What is worth is the journey and not the destination - Summiting Lakegala

If someone asks you the best way to conquer your fears, different people might have different methods from not wanting to face it to face it straight up. Lakegala climb was my ultimate way to face my fear of heights. Having being in to hiking for months, this was at a point where it was a part of my life that I came across the hike to Lakegala.

 Lakegala is considered the toughest mountain in Sri Lanka to summit for many reasons. Situated near the border of Kandy and Matale districts, this mountain is known in the history as the place where Kind Rawana met his queen Sita and as the place where he lifted his famous air plane “ Dhandumonara “. After the death of the recent mountaineer in 2014 in a summit attempt, this was banned for any mountaineers due to the severe risk involved in climbing.

The summit includes an approximate 4 hour steep hike and then a 150m rock climbing of about 80 degrees steep followed by a 0.25 km hike among bushes with thorns. The portion of rock climbing has to be done very carefully with the high amounts of wind gushing as well. One slip of your foot could mean the end of your life. Why take that risk?

 For me, personally, the only way I get over my fears is by facing them and I decided that I will be taking up this challenge. Out of a group of about 30, only about 12 summited and the journey to the top and way back down was the most adventurous 28 hours I have spent in my life.

 Journey began around 8.30 AM from the village home we stayed overnight and by the time we reached the last place where we could get water it was around noon. We did not expect a difficult climb until the start of the rock climb from that point but we definitely underestimated. It was such a steep climb of about 2 hours and by the time we reached the bottom of the rock, our water exhausted. It was around 3 PM. Few people already have given up climbing the rest after looking at the same. My heart pounded but I knew I had to do this and I knew I would not go back without summiting the same. Baby steps side-ways and upwards to a point where I can without a rope and with the help of awesome human beings who were complete strangers.

 Then comes the harness and the climbing device and here I slowly start the climb. Wind gushes through, I slip on and off, but I made progress. After a tiring half an hour which was relatively slow than most others, I made it to the top of the rock around 6 PM. Little did I realize that it will be dark soon and we will be stranded. All I knew was that I had to make it to the top. Bare feet ( because I removed my shoes for the climb and the person who had them tied was nowhere to be found ), I scroll the forest with bushes and thorns. I feel the pain of bare feet cutting but all I knew was that it was getting closer.

Voila! I made it.

 Apparently the first time ladies have summited the mountain ( wish I can add that to my CV but it might not count as client value J )

 On the way down, I had to look for my shoes because I wouldn’t have survived in a mountain at that time without it. It was dark and getting darker. And it didn’t take myself ten minutes to realize that I was lost right on top of the most dangerous mountain without shoes and with no light. Dehydrated from not having water for the last 4 hours, I didn’t know what I was doing. Myself and the other guy who came with me to find my shoes decided to keep hooting to get others to find us. Finally, one person found us!

 It was a nerve wrecking journey from that point to the top of the rock because we literally couldn’t see anything in a rock that was closed for climbers because of a death. I should say that I felt nothing but secure with a bunch of guys (mind you! I mean male species who are always misunderstood ) who were strangers. One with his hand tied to my t shirt so I won’t fall off and others giving their shoulders and knees for me to support, they were nothing but guardians when I was in need. So for anyone who’d think you are not safe among unknown men, please make a note that there are men who would protect you more than their life when a need arises.

We finally made it to the top of the rock! Next challenge was the wind. It was 10 PM and here we are ten people right on the edge of a steep rock fall, hugging each other to not keep ourselves frozen. We were out of food and water for almost 9 hours by this time. We knew we had to make it down – at least a few to make room for another three more who were right on top still facing heavy winds.

We decided to get one guy to back me up and for me to go down. It was 11 PM. Darkness doesn’t have a definition neither did the wind. We couldn’t see where we were stepping. I was told to give my weight to the person who was backing me up to go down. My swollen, wounded bare feet were trying hard to have the best grip possible. We slipped and was blown by the wind few times. Knocked ourselves on the very rock where another man died by slipping. All I knew at that moment was that I was facing my worst fear in the worst possible way!

But there was so much calmness around. It was as if I was ready for anything at that point. I did not scream or utter a word every time the wind swept us away. Instead I was ensuring my back up that it was OK. Our descend took more than 40 minutes but we made room for the rest of them to stay safely on the top. We reached the bottom after struggling with a rope that was tangled on the way, wind that swept us, feet that were torn but we made it. Spent the night covering our heads and arms in our own t shirts.

Never did I dream that I would spend an uncalled night on top of the most dangerous mountain in this little island but we survived. After 18 hours of dehydration and a body that didn’t know what balance was, we descended in the morning which took us way longer than it should have. For everyone who summited, this definitely would have been the most adventurous without any doubt.

And for me – I don’t know if I should say that I am scared of heights anymore because what I conquered was definitely more than one fear

I look back today and I realize that all of us have that one big dream. All of us plan to get there – time it, find resources, revise it. But somewhere down the line, we all have times that we have got it all wrong. We have torn feet, we have slipped feet, we have winds blowing us away from the main path. We meet strangers who help us and friends who ditch us. You have the choice to be the one who gives it up half way or you can be the one who makes it all the way.

You will have days where you literally would have no hope, days where you feel peaceful and calm. You will be tired , dehydrated and unbalanced. But remember as long as you keep moving, you will get there. When you reach there and when you look back, it’s not the destination that will resonate in your mind but the journey you took !

Never make the journey a shortcut because it’s the journey that teaches you the best lessons in life !

So that is me summiting Lakegala ! Beautiful , Inspiring, adventurous and Achieved !