Between two giants-Kadigala / කාඩිගල(650m)

Year and Month	2018 July 01^st
Number of Days	Half a day
Crew	03-Anupama, Eshan and Myself
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	By bus, bike and hiking
Activities	Hiking, sightseeing and photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Naula->Marathaluwa (මරතළුව)->Kadigala->Back to same route->Wemadilla (වෑමැඩිල්ල) ->Galewela->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	It is a half a day hike. Better start the journey early as you can visit at some other place following this. We coupled Kadigala with Lenadora (ලෙනදොර). Though it is height is around 650m, by driving you will reach around 450m height. Rest of the height is the hike. We spent 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the peak. Better wear an attire to overcome Mana and thorny bushes. Always get clarifications from villagers. They are very helpful. Refer Google maps. No risk of trap guns. Carry a bottle of water. No water sources after Chena. It is a dry zone. No worries of leeches.
Author	Niroshan
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Kadigala is an isolated mountain situated at Naula area between another two well-known peaks-Manikdena (865m) and Arangala (792m). Kadigala mountain has a sharpen face which is nicely seen to Dambulla-Kurunegala road at Galewela area. This appearance called me to hike it. Because of prominent mountains around Kadigala, it is not highlighted apart from view from Dambulla-Kurunegala road. I have been at almost all the peaks around Kadigala. As we assumed it takes a half day to climb Kadigala, we coupled it with Lenadora which is another minor rock situated at base of Manikdena.

Where it is situated

Click image to enlarge. Kadigala and peaks around it. Blue arrow shows Manikdena and red arrow shows Arangala. There is another peak between Arangala and Kadigala, called Panawallagasthenna (පනවැල්ගස්තැන්න). But it is marked as Maratuluwa in 1:50000 map. Matale and Kurunegala district border lies over these peaks.

This is how they stand in Google map: Manikdena, Kadigala, Panawallagasthenna and Arangala.

How it is appeared to nearby peaks

View of Kadigala when I was at Arangala

How Kadigala is seen when I was at Manikdena. Note the plain around Kadigala where Chena situated.

Sharpen face of Kadigala over Wemadilla reservoir.

Classic appearance of Kadigala. This view you can get at Galewela when you travel along Dambulla Kurunegala road.

We started the journey from Naula town after breakfast. There was a road in left hand side to Marathaluwa after passing Naula town towards Dambulla. After about 1 or 2km drive this road gets divided into two and we selected left uphill one. It was an ascend along the tar road and we reached the highest point of the road to start the journey. Kadigala rock was seen in right hand side and our wild guess told this might be the ideal place to start. After inquiring from villagers we confirmed it.
We parked our bikes at the house situated base of the mountain and followed the foot path through vegetable plots and banana trees. Large area of the rock is surrounded by Chena and vegetable plots.
After a minor ascend we have reached a plain around the rock where more and more Chena situated. There were villagers working and we got directions. This foot pathway crossed a Mana patch and Kadigala rock was nicely seen above Mana. We deviated from the foot path and went through Mana. It was about 500m along Mana and reached the base of the rock where covered by dry zone forest.

Foot pathway through vegetable plots

බලු නගුට

Small forest stretch before the plain

Karunarathna brothers

Reached the plain where number of Chena situated around Kadigala

Their water reservoir

Passing vegetable plots

Foot pathway enters to Mana area

Arangala is closely situated

Foot pathway through Mana

Kadigala is nicely seen over Mana

Arangala and Panawallagasthenna

Beliya Kanda and Wemadilla

Through Mana

Towards the base of Kadigala rock

Towards base of the rock

Crossing the Mana patch

Waving….

Manikdena giant on the other side

Delicate

Next part of the journey happened through the forest patch under the shade. Though we reached the base of the rock it was not easy to find a place to get on to the rock due to acute angle. We walked around the rock and finally found a place to reach the top of Kadigala. It needs a bit of rock climbing skills and there were creepers to hold. (Later we know this is the only place to get on to the rock).

Entering to the small forest cover around the rock base

We were searching for a place to get on to the rock

The place to reach the top with assistance of creepers

Kadigala has narrow summit with 360 degree view. There were couple of flat slab rocks and covered with Mana. We were able to identify Arangala/ Naula rock, Panawallagasthenna/ Marathaluwa, Wilshire, Makulussa, Etipola, Karagasthenna, Gammaduwa, Sandamadala, Hawarimana, Hinguruwatta, Dolukanda, Karanampotha, Beliya kanda, Manikdena, Rosa Thiruwana Kanda, Wahigala Pathana/ Gedaragalapathana, Ambokka with etc. Bowathenna, Nalanda and Moragahakanda reservoirs were also seen. We didn’t spend much time on top of the rock as we had to climb Lenadora as well. Return journey happened along the same route.

View from top of Kadigala towards Naula and Matale

View from the top

Neighbors: Arangala and Panawallagasthenna

Other peak of Kadigala.

Paddies at Marathaluwa. Mahasen Dewalaya (මහසෙන් දේවාලය) is seen at the edge of paddies. Tarred road is also seen.

Mahasen Dewalaya (මහසෙන් දේවාලය)

Temple at Marathaluwa

Paddies at Marathaluwa

Closer view of Panawallagasthenna (672m). This was named as Marathaluwa in 1:50000 map. But villagers called it as Panawallagasthenna. Seems it is also a good place to visit.

Edges of Bowathenna reservoir

Wilshire, Makulussa and Etipola

The plain we crossed

Nalanda reservoir

Naula town

We have passed this small lake on our way to Marathaluwa

Naula-Marathaluwa road.

It’s Moragahakanda reservoir

Peaks of Knuckles upper border were well seen over Nalanda reservoir.

Some peaks of Knuckles upper border: Karagasthenna, Gammaduwa and Hinguruwatta.

Wemadilla Reservoir

Wemadilla reservoir

Bunt of Wemadilla

Wemadilla and Beliya kanda

Dolukanda is seen far away

Karanampotha Kanda

Ambokka and Selagama Mini WE

Deyyian Natana Gala zoomed-Pointed one

Dewahuwa Lake

Galewela town

Manikdena giant on the other side

Galewela town

Wahigalapathana

Gedaragalapathana / Wahigalapathana zoomed

Towards Bakamuna area and Moragahakanda reservoir

Pointing Arangala rock

On top of Kadigala

Enjoying the view

Surrounding view…

Safely getting down…

Coming down….

On the way back…

As Wemadilla reservoir is situated at the base Kadigala we have visited there on our way to Galewela after Lenadora hike.

Wemadilla reservoir (වෑමැඩිල්ල ජලාශය)
Wemadilla is a newly built reservoir between Galewela and Naula area. Kadigala, Dummalakanda and Diyabariyagala peaks are situated around Wamadilla. This fairly new reservoir was finished in 2009 to supply water to 2000 acres of land. It is a special feature to see a statue of Mother Mary closer to the spill instead of routine temples and Dewalaya. We got the road towards Manikdena archaeological site from Pannampitiya and reached the spill of Wamadilla reservoir. Alternative ways to reach Wamadilla are following the road from Puwakpitiya at Galewela or from Wahakotte.