I decided to join the throngs of Buddhist pilgrims climbing the 5,200 steps to the top of Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada), a 2,243-metre-tall (7,359-foot) sacred mountain, and one of Sri Lanka’s taller mountains. Adam’s Peak is where, legend has it, Adam stepped down from the heavens to Earth. The scuttlebutt is that you wake up at 2 am (!) and start climbing the steps by 2:30 am to reach the top before sunrise and see the surrounding mountain ranges at dawn.
The route is fairly well lit and has booths of food, trinkets, and toys all the way up. When you first leave your guesthouse to start the climb, you can see the trail of lights heading straight up into the sky, which looks pretty impressive.
Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) 5200 Step Climb
Map of the route “Stairway from Heaven”: 10,862 m, 930 m of climbing and 871 m of descent, elevation between 1,192 m and 2,063 m, time 06:24:25. It is a loop that starts and ends at 6.82712, 80.52625 (latitude, longitude).
Unfortunately, I chose an unusually busy day to attempt the climb. I probably got up around 4000 steps before I came to a screeching halt behind hundreds or thousands of Buddhist pilgrims trying to do the same thing – or possibly even making the climb for legitimate religious reasons (there is a temple on top). I waited in line for about two hours, and it didn’t budge.
The sun rose, so I decided to bail and at least photograph what I could on the descent. Yes, it was a hard climb and a difficult-on-your-knees descent, but it was nice to see the mountains up close. In fairness to those in line for genuine religious reasons, it was probably best for me to give up my space in line, anyway.
Afterwards, my driver scheduled me in for a nice surprise Ayurueda treatment to have my legs massaged. It was very nice, and I think it certainly helped.
