Steps of Sinharaja- Sinhagala and Mulawella trails

Year and Month	2016 February 06th-Sinhagala trail 2014 December 23rd –Other trails
Number of Days	Two separate days
Crew	03-Myself, Gayan and guide 03-Myself, Shalika and guide
Accommodation	Previous day night at Ella Rest Waddagala (වැද්දාගල) before Sinhagala trail T.P:0717319155 Following day night at Rock view Motel Waddagala T.P: 0777714024
Transport	Three wheeler, Walking, Climbing and bus
Activities	Trekking and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Kalawana->Waddagala->Kudawa (කුඩව)->Sinhagala (සිoහ ගල) and Mulawella (මුලාවැල්ල) trails->Back along the same route to Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	It is a non official rule to start the journey as early as possible. Therefore they advice to be at the entrance at least by 6 am. After 7 am they don’t allow to climb Sinhagala even though you are a climbing champion or without any forest department contacts. Ticket office opens at 5.45 am. Total distance for Sinhagala is 14 Km. Last 1-1.5Km out of this 14 Km is a continuous steep ascend. Rest of the journey is almost along flat section with minor ascends and descend. There are enough places to fill your water bottles. No water in last 1-1.5 km. Better carry 1 liter bottle per person. As Sinharaja is a rain forest these water streams last even in drought. Follow some leech protection method: Either Leech socks or leech repellents. Alum was proven as best in this time as well. During dry season there are less but can be seen. What we did: We had our breakfast before the journey and managed with one packet of Jumbo peanuts. If you want can bring more food. There is a well paved foot pathway till top of Sinhagala. Though there is a clear foot pathway we have to get a guide as a rule. For Sinhagala trail official charge is Rs 1400 without tickets. Better give a tip to the guide in addition to official payment. Mulawella trail doesn’t need much time. You can couple it with some other trails
Related Resources	Trip reports on Sinhagala climbing Lakdasun trail guides on Sinhagala Climbing and Mulawella
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Steps of Sinharaja- Sinhagala and Mulawella trails

Sinharaja Rain Forest

Sinharaja Forest Reserve is the most famous rain forest of the country. This tropical rain forest is a living heritage. Bio diversity of the forest is very high and a large proportion of the flora in this forest is endemic to the country and some endemic to the Sinharaja Forest itself. This is a very good place to see many endemic birds. There are clear cut roads in to the jungle provide easy access to the forest. This important forest is a Man and Biosphere Forest reserve and it is considered as a World Heritage Site. It is situated in the south-west lowland wet zone of Sri Lanka, within Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces. It is bounded on the north by the Napola Dola and Koskulana Ganga, on the south and south-west by the Maha Dola and Gin Ganga, on the west by the Kalukandawa Ela and Kudawa Ganga and on the east by an ancient footpath near Beverley Tea Estate and by the Denawak Kanda. 6°21′-6°26’N, 80°21′-80°34’E. Sinharaja forest was notified as a national heritage wilderness area on 21 October 1988 (Gazette No. 528/14). The area according to Gazette No. 528/14, the total area of the national heritage wilderness area is 18,899 acres and 12 perches (7,648.2ha). It’s attitude ranges from 300m to 1,170m (Hinipitigala Peak).

Sinhagala is the rock situated within Sinharaja forest, said to be the good view point but not the highest point (highest point of Sinharaja is Hinipitigala Kanda)

We have reached the ticket counter around 6 am and reserved a guide after paying Rs 1400. It was back to back attempt to Sinhagala for 2nd day. First day we came there around 8am and we were not allowed to climb.
Sinhagala trail from Kudawa is 12 Km and it is a relatively flat terrain except last 1-1.5Km of steep ascend. First part of the trail (1.5Km) was a jeep trek and it branched off towards Education center and rest of trekking trails. Next stretch (1.5 km) up to research center was similar to previous section. This part is good for bird watching and we have noticed few bird lovers were patiently waiting there.

Information about Sinharaja

Map of Sinharaja. Two white dots are shown between Kudawa entrance and Sinhagala

Starting the journey in early morning. This clear jeep track can be seen up to research center.

Concrete sections

Ticket checking Office. Here road divides into two. One towards education center and other route to rest of trails.

Directions

The jeep track following ticket office.

The jeep trek following ticket office

Weather was good

A resting place

Morning sun rays kissing the ground

Branching off to the trail of Mulawella

End of jeep track and reaching to research center

Automated forecasting point placed at research center to collect data

Following research center the foot pathway started and we could notice the trekking pathways to Giant Nevada Tree (යෝධ නවෝදා ගස) and Gal Len Yaya (ගල් ලෙන් යාය) started from main track. There were few water streams to be crossed on the way to Sinhagala and respectively called “Kaduna Dola” (කැඩුණ දොල), “Heen dola” (හීන් දොල) and “Kadan dola” (කදන් දොල). After Kadan Dola we started actual hiking to Sinhagala. It was a continuous ascends for 1-1.5Km and ended up at the second highest point of Sinharaja called Sinhagala.
On top of Sinhagala you can have a view towards Pothupitiya (පොතුපිටිය) side and Hiniduma (හිනිදුම) side. Rakwana peaks were visible as second line and no panoramic view from there. We have spent 4 hours to reach the peak and return journey was done in two and half hours.

The pathway to Giant Nevada tree-0.5km from here

Our guide is leading. Note he is wearing leech socks

Obstructed foot pathway

Gal Len Yaya trail started

Nice foot pathway lay on flat section

Passing “Kaduna Dola” -කැඩුණ දොල

This is section is not a primary forest. It is a secondary forest. They have cut the trees upto Sinhagala in old days and replanted trees later

It was nice to walk in a rain forest

Down growth

Weather was perfect

The obstacle has been removed

“Bandura”-බාදුරා

Under the tree

Relatively wide foot pathway-evidence of old jeep track up to Sinhagala

Flora of rain forest

“Heen Dola”-හීන් දොල

Crossing another water stream

Tree canopy

Crossing another water stream

Before starting of actual hike

Ants

Climbing up…..

A land mark

Last few steps before the peak

On top of the peak….View towards Pothupitiya side and rest of Sinharaja rain forest

View towards Pothupitiya side and Rakwana Mountains were seen in second line

View from top of the peak

Towards Hiniduma side

Two man team on the peak

With the guide

Having a break on top….

The foot pathway to Pitadeniya is marked in white arrow and yellow arrow shows the way to Kudawa

Getting down

Quick return journey

Jungle Fowl-National bird of Sri Lanka. It is endemic to Sri Lanka. Commonly seen in Sinharaja rain forest

Female of Jungle Fowl

Other trails
1. Giant Navada Tree
This is the trail from (0.5 km from main track and 5 km from entrance) to an endemic big tree called Navada. At the time of measurement it was 43 m tall and 6.5 m in circumference.

Giant Navada trail

Crossing a water stream

The bridge

Giant Navada tree

Information

How big compared to us

Giant Navada tree

Sinharaja forest is famous for Butterflies as well.

2. Mulawella trail
The distance from ticket center is 4 Km. At the end you will get on to a rock where you can have a nice panoramic view of surrounding area. I think view point is better than Sinhagala view point.