Doyle's Delight - summit from Belize

Expedition to highest peak from Belize - Doyle's Delight

Expeditions-Members:
Christian Rodriguez, Age 32, Guatemalan
Douglas Leonardo, Age 36, Guatemalan
Alfredo Sho, Age 52, Belizean
Emelino Cho, Age 55, Belizean
Eric Sho, Age 22, Belizean
Bruno Kuppinger, Age 46, German resident in Belize

Objectives

• Discover and explore the Trail system towards Doyle’s Delight
• Re-establish and clean Camps along the way
• Doyle’s Delight Camp for future expeditions.
• Maintain and develop further links to support future expeditions
• Genuine exploration opportunity
• Providing information for Forestry Department, Belize Defense Force, Institute of Archaeology in Belmopan on Caves.
• Living with Mayan Indians – cultural exchange and providing income to local people
• Introducing local people to Hiking and authentic experience
• Raising the profile of Hiking as a Top Adventure

Review

This fantastic expedition took us 8 days deep in the Maya Mountains of Toledo and Cayo. There was no facilities, no nothing, except what we carried on our back. This was another world — a green, dripping, dark tapestry where rivers disappear underground, howler monkeys roar from the treetops, thousand-year-old Mayan temples await discovery — and ticks, chiggers and flesh-boring flies buzz and bite.

For some of us were those the hardest 7 days of their life. The southern Maya Mountains are largely unexplored, and for good reason, the limestone topography is extremely rugged; overland travel requires carrying heavy packs over rough terrain with no established trails; daytime temperatures often reach 100 degrees, with humidity to match. The Southern Maya Mountains, found in Belize, are known to have the greatest diversity of flora and fauna found in the world. Biologists refer to this region as the
“green paradise” of the rainforest in Belize.

Eight days on the move took us over the Maya Mountains Divide nearly 1,000 meters above sea level and the highest point of our journey. The going was torturous as the days progresses. Up and down, up and down...and so on, endlessly. Our rations — dehydrated beans, rice, pasta, oatmeal, cheese, bread and assorted high energy bars were nutritious enough, even tasty and
kept us well on the trail. Our lives will focus on the very basics: shelter, fire, water and food.

We reached the top (summit) of Doyle’s Delight on June 24th, 2008 (02:30 p.m.) 1,124 meters above sea level. The marker was overgrown with grass and shrub and was covered with a thin layer of soil. It was an amazing coincidence that we managed on June 24th, 2008 to unearth this small piece of history!

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Video report, expedition to Doyle's Delight (Spanish version only)

Contact

Christian Rodriguez - christiangrinder@aim.com
My own site

Images

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