Maskeliya - Nallathanniya (Adam’s Peak)
Sri Lanka, 2018
We got up early. Packed quickly. Volchiy put on his wet clothes. I went in dry tights and a fleece.
The village of Nallathanniya, where the trail to Adam’s Peak begins, is 15 km from our hotel.
It’s sunny in the morning. Not a cloud in the sky.
Today we are staying in cottages high on the mountainside. To get to our accommodation, we have to climb a lot of steps. Along the path, monkeys sit in the trees waiting for careless guests with food in their hands. The cleaning ladies chase the monkeys away with sticks. The room is old, but the balcony and the views are simply magnificent. We were lucky — our balcony had a wonderful sofa. As Volchiy said, where else can you sit on a sofa with such a view.
Sofa on our balcony. Relaxing before the hike.
We quickly had some tea and bananas and set off for Adam’s Peak. Strictly speaking, you’re supposed to go there at night. People set out at 2 a.m. to meet the sunrise on the mountain. But since our schedule had shifted a bit, we decided to go in the morning. We didn’t want to sit here all day doing nothing.
The clouds in the sky were forming right before our eyes.
The trail to Adam’s Peak turned out to be not an easy one.
At the start of the trail. It’s very beautiful all around.
At first, the climb was more or less gentle. Along the trail there were numerous little shops selling water, food, and stuffed toys. Then the trail became steeper and steeper. The food shops almost disappeared. For the last kilometer, instead of a trail, there were very high steps with railings; it felt as if we were climbing a sheer cliff.
At first, it was just a staircase...
We’re headed there, to the very top, to the clouds
We reached the summit in 2.5 hours. By that time, the sky was completely covered with clouds, and there was no view at all from the peak. No wonder people go at sunrise…
At the top there is a small temple and a platform where the local people pray.
A place for candles on the mountain summit. And all around, clouds, clouds....
There are a lot of people on the trail, mostly local residents (we saw very few tourists). They climb in whole families — from little children to frail old ladies. I honestly can’t imagine how they manage to make it along this route…
Going down. Very steep steps with railings
Along the way, Sri Lankans wrap the bushes with white threads. It probably means something...
For Volchy, this hike was experimental; he didn’t drink any water the whole way.
We descended to our village. There are very few places here where you can eat. We had kotthu for lunch.
We sat on our balcony until evening. Great!
Today is probably a full moon. The moon is huge and bright.
