Ascent of the Nevis Peak without a lead, St. Kitts & Nevis
Ascent of the Nevis Peak without a lead, St. Kitts & Nevis
Nevis looks more like a gentle hill than like a volcano - until they try to climb the Nevis Peak without a lead. Then it shows itself as an impressive performance!
If you are ever on the tiny island of Nevis in the Caribbean, you will surely notice the Nevis Peak, the 3,232 foot high volcano, which offers a beautiful backdrop for the picturesque island.
ascent of the Nevis Peak without leadership
With its lush and green green, Nevis looks more like a gentle hill than like a volcano - until they try to climb the Nevis Peak without a guide. Then it reveals itself as the impressive performance it really is.
When Peter and I decided last spring to climb him without a guide, we first searched for advice on the Internet. The reviews on TripAdvisor were mixed with some warnings that it was tricky, and others who claimed that it was a walk in the park.
There didn't seem to be a consensus, so we decided to ask a few locals. We found consistency there; A consistent "you can't do it alone". Some tourists say this is a trick to fill the bags of local guides, but I don't think that's true. The people we talked to seem to be really worried.
It turns out that they were right: climbing the Nevis Peak without leadership is damn hard. It is steep, wet, mushy and not for the faint of heart ... but it is feasible. Here is our 10-step instructions for single-handedly.
climb with someone who is experienced
First of all, you should know that climbing Nevis Peak without a tour is not a walk in the park, even though some reviewers say. As described in this article for Rough Guides, I found it wet, muddy, physically challenging and sometimes tricky.
If you don't have an experienced trekker or climber in your group, I advise against going alone because the way is easy to lose. When I was in front, I came to a dead end several times without knowing where to go next. It was Peter who took the way and pointed out the way. Without his expertise, we would have lost ourselves once several times (more on this below).
If you are physically fit and not easy to see, you can climb the summit without a guide as long as someone knows how to follow a path.
alt = "ascent of the nevis peak"> The climb is steep, so prepare yourself to pull yourself up on the pre -installed ropes
take decent equipment
Our decision to climb Nevis Peak was spontaneous, so we didn't have the right equipment. Without Sidney, a spirited American who borrowed her trekking sandals, we couldn't have climbed at all.
Apart from my flip-flops, I had a few ballerinas running and high heels to eat. Even with Sidney's shoes, my feet were soaked most of the ascent - an uncomfortable feeling that you can easily prevent. Wear decent hiking shoes, take a waterproof jacket and pack a compass. This is more of a rise than a hike, so the right equipment is immensely helpful.
alt = “muddy sandals after climbing the nevis peak”> without these borrowed trekking sandals we could not have climbed
Pack supplies
Before leaving the hotel, Peter received a Snickers bar from the minibar, "if we get hungry". I can't tell you how grateful I was, halfway through the climb. We had pulled up most of the path on ropes when a downpour started.
We searched for protection and divided the chocolate bars - a stroke of luck for my tired and tired members. Do not make the same mistake as we do: pack a lot of energy bars and lots of water. You will sweat up on the way up and have to rehydrate. Also take a few plastic bags with you to protect the car seats on the return trip to the hotel - you will need you.
tell someone about your plans
We didn't say to anyone that we would try the peak alone because we knew that the locals would discourage ourselves. Even our driver Leroy was said that "we would only hike for the first 15 minutes to see what it is".
Later, when the hotel employees congratulated us, they told us about a couple who had strayed on the peak the year before. I wondered what would have happened if we had gone in a similar way - none of the hotel employees knew that we were missing. Share your plans to the hotel for safety's sake and register later.
Find out the directions before you go
Since the locals are reluctant to let the peak climb, they will probably be silent if they ask them for the way. So make sure that you know beforehand how to find the way. Start Rawlins Road in Gingerland and drive uphill and follow the signs to Peak Haven. The concrete road will give way to a gravel path. Go on until you can no longer drive in.
If you have taken a taxi, ask you to be stopped here; Otherwise, park in front of the Peak Haven-Tor. Go through the gate. On the left you can see a children's playground and other goals through which you get to the Peak Haven site. Don't go through there. Take something that looks like a little used dirt road with a lot of vegetation, uphill to the summit. The trail is picked up from there. Here, too, it is really important to have someone in your group who knows how to follow a trail.
Pay attention to the entry point
If you find the way to the beginning of the path, it will be easy to get complacent because you are not yet "on the mountain". Do not do this: pay attention to your surroundings. We were all the way up the peak and down all the way until we were about 15 minutes before the finish.
Because we hadn't paid attention in the first 10 minutes, we started to rethink ourselves when we came across a clearing that we thought we hadn't passed on the way there. Tired and exhausted we made a back and chose a different way. This time we were sure that we hadn't seen this path, so we went back to the one we originally followed.
We followed him for 10 minutes, unsure whether we had lost ourselves until we finally came to a clearing that we recognized. If we had paid attention at the beginning, we could have dealt with the detour and the associated concern.
take it slowly
Some reviewers say that they reached the summit in 1.5 hours, but it took us almost 2.5 hours, but with a 15-minute break to wait for a downpour. Don't be stressed out if you are not there after 2 hours. Peter and I began to worry and agreed that we would reverse if we were not there in another 30 minutes.
alt = "ascent of the nevis peak"> lush green flanking an unexpectedly difficult climb
If you are sure that you are on the way, do not give up just because it took longer than the average. Parts of the path are dangerous, where a misstep can lead to falling from an edge. So be careful and go slowly!
enter into the guest book
We didn't know anything about the treasure chest with guest books until the hotel staff casually mentioned them shortly before our departure. This white chest is hidden under some bushes on the summit, so make sure you hunt it. There you will find several volumes with comments from enthusiastic summit strikers. Bring a pen with you and leave your tracks.
alt = “The“ Treasure Kist ”of the guest books found when climbing the Nevis Peak”> The “Treasure Kist” of the guest books
alt = "My supplement to the latest volume during the ascent of the Nevis Peak"> My supplement to the latest volume
they do not do it for the view
Some reviewers speak of the wonderful view, but the peak is often wrapped in pillow -like clouds even in good weather. Unfortunately we climbed on a particularly rainy day, so that the summit looked like this:
alt = "Do not climb because of the view of the Nevis Peak ..."> Do not climb Nevis because of the view ...
Two days later the weather was much better, but the summit was still cloudy. Do it for experience and not for the view.
alt = “Even in good weather, the summit is often wrapped in clouds and climbs the Nevis Peak”> Even when the weather is good, the peak is often wrapped in clouds
don't worry about the descent
During most of the climb, I thought about the descent in silence. In some places I had to pull myself up with kicks, but what should I do if I couldn't see them on the way down? I did not express these concerns to Peter because I knew he was already worried about me.
he, a confident climber, had held at one point and told me that he didn't think it is a good idea to go on. We had come across a number of slippery rocks with little support or just. I convinced him that I would be fine, but I was secretly worried about coming around.
Actually, I shouldn't have worried. A large part of the descent can take place on the butt, which makes relegation much faster and safer than the climb.
alt = “Do not climb because of the view of the Nevis Peak…”> Finally on the summit
All in all, it was one of the most exciting things I did in my life, and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks they can handle it.
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