Pico Duarte - The Tallest Mountain in the Caribbean

by Harley McAllister
When you think "Caribbean Island," do you imagine 10,100 ft. mountain peaks?  Neither did we, but the island of Quisqueya that includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic has the tallest mountain in the region - even if you include the East coast of the U.S!  We had long wanted to scale this mountain as a family, and in 2013 we did just that.

The climb is about 15 miles each way, with an elevation gain of 6,000 feet.  Typically this is done over three days, and that is how we chose to tackle it.  However, because the authorized camp spots are clustered at the beginning and end of the route, there is no even way to spread out the mileage.  So days 1 and 3 are big days.
image, pico duarte, family, kids, hiking, Dominican Republic
Ready to start the climb!
The mountain lies in a National Park so you are required to hire guides to make the ascent.  Luckily that is still inexpensive by U.S. standards, and it has the added benefit that the guides bring mules to carry your gear.  So all we had to carry when hiking was day packs with snacks, lunch, and water.  And we were grateful for that, because the first day is 12 miles and 4,400 ft. in elevation gain!
As you go up in elevation, you go through a series of different climate zones as it gets cooler.  You leave the mangoes and thick vegetation and climb into the pine trees and grassy hillsides. On a breezy and cloudy day, you can find yourself surprisingly cold.

There are also several creeks along the way to re-fill water bottles using a filter or purification tablets. The kids enjoyed seeing the water filter at work, and helped out where they could.  Because it was a long day, and cold at times, having plenty of snacks on hand was key to keeping the kids going.  Nothing can turn around a souring attitude in your kids (or wife) faster than some yummy snacks. At the end of day one, you are grateful to see 'camp', which is actually a cluster of buildings including a sleeping lodge that means you do not need a tent.
The second morning we were greeted with a beautiful sunrise and cold temperatures.  So we put on our gear and got ready to climb the remaining 3 miles and 1900 feet to the summit.  The vistas continued to become more and more impressive, and we were also impressed with the boys for working so hard.  It took a little encouragement as the miles stacked up and the oxygen thinned, but they were troopers.
Finally we reached the top, and were lucky to enjoy some great weather and the big views that come with it.  We all felt a real sense of accomplishment, and we were so proud of our boys.
After spending an hour or so enjoying the views, we headed the 3 miles back to Comparticion for some much needed rest for the second half of the day.  We enjoyed another night around the campfire with others who were making the journey, and prepared for our third and final day.  The last day was the same as the first, only downhill.  That is easier on the lungs and tough on the knees, but everyone did fine.

In the end, it was one of our favorite Dominican adventures! 

P.S. If you are interested in this adventure yourselves, contact us and we can send you more specific information.