Not just another name on the map

Nestled high in the southern portion of the central hills of Sri Lanka, near the confluence of the Uva, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces, is an ecological jewel known as Horton Plains National Park. A mere 3,160 hectares in extent, this enchanting mixture of patana (grassland) and sub-montane wet evergreen forest is part of a larger expanse which connects in the west with the Peak Wilderness Sanctuary.

Known locally for generations as Mahaweli (or sometimes Mahaeliya), meaning 'the great plain" in Sinhalese, the present moniker commemorates Sir Robert Horton who was the British governor of Ceylon from 1831-37.

The story unfolds that in January 1836 a meeting was arranged at Mahaweli between Horton, on his way to Nuwara Eliya, and the Ratemahatmaya (chief headman) of Sabaragamuwa Province. The meeting was a resounding success with much rejoicing, morphing into a night of unbridled revelry.

Sometime during the celebrations a rogue spark kissed the cadjan thatch of the Ratemahatmaya's massive camp and when the light camp and when the light of dawn suffused the plain all that remained of the structure were still-smouldering beams and blackened ashes.

Long renowned as an excellent hunting area, where at one time the quarry included the now extinct hill country elephant, Horton Plains was gazetted as a Nature Reserve in 1969. This status was upgraded to that of a National Park - the only one in the hill country - in 1988, in recognition of the area's unsurpassed importance as a unique ecological zone, a cradle of endemic biodiversity and the watershed for some of the country's most important waterways.

In fact, the Agra Oya is the source stream for Sri Lanka's longest river, the Mahaweli Gnaga, the Belihul Oya fulfils that role for the southward flowing Walawe Ganga, and the Bogawanthala Oya is reckoned to be the source of the Kelani Ganga, which meets the sea just north of Colombo.

In addition to providing the beginnings of three of Sri Lanka's notable rivers, Horton Plains National Park also encompasses both the second and third highest mountains on the island - Kirigalpotta at 2.393 m and Totupolakanda at 2.359 m.

Undoubtedly the most famous feature of this hill country wonderland is the theatrically named World's End. A sheer escarpment that drops a mind bending 884m. it provides a dramatic vista over the southern plains - when not shrouded in mist. The viewpoint is reached by a gentle, winding path that traverses the heart of the plains. Near the head of the trail it wanders past thickets of spiky gorse with their yellow blooms.

These were introduced by the British and are now considered invasive due to their proclivity to rapidly spread. Taking them out of the ecosystem, however, is not a simple matter as a number of endemic species including the horned lizard (Ceratophora stoddarti) have adapted to them and utilize the shade they provide from the rays of the mid-day sun.

Further along, the path threads through areas of forest rampant with nelu (Strobitanthres spp). an understorey shrub crowned with delicate pink flowers. The royal purple binara (Exacum macranthum) flower is one of a number of endemic plants that can be seen in the open areas as is the maha ratmal (Rhododendron arboretum), a tree characterized by startling red clusters of blossom.

The chances of a clear view are at their highest from December to February during the early morning as thin, misty wisps tend to transform into billowing sheets that obscure everything by noon.

Even when the mist does roll in it infuses the atmosphere with a captivating sense of mystery and there are other attractions to enthral visitors.

Crystal clear streams meander through the grasslands alive with darting small fish and scuttling freshwater crabs, while in the crisp mountain air a wide variety of birds, many endemic, flitter and glide.

These include the Sri Lanka white-eye (Zosterops ceylonensis) the yellow-eared bulbul (Pycnonotus penicilatus) and the Sri Lanka whistling thrush (Myiophonus blighi) the latter a much sought-after prize in bird-watching circles that is sometimes seen at the picturesque Arrenga Pool a few hundred metres before the entrance gate.

In the lush, richly textured forest the elevation-induced combination of cold nights, strong winds, mist and frost forces even emergent trees to bend and huddle, resulting in dwarf woodland characterized by twisted limbs protruding from gnarled trunks. Even the leaves take on an unusual character growing small and fleshy in order to reduce heat loss and thereby counteract the unforgiving elements.

Early in the morning the booming calls of purple-faced langurs (Trachypithecus vetulus monticola) echo across the stillness announcing the beginning of another day's foraging.

The sub-species particular to these ratified heights is known locally as the bear monkey because of its unusually dense coat evolved in order to ward off the persistent night chill. Jet black giant squirrels (Ratufa macrours) also inhabit this realm as do barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), fishing cats (Felis viverrinus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa).

Much of the vast plains were utilized for potato cultivation early in the previous century. thus destroying naturally occurring patana species such as tuttiri (Chrysopogon zeylanicum). When protective measures were introduced these areas were colonized by the opportunistic and exotic kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) earlier introduced from Africa by cattle farming colonials in the 19th century.

The large herds of sambhur (Cervus unicolor) that dwell in these highland forests appreciate the succulent nature of this grass and sizeable numbers can often be seen browsing the verdant hillsides.

The Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) also calls this park home. On occasion, one of these predators can be met with after dark, on the roadside, as it stalks cautiously towards the feeding sambhur. On my last visit to the area, I came across fresh spoor on the path leading to World's End and then some slightly older scat on the rock overlooking the drop itself.

Another old British colonial whose name is forever linked with the area is Sir Samuel Baker, a keen sportsman of the day when "sport" meant the wanton destruction of wildlife through hunting. Before earning fame and glory for "discovering" one of the sources of the Nile in East Africa, Baker spent eight years in Ceylon.

Despite being partly responsible for the elimination of the elephant from these habitats he is commemorated through the attachment of his name to a small partly concealed waterfall in the midst of the forest. Today, Baker's Falls is a highlight of the World's End trek where weary walkers can frolic in the shallows below the shimmering cascade refreshing aching limbs and revitalizing sagging spirits.

Most frequently approached from Nuwara Eliya via the sprawling paturelands of Ambewela and rail stop at Pattipola, Horton Plains can also be accessed by road from Haputale via Ohiya to the east and with a four-wheel drive from Agrapatana via Diyagama to the west. The main route involves a series of steep hairpin bends that challenge most vehicles with their sharpness and intensity.

This ensures that anyone interested in visiting the Park must make a concerted effort. Once accessed however the reward is a magical world of stunted multi-hued forest interspersed with the undulating plains.

Unlike anywhere else in the country, Horton Plains is of tremendous significance for its extraordinary natural splendour, its ecological importance and its aura of other worldliness that makes it once visited much more than just another quaint name on a crowded map.

(Courtesy TravelSriLanka)