Gros Piton hike - I am so glad I did this hike but it was very hot and difficult. Wear shoes with ankle support and make sure you bring gatorade to help with losing electrolytes. Our driver was great and got us through some tough traffic. I didnt really like the lunch but it was very authentic.

Great experience - Our driver was very nice and informative along with our guides. The hike itself was challenging especially given the heat but we really enjoyed ourselves. We met a lot of great people in our tour group and we really enjoyed the authentic lunch they provided for us after the hike. Overall, it was a wonderful experience and we would highly recommend!

Tough but worth it - Very tough hike but totally worth it. For me coming down was even worse than going up. Tough on the legs and knees. It's important to take a lot of water and some food as well (cereal bars, fruits, nuts) because the hike takes 4hs at least. Our guide Simone was a star!!

Not as bad as some reviews would lead you to believe. - I nearly didn't attempt the hike due to somewhat alarmist reviews . It is a tough climb but fine if you regularly walk and gave a degree of fitness. I am 66 and arthritic but the warm climate has helped the joints. I was up and down in 4 hours. I loved the walk through the cloud forest and the views from the top are well worth the climb. Stunning 300 years old mango tree. Our guide was very friendly and we learnt much about life in St Lucia.

Wonder tour of St Lucia - We had a fabulous trip with Big Rich, who took us to The Pitons, arranged lunch and then Castres. Richard is an excellent guide and driver - thanks Harvey

The excursion overall was... - The excursion overall was excellent. Harris/Swiss, our driver, was entertaining along the way. The roads in St Lucia are a little rough, so it was a wild ride. Our tour guides up the mountain were great. The trek up the mountain was very steep & rocky. It was a challenge. I decided to stop halfway, not wanting to take any chances or slow down the group. My partner continued to the top. The view & experience was well worth it. My only complaint, I had to contact the company to find out what time hotel pickup was scheduled for.

Hard work but well worth it - First off, be advised that this is more of a “climb” than a “hike”. There is very little of what many would consider to be a “trail” and is mostly rocks and steps that require you to engage your upper body for balance, gripping rocks, roots and handrails. The climb is quite steep and while it doesn’t require any technical training, it does require a decent level of fitness. We had a group of 12 and while most were in decent shape, only 8 made it all the way to the top. But the rest seemed to enjoy it and simply turned around and made their way back with other guides. That said, the trip is well worth it. The guides are very helpful and the view at the top is spectacular, with several scenic views on the way up. You also feel like you accomplished something once you’ve finished. The guides push for a 4-hour round trip but you can slow it down if necessary and the guides easily hand you off to other guides if needed. It is impossible to get lost as the path is quite obvious the entire way. We took a bus ride from Sandals La Toc and it is a 2- hour trip going out and coming back. Which means that a good driver/guide is a plus … and ours was a plus plus. If you can, request Harris, who goes by “Swiss”. He is knowledgeable and colorful and does a great job of engaging the group. There was a lot of laughter and he made the trip a true 5-star experience, helping connect our group that otherwise didn’t know one another. Make sure to bring plenty of water and some Gatorade, as well as some energy snacks. You’ll want them. And enjoy!

Very difficult! You are warned! - This was extremely difficult! We did have a private guide take us up there(Cant believe that's someone's job oh my!) So that we were safe. We did make it to the top but just know it is 2 hrs up rocky steep slopes the whole way then you have to go back down. Not gonna lie I wanted to cry at one point but we did it and you feel very accomplished afterwards! The cats are cute if you get to see them

Challenging Hike- Essential Tips and Shoutout! - If you've never scrambled (using hands to climb steep terrain), be cautious. The rainforest's frequent rain makes the rocks slippery. You must be in excellent shape – even healed past surgeries might get tweaked. The terrain gets steeper with each stop, nearing vertical climbs on all fours. Watch your head for tree roots and rocks. The hike starts fast to weed out the weak, and most turn back after the second checkpoint due to the steep terrain. Special shoutout to our chauffeur, Richard, or Big Rich, as we like to call him. He drove us all day with ease, charisma, kindness, and most importantly, safety. We love you, Big Rich! On a lighter note, there were many friendly kitties along the way :) It was a beautiful hike – just know what you're getting into. If you have short legs (under 5’6"), expect this hike to be exceptionally challenging for your tendons and joints.

More strenuous than advertised but beautiful! - This "hike" isn't a hike per se, but a climb. While amazingly beautiful, interesting, well marked and led, this is far more strenuous than advertised. It was very steep, and completely over rock, which while expected at times, the description pictures tended to dwell on flatter areas, with stairs. It was advertised as seven hours, but calculating the time from pick up to drop off, ours was 11, a significant difference! This time included taking our included meal as a takeaway and eating in the van, instead of the sit down meal. On that note though, we must credit our Driver Big Richard. He made the best of challenges, and was kind enough to speed things up at end day by offering to go and get all our meals. He was funny, informative and engaging throughout and made the long day fun. Not intending on slamming this. A fine climb and had we known that it was this challenging, we would have prepared a bit more, brought our hiking/climbing boots instead of the advertised "sneakers/running shoes". The pictures and vistas, even from the half way point where were turned back down, were amazing. Also, when we purchased the excursion, it said a climbing pole was included. At the site, the guides there advised us they were $5 each, and you could only have one. The $5 isn't the issue, but the disconnect between advertisement and reality is. Hint: Bring a local "Piton" beer with us. Pop it and toast your climb - a bartender at our resort suggested it and we did!