Adam's Peak - Sri Pada

The very last step eyeballed me menacingly. The final challenge !

Focusing determinedly on lifting my right foot up, I gripped the rail on either side and heaved my reluctant body upwards for the last time, noticing that the space around me was lighter and that drums had begun to beat their distinctively Sri Lankan rhythm. Together with Melanie and Udara, I had made it to the top of Adam's Peak, in time for the daily puja ceremony and sunrise! A huge range of emotions - excitement, happiness  and relief - engulfed me, washing away the pain of five kilometers of steps forever going skywards to the top of Sri Lanka's most sacred mountain, Adam's Peak - 2240m above sea level.

Adam's Peak, Sri Lanka

Adam's Peak's sacred status is shared by all the main religious groups in Sri Lanka. The Buddhists believe that the Buddha visited Sri Lanka and that his foot touched the top of the peak leaving an imprint in a large sapphire rock. One of the kings of Lanka later covered this precious sapphire with a huge granite slab to protect it because worshippers were taking bits of it home with them to treasure,  or so I was told. Anyway, there is a small temple there today which protects the footprint and is a focus for believers and other interested people. This,  with the physical challenge of achieving the ascent and 360 views, was the reason we  were there today.

Muslim people believe that it was Adam's footprint, while the Hindus attribute it to Shiva and the Christians to St Thomas. [ as explained to me !] So it was that it was an interesting crowd gathered there in the biting wind to observe their own religious rituals, see the sunset and chat to complete strangers.

Start of the climb

 We had arrived at Delhousie around lunchtime having passed vans and buses displaying the traditional pilgrimage sign - flowers of the coconut tree tied on the front - and carrying loads of sleeping passengers who had made the pilgrimage the previous night, a Poya Day. A walk around the village gave a taste of the air of anticipation in the village as shopkeepers arranged their goods such as warm sweaters and hats, foods and sweets, soft toys, incense sticks and such. 

Hindu Shrine, Adam's Peak

 I had invited Udara to climb with us and when he arrived, unable to be sensible and have a nap, as did Melanie, the two of us went off for a walk around the Tamil village nearby, meeting some of the children and being greeted by women returning home. It was a very enjoyable walk and I also got to to have time with Udara.

We had intended to leave our guesthouse, Punisiri, at 1.30am so that we would have plenty of time to get to the top by sunrise, however we were the last to leave and did not get away until after 2 am. I think that this was a bit of a problem for Udara who had climbed the Peak several times previously with his family and thought that we did not have time enough. The first part was an easy walk, with the way well lit, brightly lit shops along the      

 way so we made good time. 

The red bridge as seen on the down trip

  It wasn't until we had crossed the well known red bridge that the going required a little more effort. The steps were mostly concrete and better than I had anticipated although we had to watch out for the deceptively higher ones amoung the more evenly sized. Before long, easy steps were a thing of the past and we began the series of steep staircases that eventually had us desperately hoping that each corner would reveal that we were very close to the top! Of course not! At this point I set myself a challenge of going up 30 steps before stopping for a brief rest. Before long 30 became 20, then 12 and by the time we actually got to the top about 2 or 3 !

Easier steps

 Along with these mini stops we made three ten minute breathers at designated rest areas. Here we found several people sleeping soundly on the benches, wrapped so well that they looked like bundles of clothing.[On the way down in the daylight we could appreciate all that these areas had to offer the weary pilgrims as there were streams and waterfalls to cool feet and even take a bath.]

Udara and Melanie on the way down

 Udara was a great motivator and guide, encouraging us along the way, suggesting that there was a rest area coming up and we could sit a while there, just when we needed that information . He was a little worried as we left our last major stop, where for the first time in many years I drank tea with milk and sugar and relished it ! He said that we needed an hour and a half still to get to the top and that the sun would be up in less than an hour. At this point Melanie and I looked at each other in dismay, then at the visible summit and decided that the only way to go was still UP. Thankfully my last step was taken only forty minutes later ! We had made it in less than four hours and received Udara's congratulations as apparently his previous climbs with his family had taken five and a half.

One of the staircases, by day

Sunrise from Adam's Peak - Sri Pada

Flags flapping

F

The wind was biting but as we had our shoes off, it was our feet that felt it most.

I wonder if this peak has a name ?

Going down was not that easy on wobbly knees

Despite the cold, we were warmed by our experience and were one of the last groups to head back down. Before we left we followed the tradition of ringing the bell - one gong for each time you make the pilgrimage to the top. Getting down was harder on the knees than going up but we were in no hurry, stopping to take photos, watch the birds - saw so may little yellow green ones - name something like "bulbul" according to our fellow travellers - and talking with others. 

Carrying supplies to the top !

This young monk was going down with his mentor/teacher

Three hours later we arrived back at the guesthouse to face two flights of stairs to hot showers and thankfully, breakfast.

On reflection, it is the friendliness, the air of generosity, peace and understanding of strangers with different religious viewpoints and life experiences that made the experience so special for me. Sharing this day with my daughter and Udara ensures that it will be remembered for a very long time.

Would I do it again? I hope I do !