Hiking gets back on track in Barbados

After three months of inactivity, hundreds will be hitting the trails
again as the Barbados Hiking Association resumed their schedule
yesterday.

With their last meeting seeing them making a loop from Graeme Hall
Agricultural Station on March 15, many hungry hikers had their
appetites sated when things picked back up at the Bulkeley Sugar
Factory.

Speaking to The Barbados Advocate after yesterday’s hike, President
Sandra Archer explained that with restrictions being relaxed as much
as they have, the Association and its followers were happy to be able
to get back to the outdoors.

“It has been great! The hikers were just chomping at the bit. They
were just ready to come out again. As hikers we are accustomed to
being out on the trails rather than cooped up in quarantine for so
long and it was a bit much. So we’re excited and happy to be back
out,” she said.

With close to 100 persons split into four groups traversing the fields
and hills of St. George, Archer said that the response for the first
hike was a good one but not overwhelming, as hikers were still able to
observe physical distancing.

“Each group had a good crowd and we had good weather – nice and
overcast. A bit humid, but good.”

The Association curates and leads hikes every Sunday and with the
COVID-19 pandemic stealing 16 outings, Archer said that one event in
particular would have been the most missed.

“We did miss the Hill Challenge – our major event for the year. That
was very hard for us because we had started training. We had groups
coming in from Trinidad – we had about 25 persons coming in from
Trinidad and they were all booked and ready to come, so that was a
major loss,” she said.

With a stacked calendar for the remainder of the year, Archer
explained that there were not many other big events as the Colin
Hudson Memorial Great Train Hike was not affected as it came in
earlier part of the year.

“We’ve got to feel out this year to see how things go. Since this
whole thing [COVID] it is new and totally different. We don’t have any
major events though. We have our Independence hike for sure – the long
hike that we usually have on Independence Day. We had to cancel the
Hill Challenge for this year so we’re going to do it next year. For
this year, we are just going to take it easy,” she added.
(MP)