Asian_Geographic_PASSPORT_-_Year_2016_-_2017

76 JOURNEY

The sun peaked over the horizon, and
in a matter of minutes, the darkness
which had cloaked me for hours
vanished, replaced with a warm, orange
glow. Though a good sized crowd was
gathered at the summit, you could
have heard a pin drop, such was the
silent reverence. You can climb Adam’s
Peak in daylight hours, and many
people do, but pilgrims typically prefer
to walk through the last hours of the
night to catch the sunrise at the top.
The theme of darkness overcome by
light is recurrent in many faiths, and
here it seems particularly appropriate
as Muslims and Christians, Buddhists
and Hindus all journey to the mountain
to pray. Visitors of no faith come too,
but the experience seems particularly
poignant for believers.
For the followers of the Abrahamic
faiths, it was here that Adam first set
foot on earth when he was cast out of
the Garden of Eden, having eaten the
forbidden fruit. An oversized footprint,
nearly two metres in length and cut
into the rock near the summit is, for
Buddhists, the mark left by the left foot
of the Buddha; for Hindus, that same
footprint belongs to Lord Shiva. Adam’s
Peak is, according to local Tamil legends,
also Mount Trikuta, described in the

Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka

Ramayana Hindu epic as the capital of

the demon king, Ravana.

I climbed Adam’s Peak in April,

at the peak of the pilgrimage period,

and like my Buddhist companions,

I made the journey barefoot as a sign of

humility. Starting around 2am, we opted

for the Hatton trail because although it

is steep, it is significantly shorter than

the other routes. Our way was lit by tiny

lights along the path, as well as by the

near-full moon and stars. We climbed

step after rough step, hewn into the rock

or bolstered with stone and concrete,

and made our way through the forested

mountainside. There are rumoured to

be wild animals in the forest, including

leopards and elephants, but thankfully

they keep their distance from the path

and those who climb along it.

There are nature-made pitstops to

rest along the way, flanked by tea and

snack stalls. There is also a chance

to stop at the modern Peace Pagoda,

erected on the mountain in 1978.

Though certain sites are of particular

significance to one religious community

or another, all are welcome to stop, rest,

reflect, and pray. To this end, Adam’s

Peak stands tall as an ecumenical

beacon in a world where religious

tolerance is sadly often found wanting.

SRI LANKA

ADAM’S PEAK

right The journey

from darkness into

light is a common

theme in religion, and

is embodied literally in

climbing Adam’s Peak

through the night to

witness the sunrise

WHEN

The best time to climb is between

December and May, and you will need

to allow at least three hours to reach

the top.

WHERE

Adam’s Peak is in the southern

highlands of Sri Lanka, close to the

Nuwara Eliya hill station.

HOW

Best of Lanka (www.bestoflanka.com)

offers a number of trekking and cultural

tours, including a guided ascent of

Adam’s Peak. The closest international

airport is Colombo.

EXPERIENCE

ADAM’S PEAK