Lunugala the peak with a 360 degree view of Passara!

map of lunugala – Click to enlarge

map of Bambaragala pathana – Click to enlarge

This year was not helpful at all for mountain climbers and whenever I planned one the weather conditions turned from bad to worst and it has been a gamble with the weather all the way long. So on a day with a relative good weather forecast I decided to climb a prominent peak at Passara which was on my “to do list” for a while. To appreciate a clear view one needs to climb as early as possible, so on the previous day I arrived at Mahadowa and took shelter at my staff members home which was few Km’s away.

My plan was to climb Lunugala/Lunubissa and get down by 12pm but my plans changed in an away I never expected to. At around 7.30am Bandara dropped me off at the starting point at Medawalagama turn off from Madolsima – Passara road. I started climbing uphill from 6/10 bokkuwa, from here onwards it was a continuous climb along a relatively bare area. After few minutes of climbing I turned back to note the stunning view of loggal oya valley. The only obstacle one will come across throughout this climb is the slippery nature of the soil. Actually the whole mountain is formed by a combination of pink and white quartz. And that is the reason why it’s called Lunugala. No proper vegetation could be seen on this mountain and the only greenish areas are the pines plot and the small mountainous forest patch. So basically you need to proceed upwards with not much of deviation to either side.

Lunugala as seen from Mahadowa

Lunugala as seen from passara town

my host Bandara dropping me off the starting point

Loggal oya valley beginning to emerge

on the way panorama

my favourite

more to climb and note the terrain

loggal oya valley

El tab factory

new life trying to emerge out of the quartz

gap towards Monaragala

Towards namunukula

Next main landmark was the mid-way flat area and from here one can clearly view the summit of the rock and plan out the rest of the climb. Again don’t forget to turn around and enjoy the panoramic view towards Loggal oya valley. I had to pass a rocky area to reach the last stretch of the mountain and since it was early in the morning it was not a difficult task at all. Somehow within 40 minutes I reached the summit and I felt like I did the right thing by choosing to climb this mountain.

the flat area before the last climb

wow

the rocky path

towards welimada

love this tree

what a valley

right side mountain range is madolsima area

pink quartz

Maragalakanda range monaragala

Badalkumbura side

tall trees in the small forest patch

caught you

Badalkumbura road

Buttala side

finally the summit – click to enlarge

The summit is a flat area with enough room to pitch up two tents and there was a rock placed as a seat which I choose to sit on it a while and enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view for few minutes before starting the clicking session. After a quick refreshment it was time to try and note the landmarks which I’m now quite good at when it comes to Uva – Wellassa J. One can easily appreciate Gal oya national park plus Senanayake reservoir and its mountains which includes Wadinagala, Govinda hela and etc, Siyambalanduwa and Monaragala was in near proximity to the above said regions and the mighty Maragalakanda range stood as a prod  giant in near proximity; Buttala and Badalkumbura areas and Hadapanagala of Wellawaya also could be seen. Next it was the southern slopes of central hills extending towards Namunukula range and Passara town seen like a miniature ant colony at its base. To the right of it Welimada plains could be easily seen through a gap and next was the beautiful loggal oya valley bordered by the Madolsima Mountains on one side. This peak is just like Sri pada with a beautiful panoramic view which can be easily appreciated with a short hike.

the drop

beauty

Passara town

Buttala-wellawaya gap

towards Balleketuwa and devatura

namunukula at the backdrop of passara town

pano towards passara

pano towards monaragala and buttala

paddy in loggal oya valley

the view

namunukula the giant of uva

loggal oya gap

mahadowa and medawalagama

monaragala region

a SD bungalow

fainted view of iginiyagala reservoir

lonely traveler and his ever loving 9 peaks

busy streets of passara

loggal oya valley

Buttala region

far awar wadina hela and hadapanagala tank

camping site at the summit

After snapping around few panorama shots I decided to get down and it was very very slippery because of the small sized quartz. And within no time I did reach the Madolsima road to end one of the quickest adventures of reason past. Since I had plenty of time I decided to visit Bamabaragala Pathana which is not known by many people other than the local community.

life is short

occasional pines trees

the flat area

good for a fish tank

beauty

wadinagala and govinda hela seen far away

rabbit dung

what a scenery

another beauty

within two hours the hike was finished

To get to Bambaragala I got to Passara town and took a Namunukula bus and reached Namunukula club junction (that is 1 km before Namunukula town) and hired a trishaw for 2Km’s to reach a forest patch belonging to the forest department. If one comes by low ground clearance vehicle they can halt their vehicle at the temple and if you have a 4WD you could get to the view point easily. Now this view point is the BEST I have come across while loitering around Monaragala and Ella gap doesn’t stand a chance with this Bambaragala view point. It’s simply a magical place with plenty of space to run around or camp and yes there is a cricket ground if you want to play cricket in heaven. From one side you could enjoy Namunukula range , Passara area, Senanayake reservoir and its peaks, Muthukandiya reservoir, Siyambalanduwa, Monaragala maragalakanda, all the peaks of Buttala, Sella kataragama and Kirinda, kataragama Kiri vehera, the southern ocean, Yudaganawa wewa, Yodh wewa, Wellawaya and Hadapanagala tank, Devathura, Miyanakadura and Bibilegama was at the base of this splendid view point. Before writing this report I did go there again because it was such a tempting location, I think I might pay few more visits to this wonderful location. After enjoying some stunning scenery I reached Bandara’s home to call it a day and plan out my next few days.

Towards Bambaragala view point

the path

what a place

Bambaragala pathana

towards wellawaya

wadinahela and hadapanagala tank seen far away

Buttala

Maragalakanda

the best seat

namunukula

Pano of Badalkumbura and passara

Bibilegama paddyfields

drop towards miyanakadura

Buttala and monaragala

Passara and loggal oya valley

trees on the edge

Monaragala district

wellawaya

wow

end of the central hills

recently burnt

getting back

Bambaragala pathana

the best cricket pitch on earth

Thanks for reading!