When I found out I was coming to Sri Lanka, the first thing
I googled was what to do when I get here. The number one tourist attraction
here is Sri Pada, more commonly known to us as Adam’s Peak. Adam’s Peak is a
famous pilgrimage sight for Christians, Muslims and Buddhists, as it’s believed
to be the place where Adam first set foot in the world after being cast down
from heaven, and also it is home to the sacred footprint of Buddha.
Adam’s Peak is over 5200 steps, and is usually climbed at
night in order to see the sun rise at the summit, in the morning. Most people
start at 2:30am to get there for 6:30am, but as it’s pilgrimage season, we left
our hostel at midnight, to give ourselves more chance. At the beginning of the
climb, we were greeted by monks who blessed us and gave us a white bracelet,
and then we were off. For the first couple of hours, we were making good time
and had only stopped once for a sugary coffee. Although it’s only steps, the
steps are incredibly random, with some being steep and some further apart from
others, so it’s impossible to get into a good rhythm. It’s also quite cold
because of the position on the mountain, so I bought a woolly hat to keep my
head warm!
And then we hit the queue.
We reached the queue at around 3am in the morning and slowly
creeped up the mountain to be near the top for sun rise at 5:30am. The sun was
absolutely breath taking, and it really did make the whole climb seem amazing
up until that point. However, we still had a way to go and two girls decided
enough was enough, and turned around.
Being the stubborn perfectionist that I am, me and two
others waited for another 3 and a half hours and finally reached the summit.
The views were incredible, and the pictures really don’t do it justice at all.
The sense of achievement and pride also made the whole thing worth it.
The way back down was actually much harder. The pressure on
your legs makes them shake so badly, especially because you’ve changed from
going up to powering back down – and believe me, you really do have to power
walk back down because otherwise you just won’t make it.
I have never been so tired in my whole life, and have slept so much since returning back down, but it really was one of the most amazing things I've ever done. And although I wouldn't put myself through it all again, it was 100% worth it.
♥
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