Bras de l'Aileron
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| | Raps:22, max ↨98ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Basalt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Dec-Jul
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14.8086, -61.1584
14.8061, -61.1515
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Introduction
Bras de l'Aileron is a great canyon on the slopes of Mount Peleé. While generally not considered the best of the best on the island, it is one of the more accessible ones, with a straightforward approach and exit. The crazy views, alien vegetation, and climaxing pools at the end make this one a good one. The downside is near-continuous slippery rocks on the entire descent.
Approach
From the parking area, follow the popular trail up the mountain, winding past the radio tower. The trail is high-use and easy to follow, and is a near-constant barrage of steps.
You'll likely be in a mix of hot sun and thick mist. After a minimum half-hour of burning quadraceps, you'll arrive at a nondescript point which marks the turnoff from the main trail. It's best to have a GPS to know where this point is. Use the .gpx file on this page, which a GPS app such as Gaia. It's probably best to suit up here, as there's not many better places, and you'll probably want your harness on for a few slippery rope traverses up ahead.
Follow the faint trail through heavy underbrush as it trends down into the ravine. There are a few rope traverses and handlines to navigate before you land in the bottom of the ravine, and arrive at the first rappel.
Descent
You'll be ducking under thick cloud forest foliage at the beginning as you go down the first few rappels. These rappels are mostly dry, maybe with small puddles or a trickle of water.
Anchors are excellent throughout the canyon, with bolt and chains made of stainless steel. If, someday, anchors disappear, it seems in all parts of the canyon there is enough material to tie an anchor with webbing.
Nearly midway through the route is the largest rappel, around 30m into a waist-deep pool.
After this point is some bushwhacking, and then the intersection with some sort of pump station. You've finished the first half. The second half, which is much, much better, now begins.
In this second half, flowing water starts and picks up, and the canyon slots up with no easy escape.
You'll be glad to have a wetsuit here.
The waterfalls continue to grow and the canyon narrows into a stunning climax. All too soon, the canyon opens, and the flow stops. You'll have to traverse slippery boulders down to the exit now.
Exit
The descent ends when the you intersect with a ravine on down-canyon-right. This ravine is very obvious on satellite imagery, but not when you are standing there. Use your GPS. As of December 2022, there is red flagging marking it. This is your exit. Keep your wetsuit and harness on.
There is a defined trail up the ravine, generally with flagging. Follow this. You will end up handlining up a few obstacles, and probably clipping in a cowstail for a short traverse.
In around 30 minutes, you'll reach an obvious wooden ladder on the left. Ascend this ladder. As the top, the trail improves, and runs past some old pumping pipes. Follow this trail up, around fifteen minutes to the car.
Red tape
No red tape.
Beta sites
-
Descente-Canyon.com : Bras de l'Aileron - An Kanion La-madinina : Bras de L'aileron
- Mur d'Eau Caraibe : Bras de l'Aileron
- An Kanion La-madinina : Bras de l'Aileron [MP-13]
- LukasEddy.com : Canyons of Martinique
