Adam’s Peak — known in Sinhala as Sri Pada, the Sacred Footprint — is Sri Lanka’s most spiritually significant mountain and one of its most demanding and rewarding hikes. The 2,243-metre summit is held sacred by four of the world’s major religions: Buddhists venerate it as the footprint of the Buddha; Hindus as the footprint of Lord Shiva; Muslims as the footprint of Adam; and Christians as the footprint of St Thomas. The result is a pilgrimage trail unlike any other, where monks, saree-clad grandmothers, and headlamp-equipped travellers climb side by side through the night.
The ascent from Dalhousie begins around 2am to reach the summit in time for sunrise — a spectacle that on clear days includes the peak’s perfectly conical shadow stretching across the plains far below. The trail climbs 5,500 steps over approximately 7 kilometres, passing through rainforest, tea plantations, and a string of chai stalls that stay open all night during pilgrimage season from December to May. The hike takes three to four hours of sustained climbing. The season ends after Vesak in May and the trail is officially closed during the off-season months.
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