Mountains of Sri Lanka - Katusukonda

Hey guys, this is gonna be a kind of a travel blog and a guide and this is the first travel blog that I'm doing and if i get good responses you can expect more.

Katusukonda is a part of the ''Hanthana" mountain range and it's honestly the best peak in the range with an amazing 360 degree view. The peak itself is quite unique cause it’s an extremely narrow stone line which you can walk on and there’s a slope one side and a 90 degree (straight down) fall on the other side. It looks like the spine of an animal and that is probably why it’s called katusukonda (which literally means a lizards spine)

So if you have a brave heart and wanna overcome your fear of height by climbing katusukonda you should start from Kandy. Take the “Mahakanda” bus from the clock tower bus stop and go all the way to Mahakanda. From there you can take a threewheeler to the base of the mountain where there is a hindu kovila. Alternatively you can take a “Sarasavigama” bus from kandy and if you do that your threewheelr journey will be shorter (but I wouldn’t recommend this because there only handful buses to Sarasavigama and they take few turns in a single day.

There is a small shop near the Kovila and you can get supplies from that. Take at least 2l of water per person. My recommendation is take 3 liters. Once you begin your ascent there is a small road which will be replaced by a trail. After about 400-500 meters the trails dissapears and you have to find your way. Don’t worry there aren’t any big trees or forest areas and you can see the peak all the time so you can plan your path. There are few steep stone areas to climb so make sure your shoes have a good grip and travel light as much as you can. As I said there’s very little cover from the sun so make sure you start the climb early so you’d avoid the sun as much as you can. Depending on your speed and experience it’ll be a 1-2.5 hour climb so ideally plan to be on the top around 11 am. There are arrows pointing the way but it’s really not that hard to find the way.

Once you get to the top walk along the ledge to your right till yoou find the very narrow place which is the actual ‘katusukonda’ This last part is a bit hard and if you slip to the slope you can be seriously injured so make sure you have one or two experienced hikers who can help others. I slipped and almost fell but luckily my friends pulled me up.

Btw if you fall to the other side it’s ‘Rest in Pieces”

Even though it’s a bit risky, the view and wind and the adrenalin rush you get when you are at the top is worth every bit of sweat and blood ( yes you might get few cuts) and the risks you take.

You can have lunch on top and there is a cave which is cool and has plenty of shades for you to rest. But be mindful, it you fall out of the cave you are again “Rest in pieces” and there is no protection.

I’ll add few photos and a video one of my friends took. Hopefully some of you guys would consider coming here cause if you are a thrill seeker, even if you are not that experienced in hiking you can climb katusukonda. You just have to be a little extra careful.

this was taken when we were inside the cave.