ADAM'S PEAK — Hills & Waves

25th - 27th May 2015

Today we bid farewell to India. We've thoroughly enjoyed this country, the food, the people, the sights, the smells. It has been an incredible part of our journey and I can definitely see us returning in the future. We already have been working out our next route. With a heavy heart for leaving this amazing country but a buzz of excitement for what lies ahead we rose at first light to make the one and a half hour journey to Cochin airport.

It actually took longer to get to the airport than it did to touch down on Sri Lankan soil, and by eleven we were negotiating Colombo's hectic market / bus station trying to find our way to a small town called Dalhousie in the hills. Dalhousie is the traditional starting point for the four hour hike to the top of Adam's Peak. It is called Adams Peak because there is a small plateau at the summit that has an unusual compression in the rock. Christians believe this to be the foot print of Adam when he first came to earth. However Buddhists believe it to be the footprint of Buddha, and the Sinhalese name for it is Sri Pada, which translates as sacred footprint. It also crops up in many other religions.

After an eight hour shaky bus ride we arrived in sleepy Dalhousie well after dark. The main season for climbing the peak had finished a few weeks back and the village was practically deserted. We stayed in The White House Hotel just set back from the road next to a bubbling stream. It was a beautiful little spot surrounded by tea plantation covered hills. Our room felt a bit like a treehouse overlooking the stream. It was light and airy with an ensuite bathroom and little balcony. For dinner we ordered a traditional Sinhalese veg thali. It consisted of eight little curries that tasted amazing. All the veg was what happened to be in season at the time and unlike India the flavours were light and aromatic rather than some of the hot heavy curries we had grown accustomed to.

The best time to reach the summit of Adams peak is sun rise, which means setting out at half two in the morning. As we arrived quite late, we decided to spend a day pottering around the little village and get some supplies and make the climb the following night. Due to the peak season being over most of the shops were boarded up, however It looked like thousands of people must travel through here when the time is right. We had breakfast in a little wonky place called The Green House perched on the hillside above the village covered in flowers and vines. The rest of the day was spent chilling out by the little river and drinking a couple of beers at our guest house.

In the afternoon a group of German girls walked in for lunch. They had just arrived and were also planning on conquering Adam's Peak the following morning. The four of them were all teachers working in the same school and every year they would pick a different island to explore in the school holidays. We hung out with them most of the afternoon drinking beer and eating curry. Before we knew it most of the afternoon had gone and evening was upon us.

Alarm at 1:50am, up and out by 2, met the Germans by 2:15, at the foot of the mountain by 2:30.

Even though the town had shut down for the off season there were still a number of people heading to the foot of the peak. Twinkling flashes of head torches would every now and then pinpoint the way forward or where we had walked from. It is an important pilgrimage site, especially for Buddhists who must make the journey to the top once in their lifetime. There is a bell along the route that people can ring to signify how many times they have completed the ascent. In peak season the path to the top is lit, the lights snaking their way up the mountain, showing you how far you have left to go. The route is all well cut rock steps, (5000 in total) with the odd handrail on the steepest parts (We could have done with a handrail at Thorang La in Nepal). As it was pitch black there wasn't much to see on the way up except a rich blanket of stars between the fleeting clouds. The clicks and chirps of crickets and other insects broke the silence, sounding like a group of shivering skeletons were hiding in the trees. Our little group moved steadily up stoping every now and then for a break. By about 5am we reached the top to find a small huddle of people eagerly awaiting the sun rise. As dawns light approached it became apparent we were in the mist of thick cloud. This was pretty disappointing. You could see the clouds swirling around us at great speed then suddenly it dropped below us like the falling of a thick velvet curtain to reveal a breathtaking world below. It looked like the view from an aeroplane with clouds littering the landscape with small breaks revealing the tea plantations and villages that surrounded us. People whooped and cheered creating a great atmosphere.

Unfortunately the little shrine on the top that houses Buddhas or Adams footprint was closed. That didn't bother us too much. The sky was constantly changing as the sun lit up the clouds as they gathered around us then fell below us with great speed. It really was a magical scene. Once the sun was fully up we started our descent. The journey down was completely different bathed in the warm morning light. At times our path disappeared in to the clouds below. It reminded me of the Faraway Tree stories I read as a kid. We passed lots of stupas and Buddhist monuments that lined the path and soon were not far from the base. Going down was almost as hard as going up. Our calfs had turned to jelly as we wobbled down the final section and back to our guest house.

The Germans said we could jump in their van headed to Hatton railway station where we could catch a train to Nuwara Eliya (or Little England) our next stop in Sri Lanka's hills. A beaten up old six seater arrived round mid day and whisked us off east. Adam soared above the landscape for most of the journey as if it was sad to see us leave, it seemed weird to think only a few hours before we had stood on his head.