Suety Travel Diaries: The Hike To Holywell
I was invited to Hike with Ashtan and his friends to Holywell in Jamaica. It was my first time hiking and I had no idea what to expect but I was definitely up for the challenge.
We started the hike 8 am that morning at Gordon Town Square. The weather was warm and within 10 minutes of walking, I was sweating all over. There wasn't much to see at first, walking through the town but the further we got the more interesting the hike became. We passed a series of waterfalls that looked so inviting but we decided to stick to the goal which was to get to Holywell, in ONE PIECE.
One thing I liked about Ashtan and his team is that they constantly shouted words of encouragement to us. (It was well needed :)) They also stopped a few times to allow us to catch our breaths. If you ever decide to go on this hike, pace yourself. That's the key to surviving the hike. If you feel like you can't go any further, stop and take a break. Don't burn yourself out trying to keep up with the pros.
We stopped at Redlight District to stack up on food and beverages. Redlight was the last town we would passed before heading to Holywell so if you get here and you're out of food, stock up. By this time we were 3 hours in and I just wanted to get to the destination. I was hot and sweaty and my feet hurt. Once you get to the sign that says Blue and John Crow Mountain National Park then you literally 30 - 40 minutes away from the Holywell Park. This is also the beginning of the death trap as I love to call it. Here the team will take you the mountain, the steepest part of the hike. Your knees will hurt and your breathing will get shallow. You will feel weak and you will start to panic but pace yourself. The scenery is so beautiful through this trail. I couldn't help but take pictures.
We finally got to Holywell about 12:45 pm. It took us a LONG 4 hours and 45 minutes to get to our destination but you know what? The feeling of accomplishment overpowered all the aches and pain we felt. There were so many times I wanted to stop, my body ached all over but the feeling that you get at the end is amazing. Check out the picks below.
What You Should Know Before You Go On A Hike
Eat before you start the hike.
Take atleast 4 bottles of water with you.
Take a sweater with you because it will get cold and you get closer to the top.
Take your music with you. The hike can be really long and the music helps to distract you.
Charge your phones so you can take awesome pics.
Take your phone charger with you.
The best thing to wear on the hike is anything that covers your body but is light. You will be going through the bushes, literally and the branches can scratch your skin.
Wear a cap if you can.
Shades
Take an umbrella it might rain and it equals as a crutch when your legs are feelings weak.
Take snacks with you.
A bag with comfortable straps.
Comfortable sneakers.
Toiletries.
Swimwear.
Towel.
