Mt. Diablotin (Dominica - Caribbean)

Mourne (Mt.) Diablotin
4,747 ft
3-18-2012

My wife and I just got back from our honeymoon on the Caribbean island of Dominica. While we were there, we tried to climb Mt. Diablotin which is the highest point on the island and in the Eastern Caribbean.

It was my wife's first attempt at a 4,000 footer and my 29th. She did very good for her first try.

There is one trail that goes up the mountain. Most people stop at the first viewpoint that is near the summit. From here, the trail is much less traveled and eventually comes to a second viewpoint before getting to the viewless summit.

The trail starts off with plenty of wooden steps (short sections of logs) that lead up the mountain. After a while of this, the trail levels out some, but becomes more muddy and starts to get thicker. After this, it gets quite steep in some places and very thick. Sometimes you are crawling under branches and roots and sometimes you are 8 feet up in the air climbing over them. In a couple places you will probably have to take off your pack to fit through.

We hiked with our guide and one other guest of our resort that requested this hike. He has hiked multiple high peaks and eventually got ahead of us and made it to the summit. We met back up with him heading back down at the second viewpoint while we were still headed up. While we were only 0.2 miles from the summit and 46 feet in elevation down, he said it would take probably 30 minutes each way to reach the top. We decided at this point, that we were close enough.

While I don't normally like turning around before the summit, the vegetation is just so thick it was very hard going. I have never worked so hard to hike down off a mountain in my life. We also didn't get as early of a start as I am used to. Normally I am hiking by 8am, but we arrived at the trailhead at 9:30am after the 2 hour drive to get there. It was still fun and maybe I can make it back some day to make it all the way to the peak.

Here are some pictures to show the difference in trails from New England to the Caribbean.

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7475-L.jpg
Trailhead

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7481-L.jpg
Stairs on early section of trail

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7486-L.jpg
View from first viewpoint

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7488-L.jpg
Second viewpoint

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7487-L.jpg
The hump on the left is the summit, not too far away

http://sdways01.smugmug.com/Travel/H...nica7494-L.jpg
My wife coming back down the trail. It was plenty thick through here. There is no going around hard sections either

For all the pictures from the hike, just go HERE

First off, congratulations on getting married, all the best to you and your wife for many Happy and Healthy years.

Thanks for posting, I'm glad you enjoyed..

Congratulations Adam! Nice TR and photos. Looks like a pleasantly different type of hiking than up here in the northeast. Thanks for bringing us along.

Adam,
Nice report and pictures. The terrain and trails certainly cannot compare as what we have here in the States and the White Mountains. Found the warning of "no collelcting of animals" most interesting.:eek:
Congratulations to you and your wife.

Donna:)

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Legs and Little d

Adam,
Nice report and pictures. The terrain and trails certainly cannot compare as what we have here in the States and the White Mountains. Found the warning of "no collelcting of animals" most interesting.:eek:
Congratulations to you and your wife.

Donna:)

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I still can't get over how different the terrain was there in the forrest. I have been on steep stuff like that before, but the thick trees and plants was something else. Granted we have more traffic here, but if the trail was here all that stuff would have been cut out of the way. I use to look at holes in the ground and between rocks as a good place to twist an ankle, but after climbing through trees being 8 feet off the ground with branches twisted all around and below me, a small hole might not seem as dangerous (not that it is any less dangerous though). Like I said, I have never worked so hard to come down a mountain.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sdways01

I still can't get over how different the terrain was there in the forrest. I have been on steep stuff like that before, but the thick trees and plants was something else. Granted we have more traffic here, but if the trail was here all that stuff would have been cut out of the way. I use to look at holes in the ground and between rocks as a good place to twist an ankle, but after climbing through trees being 8 feet off the ground with branches twisted all around and below me, a small hole might not seem as dangerous (not that it is any less dangerous though). Like I said, I have never worked so hard to come down a mountain.

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Adam, Seems like you certainly know your way around a camera!! What awesome pics!!! I am in the market for a camera to take while backpacking. It would need to be somewhat durable, lightweight and water proof. Plus a high enough resolution that we could blow them up for wall art. Any recommendations?? And not outrageously $$$. Thanks! Bob A.

thanks for sharing your views with us!

Very nice photos, thanks. Congratulations!

Amazing pictures!

Very cool! I will have to post some pics of my hikes here in Hawaii.