Mt. El Tucuche.

This hike started from Hobal Trace in the Upper Maracas Valley in St. Joseph. To get here from Curepe take the Maracas Royal Road up to Hobal Trace. You are allowed to park in the yard of one of the local residents there. I think that they have grown used to seeing hikers daily. Although not required it is a good idea to offer the old gentleman a tip for parking on his property and keeping a watchful eye on your car.
Mt. El Tucuche is the second highest peak in Trinidad's northern range and is noted for its interesting plateau shape. This gives it its name as this looks like the back of a humming bird. The mountain is located at 10.733333N & -61.416667W. It rises up to a height of about 936m (3071ft). The Hobal Trace route is only one climbing route to the summit of Mt. El Tucuche. It is also one of the harder routes that exist. Local hikers identify with an area of the climb that they affectionately refer to as “the devils' backbone.” From the summit there are exceptional views of Maracas Bay and Las Cuevas Bay below. While on the trail keep an eye out for the South American Bushmaster (Lachesis muta) locally called the “mapepire zanana.” This snake is a venomous pitviper and the adults grow to an average of 2 to 2.5 m (6½-8 feet), although 3 m (10 feet) is not too unusual.
The summit of Mt. El Tucuche and also that of Trinidad’s highest mountain Mt. El Cerro del Aripo (940m) is home to the endemic Golden Tree Frog (Phyllodytes auratus). The lush evergreen forest, found in the mountain of El Tucuche provides home for other wild tropical fauna and flora...