South East mountain hike

Ascent of South East Mountain - as the name says this is the highest peak in the SE corner of Grenada! Although not the highest summit on the island it is very rarely climbed as evidenced by the amount of cutting required to reach the top. This combined with some challenging navigation (at least initially in the rain forest until the ridge to the summit is found) makes it a potentially very challenging climb. Towards the top it is very steep in places and can feel exposed. There's always plenty of bushes/ trees etc. to grab hold of, but beware there's a lot of razor grass/ thorny bushes/ stingy plants. Having said all this the views from the top are worth all the effort of getting up there! To do this hike you will need:

Long trousers, sleeves and gloves particularly to protect yourself against razor grass
Lightweight jacket depending on weather - in rainy season/ when wet this could become a cold and very challenging climb.
Change of clothing for after
Plenty of water (suggest at least 3 litres)
Food/ energy bars etc.
Suncream and hat - although initially in shade mostly
Cream for stings/ cuts
Cutlass - note you should be experienced at wielding one in very tricky positions!
A guide who knows the area extremely well or suitable GPS/ navigation app and the ability to use it.
Make an early start - this could be a 6 hour round trip. Allow time for chopping and getting lost!

Route description:

This hike starts from the waterworks above Mama Cannes - drive-able track to this point. Take the trail that goes round the back of the waterworks and follows the water pipe towards the dam about a mile further up. This is an easy hike through cultivated area initially before the rain forest closes in. At this point you're looking for a smaller trail branching off steeply upwards to the left which takes you up to a hidden waterfall. Just after this you cross the small river and climb through bamboo for a minute or two until you reach the remains of a ruin (just low walls visible) in the forest. About 100 yards further on is an "Amerindian" cave which is worth checking out.

From here the navigation becomes much more tricky as the path more or less peters out and you follow a ridge roughly west for several hundred yards. After this the ridge descends slightly and you then need to veer left to start climbing the main ridge to the summit. It's very hard to describe in better detail and this is the point you will be most likely to get lost. After you've started up the main ridge it is easy navigation but progressively tougher terrain as the ridge steepens and plant growth blocks the trail. You will pass at least two false summits - looks like the top but when you get there you can see the ridge continuing upward. When you reach the summit there are great views particularly to the north over Grand Etang. DO NOT try to continue west off the summit - it looks extremely steep!

Overall a very challenging but rewarding hike. Don't under estimate the potential difficulty of this trail!