Walking in Tobago

[Nick C]

We will all be off for our first visit to Tobago in around three weeks time and have found this site a gold mine of information. Congratulations to Steve for all his work.

We are staying for two weeks the first at Bloody Bay and the second at Arnos Vale. Thanks to this site there is little left to ask before we go but we are keen to do some walking if the heat does not prove too much! It would appear that trips into the rainforest are best done with a guide but does anyone have any experience of any walks or trails that can be done without the use of a guide.

We are keen to get off the beaten track and see some of the natural beauty of Tobago at close hand without getting lost!

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Nick

As this is your first visit, I strongly recommend that you go with a reputable guide on your first trip. A rain forest is a rain forest is a rain forest. One tree looks much like another. You will be amazed at how much more you learn if you’ve had it all pointed our and explained to you. After that, wandering about on your own will be so much more rewarding.

I believe that there are several trails running from the highest point of the Main Ridge reserve. For heavens sake, stick to the trails and don’t wander off. I’ve no personal experience of them, but having been brought up on the edges of the South American rainforest in Guyana, I well remember the many who were lost for ever – and those that came out literally mad. I don’t wish to put a dampener on it, but even on little Tobago it would be more than possible to get yourself in deep, deep trouble if you got off the trails. Don’t underestimate the heat, particularly in the rainforest.

However, having said all that I do believe that there are a couple of clearly marked trails down towards Bloody Bay (could be wrong!). Hopefully somebody can confirm this.

[Frank Tettemer]

Hello Nick,

Without appearing too bold or reckless, I would like to say that Cheryl and I walked the Gilpin Trail, last month. It was easy to find, on the eastern side of the road, not far from Parlatuvier, heading to Roxborough. We walked quite casually and slowly, taking a jug of cold water, and a picnic lunch in our back pack. We wore wet-weather shoes, i.e., I wore 'goretex'-lined hiking boots, Cheryl wore sturdy running shoes.

It was a delightful trip, plenty to see and do, after adjusting to the low-lighting under the tree canopy. We saw mot mots, blue & grey tanagers, coricos, and two distinctly different types of humming birds. One was so huge (for a hummingbird) that I was convinced it was some sort of extreme, hovering woodpecker! gorgeous.


And vegetation was fun, too, with so many differing sorts of plants-that-live-in-trees, like Bromeliads, and funny looking cacti-types. Some ferns we stood next to, had fronds many feet over our heads. And there were incredible stands of bamboo, some with visitors names carved into the bark, though that seemed more of a distraction than an asset.

We came to a stream, lined with golden coloured minerals, which had once-upon-a-time been fixed with a bridge of sorts. The concrete abutments were still visible. That is where we stopped for lunch, and then retraced our steps, as past that point, the trail turned to rhick mud. To continu past that point would have required rubber boots.

Before someone out there gets upset that we were too bold, and claims that we shouldn't have travelled without a guide, please let me explain a couple of points:

1.) It was clear that walking this trail on a rainy day would be very slippery and dangerous. Don't attempt it in such wet weather. We did not.

2.) Traveling during midmorning at the latest is a good idea. Later in the day could be too hot for comfort, though the average temperature on that trail is easily ten degrees coller there, in the shade and moist air, than the temperature at sea level, say at Bloody Bay.

3.) Traveling with a guide is a good idea for those folks live in urban or suburban regions. We come from the bush regions of northern Ontario, and deep forests are our home. We traveled with a complete first aid kit in pack, Red Cross and CPR training, and lots of bush experience. Drinking water would be a good idea, too.

We had spoken with Junior, from Bloody Bay, many times and on various topics about the trail, and felt well informed. Junior cn be found at Castara, visiting his girl friend, or at his home near Bloody Bay, or at the roofed pavilion, along the road, right at the start of the Gilpin trail. There are usually a couple of certified guides (look for their plasticized badges) posted at the trail, there to help you, and inform you. They also have "wellingtons for hire", which is a funny term to me that I think means you can rent rubber boots, a good idea over tourist sandals.

A younger fellow, named Duck, can also be found near Castara. Chatting with him was interesting, and for a younger tourist, he might be more fun to choose as a guide.

Steve is correct in recomending a good guide. Much can be learned, and for those unfamiliar with orienteering, a guide would keep your visit safe.

Hope this info helps.

Frank Tettemer

[Dave]

Hi Frank,

very interesting reading... Do you have some photos from your trip into rainforest in Tobago? I´m planning trip to Tobago this November and I´m going to visit also forests (like Grand Etang forest reserve in Grenada last year : http://members.lycos.co.uk/dtihon) . Thank you. Dave[/url]

[Frank Tettemer]

Thanks, Dave, for sharing your photos. They were fun. Your camera work is quite crisp and well composed.

Unfortunately, I have no photos of the rain forest in Tobago, only fond memories, and even they tend to fade as time goes by.
I hope you enjoy your visit.

Frank

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Dave

I echo Frank's comments about your photos. You've got a good eye. If you would like to share any of your nice shots with myTobago.info readers after your coming Tobago trip, I would be delighted to hear from you ([email protected])