Knuckles Five Peaks is considered one of the best hiking destinations in Sri Lanka. It’s an ideal place for those who love hiking and trekking. Someone called this Five Peaks of Knuckles’. The knuckle shape of these five peaks has given the name Knuckles’ to this mountain range. The elevation of all five peaks appears to be the same. But the second peak is considered the highest elevation point, with a height of 1864 m apart from that, which is the second-highest peak in the entire Knuckles massif after the peak of Gombaniya (1906 m).
How to Reach Knuckles Five Peaks
The place is located in the central part of the Knuckles Massif, near the border of the Kandy and Matale districts. There are two major routes to reach the Knuckles Five Peaks. The popular route is the Wattegama-Bambarella route. And the next route is the Teldeniya-Thangappuwa route.
Starting from Kandy, the distance from the Wattegama-Bambarella route is almost 40 kilometers. But it is approximately 50 km through the Teldeniya-Thangappuwa Route. However, the surrounding nature of the second road is much more beautiful than the first one. Most travelers pick out the Wattegama–Bambarella route due to its least distancing. But the road conditions are poor after the Gomaraya village is there. You can experience much better infrastructure facilities when you reach them from the other road.
Trekking to the Knuckles Five Peaks
Trekking will start from Dawatagala for those who select to travel via Bambarella and Gomaraya. The total trekking distance from there is about 4 kilometers to the first peak. It’s easy to find the Dawatagala starting point thanks to Google Maps. The place consists of a few hotels near the peak, and you can select one of them to stay there after the hike. The whole hike will take more than 8 hours to complete. The starting point has enough parking facilities for small vehicles. But you can select any other place to park your vehicles after taking permission from locals.
Knuckles Falls
A clear path is a good way to begin the hike. A few meters from the start will carry you to another beautiful place around there. It’s a beautiful waterfall called ‘Knuckles Falls”. The height of the waterfall is about 10 m, and it’s not much wider than other waterfalls. This is a perfect place to take some photographs. Drink less water in the fall and feel that it’s a little cool.
After getting refreshed at Knuckles Falls, you can start the hike again. The footpath is not difficult in the beginning. But it’s getting gradually more difficult when the elevator goes up. You can get a clear picture of the Knuckles Five Peaks throughout the trek.
Further Trekking
During the trek, you will meet a few little streams. But there is a stream that you should cross. It is the last water resource until you reach the fourth peak. Therefore, you should fill all of your water bottles from there. Cool, clear water is good enough to drink. After the stream, you will get into the forest cover after a few meters. There are some nice places to stay and get a little rest. A nearly one-kilometer walk will take you to the first view point. It’s not difficult to walk through the forest cover.
The first viewpoint is a nice place to sit down and watch the beauty of nature. During our trip to Knuckles Five Peaks, we were there for a few minutes. After the refreshment, you can start the trek again. Until you reach the first peak, you will meet another two view points. The last half-kilometer of the hike is much harder. The slope is getting steeper, making travelers cross some difficultly steep areas. The footpath from Thangappuwa will join from the right side, just before the first peak.
if you plan to join a guide on this marvelous trek, we can say it is a superb idea. The guide will take you to the starting point and take you to the top and drop down you safely.
We highly recommend the Zen Adventure Hiking team for this hike and you can contact them easily at this number:
071-885 7333 (Kalana)
5 Peaks
The first peak has no viewpoints due to its dense forest covered with big trees. The downward slope after the first will end up with another upward walk. Now, you will be at the second peak. This is the highest point in the hike, with an elevation of 1864 m. You can stay in the big stone on that peak and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding area. A second Peak is also a nice place for camping. But you are not allowed to do that. The Forest Department doesn’t give permission for camping there. However, a few of them break the rule and go camping.
After the second peak, you have to walk along a thick forest cover to reach the third peak. But the third peak has no good viewpoints. You will find some small footpaths that were made by wild animals. It’s not tough to reach the fourth peak. Where you can see a clear picture of the surrounding villages and mountains. People believe it is the best viewpoint in the Knuckles Five Peaks. Fourth Peak is also an excellent place for camping. Where you can also find water resources.
What you Can Observe?
Alugalkanda, Gombaniya, Yakunge Hela, Aliya Watunu Ela, Spinix 2, Wamarapugala, Lakegala, Dumbanagala, Kehelpathdoruwa, Kalupahana 2, and Thunhisgala are some of the prominent peaks that you can see from the 4th peak. Gomaraya, Thangappuwa, Dawatagala, Coberts Gap, and Meemure are some of the other villages that you can observe. Apart from these, you will see Victoria Reservoir in the distance. Further, you can observe most of the areas in the Knuckles Forest Reserve.
Alugalkanda
A downward-sloping walk will carry you to the fifth peak. It seems to have the lowest elevation among all peaks. Few of the travelers crossed the fifth peak and took the Alugal Kanda. It is another peak that is situated in the same range. But most of its parts are covered by the forest. Most of the travelers complete their hike at the fifth peak and return. If you can fly a drone in here, that will show what a terrific place you are staying.
Things to Consider During Your Knuckles Five Peaks Hike
- Please use your own vehicles to reach Knuckles Five Peak. If you are planning to use public transport, then buses are available on the Thangappuwa side.
- You can start from the Dawatagala side and end up on the Thangappuwa side.
- Alugal Lena is a nice place that you will meet on the Thangappuwa Road. However, the Thangappuwa route is much longer than the Bambarella route.
- The total trekking distance to the fifth peak via Dawatagala is about 7.5 km. This is nearly 15 km from the Thangappuwa side.
- Start your trek as early as possible because the entire hike will take more than 8 hours to complete.
- Don’t forget to bring enough water. There are no water resources until the fourth peak.
- Please be careful about the weather forecast. The hike is extremely difficult on rainy days. There has been a sudden change in climate, so be ready for rain at any time.
- There are no connection signals during the whole hike. So, you have to finish all your calls before the trek.
- Knuckles Five Peaks and the surrounding area are controlled by the Forest Department in Sri Lanka. Therefore, you have to get permission from them before the hike. Tickets are available at the Teldeniya Regional Forest Conservation Center, which is located in the town of Digana.
- Don’t harm any plant or a wild animal. You will be punished according to the rules of the Forest Department.
- If you start your journey from Teldeniya, you can also join at the Dawatagala starting point. There is a route near the Rangala Pool that will take you to the Gomare side.
(Cover Image Credit: Travel With Samantha )