Majestic Gros Piton Hike

This was a thoroughly enjoyable day from start to finish. Danny Boy made the journey to the Pitons pass quickly with his extensive knowledge of the island and interesting facts along the way. He made sure we were well stocked up with snacks and water before handing us over to the official hike guide, Katya. Do not underestimate the difficulty of this hike in the heat! It tested me physically and mentally and I am used to doing lots of hiking. Katya was excellent and set a sensible pace for us and kept us motivated when the going got tough. Up to halfway was very doable (but the heat was draining); the second half is much, much steeper, rockier and requires full concentration at all times. There are some steps and handrails in the trickier sections. 2 hours 5 minutes after we set off we arrived at the peak and the views did not disappoint! Take time to enjoy the views, rehydrate and gather your energy as the hike down is almost as difficult as going up (same route).Your legs will feel like jelly by the time you finish. Thrilled to have competed this challenge but it will remain a 'once in a lifetime' event for me! Thanks to Danny Boy for the very welcome water and beer when we finished and for the taxi service. Watch out for the test about the island on the return to your hotel!!

The Gros Piton hike was challenging but worth every step! My wife and I had a great time. Our tour guide was excellent but a special shout-out goes to our driver Danney Pierre aka Danney-Boy! He was fantastic! I highly recommend this tour and of course Danney as a driver.

Danney boy was the best taxi driver! Very knowledgeable. Gave us great insight into the history and culture. Mervin the Mountain Goat was our tour guide and he was fantastic as well. He’s been hiking the trail all his life and knew so much about the land. It is a very tough hike so be prepared! Bring snacks

Our driver (Mr. Danny Boy) was exceptional. Did a great job providing us with transportation as well as a history of St. Lucia. However, we were unaware that the drive to the mountain was 2 hours; one way. Additionally, once at the mountain, we did not enjoy our tour guide. She was pregnant, and not only walked behind the entire time, she did not complete the hike with us, and mostly had a bad attitude.

The reviews do not lie, it is an intense hike up and just as intense going down. It is a steep climb over rocks/boulders, but the views were totally worth the pain!! The $5 rental of a hiking pole that can be rented before you start came in handy and we were very happy that we chose to rent them. People should bring bug repellent because there are mosquitos (at least when we went) and we were glad we brought a small travel size container. Please keep in mind, the hike is very intense and your legs will feel like Jell-o after it is over, but the views and experience is worth it! Danny Boy was an awesome driver who arrived on time, was funny and shared his knowledge of St. Lucia with us. He did an excellent job and highly recommend for people to get him as your driver!

All I can say is wow! Beautiful views all the way up to the top of the mountain. Definitely a difficult hike, but I was determined to make it to the top with my tour guide. Such a great feeling of accomplishment once we made it. If you can handle an intense hike at least halfway it is worth it for the views. Very informative and friendly guides.

DannyBoy was an absolutely wonderful guide/means of getting to the Gros Piton hike! He picked us up on time from our lobby at 6:30 AM to drive us to the starting point of the hike. He was full of positive energy, jokes, and interesting facts about Saint Lucia! He even purchased us some mangoes from a local fruit stand to try, and they made for a delicious snack at the peak of the hike. Looking back, we were thankful to get an early start to the hike as is was a little cooler in the morning. Of note, on arrival to the park you are required to pay an entrance fee to the park of $50 USD, I was able to use my credit card for this but we brought cash just in case. Within the park, a different guide will take you up the mountain itself, and our hiking guide was great too! We like to think of ourselves as decently fit and have had some hiking experience before, and the hike was pretty strenuous! All in all, we couldn’t recommend DannyBoy and this excursion enough, and we would absolutely do it again!

FYI, this is an extreme adventure. I'm in great shape and it took me to my breaking point. The guides weren't really helpful but the personal driver was excellent. I would reiterate that you should only try this tour if you're experienced in climbing mountains.

I would like to start off by saying that my wife and I were looking to book the Gros Piton hike through sandals/island routes, but there was no availability when we went to book. We were extremely lucky that was the case, as I was able to find St. Lucia’s Best Experience Tours by googling Gros Piton Hike! The experience was incredible! I began to communicate with our driver, Dannyboy, via email the day prior to the hike. He responded immediately to all questions that I asked. The day of the hike started off bright and early at 6:30am. Dannyboy was waiting for us as we walked from our room to the main lobby at sandals halcyon. The energy and “good vibes” that he immediately began the ride with were a pleasant surprise to me, as I was just expecting a ride to the Pitons. Dannyboy talked about all sorts of history of the island, the political parties, the fishing villages, indigenous plants and animals, the school system…. anything and everything! I genuinely became smarter, and I appreciated Dannyboy’s enthusiasm and passion for his craft. We stopped along the way to take a great picture from a lookout point where you could see both Pitons. Right before we made it to the destination, Dannyboy was kind enough to buy us watermelon and mango to enjoy on the hike. It was the best mango I ever had! Upon our arrival, we paid $50 US per person for a personal tour guide. We were lucky enough to get Margaret, who said she had been doing the hike at least 3 times a week for the past 23 years. She was very funny and interested in what we planned on doing with the photos. She picked up a giant hermit crab when we first started and I thought that was very cool. She also educated us on the various plants and animals along the way. After the hike was over, Dannyboy was waiting for us with a couple cold Piton beers ready to drink! He even stopped along the road when he saw cacao and opened one up for us to try. It was delicious! As we made our way back to the resort, he gave us an exam on what we had talked about on the way to the Pitons, and we did surprisingly well. I would not trade the experience for anything, and I am looking forward to doing it again the next time we are back in St. Lucia. I would give more than 5 stars if I could. -Erik and Rachael “Rochelle”

Definitely, an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. This was a very challenging hike for us & we have hiked Diamondhead on Oahu. It took about 4 hours total to the summit & back. Our guide, Chile, was the BEST! He was willing to go at our pace & knows this climb extremely well. Halfway up, my husband decided to hang out at rest point 2. Evidently, this isn’t uncommon. The view is beautiful! Chile made sure that all was well with him & kept communicating with other guides to stay in touch since I continued with our group. The trek to the summit was tough, but definitely worth the climb. We loved our tour & are thankful for our skilled guide. Thanks again, Chile!!!