Supporting our long and continuing research journey, Becky Honour scaled Sri Lanka’s Knuckles mountain range – and you can help her hit her fundraising goal here!
Below, she shares her story.
In November 2022, along with my Mum and Aunt, I travelled to Sri Lanka to take part in a trek through the Knuckles Mountain Range to raise money for Genesis Research Trust. The charity is close to my heart as so many of my friends, family and myself have experienced issues covered by the charity’s research.
Day 1 saw us climbing Sigiriya rock (right), an ancient rock fortress. With over 1200 steps it was definitely a challenge but the views from the top made it more than worthwhile. Then we were straight onto the bus and transferred to Andawala where we trekked 9.5km to Gammaduwa and our campsite for the night.
The next day we woke up to heavy rain and after breakfast we began our hike to Puwakpitiya.
One challenge we certainly weren’t prepared for on Day 1 and 2 were the leeches! I got away quite lightly compared to some of the group but that is one thing I certainly won’t miss!
Day 3 started with a transfer to Gurulupotha before a 14km hike through the Gurulupotha Seetha Kotwa and King Ravana’s Garden to the Rathnaella waterfall where we had a quick swim to cool down. After this we trekked to and crossed the Hasalaka Oya river and were treated to an authentic village lunch from the locals at Rathnaella village. This was one of my favourite days because the weather was beautiful, we hiked through a variety of beautiful places and experienced real village life (and no leeches!)
The next day saw us climbing 15km to the Giant Bolatha’s stone steps to the Kosgolla Mountain View Point. This was a tough physical challenge, especially in the heat, but the incredible views at the top were definitely worth it. After a few photos and lots of well-earned snacks we hiked to a waterfall in the Kosgolla forest where we had lunch before climbing back down the stone steps.
On our final trekking day we walked 14km through tea and cardamon plantations where we passed many small villages, schools and locals working the land, before finishing with a well earned lunch near Rangala town.
We then transferred to Kandy for a celebration meal and a well deserved cocktail or two! The next day we had a free day in Kandy where we experienced the local markets, treated myself to an incredible massage and visited the Temple of the Tooth.
It was a week of blood, sweat and tears but an amazing experience where I was challenged mentally and physically, experienced a beautiful country, met an amazing group of new friends and raised money for an incredible charity.
