Maaragala / මාරගල (Alawwa)

Year and Month	January, 2021
Number of Days	One
Crew	Eshan & My self
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Pajero
Activities	Photography
Weather	Sunny mornings and Gloomy evenings
Route	Chilaw -> Narammala -> Waduwawa -> Ihala Walakumbura -> Returned back on the same route
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Take a bottle of water Do not carry Plastic items (Minimize), Make sure you bring back everything you took. Get directions from locals Require 4WD or trishaws Where clothes which cover your body Avoid rainy days
Author	Ashan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Maaragala / මාරගල (Alawwa)

Map

Recently while I visited Potuhera to see a waterfall with Eshan we decided to climb an iconic rock at Alawwa. This Peculiar rock could be easily seen from Walakumbura of A6 highway. The first time I saw it was 3 years back while I was on Yogamuwakanda of Polgahawela.

Maaragala kanda

as seen from Yogamuwakanda

This rocky mountain is a well known destination among locals so you could easily get directions from them. One needs to reach Ihala walakumbura and take Kudumulla road. The road will take one towards the base of the mountain where there are few houses. The road to the base is a steep road which require good driving skills. The path to the rock begins close to a huge “Goraka” tree.

Initial climb was bit slippery but manageable. Keep your mind clear while climbing because there are some tricky slippery points on the rock. A half and hour climb would take you to the rocky summit where you could enjoy a 360 view of Polgahawela and Alawwa regions. We also noted few prominent landmarks such as Yogamukanda, Belgoda and Parape range, Nathagane, Medagama kanda, Mahameuwna asapuwa, Bambaragala, Newgala, , Samasara kanda, Ura kanda, Bathalegala, Wewethalawa, Alagalla, Uthuwankanda and many more.

After a brief stay on the top we descended back and returned to our homes with some lovely memories. I recommend this as a half day leisure hike for anyone.