World’s End
World’s End panorama. View large
World’s End is a large cliff in the middle of Horton Plain’s national park. Peeing off it has been one of the more satisfactory experiences of my adult life. You have to trudge through what seems like an active river bed to get there but, God willing the clouds will have parted by then. They say you can see to the sea on a good day. On ours you could see snakey roads and lakes like puddles.
It is, however, a long and rather difficult walk, like 5km there and about 4 or so back, depending how you go. In parts it is amazing, open plains like you never see anywhere else. There are these spiky plant balls with elk (?) roaming in them. We tried to sneak up on some. I broke into a sprint, running on top of the plants without ever touching the ground. Until I fell on my face and scared the samba away.
Coming back it began to get dreadfully, invisibly dark. We crossed some bridges and gradually some some white jacket in the distance, made it home in a stumbling, soggy pack. They made some fried rice, dhal, potato, and chicken which we ate by candlelight in the foggy darkness. Thumpa thump back home down windy misty hills. This is hill country.
the other trek nearby, definitely more arduous but infinitely more rewarding, is the one to Kirigalpoththa, SL’s 2nd highest peak. Also starts off through horton plains. Takes about 6 hours for the round trip trek.
Yeah, some say Elk, some say Sambhur… dunno if there’s any real difference…most use it interchangeably….
Here’s a snap of one on the Horton Plains World End walk – http://anushwij-photos.blogspot.com/2010/02/curious-beast.html
Nice photos but the dude sucks, nice view though. You should enjoy and post more smiles like the first photo!
Super panaromic photos from World’s End with Balathoduwa and Gonmolli Kanda in the background!
http://kirigalpoththa.blogspot.com/2010/04/paradise-for-hiker.html
Oh man Ive done the whole Horton Plains hike about 3 times now, every time I tell myself Im never doing it again but yet I still keep coming back. If my memory serves me right, the hike from the entrance to Worlds End and then across to Bakers Falls and then back to the main gate is in entire about 15 kms, but I could be mistaken. Tiring but fun, especially with a bunch of your best mates.