#trail pace

Trail Pace Journal – 17th December, 2015

I did the hike to Highland Waterfall with Nick and Rose in the afternoon the day we arrived in Tobago. Coming from Mt. Irvine Bay (where we snorkeled) on the Arnos Vale Road, we passed through Les Coteaux then turned onto the Mason Hall – Les Coteaux Road. From some research I knew that the trail started along a river and from Google Earth, there was only one valley between Les Coteaux and Mason Hall. Thus, when a bridge came into view, we knew we found the trailhead. 

We then turned onto a paved road on the eastern side of the bridge. This road turned into a dirt track and became quite narrow with bamboo patches lining the route. As we were in Nick's pickup, we continued on this path and eventually stopped at a ford. The river was shallow and narrow but the route ended only a little further after the river crossing so we decided to proceed on foot from there.

As we began walking along the river bank, we noticed cow droppings on the route. I was bare feet as I didn't anticipate us doing this hike after going snorkeling so I had to be extra careful where walking. Around the first bend in the river, there were two large mango trees along the trail which were covered in bromeliads and hanging mosses; it was a lovely sight. Further along, the trail became lined with various fruit trees and we gained some elevation from the river bed. Suddenly, something came out from the bushes into the middle of the trail a little distance in front of us. Rose and I went closer to it and to our surprise, I realized it was an agouti that stopped to feed. We quickly got out or cameras and got a couple photos before it noticed us and scurried away.

The trail then descended to the river and generally disappeared. From this point onwards, we just followed the river upstream, keeping to the banks where possible. We crossed the river several times but didn't have to get more than our feet wet. As we made our way, we began seeing cows on either side of the river. They were tethered but we kept our distance from them. Even though they seemed peaceful, I didn't want tomorrow's headline to read "hiker trampled by cows." Most of them just kept on munching on the grass as we passed by or looked at us curiously. However, there was one instance where there were two cows on either side of the banks and a calf at the river's edge. We paused for a while and surveyed the area but realized there was no easy way around them. I then decided to pass by the calf and hope the other cows didn’t think I was a threat to it. I approached cautiously but the calf moved away clearing the path for us forward. Higher up, there were some bushes with thorns which we had to walk through and as I was barefoot, it hurt quite a lot.

Eventually, the banks opened up and we were greeted by a large pool. The roaring sounds of the waterfall could be heard but the view of it was blocked by a gorge. I climbed up on the rocks on the right side of the gorge fairly easily and from there, I got my first glimpse of Highland Waterfall. It was an absolutely incredible sight with the water spilling over one side of the rock face then crashing into another and cascading down into the plunge pool. Rose followed me up but Nick went through the gorges and went under the waterfall. For some reason, I didn't realize how tall the waterfall was until I saw Nick being dwarfed standing next to it. Rose and I went down to meet Nick after taking a couple pictures.

I had to wade through the gorge as it was actually quite deep but as I got to the plunge pool, the water was only about waist high. Looking up at the waterfall was breathtaking and the waters were so inviting. The warm afternoon sun was doing a good job of keeping the usual coldness of mountain rivers away. The pool wasn't very large but there was enough room to splash and frolic around. We spent a good time there swimming around and relaxing in the gorge before deciding to head back out.

Type: Waterfall

Highland Waterfall is located in the upper reaches of the Courland River near Moriah in Tobago. It’s the tallest single drop waterfall in Tobago but not the largest overall (the three tiered Argyle Falls takes that honour). It’s quite magnificent with a lovely gorge and pool at its base. Also, you can climb up easily on the right hand side of the gorge to get a lovely view of the waterfall.

Difficulty: 2 - Easy

Time:  30 minutes

Distance: 1.2 km

 It’s a gentle walk upstream without any major obstacles.

Useability: Simple

The route generally follows the river upstream from the bridge. Check out the Trail Map for details of the route. You’ll have to cross the river a couple times but it's not deep. There are old bench trails that join the main one upstream so on your way back from the waterfall, make sure you always stay on the one closer to the river. I’ve read that some of those bench trails could actually be used as mountain bike trails as well.

Accessibility: Straightforward

It’s pretty simple to get to the trailhead if you have your own vehicle as there are lots of street signs. To get to the trailhead refer to the following post for more details: Getting To: Highland Waterfall. With regards to public transport, I’m not familiar with using it in Tobago. I highly suggest you rent a car though as it’s just so much easier to get around.  

Safety: Safe