Randenigala Mountain Range via Padupola Plains

Year and Month	21-October-2018
Number of Days	One
Crew	10 (Sobasiri Team)
Accommodation	N/A
Transport	Hired Vehicle
Activities	Hiking, Nature Exploring, Photography, Mountaineering, Wildlife Adventure
Weather	Perfect
Route	Colombo -> Kandy -> Ragala Road -> Walapane -> Nildandahinna Road (නිල්දන්ඩාහින්න පාර ) -> Theripeha (Thripeha) Road -> Theripeha (තෙරිපැහැ) -> Hegasulla Mountain -> Randenigala Mountain Range
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Carry enough water (4 Lt pp) Take necessary permission from Forest Dept Do not try in rainy days Beware of Elephants Beware of Electrical fence Beware of Leeches Beware of Wild boars/ Sri Lanka Mouse-Deer/ Sambars / porcupine/ Olu-Deer Keep your eyes on the environment behavior Beware of thrones plants Be careful when you walk on rocks Plan your journey well Remember the forest is too dangerous and there are many elephants and other animals Start your journey around 7-8 am and try to finish before 5 pm Ask the directions from local Do not disturb to the villagers Do not litter Leave only footprints
Related Resources	Hegasulla/ Agassula Hike 1205m
Author	Ranshan Fernando
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Randenigala Mountain Range via Padupola Plains – 1120m

Randenigala mountain range is a unique and lesser-visited area due to the massive risk of wild elephants. Because all the drivers can see elephants at Raja Mawatha which go through the VRR forest reserve where no other residences or even a single resting place on that road. We had this experience along with our Hegasulla Hike done on the same day morning. After we came to the top of Hegasulla Mountain we decided to descend to the Randenigala range and climb up all three main peaks of the range.

It was a very hard hike as we were lack of water. Our water reserve was finished at Hegasulla and however, we started our trek to Randenigala range with a hope that we will meet up a stream. It was not difficult as we had to walk through Maana bushes and at some point it was difficult on climbing as falling of rocks and slippering.

After 1-2 trek we found the only water source in a small area but it was a mud area. We saw evidence of wild boars and elephants but due to the thirsty, we had to drink that brown color water. After that, we came to the highest peak of Randenigala range by passing three summits around 4pm. When we descend our journey we suddenly faced three elephants at a distance of 150-200m. It was a scary situation as they are running to our side and we shouted and were able to move them into the jungle back. Finally, we came to Hegasulla around 5.30-6 pm and reached to the village around7pm.

Mountain range marked in Metric Map

Our path marked in red

See the Terrain heights

Getting down from Hegasulla

Natural colors

Getting down to the plain at Randenigala

Through the forest

Keep on eye to elephants

This is Hegasulla Mountain

Here is our target, note the corner peak

The planis

Nature

The art

Beautiful Plains

Nicely adapted

Surrounding, Kukulagala in the middle

See the paths

Slope

Hegasulla mountain

Iluktenna and plains

Bushes

More to go

Nature

I took the lead

Mist is coming

Hegasulla and peak 1 we passed

A small resting place

Our crowd

The path we came

Seen far away

Heading to another one

Rocks vs mountains

This is the mud area where we had to drink this water. There were s many foto prints of Wild boars and some of the Elephants. We didn’t think twice and we all started drinking this water directly from the source. We lay down to the ground and drink the water directly from the mud pits.

However, I advised all the members to have some medicins after they went to their home. It was a funny moment that all of us had this experience for their first time. We had drink from the streams but never from mud pits like this. So, be careful and carry enough water with you as there are no streams or springs borning from this mountains.

Here is the only water source

Madusanka drinking

We were drinking

Some pits

Madusanka ready to drink again

Its Nirosh

Sameera enjoying

We left then

Hegasulla far away and some other summits we have passed

Towards Kalumudugolla and Uma oya

Plains

Thinking about the return journey

Flowers

Nature

part of Padupola Plains

Had these

Padupola Plains

Raja Mawatha

Little more to go

Under the shades

The Mountains

Little more

mushrooms

Uma oya

Nature

Tanks

See the Road

Rantambe

The Raja Mawatha

Here we came

Knuckles range

Rantambe

Another water source at the top pf Randenigala

The path we came

Summit of Randenigala

Enjoying the view

Flowers

Raining

Environment

Uma oya

Here, we had to meet some wild elephants. It is a family with Mother, Father, and the baby. So, they might be afraid of us and the same scenario happened to us as the distance between both of us was less than 200m. However, we shouted and run away from them and they did the same and went back to the jungle.

This is a very risky situation as we were seeking this kind of situation at the beginning of the journey but didn’t thought a close up meet like this. hence always be careful and keep your eyes on the surroundings and the best thing to away from them is run. While you running be more careful about the besides and the bushy areas as there might be some more and you might be fallen or slippery.