MORNE DIABLOTIN 
Our Highest Peak 
by Lennox Honychurch 
Wm 
D ominica is the most mountainous 
island in the Caribbean. It is said that 
when Columbus was asked to describe the 
island to the king and queen of Spain after 
returning from his second voyage, he 
crumpled a piece of parchment and lay the 
jagged ball of paper before the monarchs of 
Aragon and Castile. “This” he said, “is 
Dominica”. Or so the story goes. Even if 
there is not a shred of truth in this oft 
repeated legend, it sums up the physical 
nature of Dominica exactly. 
What we do know for sure is that the first 
sight of Dominica’s mountains impressed 
those adventurers who arrived off our east¬ 
ern shore on November 3, 1493. In his 
journal, Diego Alvarez Chanca, surgeon for 
Columbus’ fleet noted on his second voy¬ 
age, that of all the islands they saw that day- 
“The first was a high and mountainous 
land... As much of the island as was in sight 
was very beautiful with very green moun¬ 
tains, right down to the water, which was a 
delight to see since in our own country in 
that season there is scarcely any green.” 
From all accounts it was a beautifully 
clear day and surely they must have seen, 
rising majestic above the north east coast, 
the highest of all our mountains now known 
to us as Morne Diablotin. At a height of 
4,747 feet it is the second highest peak in 
the Lesser Antilles. It is also one of the most 
ancient volcanic massifs on the island. The 
successive lava flows and ash falls which 
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emanated from Morne Diablotin thousands 
of years ago created the northern central 
section of the island. The erupting ejecta 
swept down like steaming tentacles towards 
the sea, forming the beautiful jagged head¬ 
lands, ridges and narrow bays of the north¬ 
east coast. 
Some of our most delightful rivers spring 
from the wet mist-laden flanks of Morne 
Diablotin. These start from as far south as 
the headwaters of the Layou River and 
include the west coast streams of 
Macoucherie, Batali, Colihaut, Dublanc, 
Pointe Ronde and Picard. Along the north 
coast, the rivers of Blenheim, Hampstead, 
Hodges, Londonderry and Melville Hall 
course down the narrow valleys which have 
been cut into the northern face of the 
mountain. Its bounty serves the scattered 
villages along the coast giving them the 
sustenance and shelter of water, forests, 
fertile soil and protected bays. 
A corruption of two European languages 
has given us the creole name we call our 
mountains: Morro from Spanish, Mont 
from French, which in Creole emerges as 
Morne . Diablotin was named by the French 
for the Diablotin birds, a black capped 
petrel, which once inhabited its slopes. But 
these were hunted almost to extinction and 
are rarely heard and even more seldom 
seen. 
In spite of its broad gently sloping base, 
the last 2,000 feet of Morne Diablotin rises 
sharply on all sides so that only one estab¬ 
lished route to the summit exists. This path 
begins on the north west flank of the 
mountain at the old citrus and banana 
estate called Syndicate. The Syndicate road 
starts near the village of Dublanc and in 
driving and hiking from coast to mountain 
top one traverses all of the five main veg¬ 
etation types on Dominica. 
Along the coast you are in the dry scrub 
woodland. Gradually, you rise into culti¬ 
vated farmland and the seasonal or de¬ 
ciduous forest. At Syndicate and for the 
next eight hundred feet you are in the pure 
tropical rain forest. As you start to use 
your hands to climb you are entering the 
montane thicket and the zone of the cloud 
forest. When you have to begin crawling 
over and beneath the twisted branches of 
stunted kaklin trees, you have entered the 
elfin woodland and are in the final stages 
of your climb. On the exposed rocks of the 
Visit Fascinating and Exotic Places, 
walk through Tropical Rain Forests 
with experienced guides. 
Day Tours for Sightseeing, 
Hiking, Photo Safaris and 
Bird Watching 
3 & 5 Day Tours also arranged. 
plus 
24 hour Taxi Service, 
Car rentals & airport transfers 
to any location in Dominica. 
Tel: (809) 44 84850 Office 
(809) 44 83517 - After hours 
Fax: (809) 448 8486 
P.O. Box 447, Roseau, Dominica. W.I. 
See Dominica with US 
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