Kirigalpotta - Kings of the Night Mail

Rockland Old Arrack can do wonderful things. Over two bottles of premium Sri Lankan liquid, we planned a hike to Sri Lanka’s second highest mountain – Kirigalpotta, on one fine evening in October. Surprisingly, come morning, we were still able to recollect the trip plans and were still brazen enough to attempt it the week after. This speaks more about Sri Lankan alcohol than it does of our passion for the great outdoors.

We concluded the hike to Kirigalpotta a couple of weeks ago. So thankfully, each detail is still very vivid in memory unlike in my previous posts. So if I ramble on like a Sunil Gavaskar on Sachin Tendulkar, skip to the last parts of this post.

The planning

Unlike the previous times, Prishan, Indika and I had some initial logistics to iron out. First, we had to get a

camping permit from the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The trail to Kirigalpotta starts from inside

Horton Plains and you are not allowed to camp at the summit. So you need to come down and camp at one of the 3 campsites at Horton Plains. A permit for an overnight camping stay costs just over 2500/- bucks. But you also need to have luck on your side. Only one party is allowed at a camping site. And we were lucky.  

Next came the route mapping. We had two options. We could have taken the Night Mail to Badulla and gotten off at Pattipola or we could’ve gotten off at Ohiya. Either way, we had about 10 Kms from each station to the World’s End entrance / Visitor’s Centre at Horton Plains. We chose the Ohiya route since it was a kilometre or two lesser than from Pattipola.

The journey

My girlfriend offered to entertain our spirit for the outdoors and did her part by dropping us at the Fort train station. Our plan was to take the 8pm Night Mail train leaving to Badulla. However, it was a Friday and getting a seat to plant our backsides on was absolutely impossible. Another commuter facing our same plight enlightened us to the fact that the train usually gets filled up at the Maradana station itself. I’m not sure about the accuracy of this piece of information but judging by the immediate circumstances, he couldn’t have been that far off.

It was an uncomfortable journey in the 3^rd class box which was packed to the rafters with people going home for the weekend. However, by the time we reached Kadugannawa, we managed to muscle out a couple of seats and by Nawalapitiya there were a few empty spots here and there for the taking. We tried our best to dose off with partial success.

We reached Ohiya at about 4am. It was bitterly cold and I felt as if my teeth had developed an entire nervous system of its own. We filled our bottles of water at the station and got ready for the long trek to the World’s End entrance. 10 kilometers is not easy. Especially at that altitude since our lungs are not used to lessened oxygen in the air. But this was Ohiya – our ‘hood’ so to speak. So we trudged along like champions.

The ‘batta’ ride

A couple of kilometres into the trek and a Dimo Batta pulls up behind us and offered a ride. He was a

professional transporter who transports groups to and from Horton Plains and was on the way to pick up a group from the Horton Plains Visitor’s Centre. We hitched a ride with him after negotiating a small sum of cash.

This was when we got our first taste of what’s to come. The ride was rocky and the driver seemed to have been a dropout from pilot school. He manoeuvred the small and flimsy vehicle precariously close to the road edges at breakneck speed. However the view that we saw during these 20 minutes or so was just mind blowing. The sun was just starting to rise over the mountainside and the first rays of the morning enveloped us with its golden beauty. The Plains itself seemed to magically wake up and transform colour under this beautiful light – waking up animals, tress and other living beings to another beautiful day at Horton Plains.

Once at the Visitor’s Centre, we had a quick breakfast from the tinned food that we brought along with us. At this time of the day, Horton Plains simply beckons for a photo shoot. And we gladly obliged.

After an extended photo session, we walked towards the Visitor’s Centre to produce our permit. You don’t need to buy day passes to Horton Plains if you’ve already got a camping permit. Make sure that you carry no plastic items since they will all be confiscated or removed at the park entry point. Another point you should keep in mind is that campfires are not allowed at Horton Plains. You need to carry a small gas stove or an equivalent if you plan to cook food or stay warm.

The trail

Of all the hikes we’ve done in this area, this hike proved to be the one hike which was done in picture perfect weather. The sun was out in all its glory. The skies were absolutely clear and there was not a hint of mist or wind. It was like doing a hike in Colombo with the only difference being the drop in temperature. The trail is clearly marked and directed. It starts from behind the Horton Plains Visitor’s Centre. We started the

hike at around 7am. It was an amazing treat to the senses. The morning dew, the smells and sounds of the plains and the breathtaking scenery around us made us thank the two bottle of Rockland Old Arrack from days ago.

The first part of the trail runs through the plains itself. The trail is pretty flat and is not tiring in the least. After about half an hour of hiking you will come across a stream that is about 10 to 15 feet wide. This is the start of Belihul Oya – one of the 4 major rivers in this country. We dropped our bags, freshened ourselves up and had some refreshments before getting back on our feet.

Once you cross the stream, the trail winds into a thick dense forest. Before you reach the forest you need to navigate through some dead trees and short bamboo. We were able to navigate this part of the trail without much fuss.

At this point our luck turned for the better. ‘Nelu’ is a range of seasonal flowers which is said to be indigenous to the Horton Plains region. We were smack in the middle of the blooming season and the sight of pretty pink, purple and blue flowers stretched for as far as the eye could see through the trail in front of us. It was like we were transported to the set of a fantasy movie. After coming back to Colombo we found out that this is the first time in 12 years that Horton Plains had seen such a strident ‘Nelu’ season.

Once we navigated through the forest we reached a relatively open area at which we again dropped our sacks and had some refreshments. We took stock of the scenery around us and were able to see around 5 or 6 mountain ranges one after the other in the distance thanks to the lack of mist. This also made us realize that we were at a very very very high place at the time - literally and metaphorically.

The summit

The final push was now upon us. The scenery reduced in quality and the ascent grew harder. We lugged our

massive backpacks and manoeuvred through thick undergrowth, rocks and precarious edges to reach a vantage point we had researched about before we go. This was supposed to be the best observation point at Kirigalpotta. And it did not disappoint. Our view was undisturbed for MILES AND MILES on a minimum 270 degree circle. We were at a rocky landing just below the summit and the drop below us at this point was easily close to ninety degrees. We lied flat on the ground and carefully peered over the edge. The drop was just massive. But the view was nothing short of sensational. I’ve never seen anything of the sort before. But of course, we were very careful since there was no room for complacency.

A hundred meters more and we would be at the second highest place in Sri Lanka. But getting there was not easy. The only feasible way to reach the summit was to navigate a rocky ledge which had just enough foot space if we kept one foot in front of the other. And the undergrowth on the left of the ledge seemed strong and well rooted enough to be used as a guardrail. We debated a bit amongst ourselves to assess whether it was worth the risk. There was absolutely no wind, the plants seemed strong and we were in pretty good shape. Furthermore, we had the opportunity to leave our sacks and tents on the ledge we were currently on. Not like anyone’s going to come and steal them.

Prishan went first. Indika and I followed and slowly but surely, we went to the very top. The feeling was unexplainable. The view was not as great as from the ledge below. But the elevation was enough cause for celebration. We spent about 15 minutes at the top, chilling and taking in the scenery. Then we commenced our precarious descent back to the Visitor’s Center.

The Bees - aka f***ing party poopers

Our luck was so good that it was bound to turn at some point. And it did when on our way back. While we were lucky to see the beautiful bloom of Nelu flowers in perfect weather conditions, it also brought about an inherent risk that we didn’t account for – Honey bees.

While on our way up, we did hear the ominous buzz of bees that were collecting pollen from the newly

bloomed Nelu flowers. At times the buzz grew louder and I was feeling a little uneasy all throughout. But we figured that if we walked silently and made no sudden sounds, we should be able to go through safely. And it worked on the way up. So we adopted the same principle on our way back.

However, this is when we found out that there was a flaw in our approach. Obviously being silent and discreet is not enough to satisfy the queen bee and her henchmen that they’re safe from human invasion. We were walking in single file through the Nelu forest. Prishan at the front, myself in middle and Indika bringing up the rear – when suddenly I heard a multitude of loud bee sounds right in my ear.

At first I just heard the very loud buzz and a split second later, I felt it. I don’t know how many, but a group of bees stung me on my neck. Instinctively I flayed my arms all over and covered my face while shouting a warning to Prishan and Indika. But the buzz kept getting stronger and the stings kept getting faster. By now my entire back and neck area was under attack. We tried to brush them off and continue on the hike but that proved to be futile. Finally Indika suggested that we make a run for it. There was no time to weigh in the risks or the difficulty of such an action. There was so much more to go and the end of the forest was also somewhat distant. We took a split second to hitch up our gear and made an absolute complete mad dash for the exit from this bee infested forest. Mind you, we were not in the best of physical shape by this time. The backpacks were heavy and were weighing us down considerably. But the love of life and the reluctance to have our cause of death etched as ‘stung to death by bees’ on our gravestones gave us new found adrenaline. We panted, shouted, fumbled in the mud and ran for dear lives. At one point my foot got completely entrenched in a strong blob of mud and I couldn’t take my foot out. The bees seemed to realise that I was unable to move and caught up to unleash their finest stings. I remember shouting out some of the choicest words in my vocabulary through sheer pain, anger and fear. I tossed my camera to Prishan, removed my foot off my shoe, took the shoe out of the mud and forced my foot back into the shoe – all the time being stung by angry bees.

We reached the end of the first stretch of the forest and came to the plains. I don’t know what we did to anger the bees so much so that they felt that adequate retribution was not unleashed yet on the three of us. They circled and stung us all along the plains as well. At this point I removed my T shirt and started waving it around like a South American footballer who just scored the winning goal. This was a win-lose approach. I was able to swat away some of them, but it left my body exposed to more and more bee stings. Then somehow, this image of 13 cricketers and two umpires lying flat along the ground while a sea of bees flew above them came into my mind (Thanks ESPN!). Immediately I shouted the instruction to Prishan and Indika and laid flat across the ground. They followed suit.That didn’t work either. The bees found it easier to move down on the stationery figures lying down on the ground – and I still I had my t-shirt off. Eventually we said ‘F*** this! Let’s make a run for it!’

I managed to put my T-shirt back on and we ran. We ran and ran and ran until we could run no more. Then it seemed that we had actually outrun the bees. We had to sacrifice all our energy reserves in the process – but we were safe and alive.

By now we had almost reached the Belihul Oya stream that we crossed on our way up. We paused for a moment to get our bearings and breath back. The backpack seemed heavier than ever and my legs were killing me. Muscles that I never knew existed were screaming for attention. Add to that the little boils that were popping up all over our bodies and we looked as if we just made a run for freedom from Alcatraz. It took us four hours to get to the top. We came down in one and a half.

Without dwelling on the incident further, we mustered up the little strength we had and made our way to the Visitor’s Centre. Once at the Visitor’s Centre, we took stock of our damage. Prishan took out a couple of stingers from my skin and Indika took out about 20 stingers from his T Shirt. Thankfully we were fully clothed at the time with very little skin exposed. For a good 10 minutes or so we just sat and recounted what just happened and we all agreed that we had a lucky break. They were Honey bees – not the Wasps that kill people in Sigiriya. But nevertheless that was not pleasant. I’m blogging two weeks after the incident. The boils have almost disappeared and we’ve had absolutely no side effects. To this day we don’t know what made the bees believe we were Americans trying to take over their hive. But it’s a thing of the past now and an experience of a lifetime. (Man! Do we have some good stories for our grand kids!)

The campsite

After sufficient recovery, we gathered our belongings and made our way to the World’s End entrance gate. We got the permit to camp in Campsite 2 and it was about a kilometre up the World’s End trail. Nature has

a way of paying back what it takes from us. So we were elated to find out that our Campsite was right beside the renowned Chimney Pool – a branch of Belihul Oya which has been designed by engineers to form a combination of a small waterfall/pool. The time must’ve been just past 3pm or so. No better time to shun our clothes and dip into the ice cool waters of Belihul Oya. Now that was certainly refreshing. I, the one who normally cannot stand cold water was unable to make up my mind to come out of the pool. It was that good.

Evening came. Still no mist and we were pretty pleased about it. The lack of mist meant that our visibility was increased many fold and that allowed us to take in the breathtaking landscape that we have now become addicted to. We pitched up our tent and settled into rest and relax. Our bodies needed it after the eventful afternoon.

As night fell we were rested and back to our usual spirits. But as usual, the nights at this elevation turn very chilly very fast. We zipped ourselves inside our tent and had some dinner. Then we had an enjoyable chat till we all felt sleepy enough. At one point we heard a noise outside our tent. So we opened up one side – torches in hand.

And there it was. The most beautiful night sky I had seen in a long long time. We were on Horton Plains – no buildings or massive structures around us. Just the plain flat land. So you can imagine the amount of sky that we were able to see. We saw the ENTIRE sky at 360 degrees, riddled with pearl like glowing stars strewn haphazardly across a black blanket. The North Star shone bright and shiny right above and in front of us. At that point I realised how lucky some of us are to be able to witness the amazing artistry that nature has to offer and how some of us spend our entire years not realising what they’re missing by never going outdoors.

The return

Apart from the occasional sound of an Elk very close to our tent the night was uneventful. We woke up at about 5.30 in the morning. The journey back is long. 11 kilometers to Pattipola to catch the 11.30 or 1 pm train back to Colombo. So we packed up fast and walked back to the Visitor’s Centre. We downed a hot plain tea from the canteen, had some breakfast that we brought along and at about 8 am started the trek back to Pattipola on the World’s End – Pattipola road.

We initially had plans to summit Thotupala Kanda as well. It was a pretty short and easy hike from the road we were on and we could still be back in time to catch the 1 pm train. We reached the turnoff to Thotupala Kanda and we could see the beautiful Nelu flowers lining the little trail on both sides. For some reason, I saw an uncanny resemblance in this image to the scenes of ‘The Last Samurai’. It was that beautiful. But as the age old saying goes ‘Once bitten, twice shy’. Literally that made sense. We could hear the faint buzz of the honey bees in the distance. We decided to skip Thotupala Kanda for another day and continued on our way to the station uneventfully.

And thus ended one of the most memorable hikes we’ve ever done. Bee attack or not, our love for nature and hiking was cemented even stronger and we hope to do another one before much time elapses. Pictures of this hike can be found on my Flickr profile right here or on Prishan’sFlickr profile here. I can be reached on ceylontripper@gmail.com  if you need more info on anything relevant.

Until the next time then.

Travel well, travel safe