Ascent of Adam's Peak: Every 5,500 steps of it!

Ascent of Adam's Peak: Every 5,500 steps of it!

We set out for a nightly climb to Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka's holiest mountain. So it happened to us

I was already exhausted by Sri Lanka. So far we had two men who stormed into our hotel room in Bentota, got stuck in a toilet in Tissa, were nailed on a wall on a train to Galle and fought for flying cockroaches on the street to Udawalawe.

When we arrived in our guest house in Dalhousie - the gateway to Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka - we only wanted to sleep somewhere before our promotion in the early morning. But, oh, what stupid dreams. Instead of showing our room, we were taken aside and asked to pay for a discount under the table. We were politely rejected and were finally allowed to check in after a long time.

We went to bed early to prepare for the upcoming night: 5,500 steps to the Adam’s Peak, the most sacred mountain in the country. Sri Lanka was clearly not finished with me.

We left our hotel at 2.30 a.m. to make the ascent overnight, as is common for tourists and pilgrims, the latter of which were many. The mountain has been a place of pilgrimage for over 1,000 years and people of all forms and age groups gather on its levels to take the climb in time for sunrise.

• Alt = "Pagoda seen when climbing on the Adam’s Peak"
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• Alt = "Further views according to the climbing of Adam’s Peak"
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Adam’s Peak lies at 2,243 m (7,359 feet) and is unique in that he is important in several great religions thanks to the strange recess on his summit, which is known as Sri Pada or Holy Footprint. Buddhists believe that Buddha's impression comes, Muslims claim that he was the footprint of Adam, while Hindus believe that he belongs to Shiva. Christians claimed it for St. Thomas, but nobody seems to take it very seriously.

Personally, I was more enchanted by his figure than Samanalacand - or butterfly mountain, where butterflies die.

We drove into the night with many layers in tow. Despite the relatively mild temperature at the foot of the Adam’s Peak, the 1,400 m long ascent over 7 km of poorly prepared tourists can shiver at the summit.

Alt = "Ascent of Adam’s Peak" illuminated with tealights "Atlas & BootsThe way to the summit was illuminated with tea lights

We took a short walk through the city center (really just a handful of hotels, cafes and provisional stands) and reached the foot of Adam’s Peak. Since was high season (January to March), the way to the summit was illuminated with tea lights and lined with tea huts.

I prepared for the climb and kept saying that I should take it slowly. I have mastered many physical challenges - from the ascent of the Nevis Peak until the end of the Salkantay Trek - but nothing that would require so much perseverance. After all, there were 5,500 steps!

The first 30 minutes were gentle when we meandered past the clear night air past zealous night air past zealous street traders, Buddhist shrines and colorful prayer flags. There was plenty of space between the steps, which meant that we could go for a while, climb for a while and change between both.

We soon reached the peace spagoda, according to which the climb began seriously. The steps gradually became smaller, steeper and irregular, so it became impossible to set a rhythm. One step can be a short jump while the next is a strenuous lifting.

Alt = "Peter climbs Adams Peak"Atlas & BootsPeter directly under the top of Adam’s Peak

I, always the pragmatist, kept an eye on other climbers to monitor whether I was too quickly (probably not) or too slow. Peter, who is much fitter than me, always prefers to storm up, so it was up to me to set a constant pace.

White dressed pilgrims trudged forward as in a trance. We saw everything, from small children to older people who made their way up. We are told that most Buddhists want to make the climb in their lives - and once is likely enough. In fact, a local saying says: "If you have never climbed Sri Pada, you are a fool; if you have climbed it twice, you are a damn fool."

We continued and further trotted and tried to adapt our running style. Peter likes long but rare breaks while I prefer short breaks, but many of them. He was admirably patient when I kept going to the side and stopping.

Alt = "Almost at the top when climbing the Adam’s Peak"Atlas & BootsAlmost there!

I thought about taking a tea break, but I decided against it because I hoped to avoid the toilets. I had read that they were terrible, although it is worth mentioning that Peter thought she was "okay".

We started with an almost vertical section with handrails on the sides. When a monk passing by us told us that we were about 750 steps away from the top, I didn't quite believe him. Despite frequent breaks or precisely because of this, my legs felt amazingly good. I had prepared myself as much and for so long for the climb that it was actually not nearly as exhausting as I expected.

We climbed the last route and arrived at 5.15 a.m., a total of 2 hours 45 minutes after our start. Sunrise was at 6 a.m. and since shoes are not allowed on the last platform, we decided to wait a while. Our many layers have really proven themselves here.

Alt = "Waiting for the sunrise while climbing the Adam’s Peak"Atlas & BootsWaiting for the sunrise

When it was time, we took off our shoes (socks are okay) and set off. Some former pilgrims had given us a good tip: go up to the last platform 20 minutes before sunrise, but do not stop at the top of the stairs like the others. Instead, go clockwise around the platform and park next to the stairs.

This is a good place to watch the sunrise. Climbers can ring one of the two bells along the way, as is common for pilgrims who reach the summit.

Alt = "sunrise after climbing the Adam’s Peak"Atlas & BootsThe first signs of the sunrise

The sunrise is pretty, but the really spectacular view is on the opposite side of the platform. During the high season (January to March) there is a probability of 80 %to see the shadow of the mountain, which appears as a triangular appearance on the horizon. One of the secrets of Adam’s Peak is the perfect triangular outline of the shadow, which does not match the irregular shape of the actual summit.

Alt = "Shadow after climbing the Adam’s Peak"Atlas & BootsThe uncanny pyramid shadow that is thrown by Sri Pada

We peeked into the tiny temple, which houses the famous footprint (or at least one impression of it; the true footprint should be under the surface). Despite the gold leaf, the tons of cash and complicated ornaments, the footprint was overshadowed by the ripple carpets, which were driven under the summit.

We spent an hour upstairs and made our way down at 7 a.m., we paid attention to descending the way we had risen on. There are two routes up and if you take the wrong down, climbers remain miles away from their starting point. The descent was knee hard, but much faster than the climb (we made it in 1 hour 30 minutes, compared to 2 hours 45 minutes).

Alt = "Carpet clouds after climbing the Adam’s Peak"Atlas & BootsA cloud cover surrounds the summit

Of course we took a lot of time to enjoy the view - some of the most incredible ones we have ever seen. In fact, the climbing of Adam’s Peak was the best we did in Sri Lanka. Better than the leopards in Yala, better than the elephant babies in Udawalawe, better than hiking on the beautiful Ella Rock or its huge counterpart in Sigiriya and better than the beaches of Trinco and Bentota.

Actually, I don't feel so exhausted by Sri Lanka.

Ascent of Adam’s Peak: The essentials

What: climbing the Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka.

Where: Dalhousia is largely undeveloped, there is a lack of high -quality accommodations. We stayed in the White House Adam’s Peak, which had a wonderful view of Adam’s Peak, but also some dubely employees, as mentioned above. Instead, try Queensark, Hugging Clouds or Daddy’s Guest Home, all of which are very important on Booking.com.

It is worth noting that we could not find Dalhousie in many search engines, so you might want to search for Nallathanniya instead.

When: Adam’s Peak's climbing is best done between January and March to experience the atmosphere from its best side. Then the path is illuminated, tea huts line the way and pilgrims mix with tourists. Against this background, they would do well to the Srilankische New Year in mid-April, every full moon (known as "Poya" days) and, if possible, even to avoid the weekend. Then the path is the lively and you could queue up for the summit.

It is possible to climb the Adam’s Peak outside of the season, but bring food, water and a good flashlight. You can also climb it during the day, but the summit is often covered by clouds, and even if it is clear, you won't see the famous shadow.

Like: The climbing of the Adam’s Peak is easiest (7 km, approx. 3 hours) from Dalhousie. An alternative, much longer route (15 km, about 7 hours) rises from the Ratnapura side of the mountain to Palabaddale.

You can reach Dalhousie by train to Hatton and then by bus or tuk-tuk. Trains drive off Colombo, Kandy and Ella, among others-check the timetable here ('Ella' is written in the search dropdown as 'elle'). It is worth noting that we could not find dalhousia in many search engines, so try it with Nallathanniya instead.

The Hatton bus to Dalhousie drives every 10 minutes and winds through a beautiful landscape. The journey takes 1.5 hours and costs 75 LKR (USD 0.60). A ride on the tuk-tuk takes 1 hour and costs 1,000–1,500 LKR ($ 7–11).

Perhaps you would like to take a transfer instead. Your hotel can arrange this, but it is always worth negotiating a discount because they are normally exaggerated (e.g. if 15,000 LKR are specified, ask for 11,000).

Many tourists choose to rent a driver for the entire trip. This costs about $ 45 a day (including the days on which you do not use the driver). We used Ajaa (+94 777 284 178) and Sisi (+94 777 203 083) for shorter transfers and found them friendly and reliable.

Most international flights end up at the Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB). Book through Skyscanner at the best prices.

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