වටවල කන්දෙන් රොසැල්ලට Walk to Watawala Kanda (1280m)

Year and Month	2018 April 08^th
Number of Days	One day of two days trip.
Crew	03-Nuwan, Prabath and Myself
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	By train and hiking
Activities	Hiking, Photography and trekking
Weather	Excellent
Route	Hatton->Ihala Watawala station->Watawala Kanda->Rozella->Hatton->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey early. Get directions from locals and refer Google map. No need permission to reach the peak with towers. It takes about 30minutes to 45minutes to reach the peak with towers if you neglect to snap surrounding. Watawala peak-2 is also called Ussilikanda (උස්සිලිකන්ද) / Sooriyagalaboda (සූරියගල්බොඩ). But only one person mentioned those names others don’t know. You can descend to Galboda side from Watawala range. Or you can follow a foot path to Galboda falls from Rozella farm estate side. We didn’t try none of them due to lack of time. There are buses from Rozella to Hatton. Attitude gain of this hike is about 300m.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread වටවල කන්දෙන් රොසැල්ලට-Walk to Watawala Kanda (1280m)

Watawala was the area had highest annual rainfall in Sri Lanka few years ago and it is replaced by Udamaliboda now. Then Watawala tea is famous among tea lovers. This is about Watawala Mountain with 360⁰view.

Watawala Kanda is a mountain range occupy by tea estates and forest, situated between Watawala and Rozella. This mountain is nicely seen when you travel along Hatton-Ginigathhena road at Watawala area.

It was seen for me in different occasions in hiking of mountains at this area: Kotagala, Great western and Elbedda etc.

View of Watawala Kanda from Kotagala. Note-It is a range with 3 or 4 peaks.

It was a two days trip to central hills. I have been at Bopaththalawa (බෝපත්තලාව) in first day and second day was reserved for Watawala Kanda. My initial plan was to visit at Watawala Kanda and get down to Galboda falls side but ended up at another beautiful destination-Rozella.

As usual we had an early start to finish the journey before evening rain. We got the train from Hatton to Ihala Watawala (ඉහල වටවල). It was a brighten morning following heavy rain at last evening. We walked back along railway line and followed the footpath to Wigton estate line houses. Our target was the peak with towers at middle of the range. There was a foot pathway to the peak through Wigton tea estate. Wigton tea estate is a beautiful estate with beautiful surroundings. There was a kovil at base of the mountain. We were able to enjoy the view of Sri Pada, mountains of peak wilderness, Rozella Mountain, Kotagala, Dell, Elbedda etc. Carolina estate hills with abundant tea estates were seen beautiful remembering another destination to be.

This uphill journey was a relax walk and at the end of the tea estate there was a foot path to the peak with towers.

Reaching Ihala Watawala station

Wild beautites

Looked back towards Ihala Watawala station.

Friends of the journey

Wigton tea estate

Abundant hills of St. Carolina estate. Calling us…

Hatton-Ginigathhena road

CTB bus at Hatton-Ginigathhena road

Nearby hills

Footpath through tea estate

Watawala town

Towards peak wildness

Sri Pada range, Watawala town and Wigton estate

Heading to Watawala Kanda with towers

Watawala Kanda with tea estates and pinus patch

Beautiful Carolina estate

Hills of Peak Wildness is popped up above Carolina estate

Time for a snap

Some unknown peaks

Peaks of Carolina estate above Wigton estate

A monument at Wigton estate

Steps to Kovil

Friends of the journey

Shrines

Window view from Kovil

Beautiful Wigton estate

Steps upward….

Kotagala is zoomed. Still can remember the hike we did along the edge of Kotagala. Elbedda is seen behind

Rozella peak

I like to walk along the abundant hills of Carolina estate to enjoy beautiful view.

Sri Pada and Ballanbendihela

Carolina estate tea factory

Carolina estate hills and tea factory

Greenish tea estates…

Frog we met

Wild Berries

Surrounding view…

Ambuluwawa, Bathalegala, Ura Kanda and Samasara Kanda.

Hatton-Ginigathhena road zoomed

Nearby tea estates

Rilagala range….

Foot pathway to Watawala Kanda

Green and blue-my favorite combination

Watawala peak with towers

Small Mana patch was there at the end of tea estate

Heading to peak….

Watawala peak with towers

Watawala peak has 360⁰ view towards surrounding. We were able to view Rilagala range, peacock hills, Kabaragala, Raxawa Kanda, Dolosbage range, Ambuluwawa, Bathalegala, Ura Kanda, Nawalapitiya town in addition to the peaks at Sri Pada range.

Once we reached Watawala peak, we realized it as a range extending towards Galboda area. Mana patch was extending from this peak to other one but there was a clear foot pathway connecting two peaks. There was a gap between two peaks and second peak seems as a bear land. There were enough evidences this as an abundant village or line houses. (Later we got to know this peak is called Sooriyagalabada / Ussilikanda. But these terms were mentioned by only one old Sinhalese person and Tamil estate workers don’t know it.)

Second peak of Watawala Kanda is also a good view point as well as an ideal place for camping. There was a water stream closer to the foot pathway. If someone needs, can move from second peak to other peaks (might be another one or two before Galboda area) before get down to Galboda area. We changed our mind due to time factor and decided to get down to Rozella area.

Zoomed view of Raxawa kanda (left) and Kabaragala (right)

Director’s bungalow of Rozella estate

Other peak of Watawala range-Ussilikanda / Sooriyagalabada

Towards other peak of Watawala range. Passing Mana patch.

Bare land of other Watawala peak.

On top of Sooriyagalabada/ Ussilikanda

Nawalapitiya town

Ambuluwawa with it’s towers. Bathalegala is seen as a pointed peak (behind) and Ura kanda is seen on right hand side of Bathalegala.

Alagalla is pooped up above the edge of Kabaragala

View of Watawala peak with towers from peak-2.

Is this a sea plane flying to Nuweraeliya??

Watawala peak with towers. Kotagala, Dell and Elbedda are standing on left hand side of Watawala Kanda.

Dell, Kotagala and Elbedda

In between two peaks

Water stream closer to foot pathway

Watawala Kanda with towers

In between two peaks

Other side of Watawala range is Rozella with beautiful tea estates. There were some estate workers at Rozella side who were really helpful. They have shown the foot pathway towards Rozella farm estate side. And there is a foot pathway through pinus forest patch to Galboda Falls (other than main path from Rozella side). We had two options either to get down to Rozella farm side or follow the foot path to Galboda falls.

Getting down to Rozella side is almost an acute descend through estate roads and tea patches. We have reached the estate road to Director’s bungalow and followed first few hundred meters of foot pathway to Galboda falls through pinus patch. This foot path is closer to Mahaweli River. But later it was vanished and seems another exploration which needs more time. We turned back and descend to Rozella farm estate.

Peaks of Watawala range were clearly seen from Rozella side. We wind up the journey after having a bath from Mahaweli River at Rozella farm estate.