Sri Lanka is a famous hiking destination, with many mountain ranges attracting tourists as well as locals. Among them is the 14th highest mountain Gonmolliya, a 5 km trek situated at Kalupahana in the Badulla district in the Uva Province.
The adventure of hiking is part and parcel of our life that none in our group can give up. Wangedigala is a popular destination among local hikers.
On this trek, the Wangedigala peak is not the ultimate point. This mountain trail extends to Wangedikanda, Balatuduwa and reaches up to the 14th highest mountain Gonmolliya. Initially, our target was Gommoliya, 2,034 miles above sea level.
It was nearly 3.15 am. when we alighted from the Badulla bound bus which stopped at Kalupahana. Through dawn, we walked to the roadside boutique eliminated by bulbs, where we enjoyed steaming cups of tea and rested awhile before starting our journey.
The morning rays falling over the high mountain top promised a beautiful day, with a clear, cloudless sky. From the Kalupahana junction we trekked towards the Bambarakanda Falls, a distance of 3 km. As we reached a bend, we turned left and entered a village. After breakfast in a village house, we reached the stream near the Wel Palama by 8.05am.
Hiking towards Wangedigala brought us to a spot pointing at two routes. The left trek was easy and would have taken about one and a half to two hours to reach the Wangedigala summit.
The right trek which was a steep climb through the jungle was more difficult, and would have taken us nearly three and a half to four hours, We trekked about 600 metres on the left side route along the stream, and then suddenly changed our minds and decided to take the long arduous right trek to add more adventure to our lives.
We faced the challenge of the steep climb clinging on to tree branches. Some parts of the trail had vanished since trekkers had not used this route in recent times.
Most of the small streams were dried up which enabled us to cut across to the top. The temperature in the forest was high, and the silence was broken with the sound of birds whistling.
We continued to walk for about two hours creeping through the canopy, and took only one break just before we passed the jungle.
Suddenly we came across a tiny cascade on the way up and took the opportunity to fill our empty bottles. Along the path a few footprints around the stream indicated that this territory may belong to wild boars. As we came out of the forest the ascending trail was through the pine forest, a 60-70 degree steep climb, and we had to make a pathway to reach the top.
It was a precarious climb, with feet placed on the dry pine leaves in slippery condition, without any assistance. Some of us could not help falling down a few times due to loose grips. In about half an hour we reached a flat surface and thankfully put down our heavy backpacks.
After a short break, continuing our hike we heard voices at the other end. It told us that a large crowd was using the easy path. We were happy about our decision to take the difficult path making it a thrilling and a wild experience.
A few minutes later we reached the first view point. The green velvety mountain range projected to the distant views which formed a clear picture. The highest waterfall flowing between the Bambaragala Mountain 1,470 metres above main sea level and the Welihenakanda, 1,375 metres above main sea level, formed the Kuda Oya, a branch of the Walawe River.
The last phase of our hike was rather tough, and around 1.45 pm we reached the Wangedigala summit. There was a massive crowd. Most of the groups had reserved places for their camp sites. By now, the temperature had risen with no signs of a breeze, and our bodies became damp with sweat. We only had one and a half mega bottles of water left for the eight of us. We managed to trek up to the Wangedikanda, 1,360 metres above sea level and sat on the summit of the mountain to rest our tired feet. The triangle shaped twin mountains, Balathuduwa (2,012) and Gonmmoliya (2,034) gently unfolded before us.
From the summit of Wangedikanda we had a clear view of the Horton Plains and the top part of Lanka Ella, Yahalthenna Ella, and the Udaveriya Estate. The breathtaking view filled not only our eyes but also our souls with the unique creations of Mother Nature.
We were however disappointed, not being able to complete our targeted destination to Gonmmolliya.
After an hour’s break, we searched for water and a camping site in the forest, which was to be our first experience.
Although we went to bed early, we were unable to fall asleep due to the fear of wild boar that were making a noise in the jungle. We dozed off from time to time until we woke up to a fresh and bright morning the next day.
Pix: Kumudu, Nayanjana, Danushka