At 1,220 feet (372 meters), Mt. Christoffel is the highest point on the island nation of Curaçao. Although the island is better known for its UNESCO-listed capital and excellent beaches, climbing Mt. Christoffel is one of the top activities for adventurous visitors. As our blog’s name implies, we’re all about packing the kid along for our adventures, but as I researched this climb, I found little to no information about climbing Mount Christoffel with a baby. Well, we (and by that I mostly mean my amazing wife) did it!
Getting to Mt. Christoffel
The mountain is located within Christoffel Park and can only be climbed between 6 AM when the park opens and 10 AM. At that point, the rangers cut off access to the mountain due to the dangers posed by the mid-day heat.
In order to get into the park, you must first stop by the headquarters and pay the entrance fee. At the time of our trip, it came to $14.50 per adult. Under normal circumstances, hikers can then drive their personal vehicle to a parking lot at the base of the mountain. Note that, while the road is paved, it’s also extremely narrow and curvy. At the time of our visit, the parking lot at the trailhead was under construction, so everyone was shuttled from the headquarters by park rangers.
Deciding whether to Climb Mt. Christoffel with a Baby
The night before our planned ascent, I spent about an hour in the hammock with a glass of rum searching the web for data points on climbing Christoffel with a baby. I found none. There were several reports of people climbing with children as young as six but nothing about infants. I guess it’s just not something that most people think of doing.
Since most reports advise starting as early as possible, we woke up before dawn and got to the headquarters by about 6:10 AM. There were already several hikers waiting to be shuttled to the trailhead. I went in to buy the ticket and asked whether the climb was possible with an infant. The ranger wasn’t particularly helpful or friendly, but she didn’t look at me like I was crazy. I took that as a positive sign. Within a few minutes we were on our way. Sarah sat in the front of the pickup truck with baby E while I sat in the bed with all the other tourists.
Hiking Up the Mountain
While 1,220 feet may not sound that high, don’t be fooled, Mt. Christoffel is steep! The path starts out relatively flat and shaded, but before long it begins to feel more like being on a stair climber than a treadmill. By the time we were a third of the way up the trail, we were climbing up and over two to three foot rocks.
It was hard, but it was also nice to see another side of the island. The plant life seemed greener than the rest of the island, and the views were rewarding. What’s more, in the early morning, the mountain itself casts a shadow over much of the trail. I have no idea how people make this climb after 9 AM in the full sun.
I was carrying a backpack with our food, two liters of water and baby supplies. I was drenched in sweat and trying not to moan about it. Sarah, on the other hand, was climbing Christoffel with our 12-pound baby in a forward-facing pack and was doing this climb a mere three months after giving birth. She kept trucking up the mountain without complaint. We passed a family with small kids and then a group with some folks in their 60s.
About two thirds of the way up we came across an overhanging rock with a bench. The heat and looming dehydration was making both of us a little clumsy at that point, so we took a break to eat an orange and drink water. We certainly didn’t want to have a fall with the baby strapped on. From that point on, it leveled off for a short bit before the final climb.
Climbing to the Peak
For the final ten minutes or so of the hike, the route gets extremely steep and the trail all but disappears. I came across reviews that mention a second, easier route near the peak, but that option no longer seems to exist. I was worried about baby E and kept asking Sarah if we should go back down a bit and take turns making the climb while one of us watched the baby, but she seemed comfortable with her footing.
Then we turned a corner and found ourselves on a ledge overlooking the island with an almost vertical scramble over open rock to the peak about seventy-five feet above. I’m pretty bad when it comes to heights and couldn’t bear to make the final five minute scramble to the top. It was terrifying. Even if it weren’t for my nerves, it may not be possible while wearing a baby. You have to contort your body a bit and squeeze through some narrow places.
In the end, I sat as far from the edge as possible and clung to baby E while Sarah finished up the climb. For nearly 15 minutes we sat there as I tried to keep her from crying while constantly having visions of her pushing away from me and rolling off the cliff. It was the most stressful 15 minutes of parenthood to date. Inevitably, as other hikers came around the corner we would be greeted in Dutch with surprised exclamations along the lines of “wow, it’s a baby.”
Sarah, who doesn’t suffer from my phobia, came back down the rock face and began feeding baby E while enjoying the terrifying view. She then suggested that we picnic up there…on the nightmarish cliff! I insisted that we head down to a safer location first.
Coming Down
It actually took longer and felt more treacherous with a baby on the way down. This was particularly the case in areas with loose rocks and gravel. Without a kid it wouldn’t have been too bad since the only real risk of slipping would have been a skinned knee. In fact, many of the other climbers seemed to fly down the trail.
To make matters worse, the sun had moved so we were no longer hiking in shade. Not only did that make it hotter, but we also needed to worry about keeping baby E covered. In the end we reached the parking lot about 2.5 hours after we had set off. That included one short stop on the way up and a longer breakfast break on the way back down. The two liters of water that I’d packed were sufficient, but it would have been smarter to bring three since we were rather dehydrated by the end.
In Conclusion: Should You Climb Mt. Christoffel with a Baby
The short, sane answer is no, it’s probably not the most logical hike to take with a baby. That’s particularly true if you’re a wimp around heights like myself. With that said, we more or less climbed Mount Christoffel with a baby, and I think anyone in moderate shape could do the same. Just be prepared to take turns climbing to the actual summit.
In my opinion, our decision to climb Mount Christoffel with our baby made more sense than the families who climbed with their six to ten year-old kids. I can’t imagine how nervous I would have been seeing my young kid make that final ascent. It was bad enough watching other people’s kids do it while I clung to baby E on the cliff.
If you’re up for it (and not afraid of heights), Mt. Christoffel does make for an interesting break from the beach life on Curaçao. Just get started early and come prepared with proper footwear, sunscreen and plenty of water. The Christoffel Park has several other hiking and driving options as well as a partially restored plantation house museum that can also be visited, but the mountain itself seemed to be the main tourist draw.
For more information on our experience traveling around Curaçao with our baby, please check out our trip report.
Y’all are so adventuresome! Fun read!
Sarah is a very good partner for you. I like to be sitting when I am near a drop off. I like your sense of adventure and humor.