Gros Piton hike?

[Jborosara]

Is it possible to hike Gros Piton while there on a cruise stop?

[reedprincess]

yes, it is possible to do the Gros Piton Hike while visiting on a cruise ship stop - be prepared to try and be the first ones off the ship - it is over an hour from the ship to the trailhead, allow yourself 3-4 hours for the hike and then the trip back to the ship. You can do it through a tour company to ensure transportation costs, etc. Spencer Ambrose is a good one, there are others also - Frank's Tours, etc. Bring plenty of water, wear good hiking shoes or solid tennis shoes/trainers, wear loose clothing, etc.

Enjoy your visit!

[dz63]

Is it possible to hike Gros Piton while there on a cruise stop?

 

Our family of five hiked the Gros Piton on a land vacation with Spencer Ambrose tours. Hiking the Gros Piton from a cruise ship can be done! Here is another cruise critic thread that has more information about this.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1557393

 

If you have any questions about the hike, I would be happy to answer them.

[Jborosara]

Our family of five hiked the Gros Piton on a land vacation with Spencer Ambrose tours. Hiking the Gros Piton from a cruise ship can be done! Here is another cruise critic thread that has more information about this.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1557393

 

If you have any questions about the hike, I would be happy to answer them.

 

I know it says strenuous - and i believe it - can you give me a comparison. we recently climbed Mt. Liamguia in St. Kitts - and it was definitely strenuous... have also rock scrambled outside of Vegas, too... We aren't young, by any stretch of the imagination but run 20-25 miles a week and train for half marathons pretty regularly

[dz63]

If you run 1/2 marathons, you will have no problems at all with this hike.

 

To put it into perspective, DW and I are 48. Our three boys are in their teens. I bike 100 miles a week during the summer, but the boys and DW do not do any excerise at all. I did not struggle at all with the hike. We actually took it at a fairly leisurely pace - about 2.5 hours up and 2 hours down with multiple rest breaks for DW to catch her breath.

 

 

Off the cruise ship you are going to have to go at a bit faster pace - I would target 4 hours max. round trip. Spencer Ambrose is the only operator that offers the Gros Piton climb by boat. He bundles it with lunch and drinks at Jalousie Beach (nestled between the Pitons - see photo below). I would highly recomend travelling by boat over travelling by land. Travelling by boat shaves a good 1 1/2 hours off your transit time and gives you much more time for the climb. Also you will be able to get some nice coastal photos of the island from the boat.

 

 

The climb is very hot and humid. There is "zero" breeze. Guaranteed, you will be soaked with sweat by the time you are done, but the views from the top are absolutely stunning and well worth the effort.

 

We took two water bottles (1.5 liters of water) per person and one Piton beer to take photos at the top. I carried the water in a back pack. I would also recommend that you take a few healthy snacks like some apples and nuts. We had two guides for our hike, and they were both eating banana's on the climb!

 

There is a recent, lengthy review (Feb. 17) on TA of someone who climbed the Gros Piton with Spencer Ambrose tours at this link...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147343-d1724874-r124718989-Spencer_Ambrose_Tours-Castries_St_Lucia.html#REVIEWS

 

Climbing the Gros Piton was one of many of the highlights of our land vacation in St. Lucia. St. Lucia is a very rugged, scenic island. Whatever you decide to do, I am sure you will enjoy your day there. Have fun and make post back here after you are done.

[dz63]

There is someone who posted a review on TA in December who climbed the Gros Piton in St. Lucia and then climbed Mt. Liamguia in St. Kitts the following day. Just a thought - you could send them a PM and ask them how the two compare. Here is the link...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147343-d1724874-r121474556-Spencer_Ambrose_Tours-Castries_St_Lucia.html#REVIEWS

 

I climbed Mt. Liamguia 17 years ago on a land based vacation. The only thing I can remember is that it was very slippery. It was pouring rain at the base of the mountain, but sunny at the top! On the way down, several people in our group fell and slid down on their butts. No one got hurt - we were too busy splitting our sides laughing at each other! We all got soaked and pretty muddy that day. It was a fun climb, but I don't remember it being difficult.

[Jborosara]

There is someone who posted a review on TA in December who climbed the Gros Piton in St. Lucia and then climbed Mt. Liamguia in St. Kitts the following day. Just a thought - you could send them a PM and ask them how the two compare. Here is the link...

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g147343-d1724874-r121474556-Spencer_Ambrose_Tours-Castries_St_Lucia.html#REVIEWS

 

I climbed Mt. Liamguia 17 years ago on a land based vacation. The only thing I can remember is that it was very slippery. It was pouring rain at the base of the mountain, but sunny at the top! On the way down, several people in our group fell and slid down on their butts. No one got hurt - we were too busy splitting our sides laughing at each other! We all got soaked and pretty muddy that day. It was a fun climb, but I don't remember it being difficult.

 

I think what kicked our butts the most about Liamguia was the pace that we were forced to keep to stay on "schedule" - 2 hours up - a brief rest - hour and a half down.... few rest breaks... I think it would have been more fun done at a slower pace:-) but then I am also nearly 48 years old.

[dz63]

DW just corrected me! :) Our time was 2.5 hours up and only 1.5 hours down. If you are interested to see a video of our climb, click on the link below. This video is hot off the press - she just uploaded it to Youtube last night. Enjoy!

 

[Jborosara]

Spencer takes you by boat - about 45 minutes each way - even allowing an hour each way, with nine hours in port, we should be able to do this!!! the views on your video inspire me - and truthfully, the paths look much easier than Mt. Liamiguia

 

thanks much!

 

Sara

[AntiHamstr]

dz63,

 

 

Nice video. You had the same guide I did. I can't understand how he didn't sweat at all.

 

 

Sara,

 

 

We covered the differences between Gros Piton and Mt. Liamuga here:

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1518521

 

 

Short answer is that Gros Piton is a MUCH more difficult hike physically, but the trail is in much better shape and it's unlikely it will rain on you. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but IIRC Gros Piton covers 1.5-2 times the elevation change in about the same horizontal distance as Mt. Liamuga, so it's MUCH steeper. It's also VERY HOT and HUMID.

 

 

From your description, it sounds like you have a good chance of making it to the top as long as you take your time.

 

 

It's definitely a hike worth trying at least once.

 

 

Dennis

P.S. Nearly 48 isn't old at all!!

[dz63]

dz63, Nice video. You had the same guide I did. I can't understand how he didn't sweat at all.

 

The guide's name is Damascus, and come to think of it, I didn't see any sweat on him either. I honestly don't know how anyone can climb the Gros Piton without sweating!

 

Short answer is that Gros Piton is a MUCH more difficult hike physically, but the trail is in much better shape and it's unlikely it will rain on you. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but IIRC Gros Piton covers 1.5-2 times the elevation change in about the same horizontal distance as Mt. Liamuga, so it's MUCH steeper. It's also VERY HOT and HUMID.

 

There was some volcanic activity in Mt. Liamuga the year before I climbed, so our guide did not allow us to climb down inside the crater. We could only view the crater from the rim. That was a bit disapointing. Were you able to climb down inside the crater?

[AntiHamstr]

That's right. Damascus. Whatever you do, don't ask him what his personal best is for climbing up. He took that as a challenge, and took us at full speed. Even then he was BARELY sweating.

 

 

I didn't hike into the crater of Mt. Liamuga. Our guide told us about how he took people down there earlier in the week, so apparently it's allowed. I was up for doing it, but we had two other slower couples in our group, and it started raining, so I didn't push the issue.

 

 

If it's something you really want to do I would suggest talking to the guide in advance and arrange for it. He might need to bring an extra guide. It looked quite steep, and they had ropes tied to trees to help people up/down.

[SugarStar00]

Carnival Victory 3/25- 4/1 Southern Caribbean (1 2 3)

 

We climbed Gros Piton through Spencer Ambrose two weeks ago, hardest thing I've ever done. Please read my review and pics before booking this!! ;)

[SugarStar00]

DW just corrected me! :) Our time was 2.5 hours up and only 1.5 hours down. If you are interested to see a video of our climb, click on the link below. This video is hot off the press - she just uploaded it to Youtube last night. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Very nice video, didn't see this before I left. Looks like you guys had a better time than us, and got to go to the northern peak which we did not. I didn't even know there was two. I saw several spots in your video that we didn't see. We didnt get a guide dog either! That would have been fantastic. thanks for sharing, I wish I had thought of making a video but my brains were scrambled in the first 15min of this hike! I will refer family and friends to your video to show them what it was like. Thanks again for sharing!!

[AntiHamstr]

Carnival Victory 3/25- 4/1 Southern Caribbean (1 2 3)

 

We climbed Gros Piton through Spencer Ambrose two weeks ago, hardest thing I've ever done. Please read my review and pics before booking this!! ;)

 

 

 

Yeah... anybody thinking about doing the hike should read her account here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=33251496&postcount=14

 

 

This quote from Wikipedia is worth repeating:

 

 

Gros Piton can be climbed without ropes or mountaineering experience -- great physical conditioning will let one hike to the summit and come back down to the sea-level within a few hours. Be warned, that although the pamphlets given out on the island describe the hike as "moderate difficulty, but strenuous at times", the trail itself is actually quite aggressive. The most active trail guide states that upwards of 50% of tourists do not make it to the top, as the trail itself is certainly not of "moderate difficulty" in any sense. Those who have never hiked will have great difficulty getting to the summit, and those who do not consider themselves to be "in good shape" should reconsider an attempt. Local guides are available for hire (typically through the resorts) and are trained by the government to have basic knowledge of the languages common among tourists and of the medical procedures required in case of common accidents.

 

 

It's a fun hike, but it's NEVER easy.

 

SugarStar00,

 

 

The “north peak” isn't really another peak: it's a small clearing on the northern side of the peak so you can get a nice view to the north from “the top”. It's a small 10-15 minute detour on the way back and your guide probably skipped it since it you were running low on time.

 

 

Dennis

P.S. If you guys want to try a real torture hike, look at the Boiling Lake Hike on Dominica.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1081753

[Gilgo Surfer]

I will be in St. Lucia for nine hours(8am to 5pm). Does anyone know if I could do this climb and see the sulphur springs or would that be pushing it?

[reedprincess]

I will be in St. Lucia for nine hours(8am to 5pm). Does anyone know if I could do this climb and see the sulphur springs or would that be pushing it?

You could - the visit to the Sulpher Springs takes about 25-30 minutes (not including the actual mud baths, that would add about 30 more minutes) and is on your way (by vehicle) back to the ship after your hike. It would be tight, depending on how long your hike takes, but it is doable. Check with Spencer Ambrose as he takes you by sea for the hike. He would need to arrange a vehicle in Soufriere for the volcano "detour"

Good luck - I hope you can work it out!

[AntiHamstr]

Gilgo,

 

 

Yeah, check with Spencer. In THEORY they could have a taxi meet you at the visitor's center on the way down, swing you by the springs, and then drop you off in Soufriere to catch up with the rest of the boat.

 

 

In practice I personally think you are trying to do way too much in the day. You really only have 8.5 hours in port (don't forget that you might be in port for 8.5 hours, but if Spencer is picking up people from another cruise, they might arrive slightly later, or leave earlier, so Spencer might only have 7 hours to do the tour). Subtract 1.5-2 hours for boat transfer, 4-5 hours for the hike, and you don't really have a lot of time for a 45-60 minute detour.

 

 

IMHO, it's not worth the time or money for you to do the detour. You will be happier if you take your time on the hike, and spend any free time hanging out at the beach, snorkeling, or enjoying the cruise back to the ship.

 

 

Dennis