CLIMBING ADAM'S PEAK... THE LOCAL EVEREST...

I spent the long weekend nursing my broken bones… aching ribs… crushed muscles and er… yes.. pampering the leech bites too.. We climbed Adam’s Peak! It’s fun in a way to recall the whole thing now, though we wanted to get back home as soon as possible at that time! But still.. it’s a place where you should visit once in your lifetime at least. We picked a wrong day to climb.. the result being the hard 15 hour climb uphill.. Yeah men!! It really took 15 hours! No kidding! Again.. it’s because we choose the wrong day. The last poya day of the season.. long weekend.. rainy days.. and worse.. the very day the local TV station SLRC wanted to do a live program there! The gates were closed for hours.

I just thought of sharing some tips that might help you, if you’re thinking of climbing the local Everest next time, so that you can go all prepared. The mountain, being 7,359 ft high, makes it one of the highest mountains in the country. I’ll just say it’s a hard climb.. Why? Just look at its shape and you’ll see why.. Buddhists call it ‘Samanala Kanda’, Saman being one of the four guardian gods of Sri Lanka. Hindus call it ‘Sivan Adi Padham’, believing that god Shiva left the giant footprint at the peak of the mountain. Catholic people believe that the footprint belonged their god ‘Adam’. So.. no wonder you meet all varieties of people climbing the mountain..

Another important thing… The mountain can only be scaled from December to April. That’s the official season where people visit the Adam’s peak. During other months… it is hard to climb the mountain due to very heavy rain, extreme wind, and thick mist. It is almost impossible to hike there through lesser known jungle tracks because of flooding rivers and animals. So.. don’t even think of an off – season visit!

There are 2 routes you can take. One; Rathnapura Road, being the toughest.. longest but the most scenic route. But most people choose the easiest route, the Hatton road, starting from Nallathanniya. We took Hatton Road too. Well… that’s about it and it’s time to start the actual ‘tips’.

Tip # 1 – Carry less. Your backpack should only contain the most essential things. A packet of biscuit, a small water bottle, a packet of glucose, an umbrella and a light snack is more than enough

Tip # 2 – Attire: It’s cold up there.. Ladies! It’s not a fashion parade. Just wear the stuff you need to get rid of the cold. A jersey.. or a denim overcoat (Mind it though, it’ll get wet and stay wet if it rains)… and if it’s raining… a rain coat… and a must…. Wear a beanie which covers your ears.

Tip # 3 – Wear rubber slippers or shoes. Slippers will make it easier to climb; but when you reach the top, your feet will get cold. Shoes are good in that case; but make sure they’re not heavy.

Tip # 4 – Don’t eat a lot before you start climbing. In the cold environment, the metabolism rate is high and you’ll end up looking for toilets!!

Tip # 5 – Medicine : Panadol… balms.. something to get rid of your tummy bugs.. lime… some plasters… These things are priceless out there!

Tip # 6 – If you’re climbing at night, it’s better to have a small torch with you.

Tip # 7 – Always stick with your group. You don’t want to end up getting lost in the middle of nowhere!!

Tip # 8 – Avoid weekends and poya days. Pick a weekday, so that the crowd will be lesser.

There you go!! Some tips. It’s worth a visit, believe me.. a lifetime experience!!