Gombaniya Hike – 1906m

When we are planning to do this Gombaniya hike, I couldn’t find any trip report about a successful hike before. Hence I contacted Sinna, a guide at Alakolla Estate and well understand about this forest patch. As we agreed we came to the Estate by a hired vehicle and then we had to walked along the estate to the Rathnathanna natural pool.

Gombaniya is the highest mountain in Knuckles forest reserve and about 1906m. It was situated near the Alakolla Estate at Hulu Ganga. Yakungehela mountain is the most nearest mountain to Gombaniya and fromthe eastern  the edge connecting to Sudugala and towards Lahumanagala. From the northern side its goes up to Knuckles Kirigalpotta. And Gombaniya is the mountain which can easily seen to the other mountains. Specially we can see this full range at Duwili Fall. Further we have seen this at the top of Knuckles 5 peaks but it couldn’t seen at the top of Alugal Kanda and Dumbanagala since those summits got hide from the 5 peaks. However this full mountain range is visible to the road from Panwila to Kabaragala via Madulkele and Kellebokka.

Here are some google satellite vie images of the Gomabniya from several side. You can identified that there are two peaks of Gombaniya and most of the people have visited the false peak as we did in 2017. But now a days everyone knows about the actual peak which was situated few meters ahead this false summit. Because on that day we wanted to do this hike in a one day but unfortunately due to the heavy mist and the sun set we were only climbed up to this false peak. However I and my team achieved this original summit again in the mid of 2018 as a two day journey without any guide  and just following the GPS footpath.

Gombaniya and Yakungegala marked here, note that is the birth of a sub stream of Thelgamu Oya

View of Satellite Map

Satellite view from the other side. This view can be seen to Duvili Falls side

Satellite view from Hathale/ Madulkele and Kellebokka side

Gombaniya range marked in Red, note the false peak which we have achieved. Original summit in bit far away

Since we came by a hired vehicle we couldn’t enter to the estate due to the narrow road. Hence we had to walk about 4km to reach the end of the estate. However it was a brilliant hike that there are many scenic environment to feel. If someone coming by a 4WD or a bike, they can go up to the Rathnathanna natural pool as the footpath is beginning from there. But we used so many shortcuts via the estate and were able to meet Sinna at the estate in the morning. Sine it was not a rainy day we have faced a misty environment.

A bridge over the stream

Small cascades

Entered to Alakolla Estate scenic road

Its so beautiful

Full view without anyone

A Landmark point

Lime Houses

A name board

Walked further

Some mountains

Through the estate houses

A clean estate

More to go via shortcuts

Nearby environment

Keep walking

Mountains valley

Main landmark

Upper division

Environment

More to walk

Using shortcuts

Nameboard

Some targets

Solo walking

Streams everywhere

Cascades

Final house line

More to go

Through the final tea patch

Towards the forest

Entered to the forest patch

Wild Berries

Flowers

Left from the estate

Heading to the forest

Forest footpath

Final cut

Sampath was there- The photographer

More to go

More

Darkness

The path

Small cascades

Through the darkness

Reaching to Rathnathanna

Wild berries

We came to the Rathnathanna natural bathing pool which is made for the villagers to rest and collect the tea. Vehicles can not exactly come here but certain distance can. This place is truly calm and beautiful because there is a small hut and a pool. We spent few minutes here and took some photos and then we entered to the thick forest by following the footpath of Sinna.

The pool

Nirosh drinking water

Flowers

Small fall

Another view of it

Thick forest

Stream and the pool

More views

Time to rest

The small hut over there

Scenic place

Trees over there

Forest style

Mushrooms

Forest

More to go

Forest style

Flowers

Some more

Gombaniya covered by Mist

More mushrooms

Gombaniya covered

Colorful Forest

More flowers

Time to rest

Keep walking

Surrounding

The valley

Full of trees

Colors

Mist	Towards the dark forest

This forest is covered by mist and certain areas are bit difficult to hike as there are wet rocky plains. However we were able to go along the path shown by Sinna. There were many leeches as the forest ground wet and with water. However we headed to the destination along this beautiful forest.

Helping hands at a difficult place

Madusanka also in back

Using ropes

All went through

Darkness

Thick forest

Some views

Giant forest

After few hours we came to a beautiful area which is fully covered by small plants under the giant trees. This area was fully covered by them and it was not much difficult to walk through the plants but the forest was at a darkness.

Entering to the most scenic part of the hike

Misty and dark forest

How mysterious it is

Lovely area

Through the forest home

Keep going

Along the Footpath

More to go

Creations

Beautiful Forest

We had this same experience at many mountains at Knuckles

The horned one

Most common animal in this forest

Mushrooms

Reaching to the false summit

We came to this place

This is the ultimate destination we achieved on this day due to the thick mist and due to the time. This was the place where we can see the gap between Gombaniya mountain range an Yakungegala. There is a stream flows on the bottom of this cliff and it will combine with Thelgamuoya after passing Rambukoluwa. This place is so beautifu land attractive due to this giant gap. However we couldn’t go further because it might be get dark and we don’t have any torches. Our target was ended at this GPS location – 7.448725, 80.751692 (Approx)

Environment is fully covered by the mist and it is so dark

Result of the day

The stream at the bottom

Yakungegala on right side

The precipice

Yakungegala covered

Return journey to the estate

More summits

Back to the village

Its sun setting

Back to the vehicle

Cascades

The scenic road

Journey ended

Thank you for reading !

Sobasiri Team ©