Looking for info on hiking Gros Piton

[mlshum]

My husband and I really want to hike Gros Piton while on our cruise but we're a little concerned about the timing. There are several tour companies who offer the excursion. Has anyone done this recently? Did you have any issues getting back to the port on time? Which tour company did you use and did you like them?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Michelle

[Dragon2109]

What time is your cruise ship will be in port. You are correct a lot of companies do offer this. I would suggest a speed boat to cut the traveling time though this option is a bit expensive. I say contact the companies and see if this is doable for you. Keep in mind that driving is 1.5 hours each way, the hike is approximately 4 hours depending on your speed. I have a friend who has done it so many times with his best time being 55 minutes up and 45 minutes down, but then he has had some practice.

[runnergirlcinci]

My husband and I did the hike 5 years ago using Spencer Ambrose.  We loved it.  We took a speed boat to the base and he had a guide there waiting for us.  Wonderful young man named Cameron.  It was a tough but amazing climb.  Absolutely beautiful and it felt like such an accomplishment when you got to the top.  The only reason I haven't booked it again for our upcoming cruise is he has added a $180 refundable late transport fee (plus a non-refundable $10 PayPal fee).  My understanding is he had issues with people not getting back down in time to meet the speed boat so he has to send another one later, which adds cost.  So to 'incent' you to get back down on time he's added the $180.  Well maybe not incent you, but to cover his costs.  It's understandable but made me too nervous to book.  The cost of the excursion is $150/person plus $1/person transaction fee.  We did it before he had the late transport fee but got down in time anyway.  Then they pick you up in the speed boat, you get taken to a beach, we had lunch, snorkeled and then they took you back to the ship.  A wonderful day.

 

[jean87510]

I believe serenity tvl tours does it but I think they gear more towards people staying on island. I believe there are 2 starting points. One for where you come by boat and another further up the hike trail if you come by land. I researched this last year when I was going to go with spencer and he then informs me that now I have to pay an additional $150 if we dont get down in time. So I then booked with solomon tours to just go to jalousie beach and anse chastenet. Our boat broke down 2x and we were among the last to get on our ship. Unless you're there for 10 hours I really wouldn't do it. But of course that's me. I did liamiuga in st kitt and that was a bit tough. If you are able to find a tour company and you do make it, please let us know how it went.

Edited December 12, 2018 by jean87510

[SugarStar00]

We used spencer Ambrose as well several years ago, taking the boat to the base of the piton. We Didn't have enough time for lunch on the beach, we got our food and ate on the boat ride back to the ship! Read my sunshine review for more details :) 

ps it was a tough hike but so worth it! Bragging rights forever!!!

[Stinger-pr]

On 12/10/2018 at 2:44 PM, runnergirlcinci said:

My husband and I did the hike 5 years ago using Spencer Ambrose.  We loved it.  We took a speed boat to the base and he had a guide there waiting for us.  Wonderful young man named Cameron.  It was a tough but amazing climb.  Absolutely beautiful and it felt like such an accomplishment when you got to the top.  The only reason I haven't booked it again for our upcoming cruise is he has added a $180 refundable late transport fee (plus a non-refundable $10 PayPal fee).  My understanding is he had issues with people not getting back down in time to meet the speed boat so he has to send another one later, which adds cost.  So to 'incent' you to get back down on time he's added the $180.  Well maybe not incent you, but to cover his costs.  It's understandable but made me too nervous to book.  The cost of the excursion is $150/person plus $1/person transaction fee.  We did it before he had the late transport fee but got down in time anyway.  Then they pick you up in the speed boat, you get taken to a beach, we had lunch, snorkeled and then they took you back to the ship.  A wonderful day.

 

We toured with Spencer Ambrose about 2 years ago and a couple were late to hike down and held up the return trip for everybody for about an hour. You see, he times three tours (Beach Break, the Land and Sea and Piton Hike) to come back as one whole group. On the way back they stop at several points of interest including Marigot Bay and have you back at the pier with at least an hour to spare before you board the ship. Since I had done the Land and Sea tour with them twice before, I already knew what to expect. So when the 2pm return trip time came and went, it made me start to wonder what was happening. At 3pm I was getting a bit nervous because I knew their trip back was about an hour and all aboard time was 4:30pm. A few minutes after 3pm, the couple arrived at the meeting point and everyone was rushed to the speed boat. I noticed they skipped a few sites or just pointed them out while speeding down a bit (as opposed to stopping on other occasions) in order to make up some time and not cut the tour short. In the end we arrived at the pier with about 25 minutes before "all aboard" time. While we enjoyed the tour, the last two hours were nerve racking due to the delay from the hikers. Maybe this was happening too often so they decided to add a "just in case" boat at the hikers expense or that people would be persuaded to speed things up a bit in order not to loose their almost $200 extra.

[rachelandgromit]

We've been in touch with Spencer Ambrose and he doesn't offer this trip any more.

 

Infact, we are struggling to work out any DIY option of doing this trip. We know we'd have to pay $50pp for a guide but to get the transportation there and back seems to be expensive and I'm leaning towards Mount Liamuga in St Kitts instead which has far cheaper costs.

[jean87510]

On 1/14/2019 at 2:46 AM, rachelandgromit said:

We've been in touch with Spencer Ambrose and he doesn't offer this trip any more.

 

Infact, we are struggling to work out any DIY option of doing this trip. We know we'd have to pay $50pp for a guide but to get the transportation there and back seems to be expensive and I'm leaning towards Mount Liamuga in St Kitts instead which has far cheaper costs.

I think you are making a smart decision. Mt liamiuga is much closer to the cruise port and there are  lot of guides to do it. We did it with poinciana tours. I've also researched it in st Lucia and I think unless your boat is docked for 10 or more hours, you really cannot do this. Its the travel time to get there and back that's the issue. I posted before that serenity tours does it. If you really want to try it, contact them to see what they think.  If you end up getting someone, please share when you get back. I always wanted to do this and should have done it years ago when we stayed on st lucia.

[rachelandgromit]

Serenity Tours unfortunately quoted huge amounts cladding it as a private tour.

 

We are writing it off in favour of Liamiuga  in St Kitts and the tour company you mentioned is the one I'm going to book with (it's my birthday as well so it's a nice thing to do when you love hiking).

 

We are also planning to hike La Soufrière in Guadalupe, again reasonably priced and looks pretty amazing too.

 

Just can't justify the expense in St Lucia because it's one of the pitons when the hiking in St Kitts and Guadalupe looks equally as amazing.

[mary_228]

Shore Excursions Group has one on its site for $185pp with pickup at the cruise port, and entrance fees included, guaranteed to not miss the ship. It claims to be a 6 hour excursion and departs at 8:30 am. Our ship is in port from 8-6 so we have the ten hours Jean87510 recommends. I am nervous to send my 21 yr old son alone on this regardless although he is an incredibly advanced hiker/climber. The rest of the family is not interested!

[TTEllis]

It was my understanding Spencer hasn't offered this tour for quite some time. When I tried booking it 3-4 years ago, he did everything he could to talk me out of it, he didn't want to do the tour anymore. I had no problem with doing his Beach Break at Jalousie again. 

 

Mt. Liamiuga on St. Kitts we had several from our CC roll call who did this hike back in 2010. If it will tell you anything most of us were at the St. Kitts Marriott all day, they showed up and met us at the pool bar after they got finished, they all said the same thing they were ready for a beer😀, and the hike other than a few different areas wasn't that difficult. 

 

For what's it's worth here's my 2-cents when it come's to hike's climb's or anything associated with either one on a cruise vacation. If you can do either on a cruise vacation it's not going to be that difficult because there's not enough time for it to be difficult, that's the whole idea. 

 

Here's the deal when it comes to climbing in the Caribbean you want "bragging rights"? 

 

Martinique Mt. Pelee, cannot be done on a cruise vacation I don't care what you are reading. In all due respect it's a 3-4 day deal from hell, up and back, going up is easier. I was just there, done LOTSA mountains a LOT higher than Pelee at 6100 ft in elevation.

This mountain looks at you, it did me and I got it. Make no mistake this "thing" is in charge of everything on the island of Martinique, the mountain lets you know that and so do the residents of the island. I got pictures!!😊😁

Hold on I'll find one and post it. Later Todd

 

 

[TTEllis]

You can't see the top of the mountain because the last 2000 ft. is under heavy cloud cover. It's being inundated with rain because it's a rain forest, the entire mountain. This is Mt. Pelee on Martinique. It's a dormat( it's taking a nap) volcano. 

It's killed tens of thousands of us like we were nothing. 1902 it killed 31,000 nice people in under 10 seconds and would have killed more but it couldn't find anybody else to kill, doesn't do much for me either. 

I looked right at it, it laughed at me. 

The obstacles to achieve the summit of this nightmare are too long to list.

You don't want to know. 

I walked as close to the base of the mountain as I possibly could, this thing is a horror story. 

Between the mosquitoes and the monkeys but mostly the rain and the 7 different species of tarantula's found on the island and all over the mountain, Todd's OUT!! It's a wrap. 

I look like I fell off a turnip truck but I didn't!!           

Edited October 27, 2019 by TTEllis

[mary_228]

17 hours ago, TTEllis said:

It was my understanding Spencer hasn't offered this tour for quite some time. When I tried booking it 3-4 years ago, he did everything he could to talk me out of it, he didn't want to do the tour anymore. I had no problem with doing his Beach Break at Jalousie again. 

 

Mt. Liamiuga on St. Kitts we had several from our CC roll call who did this hike back in 2010. If it will tell you anything most of us were at the St. Kitts Marriott all day, they showed up and met us at the pool bar after they got finished, they all said the same thing they were ready for a beer😀, and the hike other than a few different areas wasn't that difficult. 

 

For what's it's worth here's my 2-cents when it come's to hike's climb's or anything associated with either one on a cruise vacation. If you can do either on a cruise vacation it's not going to be that difficult because there's not enough time for it to be difficult, that's the whole idea. 

 

The tour offered involves transport by land to do the hike. My son is one who will hike it in 55 min. My concern is others on the trip causing delays. He and his sister did the Mt. Liamiuga hike on St Kitts a few years ago and he really enjoyed it. Many other passengers had to turn back, and my kids were certain their father would not have been able to complete it. My assumption is that Gros Piton is similar in difficulty. He would prefer Petit Piton if it were in his means. He has hiked Angel's Landing in Zion, for example, and adding ocean views to a peak like that would be even more spectacular. 

[TTEllis]

18 minutes ago, mary_228 said:

The tour offered involves transport by land to do the hike. My son is one who will hike it in 55 min. My concern is others on the trip causing delays. He and his sister did the Mt. Liamiuga hike on St Kitts a few years ago and he really enjoyed it. Many other passengers had to turn back, and my kids were certain their father would not have been able to complete it. My assumption is that Gros Piton is similar in difficulty. He would prefer Petit Piton if it were in his means. He has hiked Angel's Landing in Zion, for example, and adding ocean views to a peak like that would be even more spectacular. 

Absolutely as concerned as I am about myself blowing a knee or an ankle and either not getting back to the ship, ruining my vacation or holding up the other hikers, I'm far more concerned with everyone else holding up there end of the deal.

 

Really I'm not that concerned about myself, your son better know who's he's going up the mountain with and make it perfectly clear that if they for one reason or another or another or another get "held up" he's going back to the ship with or without them.

I'm not trusting anybody like that, and he shouldn't either, especially on his cruise vacation. Hope that helps Todd

[mlshum]

We wound up using Real St Lucia tours, getting there and making the hike.  It took longer to get there and back than I realized.  We zipped up the mountain and back as fast as possible and barely made it to the ship on time.  I was terrified.  The hike was wonderful but I wouldn’t do that again.  I wish we’d had a little more time to just look around and catch our breath but I couldn’t slow down and enjoy it for fear of missing the ship.  It was certainly a memorable day!