5500 steps to… Adam’s Peak!

3:30am the alarm wakes us. As we’re preparing to leave, Jody and I scowl at Halina for not coming with us. Pretty sure she injured her foot herself just so she wouldn’t have to come.
We jumped in the van and had a little nap for a few hours until we reached Nuwara Eliya, probably one of the most visually stunning places in Sri Lanka.

Jody was already staring out the window when I woke up. The views were astonishing, it was like we were in ‘Land Before Time’. There was a huge lake, with an island in the middle, surrounded by hills and jungle. The sun was just over the hills creating a misty scene and shimmering on the perfectly still water. Every bend in the road would show another spectacular waterfall. There is no way I can describe the beauty, you really have to see it for yourself.

There were seven of us all together making the climb. Adam’s Peak is one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated places of pilgrimage, standing at 2243m. Buddhists believe the depression at the summit is the Sri Pada, meaning sacred footprint, made by Buddha as he left the earth.

It’s a long way to the top, roughly 7km and around 5500 steps!

The first stretch was deceiving, the steps were spaces out and not steep, and we were thinking this wasn’t going to be so bad. It was only once we realised the climb hadn’t even started yet, that we thought otherwise. There was a large area for prayer and a huge white Dagoba, surrounded by beautiful mountains and waterfalls… and some more steps.

From now on the climb was relentless, step after step, twisting and turning up the mountain, and the sun high in the sky wasn’t helping all that much! As we progressed and the waterfalls and Dagoba got smaller and smaller in the distance, the views became much more impressive.

After a couple hours of continuous step by step climbing, everyone was feeling like their legs wouldn’t work much longer, and then we reached a sign which read ‘The ancients had to tread with utmost care this particular stretch of the pathway, depending heavily on chains and ropes. Even today, the path is steep and the journey arduous.’ They weren’t joking either!
The steps became so steep, you had to hold on to the handrail, hauling yourself up a few steps at a time. The handrail was actually a bit of a relief for your legs. Every corner we turned had to be the last one, but it wasn’t, it just kept going.

Sorry Jody, had to put this one in!

Finally we made it to the summit. It felt so good to sit down and let our legs get over the trauma they had just been through. The view from the top was………. a white wash of cloud! There was a small section where you could still see down but, mainly, there was cloud.
We each rang a bell, just once, to signify we had made it to the top. You ring once for each time you have made it to the top. Before long I guess I’ll be ringing it twice, as I know Halina wont climb unless she drags me along again.

After our well needed rest, some snacks, feeding the dogs and a chat with the security guard, who lives there for 6months at a time!! we began our descent.
The clouds obscuring our view from the top, now decided to empty upon us, making the climb down a tad precarious, the steep steps at the top were now wet and slippery too.
After maybe a thousand steps, everyone’s legs had turned to jelly, every step you could feel your legs shaking uncontrollably, ah well, only 4500 to go!

Roughly an hour and a half later, everyone had made it through the monsoon rains back to the van. Everyone was soaked to the bone and bodies still in jelly form, but everyone was happy and proud of the successful journey to the summit of the Sri Pada. Hard going but definitely worth it!