Le Morne Brabant — Local services in Le Morne

EVERYTHING WE WISHED WE'D KNOWN ABOUT THE HIKE

First and foremost, totally worth it! Beautiful hike and amazing views! We hiked it early Jan, 5 days after a CAT 3 cyclone- so fairly wet season. Be prepared to get muddy. The first bit to the main “South West Viewpoint” is strenuous because it’s uphill, but doable for all reasonably fit people, kids included. The view from here is phenomenal. If this is as far as you go- it’s still worth it! From sign in gate, to very top and back = 3hrs.

From here to “the top” where the metal cross is, is no joke. If you’re a seasoned rock climber it’s probably a walk in the park. If you’re fit and not afraid of heights, it’s doable. Would absolutely not recommend doing this section with kids. Do not count on there being chains along the climbing sections to assist you- there were none when we were there. There is no marked path, you’re relying on well-worn looking areas and good foot & hand holds to lead the way.

You’ll go through a green gate and the first bit is just a bit of scrambling over rocks, etc. No big deal. Then you’ll come to arguably the hardest bit. It’s sort of a tall, rocky wash-out going up at enough of an incline that you’re climbing with hands and feet. Honestly, it’s easier getting down than up, and it’s not something you’d want to fall down once you’ve committed to climbing. Once you’ve made it past ‘the hard bit’ it’s more of a scramble with a brief few climbing sections to the top. There are definitely a few points where if you’re queasy with heights it might not be a great idea to look down. At the top there is a large metal cross and assuming a cloud isn’t sitting on top- you’ll be treated to AMAZING 360 views!

-MOSQUITOES: bring repellent, they are plentiful but not insane

-WATER: Bring at minimum 1L per person. And for the love of all things holy- Pack in Pack Out! It was so sad to see the hundreds of empty plastic bottles in overflowing bins near the top of a remote UNESCO site. It weighs nothing. Take it with you. There are even big, designated recycling bins around the island.

-THE RAIN: The entire hike can be done the day after a decent rain. We did it 5 days after a cyclone and one day after a downpour. Could be done in a drizzle. Just expect to get your feet wet and muddy. Would absolutely not attempt the top section of the hike in actual rain, or if a downpour were predicted. You would literally be climbing UP a mountain and near drop-offs on muddy, slippery rocks. You could do the hike to the South West Viewpoint in a decent rain (not heavy downpour), but the view may not be great.

-PARKING: The turnoff from the road to start of hike is 1.5k long. It is a very muddy, potholed road, though many a small car makes it to the parking at the base of the hike. If you choose to park by main road and walk it, add 15-20min to your estimated time.

-TIMING: 3pm (3:30 at the absolute latest if you're the speediest person on earth and plan on not taking any rest or picture breaks) is the latest to start the hike from the base to the top. All the times listed here are real times for two pretty fit, in our 30's, steady pace but taking breaks here and there for water or to take pics and enjoy the view (times listed are not the 'people say this hike takes 5 hours', but then you reasonably assume that really means 3)

Entry Gate (where you sign in) to South West Viewpoint: 60 mins If you stop to enjoy the view and take pics: +10min (or however long) South West Viewpoint to “the hardest bit”: 10 min “the hardest bit”: 10 min from end of “the hardest bit” to the top: 20 min If you stop to enjoy the view and take pics at the top: +10min (or however long)

It takes just over half the time to get down as it does to get up. We made it 500m down the potholed road in our little Suzuki before we parked (though I reckon we could have made it further). From there, back to the car took us 3.5 hrs. I wish we would have brought a book or snacks and enjoyed the...

Attention! the ascent to the mountain is not at this point, but at the point that I indicated in the screenshot. from this point you will have to drive 3.5 kilometers through the forest, along a bad road through the trees. After this road, several scratches appeared on our car and we lost 20 minutes while looking for the right path, so it’s better to drive straight along the right road.

The ascent and descent take, as previously written here, 3 hours. first you will rise to the first observation deck very quickly, literally in half an hour, maybe a little more. The road is very simple, both old people and children and people with babies can pass it. The climb is small, you won’t have time to get tired. The first observation deck looks like a fairly large lawn, and the views from it offer beautiful views. Next there will be a path to a difficult path. Initially, the road is straight, with only a slight rise, and many people think that it’s nothing special. After walking about a kilometer you will be greeted by a sign warning about the beginning of a difficult trail. the difficult trail also begins quite simply and seems absolutely not difficult. it differs from the previous one only in that the path becomes narrow and there are many stones on the way. but then a sheer cliff suddenly appears, which you need to climb with your hands and feet (I attached a video that I took from the beginning of the difficult path). this path is very dangerous and difficult because, despite the lack of rain, the stones are slippery because of the sand, there are a lot of people on the way and it is not easy to find something to grab with your hands or place your foot everywhere. this path lasts about 800 meters. Then you will come to the second observation deck. in fact, I can’t say that the view from the second observation deck captivated me more than from the first. the types are approximately the same. so it's up to you to decide whether to go to the top or not. p.s. admission is free, there is not a single toilet along the road, there is nowhere...

When starting a hike you should note in a journal your name, nationality, and entering time. The first part was a walk on the shady path. For me, it was like cardio training. There are two points with beautiful views to enjoy. Then the second part started, we climbed with no expectations to get to the top but the mountain just playfully took us higher and higher. There are places where the mountain is very steep. One place was quite challenging for me as a short-legged human, stood there for more than 1 minute trying to understand where to put my foot for the next step. No up, no down. At this moment I observed how my mind slowly started to panic. Breath in, breath out - no time for panic, fear, doubt, or mistake! Just need to collect all my energy to overcome this situation! All the daily life problems are gone while climbing, just pure concentration on the next step. The feeling of gratitude for being, humbleness, and admiration towards nature's power and beauty was present all the time! The higher you get, the more stunning gets the views!! (and also it gets windier) Although I didn't have a climbing experience and still all were good, joyful, and went smooth on this climb ( except for that one challenging moment, which for long-legged people might not occur), it is dangerous! Next time I would consider taking a guide (my partner disagrees with me). Yes, it wasn't hard at all, but it's good to be cautious and not to risk our lives. There are places where one wrong step could be the last one. Our lives are too precious to risk, try to save money, or prove something to someone. It is worth climbing Le Morne - amazingly beautiful views and it's a wonderful activity to do while spending time in nature. Winter time is great for climbing, it gets hot, but not too much. Enjoy it but with caution and...