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Today was our last full day in St Kitts so we decided to make a second trip to Nevis. It is renowned for its walking trails and we reckoned that it would be worth trying out some of the paths on offer at the Golden Rock Plantation Inn.<br /><br />Walking down from Bird Rock to Basseterre felt a bit too hot, the wind dropped, there was full sun and we caught a minibus for the last half mile.

A rainforest (sc)ramble

Dorian Speakman
2006-02-23 14:00:17

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Friday 10 February: Nevis

Today was our last full day in St Kitts so we decided to make a second trip to Nevis. It is renowned for its walking trails and we reckoned that it would be worth trying out some of the paths on offer at the Golden Rock Plantation Inn.

Walking down from Bird Rock to Basseterre felt a bit too hot, the wind dropped, there was full sun and we caught a minibus for the last half mile.

Despite this, we still were going for this hike into the rainforest. We got a bus from Charlestown which took us just outside the Golden Rock Plantation Inn. The Inn produces leaflet guides for a couple of hikes in the forest. We opted for going towards the source of Nevis’ water, following the pipe up Nevis Peak. We were given sticks for the walk, and at first, with a wide track, it seemed they might be superfluous. But half way up there is a sign saying enter at you own risk, and indeed, the path narrows, becoming much more steep. Entering a valley, we descended some green mossy steps into Rivendell type scenery. We were climbing again, following the pipe still, through some pretty hairy terrain, one slip, which is easy to do on muddy slopes, and it would be curtains: a rocky swirl pool below was not a place to bounce into. We reached a collection point for water, still a bit off the final ladder (done loads in Slovakia anyway. The Slovensky Raj National Park is a fantastic place for ladder ascents up waterfalls and cliffs).

Then the rain started, soon becoming heavy. We then took a decision to head back, as the next stage involved trapsing across a rock wall, not the best idea in pouring rain. The way back was fine, though there was once section which involved clinging to the rusty pipe. The way back was not much quicker than the way up, and we were pretty damp from sweat and rain. Just below Golden Rock, we passed by some friendly schoolchildren! We just don’t get them in Leeds! One of the little lads asked ...

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