The Pekoe Trail - Stage 12 - Udaweriya to Haputale - Official Profile

IMPORTANT NOTE: The stage is walkable and signposted. Look out for orange circles with a white arrow. Trail users are advised to consider all the information available and to heed local advice when available. The services of a professional mountain guide are recommended. Trail users are responsible for all decisions as to the trail routes, trail conditions, weather, and safety. In addition to the hazards posed by steep terrain and mountain weather, hikers should be prepared for difficult route-finding and challenging trail conditions, dogs, leaches, heavy rain, intermittent thunderstorms, and plenty of sun. It is recommended to drink at least 1/2 litter of water per hour when hiking. Access to emergency medical care and rescue is not always immediately available.

-----------------
DESCRIPTION OF THE STAGE

Today is one of The Pekoe Trail's most exciting days. The Udaweriya Valley is one of the most remote valleys in the tea country. Some call it the Hidden Valley. The valley looks over the south of Sri Lanka and on a clear day you may just make out the ocean. The views are truly amazing, no doubt some of the best in the tea country.

We start at the old derelict tea factory. The first 1.7 km of the trail is within the Udaweriya Valley. At the 1.7 km point, you peak at a tea trail crossroads with an old house and that is your highest point of the day at an elevation of 1948 meters. Look out for a friendly family of goats at the top. This valley seems so remote it seems lost in time. You will no doubt attract the looks and smiles of curious villagers.

From here to Haputale is mostly a long, slow, gradual descent. Take the direction marked on your GPRS and follow the road down. Very soon you will reach an abandoned village. If it were populated this would qualify no doubt as one of the most remote villages in the tea country. The track you are on saddles the lowlands to your right and the UVA bowl to your left. How on earth did those planters and engineers build this seemingly impossible track back in the day?

Once you pass the village the tea trail becomes a walking path. This path was used by the local folk to go from Udaweriya down towards Idalgashina and Haputale but since the nearby village was abandoned the trail is not as well maintained as it was a few years back.

At the 3 km point, the trail penetrates a stretch of high-elevation tropical forest for approximately 1 km that resolves into a pine forest, bizarre as it sounds. Be prepared for a narrow jungle path for approximately 500 meters and watch out for a few slippery sections. The contrast is mind-blowing. The trail through the pine forest is an absolute delight. Time to look at your GPRS carefully and make sure you stay on track as you exit the forest at the 4.1 km mark. You may need to navigate your way around a few fallen trees.

You need to stay on track here as it is very easy to lose your way. If you find yourself following a tea trail down the valley you are on the wrong trail. You will lose elevation quickly and end up having to walk to Idalgashinna Train station on the railway line which is not ideal. The Pekoe Trail follows a track through the forest to the train station. You must follow your GPS carefully.

The Idalgashinna Train Station sits on a ridge, another incredible feat of engineering built-in 1893. The railway station is located on a hilltop separating the southern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka on the very border of two climatic zones. The views from the station are stunning: to the north, we look out towards Boralanda and Welimada and Udu Pussellawa and to the south, we look out towards Beragala and down to the coast at Hambantota and the Udawalawa National Park.

The next kilometer is on the train tracks, inevitably. If a train is on the way you will hear it a long time before you see it. There is plenty of room on both sides of the train track, so stay clear. There is however a tunnel you must go through - there is no other way. Not ideal but not a major problem. Just do it as quickly as you can - it's approximately 100 meters long, and only takes a minute or so to pass through. Soon enough you're on the trail again zig-zagging down towards Beragala on a reasonably well-marked trail. Be sure to descend to Beragala if it’s too foggy or looks tricky. This area is prone to thunderstorms and the trail can be slippery.

From here on we walk towards Haputale on a well-established trail tracing the southern side of the ridge. The views to the south are fabulous all the way but do be careful with the exposure to the sun as there’s not a lot of shade here. At the 13.5 KM point, we pass by a small village set in this amazing location. If you need to descend this is a good exit point.

From this point it’s a gradual 2km mild descent to the junction where the Pekoe Trail joins the main road to Haputale but be warned it's a busy road.

At 14 km point, the trail descends onto the railway for the last few hundred meters. Unfortunately, there is no other way that works well. You might choose to take a tuk-tuk to the end (although for some that's cheating). Today's hike ends at Haputale Station.

Some of you might like to visit Adisham Bungalow which is directly over the hill on the other (northern) side of the ridge – a short tuk-tuk ride from where the Pekoe Trail meets the main road - at the 15.3 KM point. The house was built in 1931 by an English aristocrat and planter Sir Thomas Villiers, former Chairman of George Steuart & Co., a trading and estate agency based in Colombo. Sir Thomas was a grandson of Lord John Russell and a descendant of the Dukes of Bedford. Named after Adisham, it was designed by R. Booth and F. Webster in Tudor and Jacobean style, on 10 acres (40,000 m2) of land. Adisham Hall hosted many prominent personalities of the colony until the retirement of Sir Thomas. In 1961 it was purchased by the Roman Catholic Church and was subsequently converted to a monastery. The house is well preserved along with its period fittings and furniture and is open to visitors.