St Kitts Volcano Mount Liamuiga (3792 ft) shrouded in clouds

Mt. Liamuiga, shrowded in clouds

To my right, the hills rolled along, gradually rising up beneath the rain forest on the slopes of the mountain. But this is no ordinary mountain, this is Liamuiga, a dormant volcano on the island of St Kitts. The last eruption was about 1600 years ago, with possible, unconfirmed eruptions in the 17th and 19th centuries*. I hoped the sleeping giant wouldn't choose this day to wake up.

At the wheel, Royston Stevens, our friendly guide for this adventure. I rode shotgun, enjoying the view from the shaded canopy of his safari-style vehicle, a converted Mitsubishi Pajero.

Converted? He cut off the roof and added his own open air canopy to shade the occupants while providing a more open, enjoyable atmosphere. The ride alone was worth the trip.

Royston made several stops on the way to the volcano to show us the many views, and talk to us about certain parts of the island. Behind us sat my wife, Krista, and our new found friends Robin and Todd. We all chatted and enjoyed the fresh island air as it flowed through the wide-open truck.

As we approached the spot where Royston would turn off the main road to cross through the sugar cane fields on the way to the base of the rain forest, he asked if we could see the rock sticking out on top of the volcano. We looked, and there, shrouded by a fine whisp of gray cloud, was an odd shaped boulder appearing precariously perched upon the rim of the volcano.

In his relaxed Caribbean accent he said, "That's where we'll be hiking today."

You don't say.

I wasn't quite sure what I had gotten myself into. While I'm not a vision of athletic achievement, I'd like to believe that my years of youthful activity have paid off. But there is the issue of my old smoking habit, which I have since kicked. Also, my doctor tells me that I may have a mild case of asthma, which only really affects me during the more humid, summer months. We would be entering a rain forest on a Caribbean island, the air would likely be moist in there.

Royston swung off the main road and continued along a hard packed, bumpy, dirt road into the tall cane fields. Quite an experience, and it was interesting to find that there were small peanut crops in the midst of all the sugar cane. I don't think Royston shifted into four wheel drive once during the entire trip, though at times the road was so rutted and severely uneven you'd expect four wheel drive to be a necessity. An entertaining off-road adventure on the way to an adventure of another kind.

Mount Liamuiga is approximately 3,800 feet at the highest peak. We would be hiking the shorter route to the 3,000 foot elevation. The first 1000 feet was achieved by driving up to the edge of the rain forest, so our physical hike would be about 2,000 feet up, then down. Only. Once we arrived, we hopped out of the truck, donned our packs containing extra water and some snacks, and headed into the jungle.

The initial ascent was just fine, a virtual walk in the park. We stopped a few times on the way up for a breather and a water break. Royston didn't need to stop. Here is a man in top physical shape. Halfway through the hike my shirt was darkened by perspiration, Royston's shirt had barely a spot of sweat the size of a quarter in the center of his chest.

We passed Banyan trees, remarkably ancient, with huge roots which stand as much as two or three feet out of the ground, like walls, with other vegetation growing within the hollows. Vines hung down in many spots, reminding me of old tarzan movies, and though Royston confirmed the rain forest as a perfect habitat for Tarantulas we didn't encounter any. We did notice giant bat moths flitting about here and there, and we heard the high pitched chirp of tree frogs.

We learned about water vines, which carry water up from the roots into the treetops above. You could actually cut into them and release fresh water. I also smelled a white, sappy substance from one tree, that reminded me of turpentine.

Royston told us that tropical birds once inhabited the rain forest but were eventually wiped out by mongoose, which were brought over by the English to combat the snake problem. There are no snakes on the island anymore either. Plenty of mongoose.

The pitch of the slope increased as we neared the cone of the volcano. Clambering over exposed tree roots and steep rock trails was the only way to access the top. Time to make up for the somewhat leisurely hike we had thus far. We began climbing. Slowly in some spots, negotiating the trail so we wouldn't slip. The rocks were damp from the humid air, and I was starting to run out of steam.

On several occasions we would look ahead to see Royston at the top of the next rise waiting patiently for our arrival. Other times the rest of the group would turn to wait for me as I caught my breath.

Suddenly a shout from Todd, "Oh yeah!" He had followed Royston over the last elevation to the rim of the volcano. I felt a rush of adrenaline push me toward the top, right behind the others. Yes, we had made it! The wind struck my face and I peered over the edge into the caldera, not knowing what to expect.

What does it look like inside a volcano this old? Like a grassy field hardly touched by humans and filled with lush foliage and trees. Prettier than a golf course. Royston told us there is a small pond there too, though it was out of our view. There are ropes set up that you can use to climb down inside, but we didn't venture down into the crater on this trip.

Did I mention the wind? I'll bet the winds were hitting us at forty to forty-five miles per hour. My perspiration had begun to evaporate and I nearly froze when the first gust passed through my shirt. I didn't care much about freezing, it was awesome to be standing on top of the giant Liamuiga, which means fertile isle, and was once called Mount Misery.

We had hiked up to the big boulder on the rim of the volcano and, in fact, onto the big boulder itself. Well, a portion of it anyway. Part way up the side of the boulder, facing the caldera, there are rocks overgrown with trees and brush, in the roots of which grow moss and vegetation forming thick ledges where you can stand and get better views of the crater and some of the island below, right out to the sandy beach and ocean.

We sat and ate some pastries that Royston had stowed in his pack, and drank tons of water. As we ate, crumbs that fell from our munching mouths never touched the ground, they were swept away by the fierce winds that howled through the crater.

I sat staring into the green valley below, looking for vents of smoke or steam, and watching the clouds rise to reveal the opposite ridge, then fall back in to conceal it again. It seemed as if this beautiful giant volcano was breathing.

I had a slight fear of climbing the volcano. I knew the chance of an eruption was practically zilch, but I couldn't shake the nagging feeling. Like flying in a plane, you know you have far greater chance of reaching your destination safely, but there's always that voice in the backseat of your brain inquiring "what if today is the day?"

Now, sitting on top of Mt. Liamuiga, looking around at the natural beauty of this place, I felt a peace come over me. I wasn't worried.

We looked around and enjoyed the atmosphere, but eventually we were all ready to go. We could gladly say "been there, done that," and I knew I had a great experience to bring with me to the bottom, and a great memory to keep with me for years to come: I climbed a volcano!

We began our descent, at first slowly as we carefully climbed down, over the damp roots and stones around the cone of the volcano. Our pace increased as we approached the more shallow terrain, and soon enough we resumed a casual hikers pace along the winding trail over the lower slopes, stopping once for nature's call, and a second time to watch green vervet monkeys jump through the trees and thrash around in the underbrush, trying to increase the distance between human and primate. The larger males perched high in the trees to observe us and act as sentry for their troops.

While hiking out I enjoyed the view to either side of the trail, passing deep, narrow valleys lit by the sun, while I walked in the cool shadows of the rain forest, passing vines and ancient cabbage palms.

Royston told me that the cabbage palm is the oldest palm, around since dinosaurs walked the earth. True, the earliest palm fossils date back to the Cretaceous period, which means that palms existed at least 65 million years ago. Maybe more.

I'm sure we also passed a few of our guide's namesake palms along the way: from the genus Roystonea, most likely the Roystonea oleracea, commonly known as the Caribbee palm.

The hike out was more exhilarating than the hike in -- we were heading down, not up -- and soon Krista and I would be enjoying a refreshing swim in the ocean, not more than a few hundred feet from our condo. I was looking forward to a nice cold Carib lager too.

It took us less time to climb down the volcano than up, but it certainly seemed longer, due to our anticipation. Every so often I would say to Krista, "Just around the next bend should be the cane field and Royston's truck." She stopped agreeing with me after the second or third time.

Finally the trail before us widened and filled with sunlight, welcoming us to the starting point and prompting a few "woo hoos" from me. While we leaned on the truck and drank the remainder of our water, I noticed that Royston still had just a spot of perspiration on his shirt, and it was already fading. He looked like he hadn't even started the hike, while I looked like I had just, well... climbed a volcano.

Back in the truck, we road out over the bumpy road leading through the sugar cane fields, passing a small farm on the way. We all jumped at the blasting "MOOO" from a cow we hadn't noticed, and who had waited for us to pass before issuing his fairwell. Even cows reflect the relaxed way of life in the caribbean. Then again, cows in my childhood home of Sussex, New Jersey were pretty relaxed too.

Yes, fairwell Liamuiga, thank you for the experience, and the memory. This was one adventure I would challenge myself to again, without worry eruption. Liamuiga continues to sleep on, maybe forever.

More Information about this wonderful island

St Kitts is one of two islands that make up the "sister island" federation of St. Cristopher (St Kitts) and Nevis, also refered to as the "Cradle of the Caribbean."

Aside from breathtaking beauty, St Kitts and Nevis offer many activities and adventures for the traveler seeking an exciting vacation, including a selection of catamaran tours along the southeast penninsula and across the 2 mile channel between St Kitts and her sister island Nevis. Along with the amazing scenery these tours include food, drink and fun, even a stop for snorkeling. During one of our trips we were pleasantly surprised by a pair of dolphins who decided to show off along side our catamaran while we drifted into the snorkelling cove.

Other activities include atv tours through cane fields, foothills and portions of the rain forest; ocean kayak trips along the penninsula; and you can visit Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a monstrous fortification built during the 17th and 18th centuries. From Brimstone Hill you can see neighboring island St. Eustatius, and on a clear day, Saba as well.

Many wonderful beaches accent the coastal beauty of St Kitts and Nevis. South Friar's Beach features an unique rock formation and cliffs, while Turtle Beach, on tip of the southeast penninsula, offers a great view of Nevis, and is regularly visited by green vervet monkeys who dwell above in the hills and in the forested shoreline.

This island nation is home to many fine resorts, villas and condominiums, for rest and relaxation after the adventure. Explore the historic town of Basseterre, and dine on balconies overlooking The Circus, the center of town. Gaze out at the Caribbean while you select from a wonderful menu in the Sunset Cafe at Timothy beach Resort. St Kitts and Nevis are a destination with much offer. History, adventure, peace and quite. You can have it all.

For more information visit the islands online at www.stkittsnevis.com.

-Drew Vics

More information about Mt. Liamuiga

Mt. Liamuiga is a stratovolcano on the island of St Kitts, which has had four Holocene eruptions and two unconfirmed historic eruptions in 1692 and 1843. The dates for the prehistoric eruptions range from 2320BC to 150 AD. Three of these eruptions were Plinian eruptions, which is a large explosive eruption that sends a massive column of tephra and gas nearly 7 miles high, into the stratosphere. Plinian eruptions are named for Pliny the Younger who carefully recorded the catastrophic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. An eruption which claimed the lives of about 2,000 people in Pompei and Herculaneum, including his father, Pliny the Elder.

About the author: Drew Vics is an artist, writer and singer-songwriter from northern New Jersey. He writes for Myeyez.net and Strange Encounters part time, and released a self produced CD, No More Waiting in October of 2003. For CD info visit his site DrewVics.com

Up Liamuiga — Climbing the Sleeping Giant of St Kitts