Cycling and Mountain Biking

Cycling Tours

We make sure that, your biking tour with us is an experience in itself and not just another peddling tour. In ensuring this we offer world class biking trails covering, mountains, valleys, tropical rain forests, reservoirs, ancient cities, beaches and pristine remote villages. Furthermore this will be learning intervention to a 2500 year culture and an insight to a unique way of life in this land of discoveries.

Our unmatched service combines professionalism and the best knowledge of the wilderness in Sri Lanka ! Our own guides have the experience of running many tours with many professional tour leaders from all over the world.

They are constantly improving the trails where you would want to come back over and over again! They are well trained in First Aid / cycle repairs and our back up vehicle will carry spares and spare bikes for any emergency.

Eco Team Mountain Biking trails are being spiced-up with many interesting activities like trekking / canoeing / Wildlife Safaris / Camping and many more nature and adventure related activates that you would love to be part of.

We operate all year around and you could select one of our existing MTB trails or ask us to design one to suit to your requirements. Whichever way, we will make sure that you have a Fun & Adventure filled Mountain Biking Holiday in Sri Lanka.

Conditions that may affect grading
Please remember that it is not possible to be absolutely precise about the grading of a trail as there are many contributory factors involved. The main benefit of grading a trail is to provide you with an overall indicator to compare one ride against another. We therefore look at the following 6 factors before outlining the grade.

• Length of the ride for a day.
• Average altitude and altitude gain and loss.
• Trail conditions.
• Level of backpacking required.
• Temperature range and likely weather conditions.
• Level of humidity [ can jump from 70% to 90% very easily]
• Remoteness to services and general level of comfort.

Lowlands
Tropical, average 27C, Central Hills- cooler, with temperatures dropping to 14C. The south-east monsoon brings the rain to the western, south western and central regions from May to July, while the north-western monsoon occurs in the north and east in December and January. Sri Lanka generally boasts of a good climate for holiday-makers throughout the year.
Soft - Eco Team MTB trails

For Part time and leisure Riders - Although predominantly on dirt roads, these trails may also be on short and easy off-road sections. Mainly on flat and very gentle slopes. Usually, these types of trails are short in duration and done at lower altitudes; often they are optional, providing a rest day in between the tour. You would usually ride for 4 to 5 hours during a specific day.

Moderate - Eco Team MTB trails
Most people who enjoy a weekend of Biking in the hills or mountains at home are capable of undertaking a trail of this level. These levels of trails are for Cyclist who rides regularly as a means of exercise. There are a variety of gentle off-road routes with very few technical sections. [But we could always provide our clients the option of taking a more difficult section or in the alternative ride on an easier route / or travel in the backup vehicle. ] You would usually ride for 5-7 hours a day and minute elevation difference might occur.

Pro/Technical- Eco Team MTB trails
For trails which entail Professional / Technical sections, fitness is the most important component and you may have to improve yours before the start of the expedition. These sections are usually located at significantly higher altitudes and with substantial elevation differences. Some routes are designed with tough single trails that would require the utmost competence [But we could always provide our clients the option of riding on these trails or take an easier route / travel in the backup vehicle. ] You would ride for 7-9 hours per day.

Price

From: USD215 per person (Through out the Year)

Price Includes

• Entrance fees to the park.
• Cycling Guide's & trekker fee
• Picnic lunch on day 2
• Accommodation in at the cottage / camp with meals, on half board basis
• Mountain Bikes in prime condition and Helmets for the entire tour
• Transport to Horton Plains & back to Belihuloya
• All government taxes & service charges including VAT

Price Excludes

• Any additional beverages or food, which would be ordered extra Any tips to the staff Any personal effects not mentioned here Transport up to Belihuloya and from Belihuloya

Highlights of the Tour

•Arrival at River Garden in Belihuloya - Adventure Capital of Sri Lanka & Biking tour in a typical Sri Lankan village - Kosgama Village.
•Leaving to the National Park in the Highest Plateau - Horton Plain's National park. Conque Satan's Steps on a bike & return River Garden.
•Departure / Optional activities

TOUR ITINERARY
All cycling routes are designed by Eco Team allowing cyclists to ride on village back roads avoiding main roads as much as possible.
Average riding per day would be about 40km on soft and moderate routes mostly.
There are steep climbs at hills where clients have the option to get in to the back -up vehicle which will follow them in all cycling routes.

Day 01 - Arrival
Proceed to River Garden in time for lunch. [You may arrive at Belihuloya on your own or we could do the pickup from anywhere in Sri Lanka for an additional fee]

BELIHULOYA is a very picturesque and romantic hamlet situated about 160km from Colombo in the historical "Sabaragamuwa" province. This zone is a climatically transitional area linking the wet & dry zones and the hill country & the low country. This very important location has made it one of the places in the country with the highest bio -diversity. River Garden Resort is built in this little hamlet.

OPTIONAL RIVER BATHING IN THE NATURAL ROCK POOL IN "BELIHULOYA".
This is a unique place where two streams namely "Belihuloya" and "Galagamaoya" meet together creating a natural bathing area with clear unpolluted water that flows down from "Horton Plains" 2200 meters above the sea level.

KOSGAMA CYCLING TRAIL
The interesting feature in this cycle trail is that, it offers you a considerable diversity taking you along the main road, by roads, gravel roads through small towns, villages, paddy fields, forest patches and so on with short ups and downs and a steep uphill ride. The easy first section of about 9km of this trail from River Garden to Ambalantenna, along the main road and past the Sabaramuwa University will warm you up for the rough ride ahead. From Ambalanthenna onwards the ride, mostly through the thick forest is interesting and rough. The road, washed off at places will make your ride more interesting by being eventful. As you enter the village of Kosgama you will be greeted by beautiful paddy fields and small village houses. This section is about 4km. Then comes, the challenge! This stretch of about 6km up to the main road at Marangahawela is one steep uphill climb. Do not despair for; the beautiful forest will give you enough of cool shade and serenity to make you keep riding. After the tiring climb, the final phase, a downhill ride of about 12km along the main road from Marangahawela back to River Garden, will help to cool you off gradually before end of the trail.

Total cycling distance 26km.[3 ½ Hours - Moderate to Hard Cycling Route ]

SCHEDULE
• Arrival at River Garden Resort for lunch.
• Experience a typical Sri Lankan lunch.
• Kosgama village Cycling Trail.
• Dinner & night stay at a cottage or a fully serviced moveable camp in River Garden. - HB

Day02 - Horton Plains - Bambarakanda (HB)

Leaving to Horton Plains.
Nature walk in HORTON PLAINS NATURE RESERVE, which is approximately 10,000 Hectares in extent, is haunted by Elk, Deer, Giant Squirrel, Wild Boar, Wild Hare , Porcupine, and a variety of Migratory birds, unique to this region. According to a recent count there are 16 Leopards in Horton Plains. If you are very lucky you may get a glimpse of a Leopard during your sojourn in the Horton Plains.

SATAN'S STEPS TRAIL STARTING FROM THE HORTON PLAINS ENTRANCE.
You have two options where you can travel in the vehicle for about 6 km up to "Udaweriya" estate junction & then start cycling or start the trek from the gate entrance itself. Distance to the
Bambarakanda Falls from the junction is 14km. Along this trail you will cover Kingslyn estate, West Haputale estate then Bambarakanda Falls. From the falls you can either trek for another 6km & get in Bambarakanda Falls from the junction is 14km. Along this trail you will cover Kingslyn estate, West Haputale estate then Bambarakanda Falls. From the falls you can either trek for another 6km & get in to your vehicle at Kalupahana to be driven to River Garden or get in to the vehicle near the falls itself.

Total cycling distance approximately 35km. [4 ½ Hours - Hard to Moderate Cycling Route]

BAMBARAKANDA FALLS
Within a majestic basin -shaped valley bordered by huge steep rocks and dark green forests of pines and tropic trees the highest waterfall of Sri Lanka [240.8m] plunges with two silver ropes over a vertical dark grey wall from the green saddle between Mt.Welihena and Mt. Bambaragala into a deep pool only 500m walking distance from the trail.

SCHEDULE
• After an early breakfast or packed breakfast leaving to Horton Plains.
• Arrival at the Horton Plains around 7.00am.
• Trekking inside the park. Total distance of trekking inside the park would be 6km . [Graded as a soft trail]
• Lunch will be provided in a suitable location.
• Satan's Steps & Bambarakanda trail starting from the Horton Plains Entrance.
• Dinner & stay at the River Garden Cottage or camp.

Day 03 - Departure
Leaving to your next destination after breakfast. [Optional Canoeing in Samanalawewe Reservoir.]

- End of Tour -