Year and Month | February, 2012 |
Number of Days | Two Day Trip |
Crew | Five (24-25 Years) |
Accommodation | Camping at Wangedigala |
Transport | Public Transport |
Activities | Scenery, Photography & HIKING! |
Weather | Cloudy day with raining in a on and off drizzle |
Route | Mawanella à Kegalla -> Kahawatta -> Balangoda -> Belihuloya -> 172nd Mile Post (Bambarakanda Junction) -> Bambarakanda -> Belihuloya -> Ratnapura -> Mawanella |
Tips, Notes and Special remark |
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Author | Shafraz Khahir |
Comments | Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread |
After reading several posts in Lakdasun we decided to do this hike. But holidays were just passing and finally we decided to make this on a weekend. So we took the Ratnapura bus from Mawanella early morning. But when we reached Bus stand they said as it was a holiday the bus will not run. So we got into a Colombo bus and get down from Kegalla.
We were able to catch the Kegalla – Embilipitiya leaving Kegalla at 6 am. We got down from Kahawatta around 8.30 am and we took our breakfast in a hotel. Then we took a bus to Balangoda hoping to catch a Colombo – Badulla bus. We got down there and wait for the Colombo – Badulla bus and it took nearly another 1 hour to reach Belihuloya. Bus conductor knew about the Kalupahana junction so it was easy to us to get down in right place.
(I think After passing 169th mile post ) we got down exactly at the junction of Kalupahana. We took some items from a small shop situated there. Then we started to walk and nearly we have to walk more than 5 km. When we are walking only we realized that we are entering to such beautiful place. I am still wondering about the beauty of it. Our guys told that it is entrance of heaven. The view is extra ordinary and it such calm place. So we kept walking and finally reached Bambarakanda waterfall.
Then we walked to Mrs. Sera’s rest house “Bambarakanda Holiday Resort” and talked with her and her daughter. They explained about difference between Wangedigala and Wangedi Kanda , routes and etc. It was nearly 10.30 am when we left Mrs. Sera’s rest house. We walked down and came to place where you will get steps going right hand side. We walked through the steps and crossed the stream.
After passing the stream we had to walk along the water source nearly 600m. You will get paddy fields in your left hand side. While we continuing the walk along the water source we found some houses in our right hand side and we stopped there and started to turn right and walk. As we could see the pine forest in our RHS we kept walking until we found a starting place to climb the pine forest. We asked a boy who lived there about the route and he showed the path to us. BTW it is easy to walk through the pine plots at starting. But when time passes it became a strenuous climbing. Even though pine needles were burnt by village people the ground is slippery.
The ascend was nearly 60 degrees from starting and there was no place for resting. The view was so amazing while climbing. We climbed in straight line targeting the Wangedigala. We could not see it but we were following its direction. We were able to find Mana bushes in two places which seem to be little bit flat land. So we had some rests there and started climbing.
Believe me that you will not see an end while climbing as there was always ascending pine forest. We always hope OK this going to be the last pine plot. But when we came there another ascending is waiting for us. The more you climb you will get steeper ascending in your trail. We were wondering why still we are climbing and there was no end to the pine trees.
Around 3.30 pm we were completely covered by mist and the view was amazing. We can’t step further as the surroundings completely covered by mist. So we find a place to settle down. While 3 of us preparing the camp site (there were some burnt woods which is a sign someone already had stayed there) by collecting the woods and setting a bed for us, Suresh and myself climbed further to see whether we are closed to top. So we took our RHS path and walked upwards through edge of the mountain. As the mist was covering always and blocking the view we carefully stepped and climbed to the top. The view from here was amazing and indescribable. But we found that it is so windy and not a good idea to bring the crew here at that moment. We came to our crew back and settled with them.
The night was so long and cold but we set a camp fire so that we spent the time with our memories. There was no flat land here to set up your tent. But there were some rocks and you can set your tent/bed adjoining it. Remember to take necessary preventive methods so that you will not roll down while sleeping.
The next day we started to climb around 6.15 am. The last part was quickly done. But there is a place where you had to climb on a rock. Even though it is just nearly 3 or 4 meter you have to climb carefully. If you missed a step here you will end up fall a drop of nearly 150m.
We were able to climb the top and came to Wangedigala around 6.45 am. The view such an amazing here. We were standing above clouds !!!. Udaweriya division , Devil Staircase, Bambarakanda and Lanka ella waterfalls were seen in our RHS. Samanala wewa could be seen in our LHS. A4 road was clearly seen from top of the mountain. What I can say about the view in just one word; “It is extra ordinary”
Then we walked towards Wangedi Kanda and we were able to see land marks placed by survey department. We quickly returned back to our way from Wangedi Kanda. Now we decided not climb down through the way we came because of continues ascending. So we turn left in our way and find that there is an easy way to get into the tea estate if we passed the jungle.
So we climbed down through those mana bushes and entered into the jungle. It was not that much easy to say that walking through the small thorny bushes but we managed. Finally we came to a place where it was abandoned rubber estate. There were steps build around using small rocks which says that it was an old rubber plantation area. There were old rubber trees here and there and the ground was filled with some thorny bushes and some other plants. Climbing down through this was easy. At last point of the rubber estate we came to a small jungle and this was a hectic journey. We were able to see some white colored leaches in this jungle. We could not take photographs of them as we were climbing down so fast. The jungle was so dark in the morning hours even. But after 1.5 hours of tiresome journey we came to estate road and then we took a rest. We walked on graved road and came to a place where a water stream is running. There was bridge at that place. So we refreshed here and walked towards Main road. Finally we came to main road via the entrance of the Nonperial estate (Brampton Division).
When we were walking towards to Surathalee ella we met Mrs. Sera. Her bike’s broken down and one of our guys fixed it for the moment. Then we had a Pol Rotti with very spicy katta Smabola and Plain tea from a nearby hotel. Then we were able to catch the Badulla – Colombo bus and get down at Ratnapura. We had our lunch in Ratnapura town and we took Kandy bus. We reached Mawanella around 6.00 pm.