I remember passing Agüita Fría and thinking – this cannot be the Caribbean! -. The clouds stretched beneath the mountains and after fifteen years, I was on my way to the summit of Pico Duarte once again. In those fifteen years I’ve camped in mainland Antartica, climbed Kilimanjaro, explored Africa, the Arctic and the Amazon rainforest and yet the sights that emerged in front of me were just as impressive.
Luis and his team performed a flawless job in setting up the logistics, but also in preparing such a diverse group to the task, both physically and mentally. The smile in my ten-year old daughter was wide and brilliant and she well understood the value of such a pristine environment.
The mountains of the Cordillera Central are truly unique and will surprise the locals, the tourist, the novices and the most experience hikers as well. Snacks were set up along the way and the ice-cold fruit cups were a treat. The food was all around tasty and hearty but the tacos right after the summit were such an unexpected surprise. Although I am used to roughing it in the great outdoors, my wife is not, so she was extremely appreciative of the portable showers and hot water after a long day of hiking.
Due to the amazing job Luis and Pico Duarte Tours I have planing a series of trips to document the the natural resources and geology of such a special place and I wouldn’t trust anybody else to make it happen.
