5500 Steps Along the Pilgrimage Climb to Adam’s Peak……
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0.000 HBD5500 Steps Along the Pilgrimage Climb to Adam’s Peak……
<html> <h1>Adam's Peak, a sacred spot for believers of every faith— and those that have none:</h1> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/29gc45s.jpg</p> <p> Jutting sharply skyward from the lush jungles of southwestern Sri Lanka is the 7362 foot (2243 meter) peak of Sri Pada, the 'Holy Footprint'. Also called Adam's Peak, the mountain has the unique distinction of being sacred to the followers of four of the world's major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Long before the development of these religions, however, the mountain was worshipped by the aboriginal inhabitants of Sri Lanka, the Veddas. Their name for the peak was Samanala Kanda; Saman being one of the four guardian deities of the island. For Hindus, the name of the mountain is Sivan Adi Padham, because it was the world-creative dance of the god Shiva that left the giant footprint (5 feet 7 inches by 2 feet 6 inches). According to Buddhist traditions from as early as 300 BC, the real print is actually beneath this larger marking. Imprinted on a huge sapphire, it was left by the Buddha during the third and final of his legendary visits to Sri Lanka. When Portuguese Christians came to the island in the 16th century they claimed the impression to be the footprint of St. Thomas who, according to legend, first brought Christianity to Sri Lanka. And finally, the Arabs record it as being the solitary footprint of Adam where he stood for a thousand years of penance on one foot. An Arab tradition tells that when Adam was expelled from heaven, God put him on the peak to make the shock less terrible - Ceylon being that place on earth closest to and most like heaven. </p> <p>http://i63.tinypic.com/ih31xf.jpg</p> <p> The mountain is more easily seen from the sea than from land, and also more impressive. Early Arab seafarers fascinated with the pyramidal peak wrote of it as "the highest mountain in the world" (it is not even the highest in Sri Lanka), and "visible from three days sail". The ancient Sinhalese also believed it to be of great height and a native legend tells "from Seyllan to Paradise is forty miles, and the sound of the fountains of Paradise is heard here". Visited by many early world travelers, among them the Arab Ibn Batuta (1304-1368) and the Venetian Marco Polo (1254-1324), Adam's Peak attained a legendary status as a mystic pilgrimage destination. Today the pilgrimage season commences in December and continues until the beginning of the monsoon rains in April (from May to October the mountain is obscurred by clouds). Certain parts of the path leading up the mountain are extremely steep and the climbing chains secured in these sections are said to have been placed by Alexander the Great (365-323 BC), though there is no evidence that he made it this far south on his Asia travels. Atop the peak is an oblong platform (74 x 24 feet) where stands a small Buddhist temple and the shrine of Saman with the strange footprint. Votive offerings are made here, especially of a coil of silver as long as the donor is tall, for recovery from sickness; and rain-water taken from the footprint is known to have a wonderful healing power. Adam's Peak is also called Samanalakande or the 'butterfly mountain' because of the myriads of small butterflies that fly from all over the island to die upon the sacred mountain. </p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/90uej5.jpg</p> <h2> For kings and commoners alike:</h2> <p> Whatever legend one may believe, it is obvious that Adam’s Peak is among the world’s sacred mountains. The site has been a place of worship for kings and commoners alike. Its pilgrimage season runs during the dry period between January and April, when both Sri Lankans and foreigners visit the mountain for its lush greenery and mountain tracks. </p> <p>http://i63.tinypic.com/ehirrp.jpg</p> <p>http://i65.tinypic.com/4pvxxv.jpg </p> <p> Typically, three routes are available to visitors. One takes 10 miles on foot starting from Ratnapura. The other starts from Kuruwita and takes 12 miles on foot, and the shortest begins from Maskeliya and takes around four miles and 5500 steps. The easiest way, however, is from Hatton, which which lies 32 km southwest. </p> <p>http://i66.tinypic.com/29246yh.jpg</p> <p>http://i65.tinypic.com/a5gq2x.jpg</p> <p> Climbs usually begin at 1am to catch the sun’s rays above the surrounding forest and tea country. This destination arrives after four to five hours of climbing through the night, in darkness. Some do choose to make the ascent during the day, and camp through the night to catch the ceremony welcoming the sunrise. </p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/jtqecm.jpg</p> <h1><strong>How to climb Adam’s Peak – How to get there:</strong></h1> <p> You need to get to the town of Nallathanniya (Dalhousie) which is a long narrow windy road away from anywhere. The drive is beautiful with great scenery and plenty of tea plantations on the way but it is slow going. It is approximately 3.5hrs from Kandy (all mountains), 3.5hrs from Nuwara Eliya (all mountains) and 5hrs from Colombo. </p> <p><strong>How to climb Adam’s Peak – The town of Nallathanniya (1,200mtrs):</strong></p> <p> To sum it up – nothing. Nallathanniya is only there to house pilgrims for Adams Peak. There are plenty of stalls that sell anything from little statues to clothes to balls. Surprisingly they seem to sell an awful lot of kid’s toys which I didn’t really understand. These stalls continue from the town into the lower section of the climb. Well known accommodation like Slightly Chilled is approximately a 10min walk from the official start at the wrong end of town whereas Singh (Sing) Brothers is right at the very start of the climb just over the bridge. I stayed in Singh Brothers and they are very nice but the accommodation is basic. But if it is location you are interested in then it couldn’t be better. </p> <p> My strong advice would be to leave Nallathanniya once you are finished the climb</ins>. Maybe go somewhere like Nuwara Eliya if you planned to go to Hortons Plain. You will be back from Adam’s Peak at approximately 10am so it gives plenty of opportunity to get to somewhere more productive or relaxing for the following day. </p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/smfvyt.jpg</p> <p><strong>How to climb Adam’s Peak – Climbing Adams Peak:</strong></p> <p> It is a 1000mtr (3300ft) accent to climb Sri Pada from Nallathanniya. There are two good things about this climb. First of all there is no altitude to deal with so altitude sickness is not a problem. The second which makes a 1000mtr climb much easier is the steps. The whole climb is completed on concrete steps which I thought were in very good condition despite what any guide book may tell you. </p> <p>http://i64.tinypic.com/25rik2s.jpg</p> <p> The climb will take between 2.5hrs to 4hrs to get to the top depending on fitness. The aim is to be at the top for sunrise which happens at about 6am. Most people aim to be at the top for around 5 to 5:30am which means leaving between 2-3am. Of course you are going to do some sweating so make sure you bring some warm clothes for the top as it can be chilly in the wind if you are waiting around looking at all the moths up there (A strange phenomenon). The earlier you get up there the better a spot you will be in for the sunrise as good vantage points are limited. Of course the downside is that you are waiting in the cold and dark for over an hour at least. Sri Pada can also be climbed during the day if you are really against getting up at 2am. </p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/294tqaq.jpg</p> <p> A few minutes into the climb you are scooted off the path briefly in order to pass some Buddhist monks and give a donation. They ask for 1000ruppees and it is all off tourists. This is them basically chancing their arm to get extra money. This is only a ‘donation’ and is not an entrance fee. As long as you are aware of this then you can make your own choice. But if you are surprised like I was and pushed along with it all done so quickly it seems like you have to pay it which is not the case. It left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. </p> <p>http://i66.tinypic.com/2mwsf47.jpg</p> <p> The whole climb is lit up by lights so there is no need to bring a torch (Out of season the lights are off, see below). There are plenty of tea stations along the way for the whole climb so you could actually get away without bringing food/water but it is better to bring something more substantial for yourself as it is mainly snacks/chocolate at the stops. </p> <p><strong>How to climb Adam’s Peak – The top and Sri Pada:</strong></p> <p> From the town the temple on top looks huge and spectacular. From the top the temple is not spectacular at all. The views are wonderful but the temple is not. It has the same footprint as a helicopter pad and that is about it. You can see the temple in 10minutes. The views of the surrounding countryside on the otherhand are worth the trip and does make the trip a little spiritual. The only pity is that you can only see one side at a time and the views from the top are a little obscured by fences and bushes. If you arrive at the top early it is probably worth seeing the temple first so you can start the decent earlier after sunrise. </p> <p> The toilets are at the back of the temple, the other side from the way you got up. </p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/1y5mjp.jpg</p> <p>http://i64.tinypic.com/25fn68l.jpg</p> <p>http://i67.tinypic.com/2rxb60j.jpg</p> <p>http://i64.tinypic.com/jr8b4m.jpg</p> <p><strong>How to climb Adam’s Peak – When to go:</strong></p> <p> Peak season is January to March but new years and full moons are to be avoided at all costs. I know of two people who went separately during these times and didn’t get to the top because of the crowds. It can take from 6-10hrs to get up! Sri Lankan new year’s (mid-April) is also to be avoided. I went on a weekday in January and had no problems with crowds. The weekends are also much busier and should be avoided if possible. The stairs is reasonably wide at the bottom but towards the top it is almost single file so with huge crowds this really backs up. The pilgrimage season lasts until around May. After this the lights are turned off and most tea-stations are not open but Sri Pada is still available to climb as normal. You just have to be a little more self sufficient. You can be unlucky with the weather and if it is raining the whole experience can be miserable so make sure to look this up before you make your final journey to Nallathanniya. During the summer (off season) there can often be heavy rain in the evenings but this should stop before midnight. </p> <h1>Gallery:</h1> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/1zzhu1f.jpg</p> <p>http://i65.tinypic.com/2d01cgm.jpg</p> <p>http://i66.tinypic.com/hrwisl.jpg</p> <p>http://i68.tinypic.com/2uomkyh.jpg</p> <p>http://i67.tinypic.com/10z0djo.jpg</p> <p>http://i63.tinypic.com/2hcjhv5.jpg</p> <p>http://i66.tinypic.com/352m4x0.jpg</p> </html>