Conquering the Petit Piton Hike: I left my blood, sweat, and tears on this climb!

As I’m sitting here typing this, I am fresh off the Petit Piton hike! Y'all, can I be honest real quick? I don't know what the hell I was thinking about when I signed up to do this! While doing my research on St. Lucia, I came across this trek and the breathtaking photos from other hikers that intrigued me! I thought, "There is no way I can visit St. Lucia and miss out on a view like this"! Being the adventurous person that I "think I am" I found a guide and secured my spot to conquer this crazy feat! 

I consider myself a decent hiker. For example, I've hiked a good bit of the Kalalau Trail in Kauai, and various mountains in California. I've done rock scrambling all over the world as well. But nothing (and I mean NOTHING) that I previously did outdoors could have prepared me for Petit Piton! This was physically the most challenging thing I've done in my life (besides giving birth)! OK - maybe I'm exaggerating, but still! 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the beautiful Pitons, let's check out some info on these beautiful mountains first!

The Pitons are 2 mountainous volcanic spires that rise from the sea to tower over the coast near the town of Soufriere. They are St. Lucia's most famous landmarks! Gros Piton stands 2,619 ft. (798 m) while Petit Piton stands 2,437 ft. (743 m) above sea level.

The hiking trail for Petit Piton is 1.0 miles out and back with a nearly vertical ascent. You can actually hike both the Pitons, but Petit Piton will be the hardest of the two. You're about to see exactly what I'm talking about! 

My online research told me that Gros Piton was the easiest of the Pitons to hike. In fact, Gros Piton is the only hike sanctioned by the St. Lucian government. It can be climbed without ropes or mountaineering experience. Me being the type of person that I am (I love a good challenge), I decided on Petit Piton because the peak of the mountain boasted otherworldly views and the "rabbit hole" looked crazy cool! Turns out, it was not as cool as I thought! (LOL)! But more on that later! 

*Note: Hiking Petit Piton will be at your own risk!

There is a fee to hike Petit Piton. To hike unguided: $30 USD. To hike with a guide: $50 USD. I would suggest going with a guide if this is your 1st time on the mountain. A guide that came highly recommended goes by the name of 'Mervin the Mountain Goat'. His WhatsApp is 1-758-384-7844. However, guides will be at the trailhead and readily available. Be sure to have cash on you (USD or XCD).  

I chose to book this excursion using a tour company called Island_Trekkers (IG: @island_trekkers). They charged $130 USD, but my transportation from the other side of the island (Gros Islet) was included. My guides, Lanse & Boat were super cool!

Now, it's time to hit this hike! My guides and I arrived at the trailhead around 8:30 A.M. The weather was perfect (70° & sunny). I'm feeling super excited about what's to come! After purchasing water from the house at the trailhead, we got started. I told myself I was going to pace for this hike and just take it as easy as possible.

That thought process turned out to be a bunch of bull****! The trail started off simple enough. We were basically walking through the woods and then, BAM! Just a few minutes into the hike, it was time to start climbing! After about 5 minutes of straight climbing, I had to stop and take a break. And 5 minutes after that - I TOOK ANOTHER BREAK! AND ANOTHER! I'm sweating like crazy at this point too! After about 30 minutes of nothing but CLIMBING and hanging on to tree roots for dear life, I started to rethink this excursion! 

I decided to continue on with the climb! As I progressed, the hike became steeper and steeper by the second! Fear started to take over me! Certain areas of this climb leave you pretty exposed. Honestly, the only thing between you and death is primitive fixed ropes tied around the trees by the locals! I really started to freak out once I realized that! My mind started to take me on a weird journey. I had to take several deep breaths. "Kenya! You got this", I told myself. 

What kept me going on this climb were the views! Clinging to the side of Petit Piton with the ocean hundreds of feet below me was something I will never forget!

On this hike/climb, it'll be a little tough to really see how far up you are. The cliffs are hidden with foliage eliminating the fear of heights (somewhat). But once you're in an area where you're exposed, you'll get an idea of what's going on. My 1st thought was, "Kenya. Why do you feel the need to be adventurous?! WHY?! You could be having a cocktail by the pool right now, but NO! You wanna' do this!"

The last 20-30 minutes of this climb is without a doubt the hardest! You rely solely on ropes and your upper body strength to reach the peak! Wild, right?! I felt like I had died 2 deaths on the last bit of this hike! By the time I reached the "rabbit hole" I was completely over everything! Let me explain to you what the rabbit hole is. It's a steep and very narrow opening between 2 huge boulders with a rope hanging through it. You must go through it. I was so worn out by this point; I figured out a way to get around it. That was extremely challenging!

The time is now 10:39 A.M. I have finally reached the peak of this treacherous climb! Once at the top, my attitude immediately changed! The entire 2 hours of climbing, I beat myself up for doing something insanely tough! But once I reached the top, MY GOD! You would've thought I was an Olympic Gold Medalist; do you hear me?! I have never felt such a sense of accomplishment in my entire life! I cried a few tears of joy! 

By no means am I a religious person, but if there is in fact a heaven, this was the closest I was going to get to it! The views from the peak of Petit Piton are astonishing! The sparkling Caribbean waters, the town of Soufriére, and the mesmerizing view of Gros Piton are simply otherworldly! I was in complete awe! What an incredible feeling! A 2,437 ft. climb! I DID IT! The summit of Petit Piton is spectacular and worth the work to get there!

After taking time to relish in the beauty of St. Lucia from hundreds of feet above, pose for pictures/videos and TAKING. IT. ALL. IN., it was time to climb back down.

For whatever reason, I thought the climb back down was going to be super easy and only take about 45 minutes (LOL)! I don't think I've ever been MORE WRONG about something in my life! Going back down was even HARDER than the climb up! You can fully see what's going on when you're trekking back down! Out of nowhere, the fear of heights took over me again! I started to feel overwhelmed and didn't know if I was going to be able to make it back down. On top of that, every limb in my body was hurting! MY TOENAILS WERE EVEN HURTING! How does that happen?!

One of my guides (nicknamed, Boat) reassured me that I could do this. Once we reached the "rabbit hole" I couldn't go around it this time. I had to go through it. It was so tough for me. I scraped my back, leg, hell everything! To make matters worse it started to rain. The terrain then became slippery! I started to trip all over those rocks. I was so exhausted and could barely keep my balance.

Toward the end of the hike, I slipped on a rock and grabbed onto a tree to break my fall. Welp....that tree had thorns and it pricked me! Blood started dripping all over the place. Luckily, I had a first aid kit on me to wrap my hand up! 

I honestly didn't think we were ever going to reach the trailhead, but finally, after 2.5 hours, we did! The sense of relief I felt was overwhelming in the best way possible! I limped back to my guide's truck scraped up and a little bloody, but it was done! 

I CONQUERED PETIT PITON! ♥️

I can't finish this blog without leaving you with a few tips on how to make your hike successful: 

☀️ Choose another hike! I'm joking (Somewhat. El. Oh. El.)! 

☀️ Check the weather a day or two in advance for the trail's hiking conditions. If it's raining, the terrain will be wet making it almost impossible to do this climb. This climb/hike is best done during the island's dry season.

☀️ It's best to start this hike as early in the morning as possible before the sun is fully out.  

☀️ Things needed for this hike/climb: (1). Plenty of water (at least a couple of liters). (2). Light snacks like protein bars, nuts, etc. (3). Sunscreen (4). A first-aid kit. 

☀️ Wear comfortable clothes, but more importantly, wear comfortable hiking boots. My HOKA Challenger hiking boots saved my life! 

☀️ Take a few minutes to get a good stretch before this hike/climb because you will use every limb in your body! Upper body strength is a must for this adventure! 

☀️ Give yourself time to complete this hike/climb! It took me 5 hours total to finish! Pace yourself and take it easy. 

Just in case you're thinking to yourself, "Hey! Petit Piton may not be for me"! Then you're in luck! Here are other hikes to consider: 

~ Tet Paul Nature Trail: One of St. Lucia's best-known and recommended hikes! This trail is located near the Pitons! 

~ Pigeon Island: This is one of St. Lucia's most historic landmarks with an easy & beautiful hiking trail!

~ Enbas Saut Rainforest Trail: Nature lovers get in here! This trail leads to one of the island's many waterfalls! 

~ Mount Gimie: If you've completed Petit Piton and still want more of an adventure, this climb is it! Mt. Gimie is the tallest mountain on the island of St. Lucia! My guide told me that this hike is 5 hours, ONE-WAY, and difficult! (No thanks)! But if you dare to do it, let me know how it is!

This is something that I will never do again in this lifetime. I'm a 39-year-old woman and still pretty athletic, and Petit Piton kicked my ass! I literally left my blood, sweat, and tears on this hike!

My limits were tested for sure, but I'm so proud! What an accomplishment! If you are considering doing this hike/climb, remember that you are stronger than you know! YOU GOT THIS! 

Happy hiking, climbing, and mountaineering y'all (LOL)!

See you in beautiful St. Lucia!