Sri Pada

IThis past weekend, my family and I traveled to the central province in Sri Lanka to climb Adam's Peak.

Adam's Peak is believed to be where Buddha put his footprint and where he step foot on Sri Lanka. Adam's Peak is a very important experience for all Buddhists throughout the country and it was a price late to climb. 

My family and I woke up at around 1am so that we could arrive at the base of the mountain at a decent time. Our whole reason for going there so early was so that we could see the sunrise. We started our hike around 2:15am. It started out as a relatively easy climb until about halfway. Then it got difficult. But it was all worth it when we got to the top. 

We arrived at the top around 5:10. So we were hiking for about 3 hours. At the top, there was a temple, and it was truly amazing. There were a couple hundred people at the top praying to Buddha and waiting for the sun to rise. Everyone was all gathered around and facing the east so we can see the sunrise. And at around 5:45am it happened. The moment everyone was waiting for. It was truly amazing. 

Climbing Sri Pada was an amazing experience and I am glad that I got to climb it! It was really nice to get more involved with the Sri Lankan culture. 

This photo was taken at the top of the mountain at the start of the sunrise.

A little later when the sun was coming up.

This photo was taken at the top of the mountain while the clouds were rolling in and the sun was coming up.

The reservoir and the sunrise.

A panoramic view of the valley and sunrise.

Adam's Peak on our way back down the mountain.

This was the view of Adam's Peak from the bottom of the trail.