Final lesson of the Campus Rag, The Hagala

Year and Month	23th July 2016
Number of Days	One
Crew	Three
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Motor Bicyceles
Activities	Mountaineering, Photography and Nature Exploring
Weather	Dry
Route	Colombo -> Avissawella -> Ratnapura -> Balangoda -> Belihuloya -> Ihalagalagama/ Landuyaya road -> Hagala -> Back in same toute to Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Take enough water Do not start the trek without any main meal Difficult to find the Foot pathway in Pains area Do not throw garbage Protect the Nature
Related Resources	Trip reports on Havagala
Author	MSRF
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Final lesson of the Campus Rag, The Hagala

Haagala/ Havagala is a famous mountain situated at Sabaragamuwa province near to the Sabaragamuwa University. This mountain is the final lesson of their Rag but this is some kind of a good experience to them to have an adventure in this beautiful area.
Haagala was situated on the way of famous “Pahanthudawa Waterfaall”. And you have to go about 8km from the Badulla road. Vehicles can park near to the starting point and the nearby village house is very friendly and helpful to keep our extra bags and helmets too.

Nameboard at the Main road

School Nameboard at the Main road

Hotel Nameboard at the Main road

Another Hotel

Another Hotel Nameboard at the Main road

Hotel Nameboard at the Main road

After you start the journey the path will continue to a tea estate via a small jungle by crossing below mentioned two bridges. After you entered to the tea estate, walk along the tea plot about 30m to the jungle side. And then you will entered to the jungle, please remember that do not go to the right hand side foot path way which is go to the top of the area beside the tea estate. Just go down to the left side foot pathway which is directly goes to the stream. Cross the stream and walk about 100m via the small jungle patch and then you will enter to the Pines area. The same foot path way will continue to the top of the mountain but it is difficult to find at the Pines area since there some paths created by animals too.
However you have to walk to the end of the Pines area about 1-1.5Km and on that way you will find about 3 main long rocky plains which are situated from the top to the bottom of the Pines area. We stopped at a one big rocky plain which is having a dead end and that place is like a dried stream. There are some stone cuts in that area likes small squares. This Pines area was fully covered with “Mana” bushes.

Begining of the hike

Crossing the 1st Bridge

Crossing the 2nd Bridge

Water Stream at the 2nd Bridge

Path to the Tea Estate

Entering to the Jungle

Don’t follow this path, this is just going to the upper tea estates

Just entered to the Pains area

Finally we came to the end of the Pines area where we met the Jungle and the 1st Camping site. After the camp site the path will continue via the jungle and from that point till the end you will find the Red flags where it shows the correct path to the summit level.
After you entered again to the final Mana bushy area menas to top of the Haagala, you can camp at anywhere of the mountain area since the ground is flat and suitable to accommodate about 200-300 people. There is a flag at the top of the mountain which was fitted by the University students. When we go there it was fallen to the ground since the high wind in this season. We fixed it again and spend about 1 hour at the top.