Hiking up La Sorciere’s Mountain (Hiking up The Sorcerer’s Mountain)

Sunday we went hiking. It was a 9 hour day! First we hiked from Babonnaue to the base of La Sorciere (pronounced ‘La So-see-e). La Sorciere is a 2,200 ft. mountain, effectively the 4th highest peak in St. Lucia; preceded first by Petit Piton, the third highest point, towering at 2,461 ft., then Gros Piton the second highest at 2,640 ft., and finally, Mt. Gime wins the prize for 1st place, standing tall at 3,117 ft. Anyway, back to my story…

We hiked up La Sorciere, all the while sharing and making up stories about the mountain. One of the guys told of the ancient myth of how La Sorciere got her name. It is simple; no man that hikes up the mountain ever returns, because The Sorcerer puts a hex on him.

Obviously, we busted that myth!

After cutting our own trail to the top of the mountain we made our way down and set out walking to Louvert. Louvert is an abandoned beach town in the district of Dennery that rests at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a sight to see!

Beauty!

Before arriving to Louvert I was kicking myself for forgetting my swimsuit. Lynn tried telling me not to worry, that the waters were much too rough to swim in. Naturally, being the stubborn adventurer that I am I wrote him off, smirking and expecting to just swim in the pair of athletic shorts and t-shirt that I brought along. I mean, what would a St. Lucian that has lived here his whole life, hiked all over the island, and visited the Louvert beach multiple times know anyway? Geez!

Let me tell you; part of the astounding beauty of Louvert is its powerful waters.

The beach is nestled in a small cove. To one side is a sandy beach lined with coconut trees that bends away out of sight, its posterior only to be seen from the top of the cliffs and cave that border the northern side of the cove. Standing on the cliff’s edge, which juts far into the Atlantic, look to your right. It’s grander than picture perfect; La Sorciere in the background covered in mist; an expanse of trees filling the divide between you and her; and a river that zigzags its way down from the mountain flows into the cove, hidden at every switchback by the lush forestry. As you look up the river from the cove your eyes yearn to follow it farther than the tree line allows, as it turns away out of sight just up stream.

Look to your Left. The ominous ocean waves roar as they continuously pound the rocks. You would think you were in the deep see at the time of a tropical storm; current strong and forceful; its rhythm unpredictable. Except, you are not… You are on the beach, feeling only a light breeze and occasional sprinkle. The ocean seems to have a life of her own and her untamed waves threaten to engulf all that trespass beyond the sandy boundary. In an instant her power and beauty overwhelm you and engender within your spirit a deep respect for her commanding authority.

When the sun made its descent, we were chased away by the quickly approaching darkness and began our 2 ½ hour walk back to Babonnaue. Eventually the night caught up to us with an hour of walking still ahead of us. Prospere was in a rush. He worried me with stories of wild pigs… the only pigs we saw were in large sties that reeked of deprecations as we passed by. My guess is those piggies will be served for Christmas.

Eventually the spooky trail taking us back to the main road came to its head and we reemerged from yet another adventure with memories only to be shared by a precious 9 other individuals. And I mustn’t forget the challenge of crossing a river during the pitch black night on sporadically placed stepping stones. We attempted to hop from stone to stone one at a time. The only light to guide us was one small flashlight that we held for each other to direct one another’s next leap!