Pitch lake circular tour
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 1.54 mi
- Elevation gain
- 52 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 36 ft
- Max elevation
- 113 ft
- TrailRank
- 23
- Min elevation
- 59 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Time
- one hour 22 minutes
- Coordinates
- 372
- Uploaded
- August 21, 2013
- Recorded
- October 2012
near Brighton, Siparia (Republic of Trinidad and Tobago)
Viewed 1173 times, downloaded 4 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The full circular tour of the pitch lake should only be undertaken with the aid of a guide - there are some deep and sticky parts which the unknowing visitor could come seriously stuck in! The official guides will not take you into the centre of the lake, however you can get a private guide who will do this and it is worth the extra money for an amazing experience.
The pitch lake is a naturally occurring feature. It is a deposit of bitumen (heavy hydrocarbons) believed to be leaking from a breached oilfield. The deposit is being mined, is replenishing itself at a slower rate, so the level of the pitch has fallen over time. Rainfall naturally collects above the pitch and depending on the time of year a shallow lake forms over part of the pitch.
When the pitch flows there are some amazing polygonal patterns and walking bare foot on the hot smooth surface is a real sensation not to be missed. There are some sulphur vents and some people like to bath in these mineral waters.
The pitch lake is a naturally occurring feature. It is a deposit of bitumen (heavy hydrocarbons) believed to be leaking from a breached oilfield. The deposit is being mined, is replenishing itself at a slower rate, so the level of the pitch has fallen over time. Rainfall naturally collects above the pitch and depending on the time of year a shallow lake forms over part of the pitch.
When the pitch flows there are some amazing polygonal patterns and walking bare foot on the hot smooth surface is a real sensation not to be missed. There are some sulphur vents and some people like to bath in these mineral waters.
You can add a comment or review this trail
Comments