Camping at eastern edge of central Hills-Cocogalla Mini World’s End

Sri Lanka has one great world’s end and more than five Mini world’s ends. Passara Mini World’s end / Pitamaruwa Mini world’s end is one of the fascinating drops I have seen. I have been at this beautiful place in 2014 and this time I wanted to camp there with friends.

Passara Mini WE? Or Pitamaruwa Mini WE? Or Cocogalla Mini World’s End?
The term Passara Mini World’s end and Pitamaruwa (පිටමාරුව) Mini World’s end are commonly used but I think Cocogalla Mini World’s end is the correct name. Because Pitamaruwa is situated 8km away from Mini world’s end Cocogalla is the closest village to Mini World’s end. Passara is the main town closer to this drop but situated more than 40km far.
From here onwards I use Cocogalla World’s End rather than Passara/ Pitamaruwa.

Click image to enlarge. Black star shows exact location of Cocogalla Mini world’s end. Map it mention as Dorapodakanda.

We reached Passara town at early morning with planning of two days trip. The weather was not ideal to do hikes and area has been shattered with rain in last few days. Passara town took a time to wake up and our first objective of the day was to hike Lunubissa (ලුණුබිස්ස) peak which was looking at Passara town. We were able to finish the hike by afternoon and came back to Madolsima road to catch 12.30pm Pitamaruwa bus. There were two buses came together and they were in a race to collect passengers. The bus we got in was packed with people but cleared well at Madolsima. Gloomy weather has been changed to brighten sunny day when we passed Madolsima.
Bus has stopped for a while at Ambalama junction (අම්බලම හන්දිය) where Lunugala road joins with Madolsima-Pitamaruwa road. It was the lunch time but we had to satisfy with sweets and fizzy drinks. We didn’t forget to collect rest of the things for camping at Ambalama junction.
There was one kilometer walk from main road to Cocogalla world’s end. It was around 3pm when we reached this beautiful place where lower parts were covering with clouds for the day. Setting of this mini world’s end has been changed last few years. A fence was built around the view point for protection of viewers and the view point is cleared to facilitate large number of people. There was a summer hut few years ago but I couldn’t find a trace of it now.

Cocogalla Mini World’s End (Pitamaruwa Mini WE/ Passara Mini WE)
Sheer drop of eastern edge of central hills-Lunugala (2465feet) creates this beautiful place. Cocogalla Mini World’s end can be reached by three ways: There is a road from Lunugala via Janathapura. Another road is from Madolsima and these two roads meet each other at Ambalama junction to make common path to Cocogalla Mini world’s end. You can reach the Mini world’s end from Badulla-Ekiriya side as well. It is situated at Roeberry tea estate and descent is about 1250feet. The most immediate village at the base of this drop is called Dorabada; therefore people call it “Dorabada Pathalaya” (දොරබොද පාතාලය) as well.
In a clear day you can watch landmarks till eastern shore and peaks at knuckles range even. The margin between Badulla and Moneragala district also goes along the world’s end.

The place was enough to set two tents and a water source was found on our way to Mini world’s end. There were enough firewood at closer to tea estate and it was well enough to set a campfire at night. Night was not much cold as we expected. Lights at Bibile and Mahiyangana area illuminated like stars of night sky. Another group of visitors also arrived there at night to just have a visit there.

Weather was perfect when we reached there

Sheer drop…

Elamanna World’s End is covering with mist

Kotagama village with paddies

We set out our tents….

Cocogalla World’s End with it’s unique plate…Mist is coming up

Our two tents

Around camp fire

We had a clear sun rise at next day morning and it was an ideal day to identify all the surrounding landmarks. I was able to identify Namal Oya, Gal Oya forest reserves, peaks of Amapara-Wadinagala, Walasgala, Friars Hood, Inginiyagala, Deegalhela, Govinda Hela etc. And we were able to view Sorabora Wewa, Dambarawa Wewa, Rathkinda Ulhitiya reservoir, Galpadihela and Hetakatuwegala, Kokagala etc.

Good morning…

Awaiting for sun rise

Awaiting for sun rise

This is an ideal place to watch sun rise as it is the eastern end of central hills.

Highest point of world’s end. According to Ashan’s report there was a proposal to build a hotel here.

Sun rise over eastern shore

Sun rise over eastern shore

Sun rise over eastern shore

It is the time for unlimited selfies and photos

Now it is cleared well

Enjoying the sun rise

Bathing with sun rays…

Enjoying the sun rise…

Towards rest of Roeberry estate

The path to Mini World’s end…

Danger Abyss…

Sun rays touching Eastern province

Surrounding view…

Galpadihela and Hetakatuwegala are most far line…

Nearby lake

Ulhela and Bambaragala at Makare. Eastern shore is seen far away.

Eastern edge of central hills

Dambarawa Lake-closer one, Sorabora Lake-right upper one

Galoya reservoir

Namal Oya and Gal Oya forest reserve

Nagadeepa Lake (closer one) , Kokagala-upper right, Rathkinda and Ulhitiya reservoir-upper left

Group photo at back ground of central hills

Group photo at back ground of central hills

Mountains extend to central hills and lowland belongs to Karagahawela-Bibile where we descend

Looking at his territory-Bibile

Enjoying…

Good bye Cocogalla Mini world’s end

After having breakfast we cleared the camp site but noted fair amount of polytheen and papers around the fence of the world’s end. But we didn’t have a bag to collect them. Our next target was to either descend to Bible from Mini world’s end or to hike DS rock at Roeberry estate. Due to lack of time we decided to climb DS rock rather than trekking to Bibile. I was happy about that decision as it made me to visit this awesome place for third time.

Third visit to Cocogalla Mini World’s end
It was my back to back visit to Mini world’s end after a month. I had three objectives of this trip;
1. Visit at Elamanna Mini world’s end
2. Garbage Collection at Cocogalla Mini World’s end
3. Trekking to Bibile-Karagahawela
This was a second day of two days trip and we have stayed at Badulla last night. We have reached Passara by 6 am waited for Cocogalla bus till 6.30am. Again it was a brighten day and we had to walk about 3km from the destination of bus to reach Cocogalla Mini world’s end. We didn’t feel tired when we go along Roeberry estate as it was so beautiful. I didn’t pay much attention to capture sceneries from world’s end.

Cocogalla tea factory

The giant of Uva-Namunukula

Entering to Roeberry Estate. Nuwan (blue T shirt) shows the way to Mini WE. Nirosh shows the foot pathway to reach DS rock.

Cocogalla towers.

Beauty of Roeberry Estate

Another cross section of Uva and Randenigala

Second highest of Uva-Narangala

Path to Cocogalla Mini World’s end

View of Dorabadagama- Bibile through Mini World’s end window.

Garbage collection at Cocogalla World’s End
Actually it took about half an hour to collect almost all stuff around Mini World’s end.

Friends helped me in garbage collection

Elamana Mini World’s End
After enjoying the beauty of Mini world’s end we started the next part of the journey. We had to visit Mini World’s end-II which is situated at Elamanna, called Elamanna World’s end. You can approach directly from Cocogalla WE to Elamanna WE. But we selected round way to reach WE-II as we can enjoy the scenic view of greenish Robbery estate. As it was a brightened day my pictures were decorated with blue and green combination. Elamanna World’s End provides a better view compared to Cocogalla World’s End.

Back to Roeberry estate

Beautiful Roeberry estate

Beautiful Roeberry estate

This road is heading to Pitamaruwa

Elamana

Foot path to Cocogalla World’s End

Elamana Mini world’s end / Mini world’s end-II

Feeling happy at Elamana World’s end

Like Velvet…

Paddies at Bibile

View of Mini World’s End-I from Elamana Mini WE

Surrounding view-Eastern slope of central hills

Photo of same lake

At drop….

Trekking from Mini World’s end to Bibile
This was the last stretch of the journey. Though Ashan’s report mentions it as a foot pathway, recently it has been widened as an estate road. Actually there has been a proper road from Dehigalla to Karagahawela a long ago and it became a foot pathway covered with Mana on either side.
We started to walk from Elamana to Dehigalla junction which was about 5km along carpeted road. As I mentioned earlier it was nice to walk through scenic Roeberry estate. On our way along the carpet road we have passed Roeberry junction and Rathkele. Soon after Rathkele Kovil we got Pitamaruwa bus (9.30am from Passara) and got down at Dehigalla junction.
From here onwards it was all the way down and distance was 8km. It was a scenic gravel road and the only human settlement we came across was Dehigalla village. After Dehigalla village it became a lonely road with acute drops probably road has been developed following the bends of old foot pathway. Light green Mana bushes grown on bare lands added beautiful appearance to this road. Part of Karagahawela estate has been converted to a forest and it has mixed appearance of dry and wet zone forests.
We have reached Karagahawela in 2hours time and had a dip to get rid of tiredness following getting down from World’s end. A villager helped us in finding a threewheel to reach Bibila-Mahiyangana road. It ended the long walk from top of Mini World’s end to its drop.

Few line houses at Elamanna.

It was a winding road with up and downs.

We enjoyed the walking and didn’t wait for the bus.

This is the junction where Roeberry Line houses and Pitamaruwa road separates. Follow right hand side road.

The beauty of Roeberry estate made us to walk.

Rathkale Division of Roeberry Estate

By road

Rathkale Line houses

Rathkale Kovil

Where the real trekking starts

We are entering to Dehigalla Division

Gravel road to Dehigalla Division

Kalu Kale peaks, line houses at Dehigalla and gap to Bibile

Scenic view we had on our way to Dehigalla

On our way to Dehigalla

Dehigalla School

Dehigalla Kovil

The road from Dehigalla to Karagahawela

View of Mini World’s End-1

Mini World’s End-1,2 and Coccagala Towers

The view…

Towards Bibile

All the way down to Karagahawela

It was a winding road with acute drops.

Road side water stream.

Greenish road to Karagahawela.

Reaching Karagahawela. The destination.

At the end of the day. Tarred road to Karagahawela to 5th mile post of Bibile-Mahiyangana road.

Our trek from Dehigalla junction to Karagahawela (8km)

Just to make a list of Mini World’s ends of Sri Lanka-to be updated
1. Deanstone Mini World’s End
2. Pitawala Pathana Mini World’s End
3. Cocogalla / Pitamaruwa / Passara Mini World’s End
4. Hortain plains Mini World’s End
5. Selagama Mini World’s End
6. Hatale Mini World’s End
7. Neeldandahinna Mini world’s End

Thanks for reading