Ascent of Jost Van Dyke High Point on 2009-02-04| Date: | Wednesday, February 4, 2009 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Motorized Transport to Trailhead: | Boat | | Peak: | Jost Van Dyke High Point | | Location: | British Virgin Islands | | Elevation: | 320 m / 1053 ft |
Ascent Trip ReportThis was another hike I planned while sailing in the British Virgin Islands with my family. Jost Van Dyke is a very nice island, marking the north-western corner of the group. Despite its smaller size at only about four kilometers long, it is very steep and rough.
I had read in the BVI cruising guide that there was a way to hike up from the bay we were moored at, so I asked one of the ladies at the restaurant on the docks. She helped me out with very precise landmarks: "you see that pump over there, go past it following the road. Then you'll reach a palm tree, and the trail's just on your left". It was spot on and I started climbing along what seemed to be a long disused jeep trail. It went up in hairpin turns until it reached the island's main ridge.
At this spot stands Jost Van Dyke's water supply. It is a huge cistern to which a concrete paved road leads from the center of the island. I followed it further uphill until I reached a slight col. From there I could see the island summit on which a marine signal light and antennas stand. I kept following the road which turned to dirt descending a bit in the valley that leads to Great Harbor. Then a series of hairpin turns lead up to the side road leading up to the antennas. It is marked as private, but a short 2 minutes hike leads you to the summit rock and the altitude benchmark.
From the summit, the mountain drops at over 45 degrees straight into the Atlantic ocean to the north. It is an amazing view. You can also see Tortola, St. John and St. Thomas in an uninterrupted panoramic view.
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| Summary Total Data | | Elevation Gain: | 320 m / 1053 ft | | Distance: | 7.5 km / 4.7 mi | | Route: | Dirt road hike | | Trailhead: | Garner Bay 0 m / 0 ft | | Grade/Class: | 1 | | Quality: | 7 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Road Hike, Open Country | | Weather: | Hot, Breezy, Clear | | Ascent Statistics | | Time Up: | 1 Hours 5 Minutes | | Descent Statistics | | Time Down: | 1 Hours 0 Minutes |
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