In searching of highest peak of Ambokka range (1159m)

Year and Month	2021 January 24^th
Number of Days	One day
Crew	05-Anupama, Keshan, Kasun Lakmal, Charith and Myself
Accommodation	Previous day night at Sobasi-Melsiripura
Transport	By car and hiking
Activities	Hiking and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Melsiripura-> Millawana Road-> Millawana-> Ambokka Paththini Dewalaya Road-> Ambokka Estate->Ambokka peak->Back in same route-> Melsiripura->Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey early. It is essential to have some protection from leeches. Ambokka is highly infested with leeches. Wear attire. Better have a pair of gloves. Carry a Manna knife. Need 1l of water per person. We didn’t find any water sources after the estate. There are other alternate paths to reach Ambokka highest point The road condition from Melsiripura to Ambokka Paththini Dewalaya was good but there are bad sections in between. This road has bends and narrow at some points. Hike from Kondagala to Ambokka true peak is a strenuous exercise and it takes more than two hours.
Related Resources	1. My debut on Ambokka-Misty point Ambokka and Selagama Mini World’s End 2. Ashan’s trip report on Ambokka- Conquering Ambokka (Not for the faint hearted)
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread In searching of highest peak of Ambokka range (1159m)

Ambokka (අම්බොක්ක) is a range situated at border of Kurunegala-Matale districts. It is seen to most of nearby peaks and Dambulla-Kurunegala road. My first journey to Ambokka peak was happened in 2014 under misty condition. Here we (Anupama and Myself) hiked to Kondagala (කොණ්ඩගල) peak and we didn’t see anything beyond Kondagala due to mist.
In 2018 Ashan and Chamara has conquered Ambokka and they were able to reach the highest of the range which was beyond Kondagala.
Locals called Kondagala (7.612199, 80.577645) as Ambokka and it is not the highest point of the range. The highest point of Ambokka (7⁰36’18.2N, 80⁰34’39.3E) is called as Selagama Kanda (සැලගම කන්ද) by villagers.
This our journey to highest point of Ambokka from Ambokka village.

Kondagala. Popular peak of Ambokka

Kondagala-2014

How Ambokka is seen to nearby mountains

From Kadigala

Ambokka is seen over Dewahuwa Lake

From Makulussa

From Karanampotha

From Beliyakanda

Selagama MWE and Ambokka on our way to Karagahathenna MWE

From Dolukanda

From Bisogala

Metric map of Ambokka

Click image to enlarge. This was taken from my previous report. Black star is the highest point of Ambokka.

This was the second day of our two days trip to Dambulla and Melsiripura. We have stayed at Melsiripura following waterfalls hunt at Ranamure. Due to tight schedule, our plan was to start the journey as early as possible. Somehow we were able to reach Ambokka village by 7.30am. Here we followed the road runs from Melsiripura to Ambokka ancient Pathhini Dewalaya via Millawana estate. Ambokka village is known to Anupama and therefore we have parked the car there. Our trail head started from Ambokka estate. This was based on our previous experience but locals do this hike from Ambokka village. We had to walk from the place we parked the car to trail head, probably 1km.

Vehicle was stopped for a snap at Millawana road. This road is beautiful and shady

The view of Ambokka from Ambokka village

The view of Ambokka from Ambokka village. Click credit-Keshan

Ambokka Ambalama

Walked back along the road from the place we parked the car to trail head at Ambokka estate.

Morning selfies

We have filled our bottles from the stream on our way to the estate. Then we followed the forest patch next to the estate and reached upper section of the estate. As it was Sunday nobody was there. Next was to enter the forest section situated above the estate border. We came out of the forest patch to an open area with Mana bushes (7⁰36’54.0065’’N, 80⁰34’31.8511’’E). This reminded us our first journey to Ambokka through Mana patches.

Stopped for breakfast at Ambokka estate

Ambokka village with paddies. Click credit-Keshan

Ascend through the forest patch

Coming out of first forest patch. Click credit-Keshan

First Mana patch we came across. Click credit-Keshan

Ascend along the Mana patch

Ambokka RMW. Click credit-Keshan

Again beautiful paddies. Click credit-Keshan

The view. Click credit-Keshan

Next was a long stretch through a forest patch with boulders and Nelu bushes (7⁰36’45.1796”N, 80⁰34’33.5816E’’, 7⁰36’43.3264”N, 80⁰34’35.2207E’’). After the ascend we have reached the ridge of Ambokka range but this point was beyond Kondagala. Kondagala was the previous highest point we have gone. Therefore we didn’t need to go to Kondagala again in this journey. This opening was a small plain with beautiful view.7⁰36’39.425N, 80⁰34’38.5522E’’

Ascend on boulders

Nelu

The way through Nelu…..

Team

We have reached a plain in between Kondagala and true peak of Ambokka. Click credit-Keshan

The plain. Click credit-Keshan

The lonely tree.

Kondagala. Click credit-Keshan

Towards Nalanda Reservior. Click credit-Keshan

Karagahathenna. Click credit-Keshan

True peak of Ambokka is situated behind

The true peak of Ambokka

Towards Kondagala

Love this plain

This plain was situated at 1000m attitude and we have spent about one and half hours to reach here from trail head. The true peak of the range was seen ahead of us. According to Ashan’s experience, we knew the rest of the hike is going to be hard. Basically the hardest part of the hike was this stretch (7⁰36’28.3849’’N, 80⁰34’339.036E’’). We had to go through Nelu bushes and bamboo was the most difficult. Thick newly grown bamboos were obstructing our way to the peak. As it was a tiresome exercise to separate bamboos by hand we decided to go underneath it. There were small openings in between Bamboos which were like our resting places. After spending another two hours we were able to reach the highest of Ambokka range. This place had a rock directing to Salagama area and some letters engraved on it’s side.

Thickly grown Nelu…..

Coming out of Bamboo

A break. Note the true peak is further ahead

Another break

Don’t forget to smile through your difficulties

Small open area at Ambokka highest point. This place is just enough to pitch couple of tents.

Highest point of Ambokka range

Anupama loves this mountain. Somehow he was able to reach highest point. Click credit-Keshan

The group selfies

This shows our path to Ambokka true peak

There was slight haziness around and we were able to view Salagama side, Selagama Mini World’s End, Nawugala, Yatawaththa, Wilshire, Etipola, Makulussa, Karagahathenna, Gammaduwa, Sandamadala, Hawarimana, a part of Nalanda reservior from Ambokka highest point. The view on Kondagala side was not clear. We didn’t have that much time to spend here as I had to be at Colombo late evening. We were able to make return journey in three hours time. Here we almost followed the same path to descend by using Google maps.