Knuckles range

Hiking

Knuckles Mountain Range or the Knuckles Massif is part of the Hill Country of Sri Lanka which is also above 3000 Ft or 915 Mts. from sea level and covers an area of about 90 Sq.Miles or 234 Sq.Km of land extent.Visitors can explore the diverse flora and fauna of the region while taking in panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. The area is also home to several traditional Sri Lankan villages, where visitors can immerse themselves in local culture and customs. The Knuckles Mountain Range is a must-visit destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts looking to experience the raw beauty of Sri Lanka’s wilderness. This is also called as Knuckles Range or Knuckles Peaks or simply as Knuckles. The reason to call it Knuckles is because,there is a mountain with five peaks in itself, that looks like the knuckles of a clenched fist when seen from Kandy area ( or the SW direction of that mountain named as Knuckles with a height of 6112 Feet ). The Sri Lankan name for this mountainous area is ” Dumbara Mitiyawatha ” which means ” The Misty Vally “. Since this inner mountainous area is off the motoring roads, it remains as an unspoilt nature reserve even today. Knuckles Mountain Range is considered as the most spectacular mountain scenic landscape of Sri Lanka’s highland. The best view points of Knuckles mountain range are from Corbet’s Gap and from Laggala Patana where there is a mini Worlds End.

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The Knuckles Mountain Range also called the Knuckles Massif; a bio-diversity hotspot located in the districts of Kandy and Matale in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Situated at a height of over 3000 ft above sea level, covering a land area of approximately 21 ha it consists of five peaks; namely Kirigalpottha, Gombaniya, Knuckles, Koboneelagala and Dotulugala which form the shape of the knuckles in a clenched fist. The area situated above 1500 m was declared a climatic reserve in 1873 and a conservation forest in 2000, later a National Man & Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site in 2009. It is today considered as one of South Asia’s important sites for the conservation of montane tropical forest habitats.

This picturesque mist laden mountain range is where the Knuckles Forest Reserve also known as the Knuckles Conservation forest is found. It is an UNESCO designated World Heritage Site that comes under the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka’s World Heritage Property, one of the two World Heritage Natural Properties in Sri Lanka.

The climate here varies from hot to very wet and cold with some higher elevations reporting ground frost during January – March with strong winds at most other times. The vegetation in the valleys and foothills consist mainly of semi evergreen vegetation with large trees, the upper slopes contain tropical montane humid evergreen rain forest and the upper levels possess cloud forests; a moist forest with a low-level cloud cover where various endemic species of ferns, orchids, lichens and mosses grow profusely. The other types of unique vegetation found here includes the distinctively beautiful grasslands called “Pitawala Patana”, the picturesque Riverine forests alongside the rivers and waterways, the Scrublands and the Pygmy forests with its twisted and gnarled plant life that grow up to 1-2 m from ground level.

The Knuckles massif separates itself from the central hills by the Dumbara Valley; a deep gorge. There are several trails to the Knuckles Mountain range, each one different and exclusive, making it ideal for hiking, trekking, waterfall hunting, bird watching and certainly a must place for some scenic photography. Visitors can travel on three routes from Kandy via Rattota, via Wattegama and via Teldeniya.

The Knuckles Forest reserve is considered a vital water catchment with many of its streams feeding important downstream rivers such as the gigantic Mahaweli River (the country’s longest), the Heen River, Maha Oya, Hasalaka Oya and the Theligamu Oya.

The Forest Reserve has recorded up of 1033 plant species belonging to 141 families of which 15% are endemic. In addition there are 128 bird species of which 17 are endemic; some of them are the Black eagle, Pale billed flower pecker, Barbets, Lorikeets, Egrets, Herons, Bulbuls, Babblers, Kingfishers and Wood peckers. The 31 mammal species include the Wild boar, Black-naped hare, Mouse deer, Sambar deer, Elephant, Wild buffalo, Monkey, Squirrel, Civet cat, Golden palm cat, Loris, Jackal, Mongoose, Bandicoot and Porcupine. The 20 amphibians’ species include the Kirthisingha’s Rock Frog and the Leaf nosed lizard, 15 species of fish include the Phillips Garra, Blotched filamented barb and Martenstyn barb. There are 60 species of butterflies, with two endemic species the Birdwing and the Blue Mormon. There are also 17 species of mollusks and 53 species of reptiles.

Knuckles camping tour 2 nights and 3days trekking in the knuckles mountain range is for nature, an adventure & trekking lovers . spend a few days of trekking with relishing the panoramic view resting on rock sheets watching various bird species flying over the cliffs which will be an unforgettable experience. The camping session will be held at night with a lot of enjoyable events.

Grade level – medium & Hard & challenging
Duration – 2 nights and 3 days
Total trekking distance – 38km

Day 01 High knuckles trekking tour (grade-chalenging)

More adventure and the trekking distance can negotiate on your request and depending on your fitness level.we provide you an experienced guide for 3 days.
Day 02 Knuckles foot hills trekking tour

Knuckles foot hills trekking tour to the magical rice fields ( Grade – smooth & medium) When finished the tour directly drive to yahangala adventure base camp and stay one night in tha camp.
Day 03 Step in to the hill paradise

Step in to the hill paradise and experience a great hike by visiting different landscapes with excellent historically valuable rock hike in the knuckles bedrock mountain tour in yahangala – kalugala sri lanka ( trekking in the eastern slop of knuckles wilderness area – unesco heritage site)

Grade level – medium and hard

Trekking distance can be negotiated and this magical trek is suitable to anyone who likes to experience the beauty of sri lanka.

Knuckles range

Hiking

This is an incredible tracking & hiking organising through RoY’s villa !

Day 01 High knuckles trekking tour (grade-chalenging)

Day 02 Knuckles foot hills trekking tour

Day 03 Step in to the hill paradise