52 | ZiNG CARIBBEAN http://www.liat.com | May - June 2019
differentshadesofgreensproutedallaround–gommier
andbanyan,tree-ferns,bromeliadsandclubmosses,huge
mangoesnearingacenturyold,andstranglerfigssending
outrootsthatsnakedacrossthetrack.
Thefecundityofthisforestisastonishing–nowonder
theoriginalKalinagonamefortheisland,Liamuiga(which
since 1983 hasbeenappliedtothehighestpeak,formerly
MtMisery),means‘fertileland’.
And,er,arethereanysnakesintheundergrowth?I
askednervously.“Nosnakeshere,”O’Neilreassuredme.
“The French introduced mongoose, which wiped out all
the snakes and iguanas.” No hissing, then; instead we hiked
to a soundtrack of cooing red-necked pigeons and the
glockenspiel of frogs. And then a strange retching noise...
“Monkeys!” exclaimed O’Neil and imitated their call,
like a cat coughing up a hairball, to try to attract the
primates. “They were introduced, too, and now they’re
a terrible pest. Some say there are more monkeys than
people on the island, and they wreak havoc on crops. The
only thing they’re good for is eating – their meat is called
‘tree mutton’, a delicacy cooked in stew.”
After about an hour and a half, we emerged onto
the rim of the volcano, to be rewarded with views down
into the crater. A rainwater lake sparkled below and
a brownish-white area revealed where volcanic vents
puff out sulphurous steam. As we took a well-deserved
breather and munched homemade banana bread, the
faint sound of a whistle reached us – the toot of the sugar
train that from 1926 circled the island, transporting the
crop that was long the island’s main industry; today, it’s a
scenic railway carrying tourists, not cane. And that shrill
sound was my signal to descend and prepare for my final
challenge, just across the Narrows to the south.
Nevis, it’s claimed, was so named because the cloud
cover shrouding its peak reminded Christopher Columbus
ofwhite-cappedsummitsinEurope–‘Nieves’means
snowsinSpanish.Intruth,at985m,NevisPeakisjusta
littlehigherthanMorneGimie.Butdon’tbefooled:the
gradientsaresteeperthananythingI’dencounteredsofar.
Imetmyguide,Gailey,atthePoorManBarnearthe
trailhead;hisearjanglingwithearringsandgoldglinting
inhisteeththroughareadygrin,he’sacheerysoul–
whichwasamuch-neededtonicatseveralpointsonthe
climb.Thefirststretchisdeceptivelygentle,shadedby
breadfruit,farpork,limeandlemontrees,andpassing
an old sugar mill draped with vines like dreadlocks. We
skirted a fire-ant nest, then delved into denser forest –
and Gailey proclaimed: “That’s the end of the warm-up.”
A few gloves were left on a rock, and Gailey offered me a
pair. Foolishly, I declined – and quickly learned my lesson.
The ascent of Nevis doesn’t just take two legs – you
need both hands to grab tree roots and fixed ropes; gloves
are a good idea to avoid burning palms. Up we clambered,
past ornate fiddlehead ferns and emerald bromeliads,
startled by the shrill whistle of the ‘mango bird’, known to
ornithologists as the pearly-eyed thrasher. The forest is
more open than on Liamuiga, but no less steamy, and by
the time we emerged at the top I was dripping with sweat.
The reward, though, was incandescent. The clearing
at the peak was adorned with spider plants, red-orange
blooms, lined with trees and ferns like a particularly wild
botanical garden. And almost miraculously, a breeze
picked up and scattered the clouds, revealing heart-
stopping views: south-west to the island’s cheerful little
capital, Charlestown, to other settlements scattered
around the mountain’s southern flanks, and across to
Montserrat and Redonda.
This, I thought, is why you lace up your boots, turn
your back on the beaches and work up a sweat. To get a
bigger picture of the Caribbean, head for the heights. ●Hike Caribbean
TAILOR-MADE
WALKING HOLIDAYS
ON ISLANDS
INCLUDING ANTIGUA
& BARBUDA,
GUADELOUPE,
MONTSERRAT, ST
LUCIA, ST KITTS AND
NEVIS, WITH MORE
OPTIONS TO COME.
+44 333 987 4694;
WWW.HIKECARIBBEAN.COMAbove, left to right: Beautiful
fiddlehead ferns curl up alongside
the trail on Nevis; Gailey points
out the sights visible from the
peak of Nevis; peer down into a
volcanic crater from the rim on
Mt Liamuiga, St Kitts
Opposite, bottom: Follow the
trail snaking through the forested
hills of Dominica on the Boiling
Lake hikeCLIMBING THE CARIBBEAN