Climbing with the Devil
Exploring an island nation’s mountains, valleys and tea plantations
Wet, dark and deeply moody – that was the first impression Ella made on me. It was nighttime when I clambered off the long distance train to meet her, high up in the mountains of Sri Lanka. Ella is, of course, a town, which I’d stumbled upon by near pure chance. I say “near,” which means an educated guess and a small amount of research.
Following a couple of days of extremely scenic and sweaty mixed-terrain riding toward Little Adam’s Peak, I saddled up and hit the road in search of an epic ride around Ella and through the surrounding tea plantations. The marked white roads were rarely surfaced and were granny-gear killers in some places. Pine forests, plantations and wild, open grassland – they were all drawing me into the mountains.
There are plenty of cycling itineraries posted online, but they tend to follow the well-trodden routes. A simple right or left turn off the main track, however, will lead you to places few travellers ever see. You’ll ride into big adventures and really see the place.
Somewhat reluctantly, I left Ella and hopped the train to the one-cow outpost of Ohiya, where I’d booked a room in a remote tea planter’s bungalow. I wanted to
“It just got rougher and wilder with every grind of the granny ring, a small slice of aluminum that saw more wear than it had in years as I rode the baby-size rocks that paved the mountainside trail.”
head off-piste through these vibrantly carpeted green landscapes. Along the way, I saw mention of the Devil’s Staircase, which became the focus of my visit to Ohiya.
As the early morning mist swirled around the mountains, I rode deep into the valley, though tiny Tamil tea-pickers’ settlements and tea terraces. The scenery and the terrain were daunting and alluring. I just knew that I was in for a big day, and a date with the Devil.
The surfaces were rocky and rutted. It just got rougher and wilder with every grind of the granny ring, a small slice of aluminum that saw more wear than it had in years as I rode the baby-size rocks that paved the mountainside trail.
There were no foreigners here, just the bemused and excited tea pickers. I’d truly never anticipated finding such wild and epic stuff in Sri Lanka. This was a big mountain day to match the very best.
There were 30 steep switchbacks on the final scramble through the highly technical grunt up the Staircase. The mist shrouded the way as I suffered like a wild hog on a spit and loved every damn minute of it – well, apart from the one-hour killer blow that was the climb back out of the valley.
Details
Choosing a bike After having tackled Sri Lanka on a mountain bike, I returned later with a touring bike. It enabled me to cover more road miles while still taking in the easier-grade trails. The touring bike would be my ideal choice.
When to go Different regions of Sri Lanka endure different monsoon seasons. Without a doubt, the best time to visit the mountains is between October and April, when it’s mostly dry and warm. It’s also usually dry and good to ride around the Ella region from June to September.
Getting there and about Many major airlines serve the capital, Colombo. Reaching Ella and the other hill towns is easy by rail; you can take your bike along, too. From Colombo, it’s an all-day train journey, which is one of the most scenic rail journeys on Earth. Try to take the morning train, and book the Expo Rail ( exporail.lk) observation train. It’s cheap and a great ride. You can take your boxed bike in the same carriage without any worries.
Where to stay Prices vary dramatically. Expect to pay around $10 for a basic dorm bed, $25 for a decent ensuite guest house room and at least four times that for an exclusive colonial bungalow. Ella is slightly cheaper than many places. A great place to stay is the Dream Café ( dreamcafeandguesthouseella.com), which costs around $25. For something really special, try the Planter’s Bungalow ( plantersbungalow.com) where rates are between $85–$120. The location is quite magical. In Ohiya, a great option is the Hill Safari Eco Lodge ( hill-safari-eco-lodge-ohiyasri-lanka.en.ww.lk). It’s just above the ride to the Devil’s Staircase.
Eating and drinking Curry and rice is where it’s at in Sri Lanka. Although, you may find that you get fed up with eating it three times a day. Huge great portions with several dishes are usually served, which are not as spicy as you might expect. Rotikuttu is a favourite fast food, which is basically a roti and mixed side ingredients all finely chopped up. Breakfast is often made of string hoppers (fresh brown rice noodles) or plain hoppers (a lightly fried roti-style bread).
Essentials Take your own bike and spares. There are no real bike shops outside of the Colombo area. Visas are available on arrival for many nationalities, but it’s much easier to apply online in advance. It only takes a few minutes at the Sri Lankan government’s website ( eta.gov.lk). You’ll be able to arrange a 30-day stay. Decent road maps are widely available. Local trail maps are available at guest houses in Ella and other towns. You can get a 3G sim card at the airport and coverage is pretty good. Do not rely too much on local route advice. In rural areas, many people have no idea what’s around the next bend. It’s a good idea to write down the names of where you want to go and show people. Watch out for the crazy bus drivers. Get out of the way when you hear them coming.
Tea trail time
Out of Ella Superb roads, tea and trails can be found all through the mountains and tea plantations of this area with some great off-road links toward the Badulla via Passara. Lipton’s Seat This 16-km rough road climb takes you through tea plantations. From Haputale, there are loads of great rides also found in and around the plantations here. Devil’s Staircase This is a truly challenging off-road ride from Ohiya. The trail is just beneath the World’s End cliff in Horton Plains National Park. The Staircase is a cobbled twister of a climb, which can be linked into many other routes.