July 2014

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TRAVEL
246 July14
HIKE 4 – SUMMIT
Tonight I’ll be flying from Colombo back to Singapore, but if that implies
the trip will be winding down with a final-day whimper rather than a bang,
I’m mistaken – there’s the little matter of a mountain summit to conquer.
Amal, Raja and I set out after a 7.30am breakfast, and retrace part of
our route from yesterday before branching off in a different direction.
Soon our peak looms into view. It’s no Everest – snow wouldn’t last 10
seconds in this humidity, for one thing – but it looks like a reasonable
challenge.
And so it transpires. We climb sharply for several hours on a path that’s
shrouded by vegetation. The trees and shrubs come in useful, offering
hand- and footholds, with vines as makeshift ropes to help get up some
of the steeper sections.
At one point, Raja stops me in my tracks and points at what look like
dog droppings on the path in front of me. I thank him for the heads-up,
but he’s not actually concerned about me treading in the stuff. “Leopard,”
he says, before taking a closer look at the pile. “Fresh,” he adds. It’s just
the news I need to climb that little bit faster. (Fifty metres later we pass
the deep, large footprints of a wild boar and my pace quickens again.)
After a final bit of breathless scrambling, we’re at the top. Raja
celebrates the lung-busting ascent by smoking a hand-rolled beedi
cigarette. I take photos and look around for the cable car to take me
back down. There isn’t one, of course; just 360 degrees of picturesque
greenery. We drink it in for 15 minutes before beginning our descent.
Cable cars, postcard sellers and other trappings of tourism will come
to Sri Lanka soon enough. As a holiday destination, it’s very much on
an upward trajectory. WIth this in mind, my advice would be to go soon,
if you can, before all its secrets are discovered.
And if you love a holiday that involves culture, nature and some rigorous
exploration of the great outdoors, this five-day traipse around Kandy and
the Knuckles Mountain Range is a brilliant place to start.
GETTING THERE
Moonstone Expeditions is an independent
UK travel company specialising in unique
adventure trips to Sri Lanka. Aside
from trekking in the Knuckles (prices
start from £399 per person, including
guides, accommodation, airport transfers,
most meals and more), it offers cycling
holidays, and any number of tailor-made
trips, whether it’s surfing, canoeing or
something else that takes your fancy.
Trips are available year-round, and there
is no minimum group size or specific
starting date, so all you need to do is get
in touch (details below) and line up a time.
Flying to Colombo is a cinch from
Singapore; various airlines ply the 3.5-
hour route. I took the 9.55am SriLankan
Airlines flight, which got me in at midday.
A Moonstone representative was waiting
in the arrival area with a sign and a van for
the drive to the homestay at Kandy. Hike 1
began the next morning (after six parathas
and 11 pieces of fruit).
moonstone-expeditions.com
Walking between boulders
View from
the top
Setting out
once again