Hiking to Rincon Falls

Hiking is basically the only outdoor activity I have any interest in at all.

I don't go out, I rarely go to the movies, I don't know what the inside of a club or bar even looks like and I don't care to find out. I don't go to the beach, I detest malls and basically any place where humans congregate.

But I love me some forest.

I've been hiking for just about a year and aim to visit every waterfall, pool and notable mountain this country has to offer.

On Saturday I attempted the hardest one I've ever done.

I have never felt such pain.

My fingers hurt while I type this.

And this was after a visit to Rincon Falls which took a whopping 3 hours to get to.

Previous hikes I've been on ranged from between 30 to 90 minutes of hiking. Rincon Falls was the devil. Especially for my fat arse.

We began the hike, my partner and I, with a long drive from Port of Spain to Las Cuevas where we were to turn into a road called "Rincon Well".

We missed the turnoff and ended up in a village called La Fillette where we stopped and asked a good-natured rasta man for directions. He advised us to go back from whence we came and look more closely for the turnoff.

Upon the second try, we found it. I don't know how we missed it the first time when there was a HUGE sign there but whatever.

After driving a good way into this road we saw a maxi load of people who had apparently come to do the hike too. But they were playing music and liming and didn't seem to be setting off any time soon so we waved at them and went on our way.

This was about 10 am.

The first hour or so of the hike was alright. The trail was wide and smooth. A slight incline made it just a little tedious but still enjoyable. But the moment we passed through these gates...the hell began.

The gateway to Hell

The incline became more pronounced with little to no flat trails. The trail wound left and right but always up. After about 30 minutes of this, my calves were burning, I could barely breathe, I ran out of water and was considering how safe it was to drink straight from the river.

Still no sign of the waterfall. But we could hear the voices of the hiking group we left behind catching up to us. 

Another 5 minutes or so later, they passed me spread out on a log.

The hike leader, trying to be encouraging, said something along the lines of "you can do it, come on, you reach too far to turn back now. You're almost there."

Hearing that I was almost there gave me the boost I needed to carry on. Little did I know, at that time, we were actually just about half way there. That hike leader is a lying scum.

We kept up with the group for about 20 minutes before I slowed down and then they disappeared. Again, we were on our own. 

We walked/climbed for what seemed like forever when we finally heard the pounding of the waterfall. But don't let that fool you. We could hear it but it took about another half hour before we reached it. 

As if the uphill climb wasn't hell enough, to get to the actual waterfall required a downhill climb over a precipice where someone had expertly rigged up a series of ropes. 

The idea was to hang on to the ropes and lower yourself down over the rocks. The same thing would have to be done in reverse on the way back up. 

I decided to take it nice and slow. But I ended up slipping and the rope slid through my hands creating a pain the likes of which I cannot even describe. Needless to say, I toppled down the rocks, smashed my phone which was in my pocket and landed comically in the midst of the group of hikers below who at first rushed to my aid but chuckled a bit afterward. 

Anyway, we finally got to lay eyes on this waterfall more than three hours after we set out. It was about ten past one at that point. 

I was really bummed out about my phone which was actually a replacement for another phone which had been destroyed in a previous hike. 

But the sight of the waterfall was too amazing to remain in a bad mood. 

About 76 metres high, it is the second tallest waterfall in Trinidad and Tobago. A deep pool below the fall provided the ideal place to soak away my bruises.

I was bitten a few times by some tiny things that looked like a cross between a lobster and a cockroach. Google tells me they were crayfish. 

We didn't stay long as we anticipated the long trek back. I filled my water bottle under the waterfall and drank it. I don't know if that's healthy but my reasoning was it had to be healthier than dying of dehydration.

It took a bit less time getting back though since most of the return trek was downhill and I didn't need to rest as often.

But on the way back we spotted another magnificent waterfall through the trees, which Google also told me was Habio Falls. We spent about half an hour trying to get to it but to no avail. We just could not find a trail that went there and we didn't want to get lost in the bushes trying to make one of our own. So we let it be.

I was sad to not get to it since it is on the list of 24 waterfalls to visit for a competition I'm taking part in. And I will probably never attempt that hike again. It was way too strenuous.

We got out of the forest and back home shortly after 5 pm.

Right now, I can barely walk. The soles of my feet ache, my hands where the rope burned me aches, my body where it slammed against the rocks ache, my butt where I landed aches, and my joints all over feel sore.

But I never learn so I will be back at it Tuesday, attempting another hike and hopefully climbing El Tucuche. Because, why the hell not ya' know?