Author Topic: Gros Piton, St Lucia  (Read 1288 times)

Trampilot

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Gros Piton, St Lucia
« on: 13:59:17, 21/03/13 »
Thought I'd just share my recent adventure:

My wife forced me to book "a proper holiday" - which essentially means no tents, no walking boots, no hunting, no escapades - just a beach, some spa treatments and lots of relaxing. Choice of location was mine...

Went through the various brochures and came across the picture of the two pitons on St Lucia. That was it and I pointed at the resort in between the two of them.

The resort is the Sugar Beach and its very exclusive - it was a delayed honeymoon so affordable in those circumstances. Matt Damon is hiring the whole thing out next month for $300k. Anyway one of the reasons I chose it was that there is a "Nature Trail" up one of the Pitons.

The Gros Piton is just under 800m high while the Petit Piton is smaller (obviously) but unclimable without ropes.

So we get there. We relax and then the day of the walk comes. Now I've walked up steep hills. I've done Snowdonia, Brecon Beacons, Peaks etc and so on. This was advertised as an energetic hike and a Nature Trail. Do-able in my mind.

Have to say I almost died on the way up. The tree canopy acts like an oven and pushed the temperature up to the 40s. Each step was a two foot upwards climb over all sorts of terrain from rocks to roots. Thought about giving up half way but decided to struggle on. It got cooler the further I went up and the view isn't as great as hoped - due to the trees. Oddly the women that went up were fine but every bloke I'd met struggled. Must be something in the local Piton Beer!

2.5 hours to go up. 30 mins to come down. Tells a story!

Two good things though:

1. I want to get fitter - great motivation - and then come back and do it again! Got about 3 years before I can afford it again!
2. Bear Grylls trek shirt - brilliant. Got soaked with sweat and I got in the dip pool wearing it when I returned to the villa. When it dried - didn't even stink. My favourite walking shirt.

 

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