Back to Yahangala (1220m)

Year and Month	2016 Octomber 10th
Number of Days	One day
Crew	06-Eshan, Prabath, Kasun, Prakash, Chamara and Myself
Accommodation	Previous day night at YMBA-Kandy T.P: 0812233444 Unable to book over the phone. You can just ask about availability. But this is a kind of cheap accommodation at Kandy closer to bus stand and railway station.
Transport	Bus, Three Wheel and Hiking
Activities	Hiking and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Kandy->Ududumbara (උඩුදුම්බර)->Kalugala (කලුගල) ->Udailuka(උඩඉලුක) ->Velangolla Pathana (වෙලන්ගොල්ල පතන)-> Yahangala (යහන්ගල)->Back to Kandy along same route->Polonnaruwa
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey as early as possible. The first bus from Ududumbara to Kalugala starts around 7.45-8.00am from Ududumbara. Therefore better hire a three wheeler to reach Udailuka. Last bus from Kalugala to Ududumbara is operating at 5.30pm but not on Saturdays. There is a short cut to Kalugala from Uda Iluka which cuts the distance in 1-2km. We used it on our way back. Threewheel charges might be changed from threewheel to threewheel. We gave Rs 500 for the journey from Dambagahapitiya (දඹගහපිටිය) to Udailuka. Be prepared with attire and long jeans to avoid get injured by Mana bushes. Water: There is a water source on your way to Velangolla Pathana. You can refill your bottles. We didn’t see any water sources on our way to Yahangala from pathana. But noticed a water stream shining far at Velangolla Pathana. But it is bit risky to go there as elephants are roaming there. We had only 2l per person for the day hike. If you are camping water requirement is more. Be aware of wild elephants. This area is still clean. Please maintain it. If you are camping there are few options: Velangolla Pathana (Where we camped at 2012.), on top of Yahangala and the cave at base of the rock. (Have noticed some traces of camping there). Might need use of leech repellents in rainy days. It is not essential to have a guide here.
Related Resources	Trip report –ගලේ බණ්ඩාර දෙවියන්ගේ අඩවියේ පිහිටි රාවණා රජු මල දවස රජුට ජනතාව ගරු බුහුමන් දැක් වූ ස්තානය (යහන්ගල/Yahangala 1220m) Half of photo credit goes to Chamara. Though my water mark is mentioned in some pics those are belongs to Chamara.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Back to Yahangala (1220m)

Yahangala/bed rock is the mountain with unique shape of a bed situated at eastern edge of Knuckles massif. This rock related to Rawana legend. King Rawana’s body was kept here for last respect following he became unconsciousness by arrow flew by Rama’s bow. Therefore it is called Bedrock / Yahangala. According to folk this rock is situated at “Gale Bandara Deviyange Adawiya”-ගලේ බණ්ඩාර දෙවියන්ගේ අඩවිය under his protection. My first experience of Yahangala goes back to 2012. It was a memorable journey of two days and we camped at Velangolla Pathana where elephants were roaming. Next day we climbed the mountain without any pre knowledge of the route. And we didn’t have enough water to fulfill our thirsty.
Year back I visited Velangolla Pathana to visit Kehelpothdoruwegala කෙහෙල්පොත්දොරුවේගල (1529m). Four years after I wanted to visit Yahangala as a one day trip as well as the guide of the team. This trip was successful as I knew the area very well, good preparation and excellent weather.

Different phases of Yahangala from different places

When my visit to Ulpathgama (උල්පත්ගම)…captured early morning

The appearance from Velangolla Pathana

Appearance of other side….Captured on my way to Kehelpothdoruwegala

Yahangala and Velangolla Pathana together

View of Yahangala from Kehelpothdoruwegala

View of Yahangala from Uda Galdebokka-උඩගල්දෙබොක්ක

View of Yahangala from faraway of Velangolla Pathana

We stayed previous day night at Kandy and got the bus to Ududumbara. From Ududumbara we got another bus to Dambagahapitiya and hired a threewheel to Uda Iluka where the foot pathway to Velangolla Pathana starts. We didn’t need to wait for the Kalugala bus from Ududumbara as it starts at 8.30am.
Anybody who needs to conquer either Kehelpothdoruwegala or Yahangala needs to reach Velangolla pathana first. There is a clear foot pathway with continuous ascend to Velangolla Pathana. First it goes through the forest patch and then comes to open with Mana bushes on either side.
After I hour of the journey we reached Velangolla pathana. There was a tap line crossing the foot pathway which is a good place to fill bottles.

The trail head

Starting the journey

This nice foot pathway to a house where small foot pathway starts to Velangolla Pathana

Part of the team

Through the village

Entering the forest

Going through forest patch

Finishing the forest patch

Boys enjoying the journey

The place where we stopped to fill water

Filling water. Click credit goes to Chamara.

Surrounding view

There is a small forest patch after Mana section.

View of Velangolla Pathana. This is the only high point you can see when you walk to Velangolla Pathana.

View of Velangolla Pathana.

Nawenagala in most left and Garandi Gala in most right

Velangolla Pathana/ Yahangala pathana is a nice almost flat area. The foot pathway continues as the foot pathway to Udagaldebokka. There is a small Dewalaya-Gale Bandara Dewalaya (ගලේ බණ්ඩාර දේවාලය) as the landmark. Right hand side is for Yahangala and left for Kehelpothdoruwegala.
We had our breakfast there and enjoyed the surrounding view. Yahangala and Kehelpothdoruwegala are seen as giants in Velangolla Pathana. Recently someone has burned Mana of this Pathana but there were fresh Mana at our visit probably due to rain. The welcome view of Yahangala at Pathana is discouraging due to it’s extreme rocky surface. I can remember our first attempt in 2012 we struggled with this rocky surface to reach the top.

This is the junction at Dewalaya.

Garandigala and might be the grove for Garandi Ella

Our target. This white line was our attempted route in 2012. But it is not possible to climb along this route.

Team at Velangolla Pathana. Click credit to Chamara

Team at back drop of Kehelpothdoruwegala. Click credit to Chamara

Velangolla Pathana/ Yahangala Pathana

Dreadful rock surface of Yahangala

It is not possible to go along this surface to reach the top.

The basic of Yahangala climbing is going on right hand side of the mountain along Velangolla Pathana and get on to the mountain along it’s back. When you go around the mountain you can walk closer to the rock but there is large number of boulders situated closer to the mountain. There was an unclear foot pathway as well. Then from back of the mountain you can climb up like stair case and get on to the peak of Yahangala. In 2012 it was kind of a difficult task as we were running out of water and thickly grown Mana bushes. But this time it was fairly easy.
It should be careful in walking at Velangolla Pathana due to roaming elephants. We have noticed one elephant and my next visit to pathana after one week we noticed three elephants.

You have to go on right hand side of the mountain first.

Coming down along Velangolla Pathana

Velangolla Pathana

Fresh Mana

Going down. It was bit difficult due boulders situated closer to the rock.

Posing

Elephant Dung. Click credit to Chamara.

Go around the mountain. Click credit to Chamara

The cave we found on our way to Yahangala. This might be a good place for camping.

We have reached the tail of the Mountain. Note there is clear foot pathway. Click credit to Chamara.

View of Velangolla Pathana Click credit to Chamara.

Jumbos in Pathana Click credit to Chamara.

Climbing started. Click credit to Chamara.

Waiting for others. Click credit to Chamara.

Tail of the mountain. Click credit to Chamara.

This is the route how you get on to the top. We got this picture of Yahangala in our next week visit to Velangolla Pathana. Click credit to Chamara.

We have reached the peak in around 2hours time. Top of Yahangala is a flat area with no big trees like it’s name bed rock. There are small bushes spread over hundred of acres of the top. It is an ideal place for camping but can except extreme wind during night. We walked over the top and had some clicks. It provides 360 degree view over surroundings from top of Yahangala. One side you can see Velangolla Pathana and it’s peaks. There is a drop from Velangolla pathana towards . Hasalaka and the plain next to eastern border of Knuckles massif could be seen over there. Other structures were Kehelpothdoruwegala, Lakegala, Garandigala, Thelambugala, Hetakatuwegala and Galpadihela. Minipe Lake, Mahaweli River, Hasalaka Lake and Sorabora Wewa were also seen.
After enjoying the view we started return journey. We were able to reach Uda Iluka by 5.30pm but no buses were operating from there to Ududumbara at that time. Luckily we got return bus to Dambagahapitiya and returned to Ududumbara by two three wheelers. It was a nice one day hik