Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE VICTORIA PEAK TRAIL
Viewed from the sea, the jagged granite peaks of the Cockscomb range take on the
appearance of a colossal, recumbent head, whose sloping forehead, eyebrows, nose, mouth
and chin have earned the range the nickname of “The Sleeping Maya”.
Victoria Peak
, the
highest point in the Cockscomb, stands 3675ft tall, which makes it the second-highest
mountain in Belize after Doyle's Delight (3687ft; see p.216).
The first recorded climb to the summit was in 1888, but it's reasonably certain that the
ancient Maya were first to make it to the top. While it's no giant by world standards, the
multi-day
Victoria Peak Trail
should not be undertaken lightly; it involves scaling some of
the rock faces below the peak using climbing equipment, and being able to carry supplies for
three to five days. Maya Guide Adventures (
T
600 3116,
W
mayaguide.bz) offer guided trips
during the dry season only, at a cost of US$850 per person, with a minimum group size of five.
You'll begin each day's walk at first light to minimize the danger of
heat exhaustion
later in
the day. Creeks cross the trail regularly and the water is generally safe to drink, though you may
prefer to purify it. Simple
shelters
along the way mean it's not necessary to bring a tent, but
they do offer protection from biting insects. There's no charge for using the trail - you just pay
the Jaguar Reserve entrance fee and backcountry campsite charges.
ALONG THE TRAIL
The Victoria Peak Trail starts by following a level, abandoned logging road from the Jaguar
Reserve headquarters, through secondary forest. It's marked in kilometres, and the first rest
point comes after 12km, where the
Sittee Branch River
beckons with the chance of a
cooling swim. On the far bank, a thatched shelter with kitchen and pit toilets provides the
first
campsite
. Beyond, the trail climbs and descends steeply in a series of energy-sapping
undulations until you reach km 17, where you walk along a steep ridge before descending to
the
second campsite
, at km 19. A
helipad
hacked out of the forest at km 18 offers the first
real views of the peak.
If you've set off early and are fit you can reach the second campsite in one day, but be
warned that the 7km from the first campsite are extremely rigorous. Here, you can hang
hammocks in an open-sided wooden shelter; your shower is a small waterfall cascading over
smooth rocks.
The final stretch to the peak is four relentless uphill hours, with much of the trail along a
steep, rocky creek bed - too dangerous to attempt in heavy rain. As the ascent becomes ever
more vertical and you rise above the forest canopy, the views increase in splendour. Closer to
the ground, wildflowers cling to rock crevices. Just below the peak, you haul yourself up
through a narrow gully on a rope; above here the track along the final ridge passes though
elfin
cloud forest
, with gnarled tree limbs draped in filmy moss and tiny ferns, before
reaching the
summit
. Low, waxy-leaved bushes offer only scraps of shade, and the Belize flag
flutters in the breeze. An exercise book recording the names of successful climbers is tethered
to the rock that marks the peak. Spread beneath you are a series of deep green, thickly
forested ridges and valleys - on a very clear day you can see to the Caribbean - and not a sign
of humanity's impact.
The trek down is almost as arduous, taking about an hour less to reach the campsite. With an
early start, you can walk all the way out to the sanctuary headquarters the following day.
6
actual number of jaguars in the reserve vary between around sixty and eighty, but very
few visitors ever see one; one ranger reported he hadn't seen a single jaguar in the three
years he'd worked there. Even so, for wildlife enthusiasts the sanctuary is an absolute
must-see destination, with the finest
hiking trails
of any protected area in Belize.
The rough but passable jeep road that leaves the highway at Maya Center takes five
miles to reach the park boundary, fording streams and crossing the Cabbage Haul Gap,
and then another 1.6 miles before it comes to an end at the sanctuary headquarters. Set
in a grassy area, surrounded by beautiful foliage, that was formerly occupied by Quam
Bank village, the small compound here holds an informative
visitor centre
, with maps
of the park trails, plus accommodation for rangers and visitors.
