Ella is a small quiet town in the Hill Country with many activities for backpackers. Located in the heart of the Hill Country, It is a good base camp for some nice walks around.
I arrived to Ella by train and with the rain. After finding a guest house and a quick lunch, I decided that the best that I could do with that weather was a loooong Ayurvedic massage to repair my body and my spirit 🙂
The following day I joined a couple of Alsacians to climb Little Adam’s Peak. This 1.141 m mountain is named like this after the sacred Adam’s Peak (where the foot print of Lord Buddha is preserved) regarding the similarity between them. Before leaving Paris my physical therapist said NO to climbing Adam’s Peak (2.243 m and more than 5.500 steps up and down) so Little Adam’s Peak became my “alternative hike” 😉
Little Adam’s Peak is an easy 45 minutes hike (one way) which starts at Ella, crosses lush green tea plantations and paddy fields and ends up with beautiful panoramic views at the top. We left Ella around 7 am to avoid the heat and the mist on the top. On the way, we crossed many Tamils heading to the estates to pick tea leaves. They are nice people but they wanted money to take pictures of them.
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Little Adam’s Peak lays on the eastern edge of the Ella Gap, straight across from the (much higher and steep) summit at Ella Rock. The views are similar, but from Little Adam’s Peak you can see the Ruwana Falls, which border the highway headed south. After the mini effort we ate some snacks and seat for a while to admire the scene. It was my first hike after my knee stuff so the feat deserved a commemorative picture 😉
