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Adams Peak Hike

Updated: Aug 29, 2023

Adams Peak is a 2243m high mountain in the highlands of Sri Lanka. It is famous for the Sri Pada, a depression in a rock near its summit which is also considered the footprint of the Buddha. For this reason, in addition to tourists, countless locals make an annual pilgrimage to Adams Peak to visit this footprint.

There are several ways to approach the hike to Adams Peak. You can go up alone or with an experienced guide and also concerning the time there are different options.


We chose a very special option and started together with a guide and equipped with a headlamp at 2 o'clock at night. We had 5500 steps to conquer on the ascent. Since August is low season, the public lighting was also not turned up. We then hiked up Adams Peak in the dark for about 3 hours and cursed not once at this multitude of steps (some very high and shallow steps). At the top it was very cool and also windy. It was still dark, but one has already seen the first reddish discolorations of the sky which herald the sunrise.


We had to wait only a short time. Little by little the sky got slightly different, stronger and stronger colors, until the sun was finally completely visible - a beautiful picture.


Another highlight for me was that the sky was so clear that you could even see the shadow of Adams Peak summit in the wools on the other side of the sunrise. I have never seen anything like that before, a very special spectacle.


After about an hour of watching the sky change color and clouds shift, we finally started our descent. For this we needed almost as long as for the ascent because we tried to go as gentle on the knees as possible and generally careful.


As a summary, this early ascent has paid off in any case. It costs a lot of inner motivation to get up in the middle of the night and to conquer 5500 steps in complete darkness. Nevertheless, it was the right option for us - to experience such a special sunrise is unique.

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