The Pekoe Trail Stage 11

Overview

Pekoe Trail Stage 11 begins at the roof of the entire route. Starting at the Farr Inn, the old British colonial hunting lodge that now serves as the visitor center for Horton Plains National Park, a UNESCO-listed natural landscape, this stage takes you from the highest point on the whole trail down through one of its most dramatic descents. The famous Devil’s Staircase drops you off the edge of the highlands and carries you through remote valleys, mountain villages, and breathtaking open views toward Udaweriya. On a clear day, you can see all the way to Udawalawe National Park and, beyond that, the glimmer of the coastline. It is a stage of real contrast, from the cool, open grasslands of Horton Plains to the warm, lush valleys below.

Basic Details

• Region: Ohiya
• Duration: 7 Hours
• Live Guide: English
• Pickup Time: 6.30 AM
• Trail Start Point: Horton Plains
• Trail End Point: Udaweriya
• Difficulty Level: Moderate
• Hiking Distance: 14.30 km
• Elevation Gain: 340 m
• Elevation Loss: 650 m
• Maximum Elevation: 2,170 m
• People Interactions: High

Highlights

• Start at the highest point of the entire Pekoe Trail, 2,170 meters above sea level at the historic Farr Inn
• Walk the famous Devil’s Staircase, the steepest descent on the whole trail
• Take in sweeping views of the Udaweriya Valley and, on clear days, spot Udawalawe National Park and the distant coastline
• Pass through the hidden south-facing valley, one of the most dramatically situated tea-growing areas in Sri Lanka
• Walk past the abandoned Udaweriya Tea Factory and the neatly terraced vegetable gardens of the valley communities
• Experience the ever-changing moods of Horton Plains, from rolling mist to brilliant blue skies depending on the season

Full Description

Getting to the Trail

This tour starts from Nuwara Eliya or Haputale, and the drive to the starting point takes around one hour. Pekoe Trail Stage 11 begins at the Farr Inn, the old British colonial hunting lodge that now serves as the visitor center for Horton Plains National Park, managed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation. The car park here is the same one used by almost every visitor heading out to World’s End, but today you are heading somewhere far less crowded.

Starting at the Highest Point on the Pekoe Trail

At 2,170 meters, this is the highest point on the entire Pekoe Trail, and the weather reflects that. Between May and December, clouds roll in from the east and drift so close to the ground that you feel you could reach out and touch them. In January and February, the sky clears, the air turns dry, and the sun bears down with surprising intensity. Whatever the season, dress for the conditions before you set off.

The stage follows the road toward Ohiya. At 4.8 kilometers, the trail exits through the Horton Plains eastern gate and the road begins to wind downward. At 6.3 kilometers, a dirt track branches off to the right through a small section of woodland. Take it. This is the beginning of the Devil’s Staircase, the steepest descent on Pekoe Trail Stage 11 and one of its most talked-about sections.

The Devil’s Staircase

The name was almost certainly given by Scottish planters who lived in the area, borrowed from the long-distance footpath of the same name on the West Highland Way in the Scottish Highlands. Similar names exist in New Zealand and Oregon, but the good news here is that there are no actual stairs. It is a trail, and a spectacular one. The full Devil’s Staircase is often described as a 14-kilometer route running from the Balangoda to Haputale road all the way up to the Horton Plains entrance. Pekoe Trail Stage 11 covers only the upper section, from where the track meets the Ohiya to Horton Plains road down to a small village, but that section alone is enough to understand how the name stuck.

The descent is nothing short of dramatic. Views open up across the entire valley below and continue to expand as the trail arcs around the mountain. On a clear day, Udawalawe National Park is visible in the distance, and if conditions are right, you can pick out the faint shimmer of the coastline beyond.

The Hidden Valley

At around the 11-kilometer mark, the trail leaves one remote valley and enters another. This is the lowest point of the stage at 1,618 meters, and it marks the entrance to what the Lanka Trek team calls the hidden valley. It sits right at the southern edge of tea country, facing south in a way that very few valleys in this area do. The topography here is so unusual that it feels entirely set apart from everything around it.

At 11.2 kilometers, the trail passes the Udaweriya Manager’s Bungalow, empty at the time of writing but still carefully maintained. As the path begins to climb again, the old Udaweriya Tea Factory comes into view above, now largely a skeleton of steel beams standing quietly against the hillside. The trail continues upward past neatly kept vegetable terraces on both sides, with small local homes scattered across the valley floor.

At 12.4 kilometers, a small church marks the heart of a community that is predominantly Christian, a quiet reminder of how much variety Pekoe Trail Stage 11 carries from one valley to the next. The stage ends 400 meters further on, at the old and abandoned Ohiya Tea Factory. After the hike, your Lanka Trek vehicle will take you back to your pickup area, approximately one hour away.

Why Walk This Stage with Lanka Trek?

Pekoe Trail Stage 11 packs an enormous amount into a single day’s walking. The start point alone, high on the open grasslands of Horton Plains, is worth the journey on its own. Add the Devil’s Staircase, the hidden valley, the abandoned factories, and those long views toward the coast, and you have one of the most memorable stages on the entire trail.

Our guides bring the history and landscape to life in a way that a map simply cannot. They know the stories behind the abandoned bungalows, the old factory ruins, and the communities tucked into these remote valleys, and that knowledge makes every kilometer richer. Lanka Trek takes care of all transport, entrance tickets, and logistics so that your only job is to enjoy the walk.

Ready to take on one of the most dramatic descents in Sri Lanka? Book your place on Pekoe Trail Stage 11 today.

A Note on Responsible Trekking

Pekoe Trail Stage 11 passes through a national park, remote communities, and fragile highland ecosystems. Please stay on the marked route, respect the wildlife and the people who call these valleys home, and carry out everything you bring in. The landscapes here are extraordinary precisely because they have been left largely undisturbed. Help keep it that way.