Hanthana Exploration-2014

Hike	Hanthana
Date	23.03.2014
Type	One Day Hike
Members	Seniors  21 / Juniors 36
Route	University>”Amaya Hills” holiday resort>Cominication Towers> Check Point 2(CP2)>University Lodge>University
Hike duration	8 hours
Initial requirements	Food, Water, Shoes(recommend),First Aid

As the 1st hike of 2014/2015 hike season of university explorers’ club was due on 2014.03.23, students who love hiking gathered to science faculty. As usual, it was the hike to Hanthana that having a great link with our university. The maximum height of the range is 3800 ft. Hanthana is a big hit with hikers and adventure seekers where they do a good hike by traveling up to the point which has seen rapid development in the form of communication towers. The Hanthana mountain range comprises of more than seven peaks dotted gracefully. Hanthana is spread on the outskirts of Kandy from which many glorious rivulets and streams flow. One such stream flows past the village of Udaperadeniya  and the University. The Hanthana mountain range spans from Galaha to Kandy with a spanning direction which is from orth-west to south-east.

A group with members about 57 students were gathered to sciens faculty one the due day. We left the university premises at about 8.30a.m .  The route that runs along the  ‘Amaya hills” holiday resort had been  chosen as the hiking route . Before the start of the hike, president of the club gave some advices, safety measures and also explained the way that the hikers had to behave during the hike. Some members were appointed as the head and tail as usual. After walking about 3km along the Bowalawaththa road runs near to AHS faculty we reach the “Amaya hills” holiday resort. Then onwards our route was a greval road. After walking along the route about 1km we met a water spout near a tea plantation. We rested there for a while and filled all the water bottles we carried as there won’t any water sources along the route for a significant distance. We entered to the Hanthana proghibited after walking along the tea plantation. On our way, we rested again for a while. There after we had to walk along a steep ascent. We had to rest again near towers . After passing the peak having towers, we reached the rock plain. Though it was the place we planned to have our lunch, it was very difficult due to high heat and harshsunshineSo we decided to get down quickly..

Then our main target was to reach the steam runs along hanthana and to have lunch there. But unfortunately that stream was dried due to dry climate. Dream of ours about the lunch broke again for the 2nd time.  Next hope of ours was the water spout that located on the way to CP2. We were not that much unlucky. As there was water, we had our lunch there according to the UEC manner. After spending some time there, we started the hike again and reached CP2. We stopped there for a while and observed the surrounding mountains, introduced ourselves to others and had a small discussion about the plant and animal species found along the hike.

Then we left that place and reached the university holiday resort without much tired. We took the route along the uda peradeniya holiday resort and came to “Gal Palama”  at about 5.30pm. We had a small refreshment there that arranged by some seniors of the club. That was  great as we were tired.  At the end of the hike we dispersed happily according to the usual manner of the explorer club.