The pilgrimage season runs from Unduwap poya (December) to Wesak poya Festival (May), reaching its peak mid-season at Medin poya. At this time, there is a constant stream of pilgrims & the top can get very crowded. The busiest period is during January to February.
The climb is still quite possible in the off season too. However since the path is not lit in the off season you will need a torch at night. It often rains here in the afternoon here, especially in the off-season.
At other times the temple on the summit is unused, & between May & October the peak is obscured by cloud for much of the time.
Pacing the ascent............
All of us ought to pace the ascent so that we could endure physical stress to avoid exhaustion. Warm clothes should be worn to avoid wind chill & catching cold at the summit after sweating it out during the climb. Approximately 20,000 people scale Adam's Peak on weekends during the pilgrimage season. The endless steps can shake the strongest knees, & if the shoes don't fit well toe-jam starts to hurt too. Hats would come handy since the morning sun gets strong quite fast. Stretching leg muscles before & after the climb is a good idea so that we will not be limping for the next few days. We can have Ayurvedic oil massages too.
Routes.........
The three routes taken by the pilgrims who climb the Peak today are Ratnapura route, Kuruwita route and Hatton route.
The road to Adam's peak takes you past some spectacular waterfalls & winds through the heart of some of the finest tea-growing country in the world. For much of the way it is above 200m. From Nuwara Eliya, the A7 runs through dryer country in the rain shadow of hills to the southwest & northeast. It climbs to Nanu Oya & Lindula, where a right turn leads up a beautiful mountain road to Agarapatana. In Talawakele, Sri Lanka's Tea Research Institute has played a major role in improving Sri Lanka's tea production. The road drops as it crosses the railway line & winds through the tea estates of Dimbula. Along this stretch, there are some magnificent views from the road. You first spy the 80m St Clair Falls, dropping in three cascades down to the valley below. Opposite the view point for 98m Devon Falls, an enormous bronze tea boiler introduces you to the St Clair Tea Center, a good place to stop for a cup of tea.
Hatton is one of the major centres of Sri Lanka's tea industry on the Colombo-Kandy-Nanu Oya (close to Nuwara Eliya) railway & the road. 33km by road southwest of Hatton, is the small settlement of Dalhousie. It is from Dalhousie, the shorter (7km) & more frequently used route from the north start. The road is illuminated in season by a string of lights, which look very pretty as they snake up the mountainside. Out of season you can still do the climb, you'll just need a torch (flashlight). The approach from Hatton side is a cake-walk with steps constructed on the path right through to the top & the base from which most pilgrims trek to the top of Adam's Peak. It is tortuously winding route from Hatton through Norwood up to Maskeliya at 1280 m, skirting the attractive Castlereagh reservoir, an enormous HEP programme. If open, it is worth stopping by the immaculately kept small stone Anglican Church (1878) at Warleigh in a picturesque setting overlooking the tank. As you cross the dam, which is protected by the military, & pass through the new town of Maskeliya (the old one was flooded to make way for the tank), the pyramid shape of Adam's Peak
Ratnapura is the starting point for the classical route to Adam's Peak via Gilimale & Carney Estates. The southern route from the Ratnapura side (11km), starts from Palabadella. Many pilgrims prefer to make this longer, much more tiring-but equally well-marked & well-lit seven-hour climb. The really resolute & fit could climb from Dalhousie & then walk down towards Ratnapura, a long but rewarding day.
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