Scenic walk to Karagahatenna

Year and Month	2016 March 20
Number of Days	One day
Crew	03-Nuwan,Indranatha and My self
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	Bus, Three Wheel and walking Shelton-Helpful and knowledgeable three wheel driver 0786675543
Activities	Sights seeing and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Polonnaruwa -> Matale -> Raththota (රත්තොට) -> Gammaduwa (ගම්මඩුව) -> Karagahatenna (කරගහතැන්න) -> Back to same route -> Polonnaruwa
Tips, Notes and Special remark	There are buses till Gammaduwa. Gammaduwa bus starts from Matale old stand. Usually there is a bus at every hour. It takes one and half hours to reach Gammaduwa from Matale by bus. Road condition is satisfactory. No public transport service operates from Gammaduwa to Karagahatenna. A three wheel costs Rs 500 till the entrance gate. It is about 6-7 Kms from Gammaduwa to entrance gate. Road condition is good. There is a shortcut from Gammaduwa to entrance gate to omit hair pin bends. We followed it on our way back. We spent only 1 hour to reach Gammaduwa from towers. It is essential to have permission from Sri Lanka army or need to have a contact there to visit Karagahatenna. Though 1:50000 map shows separate peak as Gammaduwa where MTV towers situated, locals don’t use such a name for other peak. They just tell both peaks as Karagahathenna. If you need to visit at the peak where MTV tower is situated, no need permission (what 3w driver said). It is a separate walk. No boutique above Gammaduwa junction. Better have a bottle of water if you walk all the way up. Better use the short cut in your way down. Otherwise you will miss the road. Last bus from Gammaduwa to Matale at 4.50pm on week days and 3.45pm on Sundays. IF not can hire a 3w to Raththota (Rs 450) and get a bus.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Scenic walk to Karagahatenna

Karagahatenna peak is situated at Raththota-Matale closer to Knuckles Forest reserve. This peak is occupied by six communication towers belong to ITN, SLBC, SL-Army, SL-NAVY, SL-Air force and TNL. Therefore it is guarded by Sri Lanka army.
Nuwan’s friend works there and therefore we had a chance to visit the peak with permission.
We reached Matale old bus stand following our breakfast at 8.30am. Next bus was scheduled at 9.30am. After waiting one hour bus started the journey and following one and half hour drive it reached the destination.
Gammaduwa junction is kind of an end village where you can see few boutiques. After inquire about different options to reach Karagasthenna, we hired a three wheeler.

It was amazing to drive up to the camp entrance. As it was a sunny day surrounding view was so beautiful.

Where Karagahatenna is situated

Click map to enlarge. Red star shows Gammaduwa junction and black circle shows the peak called Gammaduwa where other communication towers placed. Black star shows the Karagahatenna peak

First view of Karagahatenna

Right hand peak is with towers called Karagahatenna and left hand peak where other towers situated. It is shown as Gammaduwa peak in Google map. But locals don’t use it.

Zoomed view of the peak

Lower part of the mountain belongs to Gammaduwa plantation

The Peak called Laggala where some other transmission towers were placed

View towards Gammaduwa

Better view of Laggala

An isolated mountain noted in front of Laggala peak. It might obstruct the view of Riverstone

Worship local gods just before enter Karagahathenna army premises

After three wheel journey we got down at the gate where first check point placed. Nuwan’s friend welcomed us warmly and refreshed us with lunch. Following lunch we started to walk up. It was about two and half kilometers uphill till we reach transmission towers and buildings.

Starting the walk….

Trees

Uphill walk…

Cob webs

Rising up…..

The team except me

Reaching the peak

There are six transmission towers on top of Karagahatenna. It provides a nice panoramic view of surrounding areas. At one side you can see Puwakpitiya, Pitawala Pathana, Mini World’s end, Maningala and number of peaks of Knuckles massif. Riverstone is covered with the nearby peak.

Two radar towers-1 and 2

Two transmission towers-3 and 4

Two transmission towers- 5 and 6. Left one belongs to ITN

We are on top…

Iron work

View towards Riverstone, Pitawala Pathana and Knuckles massif

Identification of peaks

The rock obstructing the view of Riverstone

Trying to get a better view. Puwakpitiya is somewhere down

Puwakpitiya area

Zoomed view

Abounded

Then we walked to other end of the peak where ITN tower is placed. We were able to view Bowathenna reservoir, Arangala peak, Manikdena with Lenadora and Gedaragalapathana range. Ibbankatuwa reservoir and Beliya Kanda were also seen far away.

ITN building

View of SLBC tower from ITN tower

ITN tower

The range continues

Zoomed view

Identification of peaks and reservoirs

Gedaragalapathana

Manikdena and Lenadora (small pointed peak)

After spending about hour on top of the peak we said good bye to Nuwan’s friend and started return journey. We wanted to walk down with enjoying the beautiful view. But later we found the “short cut” mentioned by three wheel driver. It shortened our coming back to an hour. On our way we had a dip from a water stream.