I was very worried about being able to take a decent picture. We could hear roaring flow of many other streams and the going seemed never ending. We kept tripping over the roots splashing mud all over the clothes. Only good omen was the absence of leeches. It’d have been a nightmare if they were present like the ones we found below. “Is it far?” was the only thought in my head all the time. Finally we just got onto a mound and to our right through the trees was the most-sought-after lass falling majestically. My first thought was of Diyawini Ella as it too was a similar experience.

I had already pulled a muscle in my left leg and was wobbling with a great difficulty but the sight of this beauty made every pain and difficulty evaporate and I can’t remember how I got to the base of the falls. I was more than ecstatic and wanted to dance around but there was very little space for that sorta thing. It was still drizzling and the mist was coming at us real fast. “Take the pictures soon before the mist”, warned Nishan. I had taken the umbrella and used it to take pictures but a miracle happened right then.

The rain stopped so suddenly and the clouds of mist that were heading our way had vanished without a trace. Mother Nature had taken pity on her sons and decided to treat us with some clear weather. We rested a bit and I started my marathon photo shoot coupled with selfies. She’s probably as tall as Ramboda Upper Falls or a bit shorter than the Diyaluma Ella. She falls in a straight line into the rocky boulders below. There’s no base pool to speak of and the water then flows through the huge rocks downstream. We used the window offered by the weather to the maximum extent. Well, I guess I’ll leave my vivid imagination for now and let you enjoy the pictures.

Found on the way

Ooops, dangerous

The mist kept hovering

Dead trees playing with mist

Oh my gosh

The top of her

Falling silkily

Hitting the rocks below hard

Portrait view

Closer

Zoomed in

Tony couldn’t resist this

Nor could I

Nishan and me

Oh yeah, I feel that happy

Beautiful is not the word

Not enough after so many clicks

She’s not so fat

The head and the shoulders

Closer look

Just majestic

Another

Looking radiant

Another close up

View below

Time to go

Making patterns

Back on the road

Return Journey on Injured Legs

After about half hour, we decided to turn around mainly due to the fact that we still had a very long way to go. As if on cue, the mist descended from the top of the falls covering her as if it was the end of a stage play. My right leg gave in on the return journey and it was sheer agony getting back to the line houses to meet with waiting Atha and Premadasa. Coming back to the main road was a great relief but the thought of having to climb down all that made my legs weep.

On top of everything, we were feeling ravenous too. There was very little food with us and the little shop at the line houses had only biscuits. After a plain tea and a much needed rest, we resumed our journey. The rain was back and this time more than drizzling. We walked past the last of line houses when it increased in force and covered the whole area with a thick blanket of mist. We were glad Premadasa was with us. Otherwise we’d certainly have lost the way.

Climbing down with two injured feet can send you insane. The rain and mist made things even harder. The uneven path took its toll on the joints and muscles. We walked as if in a trance and what a relief it was to enter the semi forest patch.  However, our troubles were just starting to get worse. There had been a message to the leeches that some juicy meals were on the way. So they had gathered in numbers and were waiting for our arrival. As soon as we crossed the forest patch, we were attacked from all the corners. We had no choice but to surrender to the brutal attack. It felt as if our skin was pierced with sharp needles.

After it felt like an eternity we reached Premadasa’s house around 6pm. We’d been on the move for 10 grueling hours. There were leeches everywhere from head to toe. After a plain tea and a short break we left for Colombo nursing our wounds. We reached home around midnight meaning for the past 21 hours, we’d be on the go.

Well folks, I’d have loved to have taken more pictures and posted them here but the circumstances were such, it was the last thing on my mind. Despite everything, this really was a dream come true and we enjoyed it and learned a few lessons too but the hard way.

Hope this will help you go see this beautiful lady through a different route but try to go on a clear day as the views would be simply breathtaking. Also be prepared for the strenuous climbing.

That is the end of my hiking for the 2015 and hopefully there’ll be more in the 2016. This is Sri signing off for now and hope you all will have an eventful year ahead. Take care!