When Batadombalena beckons

An invigorating trek to the foothills of a majestic mountain:

Story and pictures by Mahil Wijesinghe

The mountains beckon. Anyone who has witnessed the resplendence of the Sinharaja rainforest would know the feeling. Just the thought of laying eyes on that brilliant shade of green, found only outside the confines of concrete jungles, raindrops falling unrestrained on your body that strangely rejuvenates your being, and the sight of innumerable small waterfalls, are enough to lure a connoisseur of nature out of his or her comfort zone and send him or her charging into the wilderness.

Armed with Nikon camera and the requisite umbrellas, my two sons and I set out to the Batadombalena Forest Reserve- a trekkers' heaven - located six kilometers from Kuruwita on the Colombo-Ratnapura (A4) road. The Batadombalena mountain range, 460m above sea level, was an intrinsic part of pre-historic Sri Lanka. The massive cave found here has been firmly established as a shelter of a pre-historic human habitation, with archaeologists uncovering evidence of ancient stone tools and skeletal remains inside the cave.

The pre-historic era is generally a lost territory for many of us. But not so in Batadombalena, where the surrounding areas have been declared an archaeological reserve, ensuring the environment has remained unchanged for 30,000 years, or as close as it could get.

Contrasting reality

The dense foliage with its towering trees and the cool cascading streams that dampen the air, provide a contrasting reality of silence and sound, making one wonder if this is how it was in the early day. The forest played an important role in guarding the per-historic cave, and maintaining that sanctuary that is Batadombalena.

We started our trek from the village of Waladura, at the foot of the hill. Life in this charming village, with around two hundred inhabitants is not easy, with many of them eking out a living working in small tea and rubber lands. A few villagers operate roadside boutiques that sell beverages and snack items to visitors to the Batadombalena forest reserve.

The path leading up to the summit winds through a small thicket leading to a robust full-grown forest to rock patches without support railing and finally to the historic Batadombalena cave. But the cave proper is still some distance away, and in any case, there is too much happening around us to think about anything else.

Small waterfalls

A strange buzz in the distance makes me stand and ponder. It is not a sound city dwellers are familiar with, but standing still, taking in the absolute calm of the surrounding I began to understand what the sound was. It had rained heavily a few hours earlier and the sound comes from the constant rumble of the numerous small waterfalls that dot the route, acting like therapy for mind and body. It is only during the rainy season that these wonders come alive, forming little streams that wind through the trees and the creepers found all over the forest.

After trekking for about a half an hour, we reached a plateau of sorts. Actually it is a valley. The rest of the journey is simple but long. Climbing the rocky face, especially during the rainy days, can be very risky, as the rocks get slippery and are hard to get a grip on.After braving this patch and a couple of unintentional slips, mainly due to our impatience, we finally reached the plateau, and were more than well rewarded for our efforts. The view of the valley from this point is simple and breathtaking.

Rich biodiversity

We couldn't even see the Waladura village in the middle of the vast green ocean as the cool stream started its journey from the top of the cave, swollen to its limits, and shimmered its way across the plains.

The summit of the Batadombalena Mountain stood in the distance, looking down majestically at the forest that is home to a rich biodiversity including, the rare endemic Vesak Orchid, which grows only in tropical rainforests in the Sabaragamuwa province.

The one kilometer trek to the Batabombalena cave was quite pleasant. The entire route was filled with dark green forest canopy infested with leeches and mosquitoes. The cave, which had been a Buddhist hermitage at one time, is now deserted. Some of the visitors to the place had marred the walls with unbecoming scribbles. Fortunately, visitors are still spars to this forest reserve, enabling it to retain its immaculate condition. The pristine conditions also remind us of the need to preserve and protect this oasis of beauty, so that the future generation too bask in the glory what it means when history and nature complement each other in a beautifully show of mountain and forest cover.

The various patterns of flora in the Batadombalena Forest Reserve.