Hiking through the Valley of Desolation to the Boiling Lake

This story by Chris Doyle first appeared in Caribbean Compass

On the trail - steam over the boiling lake can be seen in the background

I began to think of Dominica’s boiling lake hike as the almost impossible trip. At different times I sent a couple of helpers to check it out. My memory is they left at the crack of dawn and arrived back around dark, covered in mud and somewhat shell-shocked. Though both reported it was one hell of an interesting trip, neither seemed in a rush to do it again. This impressed me probably more than it should. I also knew two couples that used to speed-walk – they had visited Dominica together and took the hike to the boiling lake – one couple made it and said it was no big deal; the other couple gave up half-way.

I decided this year was it –I wanted to do it before I became so ancient I couldn’t.

I was also somewhat encouraged talking to a hiking cruiser in Portsmouth. He zoomed off one day to do it for the umpteenth time and said, “It’s no big deal, and it is only an hour and half from the trail head”. This did not quite jibe with what I had seen of other returnees, though this was somewhat explained by a conversation we had a few days later. He was going to walk round the north end of the island – a trail I regard as really pleasant. When he came back I found that he had not merely walked the trail, but first walked to the trailhead at Capuchin – a six-mile hilly road. Then, having got to Pennville on the northeast coast he walked all the way back right over the top of the mountain. That is out of my league.

Sea Cat had not been to the boiling lake for a few weeks and offered to take me. We set off from his base in Castle Comfort early and were on the trail at 0650.

As I watched Sea Cat pull on socks and hiking boots, I felt for the first time a little regret that my only hiking footwear are the sandals I go to town in.

Being early in the morning it was cool and pleasant, the day was fine without threat of rain. We passed Titou Gorge and headed up the trail. The first part was a steady moderate climb through rain forest. We passed Chataigner trees with giant buttress roots, and Sea Cat pointed out a small Gommier (gum) tree Dacryodes excelsa of the kind used to build pirogues. Some of the white gum was oozing out – this gum is used to caulk the dugouts. 

Looking at the map you could see the boiling lake is up in the mountains, so uphill I expected to go. However, we soon reached a ridge and had to descend quite steeply through the forest to the Trois Pitons River. Here we stopped for a grapefruit break, before heading uphill, more steeply this time, on the other side of the valley. The trees got shorter and more stunted as we approached the top. At one point we had to cross a narrow ridge between one mountain and the next. I vividly remember Althea, one of the people who had investigated this trip for me describing this was a terrifying narrow path with a precipice on both sides. I could see exactly what she meant, but did not have to experience it – the forestry division has cut the ridge down making it wide and safe, but you can still see part of the old ridge, which was left as a wall on the south side. From here it was not too far to the highest point of the trail, where an open area has been made, so you can enjoy the spectacular mountain views. This point also houses the equipment that sends news of earthquakes to Trinidad. From here you can normally see the Boiling lake far below, but today we were lucky, misty cloud were keeping us cool and obscuring the view to the east, but we could look way back and see where we had come from. We now started downhill again, at first on an easy trail, with great mountain views, and then it got steep, slippery and became a scramble as we dropped into the Valley of Desolation.

Valley of desolation, where Sea Cat boils some perfect eggs. Notice also  the the hot mud facial. 

Sea Cat whizzed away – off to boil some eggs in a boiling vent, I took my time. I think one of my hesitations about this hike had been that I had imagined we would have to hike for miles though steaming hot red mud, and fumaroles belching copious hydrogen sulfide. In reality the Valley of Desolation is a high point of the trip for interest, but only takes some minutes to walk through. You cross over a hot river, which has plenty of bathing pools lower down. Scenery that looks like Dante’s Inferno is not my favorite, but it went up a notch when Sea Cat produced two perfectly soft-boiled eggs; they tasted delicious. As we ate them we saw the steam rising from the boiling lake now uphill to the northeast, and it is a steady hike to get there. Finally we emerged on a natural platform at the edge of the lake. Sea Cat had brought along a breakfeast of bread, stewed salt fish and fried plantain. We ate as we watched the pool and enjoyed moments when the steam cleared enough see the bubbling water. We thought about the guide who had lowered himself down on a rope to try and get a camera that had fallen over. When climbing back up, the rope became so wet and slippery he slid back down and crashed partly in the lake before he managed to get on a little ledge on the side. He was badly burnt and spent months in hospital. We also thought about the stunt team that planned to tightrope right over the top sometime in the future.

Sea Cat could have gotten here in an hour and half, but I took two and quarter hours, and that was in perfect conditions with no rain. (We were back at Titou Gorge by midday.) The trail has been much improved since earlier days making it significantly easier and less muddy. It is a wonderful hike, varied and full of interest, one the Caribbean’s best; I look forward to going again, Nowadays it really is no big deal, but it is just long enough it is worth making an effort to keep a steady pace. Best save the dawdling for the return. I took time on the way back to bathe in one of the natural hot pools in the river. The water was piping hot and cured my aching calf muscles instantly. I did not feel them again till near the top. However, I dared not stay in more than a few minutes lest I became too enervated and dehydrated to move. On the other hand Titou Gorge’s cold water at the end is perfect. Titou Gorge is a slot canyon with water in the bottom. You swim back a couple of hundred yards as it winds itself into various shapely chambers – way above the sunlight filters through the trees and down the narrow, sheer walls. At the head is a crashing waterfall; a shower underneath sets you up for the rest of the day.

From time to time the steam clears enough to see the boiling water