Wrapped in clouds and mystery, on one end of the remote Meemure village, stands Lakegala regally above the surroundings like a silent giant, this breathtaking mountain is world-famous as the highest bare rock outcrop in the world. In Sinhala language “The Rock of Lanka” is the meaning of “Lakegala”. Lakegala mountain is situated about 175 kilometers away from Colombo. This mountain is situated in the beautiful Meemure village which is a major attraction among visitors to Sri Lanka. The rock is about ,310m high and in the Knuckles Mountain range. Lakegala is the toughest mountain climbs in Sri Lanka, second toughest is the phoenix climb and the third is the Seven Virgins Mountain range.
The first 3 km of the journey is river-based trekking. Sounds easy but in the reality, it is also a journey with horror, and you must lean and jump as the route is covered with creepers, rocks etc. An interesting fact about the Jungle trek is that the monkeys have removed all the dead vines and branches. Every single part of a tree is strong and trustworthy, and you can almost walk the jungle via the treetops The rest of the journey is allocated to climb Lakegala. As you get to the bottom of the peak, you can stop at a beautiful waterfall to freshen up. Although it is hard to reach the peak of the mountain and the last 300m of the journey is difficult, last 300m of the climb needs proper mountain climbing gear and equipment and most of all you need a professional climbers / instructor’s guidance. Adventurous people, adrenaline junkies find Lakegala well worth the effort. Special remark about this journey is, even though it is exciting adventurous always keep in your mind you need to be very cautious and need to have a sharp eye regarding your surroundings. Why? Because there is something incredible lurking in this environment where you are no longer the apex predator, you are no longer hunting but something could be hunting you.
Once you reach the top of Lakegala if the sky is clear and sunny you will get a clear view of the East Sea shore of Sri Lanka. The mountain is covered with beautiful wildflowers, and you can see eagles roam in the sky. Or it could be howling, cold wind blowing, dark grey clouds rushing up the cliffs. Something mountains may teach you: it isn’t about the end result, the view at the top, or the shallowly spoken words someone always speaks to try to express a place’s beauty. You had come to somewhere you felt called to with fear that tried to turn you away at every corner and conquered it. Mountains teach you courage, strength and pushing your limits further with every step you take.
