I’ve come to realize that the hardest part
of sharing my travel experiences on a blog each month is figuring out how to
start writing the posts! Picking a topic is actually one of the easier things
to do because I always have new trips and experiences to write about. In the
last few months I was lucky enough to cross two hikes off my bucket list. The
first was the Ritigala climb and the second, Bible Rock.
Located about an hour south of the Ancient
city of Anuradhapura, Ritgala is the highest mountain in the Nothern part of
Sri Lanka. The name ‘Ritigala’ is derived from the Pali word Arittha Pabbata which means dreadful
mountain. The path we took was the one with the stone steps that led to the monastery
ruins.
Bible Rock or Bathalegala can be seen on the Kadugannawa stretch of the
Colombo-Kandy road. It is a very prominent mountain with a flat top that stands
out in its lush surrounding. Located in Aranayake, Bible Rock got its name
because it resembles a lectern.
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| Bible rock from the Colombo-Kandy road |
The drive to the starting point of both the
climbs were very different. The road to the base of Ritigala was a small, flat gravel
road that ran through a forest. The road to the start of the Bible Rock climb
on the other hand should only be approached with a 4 wheel drive vehicle because
it was more of an uphill gravel road that was full of pot holes.
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| The road to the base of Ritigala |
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| The road to the start of Bible Rock |
If you asked me which climb I liked better,
I wouldn’t be able to give you a straight answer. They were both amazing
experiences but in different ways. The Ritigala climb was easier because we
followed a stone pathway which wasn’t too steep. It went through an enchanting and
mysterious forest where we came across pretty butterflies flitting around, small
streams of clear cool water and rays of sunlight sweeping in through the cracks
in the forest canopy. My Aunt Caryll called it a great place to meditate and
clear your thoughts.
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| A well camouflaged butterfly... |
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| The pathway through the magical forest! |
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| The forest with the rich history |
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| More steps along the path... |
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| "This is a good place to meditate" |
There are many myths associated with Ritigala.
One such myth is that it is home to a powerful medicinal herb called Sansevi that is believed to give long
life and cure all human pain. There is a pocket of vegetation with medicinal
herbs that is different to the rest of the growth in the mountain range. It is believed
that this was accidently dropped off the Himalaya Mountain that Lord Hanuman, an
ape-like humanoid with supernatural powers was carrying from India to Sita
Eliya in the hill country. The vegetation in Ritigala is said to be protected
by the Yakkas who are the guardian
spirits of the mountain.
The Bible Rock climb in contrast was more
adventurous and off the beaten track. There used to be a pathway that led to a small
temple at the top, but there has long since had a Buddhist Monk there. Because no
one uses the path anymore it is overgrown and at some points we had to wade
through the plants that were blocking our way. There were even points at which
we had to tip toe around the edge of rocks on the tree roots that were wrapped around
it because it was the only way to continue going up!
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| A really small girl or a really big plant?! |
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| My hiking crew...! |
When you compare the view from the top,
Bible Rock was a clear winner because all you see for miles around are valleys
and mountains. The view was so amazing that all we wanted to do was sit and
admire it. Once we got to the Monastery ruins in Ritigala, I was a little
underwhelmed because I was expecting a little more. We also weren’t allowed to go
beyond that point because it is a strict natural reserve.
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| Our first glance at the view |
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| On top of the world! | |
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| The valley and the mountains that surrounded it... |
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| The abandoned temple |
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| Head in the clouds... |
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| Soaking in the amazing view |
Both hikes were
amazing in their own way and I would definitely recommend that you experience
it if you get the chance to. Just remember to carry lots of drinking water with
you!
