Sri Prada

Before we even reached Sri Lanka I already do one thing that I absolutely had to before leaving the island: climb Adam’s Peak. Adam’s Peak is more than 2,200 meters (7,300 feet) tall at its summit and is located in the central mountains of Sri Lanka. The land immediately surrounding the mountain is mostly forested rolling hills so the mountain seems very out of place.

The very top of the mountain is shaped like a footprint so its local name is “Sri Prada” which means “sacred footprint". It has been an important pilgrimage site for centuries and Buddhists say it is the footprint of Buddha, Hindus say it is the footprint of Shiva, and Christians and Muslims say it is the footprint of Adam. Others believe that the mountain is where butterflies go to die!

The peak is only accessible by foot and the pilgrimage season is form December to May and hundreds of people flock to the temple on the top to pray. The way up the mountain is a five kilometer (a little of three miles) trail that is mostly steps. In total is more than 5,000 steps! Its popular to start the hike at night so that you reach the summit in time to see the sunrise. Depending on the climber it usually takes at least three hours to get from the village at the bottom to the summit. Along the way there are tea houses to offer pilgrims a place to rest and food and water if they need it. At night the path is well lit by lights and from far away you can see the lighted trail snake up the side of the mountain.

To begin my journey I took a bus from Anuradahpura to Kandy and then another bus from Kandy to Hatton. By the time I got to Hatton there were no more buses going to Adam’s Peak so I had to take a tuk-tuk the rest of the way. I finally arrived to the base of Adam’s Peak by about midnight. Most of the shops were closed but some were open and the owners were huddled around small fires to keep warm.

It was pretty chilly when I arrived and I was wearing all of the clothes that I had with me but I didn’t have to climb many stairs before I was sweating and down to just a t-shirt! As I hiked I could see my breath which is something I hadn’t seen for a really long time.

The path up was mostly empty but everyone I passed was very friendly. I was surprised at how many people I saw going down the mountain and later learned this was because many pilgrims like to start the hike down the mountain after they finished praying but before the sunrises. That way you can’t see how far away the bottom is while you struggle down! I have to admit that hiking up by myself was a little spooky because there are lots of strange noises that come out of the dark jungle at night.

After several days of incredibly heavy rain I was lucky to have clear skies and could see thousands of stars as I climbed. After about three hours I finally made it to the top! It was even colder up there and there were lots of people. Some were hanging out with friends and family, some were huddled around a small fire to keep warm, and some were sleeping in hallways to keep out of the cold wind outside. I decided to try and nap too since it was about two hours before sunrise and I was completely exhausted after such a long day of traveling and after carrying myself and my backup all the way up. The cold and hard concrete was definitely not the most comfortable place I’ve slept on! But it was good to rest for a little while.

At about 5:30 AM everybody started to get up and move outside for a food view of the sunrise. The sunrise was spectacular and as the sun rose it reveled the stunning landscape that surrounds Sri Prada. Traditional music as played through loudspeakers and later two men with a drum and a flute played more music. Unfortunately, just as the sun rose so did heavy clouds and soon it was difficult to see anything at all. At lot of people left then but I decided to stay for a little while and eat my breakfast while hoping the clouds would clear. And I’m glad I did! After about an hour the clouds parted and I could see all around very clearly. I could even seen the shadow of the mountain!

After enjoying the view for a while the adventure was not over yet! I still had three miles of stairs to climb down and my legs already felt like rubber from the hike up. It was neat to hike down the same path during daylight after hiking up in mostly complete darkness and I stopped several times to admire the view (catch my breath and rest!). After another three hours down I finally made it to the bottom and was so happy to sit on a very long bus ride to my next adventure!

Its now several days later and my calves are still a little sore which is embarrassing but in my defense I haven’t seen many stairs while living mostly at sea level for the last few months!


This picture is from near the start of the hike. Way in the background you can see the lighted path up.





This is called the Dragon Gateway and was built in 1950 to seek divine intervention to solve a problem with a
nearby hydroelectric power plant.





A small temple with the lighted path snaking up the mountain in the background.







From the top you can see just how far you’ve made it.



One of the many shops along the way. They get more expensive as you go higher!