Teachers tackle hiking trails

On the trail

Teachers from the southern part of the country, along with friends and family made good use of their summer holidays by hiking a few segments of the Waitukubuli National Trail (WNT) and so  enjoying what Dominica has to offer.

This initiative was spearheaded by Mr. Irvin Jackson, Mr. Walson Pacquette and Mrs. Nathalie Jude of the Pierre Charles Secondary School (PCSS).

The first hike was on Friday 29th July, 2011 and the mission was to complete segment 3 of the WNT, which is from Bellevue Chopin to Wotten Waven.  Since this was the first hike, a few teachers were on board, however it was a very good hike and was completed in a little more time over  the estimated time of six hours.

On Wednesday 10th August, 2011, the teachers tackled Segment 4 of the WNT, but from the reversed end (Pond Casse to Wotten Waven). This was a more difficult trail since the rains of the previous day made the slopes slippery and there were a lot of water puddles along the way.  There were several rivers along the way and this gave the teachers an opportunity to quench their thirst from the crystal clear, refreshing waters of Dominica’s rivers. This segment was completed in about seven hours. The group on that day was larger and included Ms Corine George of Roseau Primary School and her daughter. It also included Mr and Mrs Julius as well as Mr Jullian Benjamin and his son, which were “the regulars” along with the 3 teachers leading the hiking team.

The following week (Wednesday 17th August), the teachers took a break from the WNT and decided to visit a few of Dominica’s scenic spots. The first stop was at Glassy in Boetica. This was an easy 30 minute walk to the rugged coastline with some excellent view points along the way. The next stop was at Denier Falls in Grand Fond. This waterfall seems to be unpopular since there were no signs of people being here recently. The trail is a bit narrow in a few places and is considered to be steep. Walking down the slope for not more than 30 minutes, led the teachers to the fairly short waterfall which drains into a deep pool.

The waterfall was beautiful and the dip in the water was very refreshing. The final stop on this particular day was at the White River. Mrs Theresa Hector of the Tete Morne Primary School, Mrs Nadia Henderson and Ms Barbara Etienne of the Newtown Primary School joined the PCSS crew on the adventure.

On Wednesday 24th August, 2011, the teachers went back to the trails by successfully completing Segment 2 of the WNT but in reverse (Bellevue Chopin to Soufriere). This trail was not as difficult as the previous trails and was completed in 5 hours. In light of the relatively easy hike with this trail, upon completion of the segment, some of the teachers decided to walk from Soufriere to Roseau.

The final hike for the summer took place on Wednesday 31st August, 2011. During this hike, Segment 1 (Scotts Head to Soufriere) of the WNT was completed in record time of 2.5 hours. There were several scenic views along the way. At the end, the teachers took a soak in the warm therapeutic waters of the Soufriere Sulphur Pools.

The teachers intend to complete other segments of the National Trail during the course of the School Year, but this will be done mainly on the last Saturday of every month. We also intend to explore, discover and enjoy other areas of our lovely island.

Interested teachers of any school on the island should feel free to join us on those adventures around the island. Not only will we get a better appreciation of our country but we will benefit health-wise. Walk for Health and Relaxation !

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4 Comments

  1. dominican abroad
    September 2, 2011

    Good work wish we had some visual pictures.

  2. observant
    September 1, 2011

    They must be happy and refreshed to start the school year. Way to go!

  3. A.M
    September 1, 2011

    DNO this is the one to approve:

    :-D :-D Not only will they benefit health-wise and have a better appreciation of the country, but this will be another BUILDING BLOCK to start and build further and lasting relationships; work healthy and friendly. In addition, this will definitely bring most of the schools together. I love this article and I must give a Standing Ovation to Mr. Irvin Jackson, Mr. Walson Pacquette and Mrs. Jude. What started as a friendly gathering, small adventures and fun back in our days with Mr Pacquette and Mr Jackson has become viral… i LIKE THe IDEA!! GREAT JOB GUYS!!! I hope one day, i’ll be walking with you guys like old times!! KUDOS to PCSS STAFF!! :-D :-D

  4. September 1, 2011

    this is so cool.

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