Adam’s Peak or the Butterfly Mountain is a revered site not only of the Buddhists but of the Catholics, the Hindus, and the Muslim. The Buddhists believe the footprint atop the mountain is that of the Lord Buddha’s, while the Muslims and the Catholics believe that it is Adam’s. According to the Hindu mythology, it belongs to Lord Shiva.
The Adam’s peak evoked our interest as it is the fourth highest mountain of Sri Lanka, looming tall at 7,359 feet. During our research, we found out that the area surrounding the Adam’s peak, including the Knuckles reserve and the Horton Plains were recognized as world heritage sites.
- How to get to Adam’s Peak
There are six possible routes to Adam’s Peak. The most commonly taken routes are the Hatton-Nallathanni trail and the Ratnapura trail. We took the Ratnapura trail as it offered picturesque views of the surrounding. The climb was energy consuming, however the cool breeze and the beauty of the mountains got us through the medium tough climb.
- The season
The Adam’s peak pilgrimage season begins in December on the Poya day and goes onto late April. Most Pilgrims start ascending the peak toward the middle and the end, therefore it tends to be quite crowded, and sometimes a queue builds up to ascend the peak. However off season traveling to the Adam’s Peak is also taken up by thrill seekers. But the climb is not recommended as the weather tends to be quite unpredictable, and the area is often scattered by wildlife.
- Ascension
We ascended in Mid April, and surprisingly it was less crowded. We started climb at 2 a.m. in the night and made our goal to see the rising Sun. “Ira sevaya” which is the sinhala term for the Sun’s service. This refers to the mesmerizing phenomenon where the sun appears to worship the mountain as it rises. You need to be at the summit around 5.30 to witness this.
The climb up to Mahagiridambaya itself took us three and a half hours, and there happened to be a long build up of a queue, from the summit itself.
If you plan to climb the peak, it is better to climb during the early hours of the night, or if you want to camp atop the mountain, climb during the latter part of the day.
- What to Bring
The climate tends to get quite chilly as you ascend. Don’t forget that you are climbing the Central highlands in the dead of the night. Make sure to bring sweaters and jerseys, socks if you tend to get chilly. Mufflers and socks are sold by vendors, so you don’t have to worry if you forget to bring your own. However, the trick is to keep moving and climbing as it will heat up your body and make you sweat.
Bring your own snacks, it is wise to pack yourself a couple of snacks as the shops on the way are quite overpriced. Sometimes a little biscuit packet would cost four times its usual amount.
There are plenty of places to eat hot rotti, and drink plain-tea, however the green chilli sambol is quite hot, and it is not recommended if you are on an empty stomach. Our biggest mistake was not packing enough snacks, and we were practically starving until we had our dinner next day at 8 p.m.
However, remember to pack light as the climb could leave you tired and off your feet.