Karin & Andrew vs. the Volcano

In  preparation for our excursion, we re-read all of the information they sent to us last night.  The brochure assured us that the "Eco Volcano Hike" would be "heart pounding" and "life affirming".  Oh oh.  When we were looking at activities for this cruise it was October.  In Minnesota.  In our living room.  Now that we actually have to DO the activity we're in a tropical country.  Where it is hot.  And humid.  And there's an actual volcano.  Oh, and did I mention we've been on a break from the gym?  Did I mention that break has lasted several months? 

We met our guide, Hilton first thing this morning, and were joined by a gentleman from BC named Michael.  There was supposed to be another woman named "Janice" but she reported that her husband was "incapacitated" so they wouldn't be joining us.  Clever people, that Janice and her husband.

The drive to the trailhead lasted about an hour.  The scenery was beautiful with the rainforest on one side and the ocean on the other.  We saw some monkeys and a rainbow.  The last 15 minutes of which was on a rough and rutted goat path.  There were actual goats on it (and a mule). 

Rainbow!

The trailhead was little more than a small cleared area for parking and an iron gate.  Andrew, Michael & I laced up our expensive hiking boots, got our camelbak packs situated, and our carbon trekking poles adjusted the exact right height.  Hilton also donned his fancy hiking gear, which consisted of gum boots, a shirt with the company name on it, and a walking stick that was an actual stick.  We started off down the trail and it was immediately apparent that this was not Hilton's first time.  His pace through the muddy jungle was just short of a jog, and he was a surefooted as a mountain goat in those big ol' boots.  Right away, we could tell that the trail itself was going to be a challenge.  There were roots and rocks transversing every inch of the trail, making it necessary to mentally pre-plan every step to avoid twisting an ankle.  That, combined with the slick soil (remember, it's the rainforest), and the incline (3/4 of a vertical mile in 2.5 miles of distance) made for tough going.  Oh, and did I mention Hilton was jogging?  

After about an hour, Hilton announced that we were 1/2 of the way up.   The hike itself was difficult, but the pace was grueling.  Hilton told us that he normally does the 5.5 mile round-trip hike in about one hour and 15 minutes if he is alone.  Our port time in St. Kitt's was not very long (only about 7 hours total), so we asked Hilton if the current pace would have to be sustained if we were to make it to the summit and back in time to get back to the ship before it sailed.  He said that it would.   Michael, who was in amazing shape, said that he was doing ok, so Andrew and I opted to stop so that he could summit without us slowing him down.  Hilton & Michael left us with strict instructions to "don't move".  Yeah, ok.  As soon as they were out of sight, Andrew and I continued up the trail at a pace that was much more comfortable and we had a perfectly lovely time.  We were able to raise our eyes up from the trail and look around at the plants, spiders, and monkeys that live in the jungle.  We stopped when we wanted.  We helped each other up the giant steps built in to the steepest inclines.  Seriously, some of the steps had a rise of about 3 feet.  Apparently Gulliver made this trail.  

We made it about another 1/2 mile and then decided we'd head back down so that we'd have the same luxury of taking our time.  Down was slippery and steep in places, so we were grateful for our trekking poles and to be able to go at our own pace.  We made it back to the parking lot about 45 minutes ahead of Hilton & Michael, who did 5.5 miles compared to our 3.  On the upside, Michael looked exhausted and we completely enjoyed ourselves.  

A pretty standard section of the trail.  Note that towards the back of the trench the trail goes straight up for about 5 feet.  I took about a dozen pics of the trail, but this is the only one that wasn't a complete blur, for some reason. 

Back on the ship we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then had a nap before dinner.  Even I slept for a little bit.  We agreed that we would try the hike again, should we return to St. Kitt's, but on our own or with a private guide when we didn't have to worry about missing the ship.  We also agreed that the hike was, indeed, heart pounding and completely affirming.  Of our need to get back to they gym!  

The volcano.  From the ship.