TAKE A PATH LESS TRODDEN HIKING IN ANTIGUA Five of the best and most experienced formal hiking groups are the 5 AM Hikers, Antigua Hash House Harriers, Dadli Hikers, Insane Boot Camp, and pay to go Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours. There are also several informal groups and many of the frequently used trails are well signposted and maintained, making them easy to navigate without the aid of a guide. The Royal Navy Tot Club of Antigua & Barbuda maintains several trails in English Harbour. The 5 AM Hikers group was started in 2009 by a group of 10 friends. They hike every Saturday from 5am to 8am, covering roughly 3 to 4 miles of open country. They have hiked to Rendezvous Beach, Claremont, Pinching Bay, Seaforth, Hermitage, Soldier Point, Guiana Island, Boggy Peak (Mt. Obama), Sugar Loaf, Cades Bay and Christian Valley among other locations. They have had as many as 120 happy hikers on more popular trips, and average 70 people each week on their outings. Hike destinations are chosen by committee, and the only criterion is that the ultimate destination at sunrise should bring a heartfelt “WOW” from the crowd. The Antigua Hash House Harriers belongs to an international movement started in Malaysia by British expatriates. The Antigua group was organized in 1991. They hike every other Saturday afternoon, rain or shine, starting at 5pm. By tradition, the trail is marked ahead of time by “hares”, using biodegradable material, and the “hounds” or hikers can choose to walk, run, or jog, with a leading “hare” to encourage each group. The starting signal is two blasts on a hunting horn, and the trekkers set off on their roughly 2 hour ramble. The Hash are a social group, and at the end of each hike there is a friendly get together with coolers of beer and wine and a bring-your-own BBQ. 62
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The Dadli Hikers are a group with health benefits on their minds. They were organized in 2009 and there are now 60 to 70 members who pay annual dues of $30. They hike every Sunday morning, and the trail is chosen by the members, usually at the end of each hike for the following Sunday. There are some serious runners in this group, who run to the starting point of the hike from Central Marketing Board downtown, starting sometimes as early as 3.30 am. Their goal is healthful exercise and appreciation of the natural countryside. They sometimes plan unusually long hikes, and in December, 2013 they held the first Dadli Hikers Coast to Coast from Hawksbill to Half Moon Bay. Insane Boot Camp (IBC) is a group with genuine altruistic goals. They were established in 2012 and their creed is “we fear no challenge”. They are prepared to walk for charity and for their community. In 2012 they were challenged by the Antigua Barbuda Amateur Cycling Association to join them in a ride for charity from Sandals Grande to Long Bay, a distance of 20 miles. IBC turned the challenge into a hike for their members and completing the distance in record time. They are dedicated to physical fitness and to maximizing the potential of the human body, harnessing the willing from a young age with a Kiddies Boot Camp. They work in partnership with fitness groups, non-profit organizations and business groups in support of their fitness initiatives. Footsteps Rainforest Hiking Tours is a well organized commercial tour operation designed and run by Dassa, an Antiguan who lives in the rainforest in the south of the island along Fig Tree Drive. Dassa grew up in the rainforest and the flora, fauna and history of this region of the island are part of his life. He offers hikes through the rainforest. One traverses to the top of Signal Hill, where there is a 360 degree