Petit Piton has been calling to us since we first arrived on the island. It’s been in view almost the entire time we’ve been here, watching us like a guardian angel. Today was the day we answered its call.

Climbing Gros Piton was straightforward – you go to the trailhead and there are guides waiting to take you up. For Petit Piton, you have to find a guide and book them in advance. Luckily we had a lead on the best guide on the island thanks to a hand-painted sign Susannah spotted in Fond Gens Libre. Mervin the Mountain Goat was our man. We thought the picture of him hauling people up the mountain was just creative advertising – little did we know…

We met Mervin at 8 AM and headed to the trailhead with him. Petit Piton is 200 feet shorter than its larger sibling, but significantly steeper and the trails are similar lengths because they start at different elevations. For Gros Piton, we all had to sign full-page waivers before climbing. Ironically, this time we just walked past the sign below – no papers involved.

We call this post “The Ultimate Jungle Gym” because that’s what it was in a literal sense. We were under vegetation nearly the entire way and the jungle roots and branches were as much a part of the trail structure as the dirt and stones, forming handholds, footholds, and even natural ladders at times. In spots where no natural gripping points existed, the trail guides had attached ropes to serve instead – these worked equally well for going either up or down. This was a four-limbed adventure indeed, requiring use of both feet and hands nearly the whole time.

Towards the summit, we encountered several stretches of near-vertical climbing. Mervin’s assistance was especially useful here as he coached us on the best hand and foot placement, and even a few times helped pull Susannah up the last couple of feet. We all agreed that this was the toughest day hike we’ve ever done. (We encountered only two other groups during our trip, both still heading up as we came down. We heard of one other group who turned back at the first of the difficult rope climbs, and Mervin expressed his doubts whether the second group we passed would make it either.)

The summit was everything we had hoped and more. 360 degree panoramic views, plenty of room to sit and rest, and a bright clear day. Even Mount Gimie (St Lucia’s centrally-located highest peak), normally wrapped in clouds, lifted its veil and said hello. From here, we got our best view yet of Gros Piton, and we could see almost every place we had previously visited, from Castries in the north to Cape Moule-a-Chique in the south. We could even see our hotel building in Soufrière far below, and we waved to Rowan who was holding the fort there while pursuing their art. Too bad we didn’t bring binoculars!

Going up was hard but incredibly rewarding. Going down was harder, but not really a choice. Like a ladder, it was easier and safer much of the time to descend the trail backwards, though it made for slow going. In the end, we made it down with little more than a few bumps and scratches.

Conveniently, a restaurant we had been hoping to try was right on our way home. Mervin couldn’t join us for lunch (because he had to head to his afternoon job driving the school bus), so we enjoyed restaurateur Martha’s special sauce on our own.

Susannah had somehow foreseen that we might be a bit sore after our morning “stroll”, and had arranged a family treat for us all in the afternoon. Here is the lovely view from the Green Fig’s on-site spa, where we all got full-body massages.

And for good measure, one more photo of the catch of the day!