Up Fast, Down Slow - the Rarotonga Cross Island Walk

Margaret and her cousin Steven before the start

IF there's a challenge to be had, my wife Margaret cannot resist.

We’re in Rarotonga, capital of the Cook Islands commonly known as “The Cooks”. They lie near the equator in the middle of the Pacific Ocean – and it’s hot there, even in winter.

Having knocked off the 800-metre swimming race from Trader Jack’s beachside bar out to a shipwreck and back, taking care to avoid the treacherous coral reef lurking beside the course, she was keen to tackle Rarotonga’s only climb, the Rarotonga Cross Island Walk.

It starts with a deceptive, gently sloping path before almost immediately turning into a steep and narrow track. To make matters worse, it was slippery from the previous day’s downpours. Chased by colourful Red Postman butterflies, Margaret’s mountaineer cousin Steven led the way. It was hard going, hauling themselves up hand-by-hand over rain-slick rocks, heavy undergrowth and tangled fauna including the picturesquely named Mile A Minute vine.

The river crossings, all five of them, were tricky. Margaret slipped several times and had to be hauled out by the intrepid Steven. There were several dangerous drop-offs which they negotiated with extreme caution.

It took about an hour to get to the top, much faster than they expected, and after a quick look-around they headed down to the other side of the island. But the descent took longer than expected as they had to lower themselves on fixed ropes, turbulent water coursing around them. Soaked to the skin, they eventually made the bottom in one piece and walked out of a path by the Papua Waterfall after nearly three hours of trekking.

The Cross Island Walk is tougher than it’s presented, especially after rain. “You’ve got to use all your strength on some parts,” says Margaret who is not unfamiliar with steep events. A couple of years ago she did the famous Grunt, a 28-kilometre run up and down a mountain in Te Anau at the bottom of New Zealand.

In Rarotonga most of the walkers are guided, which is the wise thing in the circumstances.

Every now and again, somebody tries to go it alone when they aren’t up to it and have to be rescued.

So it's not recommended for 70 year-olds who aren’t in pretty good shape but, if you want a challenge to aim and train for (and a beach holiday reward), a guided walk could be just what the doctor ordered!

If you're thinking about heading to Rarotonga and having a go at this walk, you should find all you need to know here: cookislands.travel/hiking-on-rarotonga