St.Lucia: Hike to Gros Piton

It’s early morning… The scenic mountain serpentine runs up and then takes a quick left after Fond Doux Plantation just before Soufriere… We drive pass little village and then finally stop at the bottom of Gros Piton. Here is the starting point for our hike that will take about 6 hours.
The inspiration is to get to the top of the magnificent mountain from where we should be able to observe almost all of the Island’s East side and Petit Piton. Our group is getting ready, we are shown the 3D model of the mountain, explained the details and given some valuable tips…

Our first impression was that the hike will be easy and we start walking at a fast pace following our guide and trying to catch every word they say. The path looks well explored, lots or rocks on the way that some we have to jump; we have fun joking and laughing that this is not as hard as we expected! Here is finally a resting point – small snack shop where we get drinks and even ice cream. From here we see the Anse Chastanet and Soufriere… cameras and phones are out!

If we split the whole way up into four parts, I should say that we now starting the part two, which is much steeper with path less obvious and as day picks up our legs start feeling a bit tired… 15 minutes break, granola bar for snack and we start the next section. Gradually the scene around changes – lush vegetation, shade from trees and many birds that can be heard from above. I liked this part most even if it got steeper and my legs are now really tired.

I wish we could stop more often – I always find some interesting object – unusual plant or tree trunk or a flower… The path gets harder – we even have to climb over some rocks… finally we reach some steep stairs. Some hesitation and tired legs don’t let me stop and as a reward I get to the viewing area where we rest, take a lot of pictures and chat…

St. Lucia is well recognized by two mountains “Petit Piton” and “Gros Piton” – UNESCO heritage seen on national flag and many images promoting island tourism. The island has volcanic past and very rich geological history, thus volcanic mud baths, sulfurs and volcanic rock… From our spot we can see the Mountain Gimmi – former volcano, and the tallest of all three. We can’t see the so awaited top of the Petit Piton, so we decided to walk a bit more to get better view – this was met with some resistance from our guide – the path is very steep and rocky… we insist and shortly get to the other viewing area. WOW! The air was fresh and clean – pure joy took over my soul – what a view! Again – lots of pictures…

After a good rest, plenty of drink and snack we are starting the way back – my legs are shaking! The way back feels harder, so we walk slow and then realize that we lost the sight of our guide who went far ahead. They got used to this path – three times a week same way up and down!
We made it! It was around 4 pm when we finally set to rest at the end of our hike. All I want is to dip my tired legs in cooling water… we won’t make it to the beach, so as soon we arrive to our hotel I jumped into the pool!
If you decide to go on this hike here is my advice – bring a lot of water (4 bottles should be enough), bug spray, light snacks, wear hiking shoes and a hat; make sure your batteries are charged!