A difficult hike-Hawarimana /හවරිමාන (1120m)

Year and Month	05th of May 2018
Number of Days	One
Crew	04-Eshan, Anupama, Nuwan and My self
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	By bus, motor bikes and hiking
Activities	Hiking, Sightseeing and Photography
Weather	Bit gloomy but reasonably clear weather
Route	Colombo->Matale->Naula->Opalgala (ඕපල්ගල)->Kotagala (කොටගල)-> Atawatta (අටවත්ත)->Hawarimana peak->Back in same route
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Leech protection methods to be followed. You will not get a clear view on top of Hawarimana due to forest cover. But the journey to Hawarimana is scenic and good exercise. Must have a knife. Wear an attire and carry gloves After Atawatta no water source was found. Better carry 1l bottle per person Sandamadala and Hawarimana are names used by Galboda villagers. Those are just two mountains for Kotagala people. Foot pathway is clear till Atawatta. This path would extend to Gammaduwa. There is a bus at 7 am from Naula to Opalgala. If need can descend to Gammaduwa side after the hike. We started from Kotagala around 9am and reached the peak by 1.30pm.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread A difficult hike-Hawarimana /හවරිමාන (1120m)

Hawarimana is a peak situated at Upper border of Knuckles massif. It is bordered by Karagahathenna, Gammaduwa, Sandamadala, Karagahathenna Mini World’s end and Hinguruwatta Mountain. Visiting to Sandamadala made me to identify all these new peaks

Hawarimana in goggle map. And how it is bordered by other peaks.

Hawarimana has unusual appearance. It has two peaks with saddle like a gap.

How Hawarimana stands with other peaks of upper border of Knuckles massif

My first exposure of Hawarimana and Karagahathenna Mini WE. This was taken from Sandamadala Mountain.

This is how it is seen to Hinguruwatta Kanda. Its dual peaks are nicely seen here. The arrow shows the peak we have reached.

Closer view of Hawarimana peaks-This was taken from Hinguruwatta Mountain

Hawarimana peaks from Karagahathenna Mini World’s end. The arrow shows the peak we have reached.

Zoomed view of the peak we have reached. Picture was taken from Karagahathenna Mini We.

This name Hawarimana is used by people at Galboda (ගල්බොඩ) village. Galboda village is situated at acute drop of upper border Knuckles massif. But when you go to Kotagala village (where we started the hike to Sandamadala and Hinguruwatta) it is just a mountain for villagers. No name for this mountain.
Actually our initial plan was to reach Karagahathenna Mini WE via Hawarimana from Kotagala village side. We didn’t know this “Thatta Kanda”-(තට්ට කන්ද) as Karagahathenna Mini WE at that time. And we didn’t have an idea about the distance between these peaks. At the end we have reached the peak of Hawarimana and understood this “Thatta Kanda” can’t be approached from this side and presence of flag pole indicated it should have a proper path from other side. Journey to Hawarimana is a strenuous exercise due to thickly grown bamboo bushes and thorny bushes.

Let’s start the journey
Nuwan and myself joined with Anupama and Eshan at Naula. After the breakfast we have driven up to Opalgala. The foot path to Kotagala village started next to Grama Niladari office at Opalgala. It was the second time we follow this path after Sandamadala hike.

Journey started…..Follow the foot path to Kotagala village

The foot path is sheltered by forest

Hinguruwatta Kanda

Early morning hike to Kotagala village

Filtering….

Weaving….

On our way to Kotagala village….

Crossing the stream and entering to village

Passing Kotagala village

This foot path passed Kotagala village and go through the dense forest with an ascend. Then we have reached an open area where Sandamadala and Hawarimana peaks were clearly seen. Here foot path follows the edge of Hinguruwatta Mountain. Later Gammaduwa peak also popped up with it’s towers. Following next ascend, we passed some vegetable grown lands and ended up the area called Atawatta. Atawatta is a vanishing village. It has only one house. There was a middle aged woman who was kind but didn’t understand the mountain we are searching. We left the place after having a short chat with her. Next section was a Pinus forest.

Having a break….

Following traditions…

Seasonal waterfall…

Hawarimana peaks…

Sandamadala….

Foot pathway lies at the edge of Hinguruwatta Mountain….

Gammaduwa with towers

Following the foot path….

Wild beauty….

Through dense forest. This foot path is maintained as Kotagala people go to Gammaduwa along this path.

Passing obstacles…

The only house at Atawatta

A cheek

Coffee

Their gate…

Entering to Pinus….

Foot path at Pinus….

There was a fainted foot path initially at Pinus patch. Later there was no foot path and we just hiked through Pinus trees. At the end we reached the base of Hawarimana where other peaks were seen very well. Here onwards it was a continuous ascend through short bushes targeting the peak, but scenic. Hinguruwatta Kanda was always standing behind us and Karagahathenna and Gammaduwa peaks were seen in right side. It was not difficult to identify Arangala, Bowathenna reservoir, Kadigala, Manikdena, Lenadora, Ambokka, Selagama Mini WE, Beliya Kanda, Makulussa, Gedaragalapathana / Kumara gala range etc. Soon the short Mana area was over and we ended up at thickly grown Bamboo section. We thought it would be over after 10/20 meters. But it doesn’t. Whole area was covering with Bamboo bushes till peak of Hawarimana. In addition to Bamboo, thorny bushes and creepers also there. Meanwhile leeches were also targeting us. It was extremely difficult to separate Bamboo bushes and find our path to the top. As it is really time consuming, we spent about 1-1½ hours to pass 500-750m. Though we have a knife it was meaningless to cut Bamboo. This reminds me the last section of Wilshire hike. Last bit of hike had less Bamboo and it was the end of the journey. We have reached the peak of our target and no view point was found.

Now no foot path…Just hiked….

To collect Pinus resin…

We had to pass short Mana bushes

We are at base of Hawarimana. Right side peak was our target. The direction is straight forward.

Towards Gammaduwa

Makulussa

Peaks around Naula: Arangala, Kadigala, Manikdena and Lenadora

Arangala and Bowathenna reservoir

Manikdena and Lenadora

Lenadora zoomed

Might be Karanampotha Kanda

The giant always behind us-Hinguruwatta Mountain

Ambokka and Selagama Mini World’s end

Wahigala Pathana and Yakkuragala. Erawulagala is seen behind

Gammaduwa towers

Gammaduwa and Karagahathenna peaks

Karagahathenna towers

Beliya Kanda is marked

Thickly grown bushes…Mana, Bamboo and thorny…Bad combination

It was really time consuming to pass these

Separating Bamboo…

Squeezing through Bamboo…

On top of Hawarimana…completely covered

We were able to have a look towards other side where our actual target-“Thatta Kanda” is situated. Zoomed view of this rock showed a flag pole on top of it. It indicates there must be a clear path from other side to reach it. (Later we found it as Karagahathenna Mini World’s end). It was the great finding of the day after strenuous hike to Hawarimana. We have noted other peak of Hawarimana also covered with dense Bamboo bushes.

View through bushes….Karagahathenna Mini World’s end

View through bushes….Other peak of Hawarimana

This is what we were searching as “Thatta Kanda”

Karagahathenna Mini world’s end and towards Bakamuna

Towards Bakamuna

Mystery revealed: It has a flag pole. That mean there must be a clear path to the top from other side

View of Hinguruwatta Mountain from top of Hawarimana

Zoomed view of Hinguruwatta Mountain

There was no choice other than descend along the same path. We had a dip closer to Opalgala on our way from Kotagala. Though it was a strenuous hike we enjoyed it.