Ella Rock round route from Ella station

Ascent

We start the route at the station in Ella (Elle). We enter the station and turn left, walking to the end of the platform. Here we climb a small staircase onto the tracks and continue south from there. If the gate at the station is closed, simply walk south on the road outside the station and after the road tunnel behind the "Matey Hut" (where you can eat well and relatively cheaply), climb up to the railway line. Be careful not to trip over the wire rope of the signal system near the tracks. A path runs on the left side of the tracks in the direction of travel.
Attention: The railway is operational, so watch out for approaching trains and leave the tracks when a train approaches.
We continue south, always alongside the tracks, with occasional short views of the "Small Rawana Ella Waterfall" and the Ella Gap with Little Adams Peak. Just before the "Kithalella" station after about 3km / 40min, directly in front of a bridge, we take a turn left and immediately right downhill to the "Waterfall Bottom Road" Viewpoint (500 Rs fee as of 12/2024). Here you have a great view of the waterfall from below. We walk back up to the tracks and continue over the railway bridge. Immediately after the bridge, behind a small Buddha shrine, we turn left downhill to the waterfall and walk briefly along fields. Just in front of a small bridge over the stream, the path goes left, somewhat slippery over partly wet rocks down to the "Small Rawana Ella Waterfall". Surefootedness is required here, beware of the risk of falling!
Then we cross the small bridge over the tributary to the waterfall and immediately after the bridge turn left onto a path upwards through partly very tall grass on a narrow, partly exposed path up to a prominent rock which serves as a viewpoint over the waterfall. Then the path branches off to the right going up and we cross the grassy slope to the left upwards towards Ella Rock, always staying on the well-trodden path. Soon we reach the Ella City Viewpoint and descend briefly at the edge of a tea plantation to then walk right along the lower edge of the tea plantation towards Ella Rock. Soon we come to a few huts where we meet the wider "standard" path again. After the hut, where fresh coconuts are sold, turn left to follow the path upwards towards the summit.

Option for "easy" ascent:

Optionally, you can also take a taxi or tuk-tuk to Kithalella station and start from there, shortening the route by about 3 km.
After visiting the waterfall, we follow the railway tracks again for about 500 m or 5-10 minutes and then, after a higher embankment near a rock formerly marked with blue paint, take a path sharply left back into the greenery. The aforementioned turnoff away from the railway tracks is after waymark 166 ½, but about 30 m before waymark 166 ¼, after about 3.6 km of the route. Following the path, we soon cross a pedestrian bridge. After the bridge, we reach a fork where we follow the left path. The alternative path also leads up, somewhat shorter, but it winds more through undergrowth and can easily confuse due to many junctions.
We continue up the path to the tea plantation, partly through tall grass. Soon the tall grass thins and the path turns right/south by some huts with a coconut seller.

Further ascent both routes:

After the huts with the coconut seller, the path soon leads to a viewpoint over Ella Gap. From here, the path goes somewhat steeper, always southwards along a rocky and partly wet path past small kiosks/simple rest stops to the Ella Rock ticket counter, which is located directly in front of the Ella Rock Sunrise Viewpoint.
It is definitely worth enjoying the view here; as mentioned in the introduction, this is said to be one of the most beautiful views in Sri Lanka.
From the Ella Rock Viewpoint, we continue further, passing a camp, to reach the Ravana's Cave Viewpoint & Temple after about 500 m and a slight descent.

Recommended descent (this route is marked on the GPS track):

Small loop on the summit plateau westwards, then north until we meet the ascent path again, then descend the lower part along the ridge and the Ella Gap Viewpoint down to the coconut seller. From there, we follow the marked "standard" descent path via Kithalella station and the railway tracks back to Ella station.

Alternative descents:

Alternative 1) Descent same as ascent, along the ridge via Sunrise Viewpoint and Ella Gap Viewpoint back. Conditionally recommended because you have to descend the earthy, partly narrow path to the waterfall. Recommendation: if at all, then as indicated on the GPS track during ascent.

Alternative 2) Caution: this descent is rarely used, overgrown, and not really recommended; there is also a counter-ascent on the main road back to Ella at the end.
Descent along the ascent path, past the lower viewpoint (Ella Gap Viewpoint), and then at the junction near the hut with the coconut seller do not follow the "standard path," but follow the actual ascent path marked on the GPS track. We follow the ascent path marked on the GPS track for about 100-200 m, then leave it and descend direction Ella directly along the edge of a tea plantation, briefly through forest and again plantation and tall grass on a narrow, not always clearly visible path. Soon you come to a long, steep staircase descending northwards, passing a few houses (clearly visible on the OSM map). At the "Rawana Mountain View Hotel," you reach a paved road again and after a few meters of further descent reach the main road, which you then follow left (north) over three hairpin bends back uphill to Ella.
Optionally, after the first steps of the long, steep staircase, you can turn right/east to visit Rawana Ella Cave (entrance fee, approximately 800-1,000 additional steps ascent) and Rawana Ella Temple. From there, continue along the road back to Ella to the starting point.