My world falls apart… I, an athlete since I was 3 years old (if I remember correctly), the one who could not be still more than 30 minutes or else exploded in the form of a rage and nervous bomb, always with the ball in tow, the one that ended the nap of the neighbors who had to endure at least an hour of boats and throws to the basket, the same one who then saw the Tour de France and with the emotion caught the bicycle to become 70 km without ton nor are they and that I was thinking about a plate of lentils in the last 5 km because I was more hungry than a blind man's dog ... The one who always came to a new place the first way to make friends was to ask for the football team, or basketball, or of badminton ...
There are challenges that I am aware that I can not achieve, at least today, how to finish a marathon or swim several kilometers ... but Ella Rock ???? Pussy if every blog I read looking for information said it was nothing from the other world! I more worried about not getting lost than about reaching its peak. I will not play with not gutting the final, total in the title is very clear, I could not climb Ella Rock!
And then, analyzing it, I realized the mistakes I made, which were several and very silly. So, in order to help those who want to climb this mountain without making a fool of myself, I will give some useful tips and data, in addition to detailing the indications and signs to follow the correct path to reach the top of Ella Rock .
Tips to climb Ella Rock
First of all you have to recognize it, Ella Rock is not Everest! It does not have a maximum difficulty, but some physical form is necessary to reach its peak. After failing in my attempt I consider myself an ideal person to give certain advice, which can be summarized in "do everything I did not do":
- Start early Although Ella is a thousand meters high and at night it cools, during the day temperatures are high. It is best to leave around 8.00 in the morning or even earlier (they say that very early from up there there are very cool views with the clouds still not raised), and not like me, which I did at 9:30.
- Breakfast A strong breakfast is not suitable either but have a drink before leaving ... a coffee with toast, some sweet, a little fruit ... I had an empty stomach since the meal of the previous day!
- Take your time. As a result of going out late, I squeezed quite a bit all the way to recover time: BAD! It is best to go quiet, although the first part is flat do not trust, because if you go to all milk you will be energized.
- Do not miss. If you follow the instructions that I will give you later, there is no room for possible loss along the way. I got lost at the first exchange and I was walking more than 30 minutes on slopes and roads that were not, in total, you lose energy that can then serve you.
- Do not carry too much weight. I did this well, a raincoat, some cookies, the camera and water.
- Drink a lot of water. The weather is very humid and you sweat excessively so your best friend will be the water bottle. Make stops every little time and drink to buchitos, no long drinks.
- Do not make long stops. If you stop too long you get cold and then it is much harder to start again.
- Eye down. It is not difficult but on the top there are rocks and roots that can cause you an ankle sprain. To me, if I didn't have enough with the bird that I was carrying, my ankle was twisted in one of these traps and I went all the way back half lame, with an unused lung and dripping sweat all over my body ... what a panorama.
The road to Ella Rock
The tour can be divided into three parts:
- A first flat area by train tracks. The journey takes about 40-50 minutes and is easy. You cross with people who go from one village to another, with some cafes, a school, a station ... You can walk along the tracks or a path that is almost always in parallel. The latter was easier for me, but the locals walk the tracks. There is no danger of trains, on that route they go at 10 and 15 km / h and play the dick constantly. There are some narrow steps in case you find a train, but it fits without problems.
2. Slight rise between tea fields and plantations. It lasts about 20-30 minutes and you have to be vigilant. As soon as you leave the tracks, a slight ascent begins, it is where you should be more careful to take the indications because there are several detours that lead to houses, cultivated land and other places that do not interest us.
3. Final ascent to the top. It lasts about 25-40 minutes and is difficult. In this last part the difficulty lies in the slope of the climb and the stability of the road. Start to cool, especially if you find fog, the road, although it is well intuited, goes over rocks and roots and is not quite simple. It is best to make several short stops, warm up so as not to stay cold and not lose heart. I was 5 minutes from the top (according to what some people told me were coming down) but the whole bird hit me, it was either up and stay forever on top, which hermit without Wifi enjoying nature, or return to the civilization…
In total they are a couple of hours one way and another two hours back, although if you are fit you can reduce them somewhat.
How to get to Ella Rock
Actually the road is not difficult, as long as you carry the precise indications. There are several detours that can mislead and you can lose yourself, which comes from pearls to locals who have most likely eaten your guiri face and follow you, hoping you need their guide services at a "modest price" of 1,500 rupees.
The road starts from the train tracks in Ella, you can reach the station and follow the direction to the left or join the tracks from a small path at the end of the town (following up), just before reaching the tunnel On the left there is an entrance to a property (a hotel or something like that) and from there comes a hidden dirt road that takes you to the tracks.
Once on the tracks is walking and walking. You go through a school, a few cafes, a Buddhist sanctuary, shady areas but especially in full sun. You cross with locals walking from one place to another. The road is very entertaining the truth.
At 40 minutes or so you reach the Waterfall Bridge, which is a very cool iron bridge where, in the end, there will be locals waiting for you to hire their services. From there there is a path that goes up to Ella Rock, but it is probably the most messy and the one you have to do with a guide, so forget about this and for now follow the tracks.
When you arrive at Kithalella station, you are approaching the detour. A couple of minutes ahead, after leaving on the left a bench made of wood and a curve to the right, the tracks pass between some rocks, they are quite easy to distinguish. In them you can see how in the past there was a signaling of the diversion, but at the time that I did it, it was covered with cement or a mass of cow feces ... I could not differentiate it ... the important thing is that the section through these rocks is finished a turnoff to the left, in the form of a U (that is, the road takes the direction from where you come from). It has no loss.
First big detour, after passing the rocks. We take the path on the left
This road is followed for a few meters before crossing a pedestrian bridge. Eye now, because it was where I screwed up. After this bridge, there is a detour: a road to the right in plain, which seems the right one but that is NOT, and a small path facing and to the left that goes up between a mountain and rocks, which is the RIGHT.
Second big detour, behind the bridge. We take the path on the left
The first meters are quite steep but soon softens. A pink house, a volleyball net will be left on our right and a first turnoff is reached. This is easy, you take the main road that goes to the left.
Small detour, we follow the main road on the left
Then you get to another turnoff and take the path on the left again. Then a climb begins with steps made with sacks of dirt until you reach a cabin and the road continues between tea fields.
Third big detour. We take the path on the left
A little further on you will arrive at another turnoff, in front of a large tree and again you take the path on the left, it will be the last big turnoff that we will have to attend. The road now opens between low bushes and ferns.
Fourth big detour in front of a big tree. We take the path on the left
The ascent begins to become increasingly difficult, the fern gives way to brown earth and rock. The road reaches the crest of the first hill and so we will reach a viewpoint on our left, from where you can intuit the top of the Ella Rock.
Here begins the third part and more complicated, you will have to grab your backpack. There are no deviations or possibility of loss, it is only going up and climbing rocks and roots, and if there have been rains those days, between small waterfalls, always following the course of the water. From here I have no photos, I had enough to survive, so you will have to get there to know how it is with your own eyes.
In my case, the fog had spread throughout the mountain and I suppose that even from the top you could not get good views, but on clear days it has to be impressive. Apparently, above all you reach a viewpoint first and about 10 minutes following the road there is another very nice one, if you have energy you know 😉
Although my experience was not entirely positive, the road is quite entertaining and I recommend it ... that if, if you get upstairs and you have sensational views, it must be milk!
