Sri Pada

Rajitha, Renuka and I took the opportunity to use the May Day (link) weekend to visit Sri Pada, also know as Adam's Peak. Sri Pada one of the highest and most holy mountains in Sri Lanka. At the top of the mountain appears a "footprint" that Buddhists and Christians alike claim as part of their history. The Buddhist story is that the footprint atop the mountain is that of the Buddha himself, while the Christian story is that the footprint is of Adam, as his first step onto Earth after being kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Either way, its a current day pilgrimage site for Buddhists, and we wanted to visit and partake in the climb before the season ended.
As mose visitors do, we planned to embark on the 4 hour hike in the wee hours of the morning in order to catch the breathtaking sunrise. Hence, we left Colombo early Sunday evening, planning to catch dinner near the mountain before commencing our hike.
According to Lonely Planet, there's a decent hotel/restaurant close to Adam's Peak that's a recommended place for dining before or after the hike. We planned on heading there for dinner, but our driver didn't really know where he was going so we missed it.
Part of the reason we missed the restaurant was because anytime we stopped to ask a local for directions, they insisted we were going the right way and just waived us on. After a few times, we realized that Sri Lankans will tell you something, even if they really don't know, rather than just telling you they dont know.
We made it to the base of Adam's peak around 9:30pm. We were in a situation were we didn't want to begin the hike, but there was a lot of time to kill. We ended up having dinner at The Green House (picture), a modest B&B literally at the base of the mountain. Rajitha and Renuka also decided that it would be best for us to rent a room to catch a few Z's before starting our hike around 3:00am. It turned out to be a brilliant move.
The Green House was a nice place, dinner was of the Tamilian variety and quite tasty. The room was modest, shower/bathroom less than spectacular, and hospitality was warm nonetheless. I especially liked the beds equipped with pink mosquito nets.
After a nap we all woke up and began the hike around 3:00am. We heard conflicting stories regarding how long it would take to get up to the top, but the general consensus was 3-4 hours. We started strong and chipper, cruising through the first hour. It was pitch dark though during the pilgrimage seaason they have a string of lights all the way up, so the trusty headlamp was useful but not completely necessary. It was, however, a good conversation piece.
The pilgrimage is filled with Sri Lankan Buddhists of all shapes and sizes. Parents carrying babies. Elderly women. Energetic children. Many of the climbers were going barefoot. At 3:00am, however, it was chilly and the locals especially bundled up for the long journey. I was fine in a couple layers, but it was amusing to see the stream of climbers in winter coats and beanies.
After the first hour we started to slow down. Looking back, we probably went to fast and didn't pace well. We began taking breaks every few minutes, to catch up with each others' pace and rest up.
Renuka and I seemed to move at the same pace, with Rajitha usually a few steps behind. About halfway up she asked a boy coming down how much longer to the top, and he gleefully answered 30 minutes. At the time Rajitha was thrilled to hear that, but as it turned out the kid severely underestimated. Or he was just messing with Rajitha.
Two hours in, and we were really starting to feel it. Dawn was upon us and the temperature was warming up. I pared down to a t-shirt and finished off my water. The lights at the top of the mountain were within view, but it seemed like an hour of climbing wasn't getting us anywhere
About 3 hours in we were very tired, but still not at the top. At this point it was past 6:00 and the sun was about to peak through and rise. At this point Renuka and I kicked it into as high a gear as we could, and Rajitha powered through not far behind us.
Nearly 3.5 hours from the time we started, Renuka and I finally made it to the top. The sun hadn't quite risen but we made it with literally minutes to spare. The top of the mountain was jam packed with fellow climbers anticipating the sunrise. I was lucky enough to tower over pretty much everyone there, so I had a clear view of the sunrise among the sea of people. Renuka was unfortunately lost in the crowd a bit, though she said she snuck a peek. As it turned out, Rajitha probably had the best view of the three of us, from not quite the top of the mountain.
After the sunrise we went through the temple atop the mountain to see the footprint. Unfortunately we didn't really see it because it was covered up. After checking that out, we met up with Rajitha and found a nice spot to sit down and relax. During this time a Buddhist morning prayer took place, so we stuck out a bit in the middle of several praying Buddhists.
After leisurely relaxing for nearly an hour, and ringing the token "make a wish" bell, we began the descent. For me, the way down was more difficult as it was less about sheer leg strength, and more about balance and stability, especially in the quads. It was also heating up though the time was still early. The way down took less time, but was equally challenging.
The last hour of the descent was a backbreaker. Landmarks that seemed to be right at the beginning of the hike were a lot further away from the end than we remembered. Along the way there are many shops, stalls, and the occaisnional temple. Renuka and I both agreed the end couldn't come fast enough.
I saw a monitor lizard on the way down about 3 feet in front of me. Pretty cool.
We finally made it back down, and the dagger was the 20-odd stairs back up to the Green House. As soon as we got back our hostess offered cool papaya juice and a chance to get a nap in. I honestly have never fallen asleep as quickly as I did after hitting the pillow.
After a nice little nap, I got cleaned up and we headed to breakfast, nearly 8 hours after our day started. Whoa.
The lasting effects of the Sri Pada hike were slightly embarassing. Tuesday morning I seriously could not climb up stairs. My calves were sore for an entire week, and my hammies and quads were burning for 48 hours. Out of idiocy I didn't properly stretch before and after the hike, and that's what killed me. I think I fully recovered 10 days later. Hiking Adam's Peak was a great experience, but the three of us agreed its something we may never be foolish enough to do again.