Home Travel Diving Running Kids Mail us		Sunday 9 September 2001 First major expedition is the ascent of the Petit Piton, shown here in the view from our bedroom at Anse Chastenet hotel. The Petit Piton is much steeper and more inaccessible looking than the slightly higher Grande Piton beyond. However our guide, Imbert, showed us where to leave the car by the Piton falls and then led us off on a forest trail to the bottom of the peak. The reason you can climb the Piton at all is because of all the tree roots. Thick roots grow everywhere and when combined with rocky foot holds you have a safe but precipitous scramble to the top. We choose one of the wettest days of our visit and by the time that we reach the shoulder, over half way to the top but below the 'crux' we are all drenched. After the shoulder things get much more interesting with two steep rock pitches with rather dodgy looking ropes on them. Definately not for the faint hearted but the boys manage brilliantly. The clouds clear as we reach the top to reveal fantastic views all around. We are all caked in mud by now but it is worth it. Now all that remains is a tough 1 1/2 hour climb back down again. After the boys get down from the Piton they headed straight for the Piton waterfall, a hot, sulphurous shower bath where we splashed around in our Y-fronts and rinsed the worst of the mud off our T-shirts. We then joined the girls in the Hummingbird, a delightful little hotel with pool in Soufriere. We just manage to finish our drinks and lunch when the heavens open and we all have a very wet swim in their pool before taking advantage of a break in the rain to dry off and head up to the volcano and Sulphur Springs. If your idea of a good day out is sitting in black slime smelling of rotten eggs then this is the place for you. John's ear stays clogged up with mud for days while Vicky wonders if she will ever get her bra and pants white again. Click the fish for some underwater adventure: