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Health & Fitness

Hiking the Gros Piton in tropical St. Lucia

There are many recreational activities and diversions on the tropical island of St. Lucia in the eastern Caribbean.  Choosing one was tough because our cruise ship was docked in the picturesque town of St. Castries for just the day, but we elected to do something a bit more challenging since we were towards the end of an idyllic week of warm weather and beautiful beaches.  The Pitons, located along the western coast of the island, are the twin remains of old volcanoes that rise up from sea level to over 2,500 feet. 

This World Heritage Site is a popular tourist site, although most visitors view the Pitons via a boating excursion or by visiting the colorful town of Soufriere just to the north of the site.  My wife and decided to work a little adventure into our vacation by hiking the taller of the two peaks, Gros Piton.  Part of what I enjoy about trekking is doing the research and figuring out the logistics, so after checking things out, we elected to use Real St. Lucia Tours.  The team leader, Janus, was friendly and responsive as we planned the day hike.

Our ship docked about 7:30am and we got onto the dock shortly after where we met our driver for the day, Gideon.  I smiled when he greeted us, because the first thing he checked was our footwear.  With hiking boots on, he returned the smile and I knew that we were in for a good day, especially with plenty of sun and a nice breeze.  We drove out of Castries, up the hills out of the protected harbor, and proceeded south along a windy and hilly road that proceeded into and out of multiple valleys.  Gideon was friendly and we enjoyed a nice conversation along the way while seeing more of the island, including banana plantations and great views of the Caribbean. 

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It took us almost 90 minutes to get to the Gros Piton park area (it's actually a bit faster to take a boat) at about 600 feet above sea level.  We were introduced to our guide for the day, Damascus.  After purchasing some additional bottles of water for the warm, humid day, we got a quick overview of the hike and proceeded up the trail.

The hike, two miles up and then the same route down is challenging for several reasons: rough, rocky trail with lots of variation; a 2,000-ft elevation gain; and the warm, humid weather (especially when you're from Minnesota and haven't seen that in seven months).  The bottom line is that you need to be in good shape if you're 1. going to make it to the top and 2. have a relatively enjoyable time doing it.

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With a rest stop every half mile, we did the first half mile in good time and skipped the rest after a quick water break.  The second half mile was a bit tougher as we started to wind around from the lee side of the peak to the sea side and the trail started to get a lot rockier.  The breeze was a benefit as we tackled the second mile.  Although the trail had a lot of shade, the warmth and humidity made water intake a must.  We rested at the three-quarter mark and then continued up the trail.  Damascus, who has guided people to the summit over a 1,000 times in his many years on the trail, was great about setting a good pace and making sure we were doing okay.

We knew we were near the summit as there began to be fewer trees.  Coming out into the sunlight, the view was absolutely incredible and made the effort well worth it.  We came in a bit under the 2-hour average ascent time and asked Damascus to guide us over to the second vantage point that gives a great view across to the other peak, Petit Piton.  This peak can also be climbed, but is much steeper and definitely requires a guide.  The view of Petit Piton was even better and we had the spot to ourselves as we took a break to drink water and eat a snack.

After about 15 minutes and some pictures, we reluctantly started down the trail.  Because of the rough, rocky conditions, the descent time is generally about the same.  It was a different type of challenge to make sure our footing was solid to ensure no falls.  Railings made of fallen trees helped in steep areas, and in a bit under two hours, we made it back to the park entrance where we drank several bottles of water to get rehydrated.  We thanked Damascus for the great hike and looked to get back to Castries in time to catch our ship.

Gideon met us in the parking lot and greeted us with a couple of cold local Piton-brand beers and we enjoyed a quiet, relaxing drive back to the port.  We were tired and a bit sore, but the experience was great and we'd like to return to beautiful St. Lucia someday to see some of the more relaxing sites and spend some time on the beach. 

Note: We used Real St. Lucia Tours and I was very pleased with this group. Janus gave me a nice discount on the hike because I write a travel blog.  He was very responsive and I felt confident using his agency, especially after doing some research on sites such as TripAdvisor.  If (I hope it's when) we return to St. Lucia, I'd use the agency for additional tours on the island.   

 

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