SY ‘Helen Victoria’. The top of the Petit Piton (on the left) on St Lucia afforded Nick and I dizzying views.

The Pitons are a well known land mark and part of a National Park; they are two incredibly steep mountains that emerge from clear deep water (either side of Jalousie cove) upwards to about 2500 feet. It costs $US50 to climb the Gros Piton, but the park guides won’t take tourists up the steeper and more treacherous Petit Piton. There is a twisted scrambling track to the top of it though, with roped sections for the otherwise impossible faces, and someone has planted a flag at the top. Nick and I found this little path and it took us 2.45 hours to summit and get back down totally burnt out. That was a fun time (which made up for being rammed).