Did you survive to tell about the Glassy Trail hike?

[Karysa]

Wow this hike sounded great until I read about the part of being sucked into the ocean or falling to an almost certain death by being smashed by the wave into the rocks. :eek: And on one site it even said that this hike was safe for children. I am confused. Can you tell me about your experience hiking this trail?

[Kempa]

We did the Glassy Trail hike a month ago. The trail starts in a small village and meanders through the jungle. In a lot of places, the edge of the trail is a steep or almost vertical incline, sometimes down to the sea. The trail is wide enough and I didn't feel in danger at any time. If you are traveling with small children, you should hold their hand. Older children understand the danger.

 

When you get to the end of the trail, you are at a volcanic rock area that goes down to the sea. There are three salt water pools in the rock. At least at the time we were there we didn't feel that we could be smashed by waves. The waves were crashing well below us. All we would get was the odd wave that would spray water where we were. One wave went over the rocks and got my shoes completely wet, but by the time it got to the top, it was just a small wave. We bathed in the two lower pools. It was fantastic.

 

There was no one on the trail except for us and our guides. We loved it, especially if compared with the more crowded attractions in Dominica.

 

Unless you have a child that tends to dart off quickly and unexpectedly, I recommend this hike. It is a true wonder.

[Karysa]

From the pictures it looks like it would be perfect for us. I was convinced until I read the part about the end of the trail. My DH is a photographer and loves taking pictures of scenic hikes. Our DD's will be mid to late teens so this may be the hike for us. Can you tell me who you booked with and how long the trip took. We would also like to take a taxi over to Champagne beach and snorkel for an hour or so. Do you think we would have time for both? Thanks so much for your insight about this hike.

[Kempa]

We booked with Beno, but he wasn't our guide. He had another guide take us while he had other clients.

 

We had originally planned on doing Glassy Trail, Jaco Falls, and then Champagne. In the end, we decided to drop Champagne. We were tired and were worried that if we had insisted on doing Champagne, we would be too late to the ship.

 

If you are doing just Glassy Trail and Champagne, you should have enough time.

 

I don't remember how long it took for the whole tour. Driving around Dominica takes a long time. From the ship to Glassy Trail was about an hour and a half, but the landscape is beautiful.

[Karysa]

We booked with Beno, but he wasn't our guide. He had another guide take us while he had other clients.

 

We had originally planned on doing Glassy Trail, Jaco Falls, and then Champagne. In the end, we decided to drop Champagne. We were tired and were worried that if we had insisted on doing Champagne, we would be too late to the ship.

 

If you are doing just Glassy Trail and Champagne, you should have enough time.

 

I don't remember how long it took for the whole tour. Driving around Dominica takes a long time. From the ship to Glassy Trail was about an hour and a half, but the landscape is beautiful.

 

Do you think that you could do this hike on your own? I was thinking about hiring a cab at the pier for the day. I was hoping to give someone who may not be as popular and known a chance. Can you get lost on this hike or is it pretty straight forward? I would have the driver wait for us at the exit. Is the exit the same place as the entrance or is it a different place?

Thanks for all of your help on this.

[Kempa]

I am not sure that a taxi would find the entrance to the trail. We had Beno's guide drive us all the way there, and a local guide from the village where the trail starts joined us on the trail. Beno's guide said that he had not been to that trail before.

 

The trail itself is pretty straightforward. There were no trail splits that we could see. You could possibly do it on your own, or have the driver walk it with you. I recommend having a cell phone that will work in Dominica with you just in case.

[Karysa]

Our stop in Dominica is a couple of cruises and a couple of years away so maybe the Glassy Trail will be more popular by then and there will be signs to the entrance and guides available. Hopefully it won't become as popular as Trafalgar Falls and the Emerald Pool but it would be nice if this trail provided some employment opportunities to people in this area of the island.

[becwe]

Hi. Has anyone done this recently? I'm wondering how wide the trail really is...a foot and a half ... 3 feet ...6 feet? How long does it take at a leasure to moderate pace. So it's down to the ocean, that must mean it's up to the van? Where on the island is this trail?

thanks

[schmoopie17]

'Did you survive to tell about the Glassy Trail hike?'

 

What would be really interesting would be to hear from someone who didn't survive it. Now that would be something...;)

[Kempa]

Hi. Has anyone done this recently? I'm wondering how wide the trail really is...a foot and a half ... 3 feet ...6 feet? How long does it take at a leasure to moderate pace. So it's down to the ocean, that must mean it's up to the van? Where on the island is this trail?

thanks

 

The trail starts somewhere near 15°18'21.82"N 61°15'10.32"W and ends at 15°18'14.23"N 61°14'43.13"W.