The Interpretive Center is a little house in Fond Gens Libra where you pay your fees for the guide. It has a model of the Piton and the guide will describe the hike.

The trail starts almost immediately after leaving the Interpretive Center, climbing briskly up a rock strewn path. The guides like to rush through this beautiful area (I think to determine the level of hiker they are dealing with) after several hundred feet, my guide turned and asked "so... have you ever hiked before?" .. "nope... first time" :o)... More I was hoping for a slower pace.

Abruptly the rock trail ends at a beautiful garden park with Mango trees around the trail. My guide picked up a couple of ripe Mango's off the ground for me to put in my pack. Yum!!Less

Even though the trail is gaining altitude at a reasonable pace, the path is nice and mostly dirt. This is not a scenic byway for viewing, it is primarily a walk through the jungle with over-growth blocking the view and sections where rocks and roots cover the trail.

Rounding the curve of the mountain, there is a break in the jungle trees and a view of the Ocean opens up for the first time. After a few more steps, a view of the summit of Gros Piton is visible.

Reaching the Halfway mark, not in miles covered, but in time traveled you are rewarded with stunning views of Petite Piton. This marks the end of the "easy" portion of the trail and my guide informed me that about half of the hikers turn back at this point.

I don't know if this is the actual name for this portion of the trail, but it felt like 1 million stairs. This is the more difficult portion of the hike. Large stair steps, often above the waist, kept your legs humming along at gaining altitude. Up steps cut out of dirt with logs and roots to keep the dirt in place. Up steps of rock and boulder... Mores. In some places handrails made of sticks help you to grab a hold of something to help lift you to the next level. I asked who maintained the trail, but my guide just looked at me like I was joking about it being maintained at all.Less

The summit of Gros Piton is also covered with vegetation and therefore makes the views difficult to see, down climbing through more boulders allows you to reach a small platform and beautiful views to the East and South. Unfortunately the view of Petite Piton is off another direction and un-climbable during the rainy season.

I asked ... Moremy guide if there was a summit register and was told that I could carve my name into any of the rocks or trees on the summit... sigh... The summit register, I later found out is also in the Interpretive Center which you sign after climbing to the top and returning.Less