Life-long Ambition Accomplished

Life-long Ambition Accomplished

Tuesday 10 - Wednesday 12 Dec 2024

It’s probably a stretch to say that climbing Mont Pelee has been a life-long ambition of mine, given that prior to 2018 I had never heard of this volcano! However, on our first trip to Martinique we rented a car and drove up to the refuge below the mountain and started to hike our way up. Unfortunately, on that occasion the mist was down to the car park, rain was pouring down, and as it was already mid-afternoon when we started up. Our hearts weren’t really into it and we didn’t get very far! Since then I have wanted to return and complete the climb. Wednesday was that day. 

Mont Pelee dominates the skyline behind Saint Pierre. It is a really impressive sight, although the summit is rarely visible. We have written previously about the significance of this volcano. On the 8th May 1902 it erupted sending an incandescent fireball down the slopes, flattening the town of Saint-Pierre, sinking dozens of ships in the harbor and killing 30,000 people within minutes. It was the most destructive volcano of the 20th century, and from film that we have seen in the local museums, taken after the eruption and subsequent fire, Saint-Pierre bore a striking similarity to Hiroshima. Mont Pelee is still active, but is closely monitored and the last major eruption was in 1929. Since 1932 it has been relatively quiet, but, in April 2019, the alert level was raised to yellow based on increasing seismic activity.

The standard route up Mont Pelee is from the south-east above the town of Morne Rouge. You can drive to a parking lot where the trail begins, which gains you at least some altitude. The peak itself is currently 4577 feet high and the route takes you steeply up the side of the volcano through wild, prehistoric-like vegetation. From a saddle on the side you can then do a circular traverse around the caldera with a branch off to the summit. The whole journey is just under 5 miles and it took me a little under 5 hours to complete it. That may give you some idea of the terrain - steep and rough going, with a lot of scrambling on slippy rock in the upper half. I took a taxi from town up to the start of the trail. Gloria decided she did not want to participate in this particular adventure - which was probably a smart decision. I’m convinced Gloria can do anything she turns her mind to, but she would have hated this! 

As I made my way up, I soon became enveloped in cloud and briefly got rained upon. This wasn’t a surprise as the mountain gets ~ 8 meters of rain a year! But for the most part it was dry, cloudy, and pleasantly cool with a good breeze. The mist is both atmospheric and a little disorientating. Thankfully the trail is well marked. I was lucky because at various points the skies cleared and I got some great views. Being on the summit was a little like I image the center of a hurricane, with clouds all around but clear blue sky above. I met lots of people on the way which helped me feel a less isolated. On the final section back to the car park, I passed a French couple and wished them a good day. I continued onwards and started walking back down the road, hoping to hitch a ride into Morne Rouge so I could catch the bus home. Ten minutes later Lauric and Valerie picked me up in their car and drove me all the way back to Saint Pierre. 

It was an awesome experience, some aspects were enjoyable at the time and others are to be enjoyed more on reflection. By the time I got back to Cotinga I was totally knackered!

P.s On Tuesday we sailed up from Fort de France to Saint Pierre. This is our 6th visit to the town - we really love this place! We picked up a mooring and had just come out of the Port Authority office when we saw Pete and Jo drive past! They parked and we enjoyed an afternoon beer in a local cafe. It was great to catch up with them again. They have been staying in an apartment in Anse l’Anne and will fly home to the UK tonight (Thursday).

Mike

14 44.338 N, 61 10.705 W

An extremely rare view of the cloudless summit of Mt Pelee as seen from Cotinga on Thursday morning (the day after my climb!) The route essentially follow the right hand skyline, over the top and back round the caldera on the far side.

The steep incline starts immediately at the car park

I was soon into the clouds and mist. Mt Pelee gets an incredible ~ 8 meters of rain a year, so it's not surprising that cloudy / rainy conditions are typical

I got super lucky with a number of short breaks in the clouds that gave me some spectacular views - this one from very near the summit.

You can see the trail crossing a flatter section of the summit dome. I found the drop-off on the far side of this hump to be the hardest section of the route, before the path levels out and turns rightwards around the lip of the caldera.

The views westwards down to the ocean from the start of the traverse around the caldera.

This is the cone created by the 1929 eruption. It's amazing to me how vegetation has overtaken all the bare rock and ash. The path follows the lip of the caldera on the right hand side.

I was relieved to have completed the circuit high up on the volcano and to be retracing my steps back down to the car park. The clouds cleared and I had a tremendous view back down to Saint-Pierre, just visible in the distance. You can also see the extensive sugar cane fields that source the local Depas Rum factory that we visited earlier this year.

Squalls track their way westwards in the early evening

Closer squalls killed the wind and left this grey abstract evening view