It is customary for the first years to go on a ‘batch trip’. We went on ours last weekend to Hagala Mountain Range in Belihul Oya. 6 buses with 250+ students left for Belihul Oya at 6am. We stopped for breakfast in Pelmadulla and reached Belihul Oya by 12 noon.
A group of students from Sabaragamuwa University were already there to greet us. They were our guides for the day. I think trips of this nature help strengthen inter-university ties aswell. Before beginning the climb they told us that the mountain was of utmost importance to the people in that locality as well as to the students of the university and so we were asked to treat it with due respect.
For me, the climb was the best part of the trip! So with our jeans folded up and legs covered in thick layers of ‘Siddhalepa’ we began the hike. Just 5 minutes into the hike we heard the first ‘leech attack’ scream. I grabbed a stick and used it to flick the creature away while asking my friend to calm down. My stick turned out to be handier than I thought. Some of the boys did joke about it but it was my very own ‘weapon of minute destruction’ and I flicked quite a number of leeches with it.
The hike itself was a little difficult, but what made it more challenging was the need to constantly look out for leeches. Half way up it began to rain. As if dealing with the leeches weren’t bad enough! The path was now slippery and we were getting drenched. Those of us who had raincoats and hoodies had some sort of relief (although it didn’t make too much of a difference). But I must admit it just made the experience more fun.
The weather improved by the time we reached the top of the 2nd mountain. It was very chilly but also very pleasant at the same time. The view was breathtaking! We were able to see the Sabaragamuwa University premises from where we stood. The mist laden mountains were such a beautiful sight!
As the mist was closing in, our ‘guides’ advised us to start descending. And so we began to climb down and what a difficult task that turned out to be! The boys were very helpful and it was a relief to have some good friends around. When someone slipped and fell, there were two others to get them back on their feet. Such was the strength of our comradeship. The stories we shared and the songs we sang helped us distract ourselves from the aches and pains in our bodies. And before we knew it, we were already at the bottom. We had dinner and then headed back to Colombo.
It was past 2 am when we reached the campus. And like all good things, the ‘batch trip’ too had come to an end.
The trip to Hagala Mountains turned out to be a truly memorable experience for me. The most important thing it taught me is that, if we leave our differences aside and work together as one, nothing is impossible. This trip helped me realize that no matter what happens, true friends will always look out for you and never leave your side, no matter now hard the rain pours or how steep the climb gets! And if you’ve got that, what more could you possibly need? 🙂