An abrupt drop of about 1000 metres at World’s End affords beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
Clambering over rocks, gullies and muddy, slippery paths, it takes all my attention to concentrate on where to place my feet, to keep my balance, to avoid slipping and falling, and to strategize about where to place the next few steps. Whew! This is more of a trek than a walk. Our goal is to reach the mountain viewpoints called World’s End and Mini World’s End in Horton Plains National Park. I lag behind partly because the going is a bit rough and partly because I do like to stop and look at the surroundings and take pictures, such as these Sri Lankan sambar deer and a mongoose:
It begins innocuously enough, with a flat plain and a muddy, but gently upward sloping path.
It soon transforms into an impossibly uneven and slippery route that has suffered from the latest heavy rainfall. I thank goodness my boots are waterproof as I step into a hole filled with water, almost losing my balance, and curse myself for having forgotten my walking sticks back at the hotel.
Despite the challenges, I find time to take a few shots of the wildlife, including delicate flowers, a green lizard with a very long tail and a browsing Sri Lankan sambar deer:
At Mini-World’s End we take a well-earned rest and enjoy the spectacular views. By the time we reach World’s End a few hundred metres further onwards and upwards, it has clouded over, as is so often the case here, apparently.
Walking back down is almost as challenging and by the time we reach the hotel I am totally knackered.
