St Lucia is known for stretches of beautiful beaches. In fact, when many vacationers think of St Lucia, they think of spending their entire holiday doing nothing strenuous other than relaxing on the sandy beaches working on their tan. But, even though this is the norm, there are plenty of exotic places to explore and delightful things to do in St. Lucia like the Gros Piton Hike.
You see, St Lucia is a true characterization of a natural paradise; our lush tropical island is perhaps the most scenic destination anywhere in the Caribbean.
St. Lucia is often seen as the perfect destination for those seeking to experience both a typical Caribbean holiday and something that is a tad out of the ordinary.
While the typical vacation plan might tempt you into lazing around a resort and relaxing on the beaches; you should get out and explore.
St. Lucia’s Majestic Pitons
One of the highlights of exploring the island is visiting the Pitons.
The Pitons are not only St. Lucia’s iconic symbols, but also a (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.
While the whole of St. Lucia is the result of volcanic activity and is inundated with many peaks and valleys, the St. Lucia Pitons stand out among all other mountains on the island.
The Pitons are not the highest peaks in St. Lucia, but they are by far the most dramatic mountains in the region.
Almost every brochure, souvenir, postcards in St. Lucia features a picture of the Pitons. They’re even featured on our local piton beer named after to Pitons.
Towering over the Soufriere Bay in the southwest region of the Caribbean Islands, the St. Lucia Pitons are two volcanic plugs; the Gros Pitons and Petit Piton.
These two volcanic plugs rise sharply from the sea, into the “heavens.” While the Pitons offer a charming sight from the ground, the ultimate thrill comes when you conquer the Gros Piton Hike.
Rising to 2,437 feet, Petit Piton is shorter. However, its “shortness” is compensated by steepness, and thus, not recommended for visitors to hike. On the other hand, the Gros Piton, which rises to 2,530 is relatively less steep, making it the ideal mountain to climb.
The Gros Piton Hike
Hiking Gros Piton is certainly an extraordinary endeavor, but it comes along with innumerable benefits.
First, it offers one of a kind experience to get up close and personal with a national symbol and St. Lucia’s top attraction.
Also, it instills a deep sense of fulfillment while allowing you to experience unfathomable “freedom.”
While the hiking trail at the Gros Piton is relatively manageable, with a more gradual incline that does not require the skills of a professional mountaineer, conquering the Gros Piton will require adequate preparation.
In the section below, we look at some of the tips of conquering the Gros Piton Hike.
1. Don’t Attempt to Hike if You’re not In Tip-top Shape
Like any other mountain, hiking Gros Piton is an intense physical activity that requires stamina, strength, balance, and agility.
Remember that like all outdoor activities; hiking is risky in nature. However, it`s still possible to manage the risk by making advance preparation.
Sure, some risks are beyond your control, but you should at least prep yourself for the hike.
Before climbing, it`s recommended that you engage in light activities to gradually improve your speed and skills you need for the Gros Piton hike.
Similarly, you need to get a medical check-up and get a go-ahead from your physician for the strenuous climbing.
2. Get your Packing Essentials Right
Being in the tropical region, the island most of the time has intense heat and humidity. Direct exposure to the intense sun and humidity to hikers can cause dehydration. To avoid dehydration, it`s recommended that you carry a bottle of at least 2.0 L of water.
Similarly, the scorching UV rays can harm your skin, so if you`re looking to protecting your skin, it`s recommended that you carry a hat and be sure to bring sunscreen.
Other essentials to carry along include comfortable and lightweight clothing for a stress-free experience. For a steady and balanced descent, you`ll also need to carry with you hiking shoes.
3. Start Early
In most cases, the hike on the trail takes approximately four hours-two hours to go up and two hours down. However, this will depend on your skills and other factors such as weather conditions.
When hiking the Gros Piton, it’s recommended that you start early so that you will have sufficient time for the climb before nightfall.
Also, setting out early will help you avoid the scorching sun that beats the hikers during the early stages on the trail. The final stages are a bit cooler, thanks to the cover of the trees. Finally, setting out early will allow a clear and crisp view, before the entire scene gets inundated with clouds.
The guides are available as early as 6.30 a.m.
4. Reserve a Good Local Guide
For the best experience, you`ll need to hire a local guide from a tour company in St. Lucia, to help you navigate safely through the nature trail. You can either reserve a local guide ahead of time, or you can book them at the entrance of the hike.
Either way, reserving a good local guide is crucial for to successful hike. Also, during the hike, do exactly what the guide instructs you to do. Guides are St. Lucian natives who have been doing this for a while and know the entire trail pretty well.
Making it to the top of the Gros Piton is quite a daunting task. However, the peak of the mountain treats you to jaw-dropping scenes. To take in the entire experience at the summit, you’ll need to visit two viewpoints on Gros Piton. One of the views will treat you to a bewildering sight of the island looking inland from the mountain.
The next view is more thrilling than the first but will require you to trek an additional ten minutes. Once there, you will be treated to more breathtaking views of its sister mountain; the Petit Piton.
Damian is a co-founder, editor, and author at Islanderkeys. He is also a dedicated father and husband. Damian is an IT Manager / Web developer by profession, but he loves to Blog and share his knowledge about St. Lucia in travel forums.
