Diving Colombo

Click here for photos from some recent wreck dives Pat has done with Island Scuba off the coast of Colombo, where he has seen lots of octopus, stone fish and puffers and more. 

Adam's Peak Pilgrimage/Hike

It was a crazy 32 hours. Eighteen of us left Colombo Saturday morning for the purpose of accomplishing an epic night hike - along the lighted pathway picture above - to the top of Adam's Peak. Step-one was a 7-hour drive into the center of Sri Lanka that can only be described as harrowing. The bus was big and the roads were narrow, but the scenery passing through terraced tea plantations was spectacular. We arrived at the mountain's base, near Hatton, around 5pm, in time for dinner and a few hours of sleep before starting our summit of Adam's Peak around 1am.  

Click here for photos from our hike. It took 4.5 hours to reach the summit, a journey that included climbing 5,500+ stairs, but we made it to the top in plenty of time to tour the temple at the top, get a quick Buddhist blessing, and take in the sunrise. We were hiking on a Poya Day (full moon) so it the path was especially crowded with local pilgrims. Adam's Peak is one of Sri Lanka's most sacred places, as well as one of the world's most scenic stair hikes. 

The sunrise was lovely. The walk back down was hard on the knees, especially since each of the 5,500+ stairs along the trail was unique in depth and height - from shallow to bone jarring. January is high season for both tourist and locals to hike Adam's Peak. People go up and down at all times of day and night, but being at the top for sunrise is especially popular. 

Click here for another set of photos, taken by a friend/colleague from our hiking group. Thank you Kevin for sharing. 

On the other side of the world, the kids were taking in the lunar eclipse and enjoying a weekend together in Bellingham. Click here for a few of their hiking and hanging out photos. 

South Coast Weekend

Click here for photos from our weekend on Sri Lanka's south coast. Pat's surfing skills continue to evolve, thanks to the consistent waves and plethora of beachside surf shops in Weligama.