Pitcairn Island has two unique distinctions. First, it’s considered one of the more remote settlements on the Planet, and two, the inhabitants of the island are mostly direct descendants of the mutineers of The Bounty, a British ship that was taken by it’s crew back in 1789, and then proceeded to Pitcairn to start a new life.
The island is well known for it’s very rocky approach. Something that has both protected, and isolated the inhabitants for years. But with just 47 people still living on Pitcairn, the settlement there has begun to look for new ways to encourage visitors and tourism, something it hasn’t done in the past. One of the things they are hoping to promote is the towering rock spires, most of which have never been climbed before.
National Geographic Adventure has posted this really great article written by Dave Stevenson. who scouts out locations for The North Face for climbing expeditions. Dave was joined by climbers Greg Child, Kevin Thaw, and Jimmy Chin, who all made the trip to Pitcairn to scope out the climbing scene.
To give you an idea of how remote the place is, someone wanting to visit Pitcairn would have to fly to Tahiti first, then on to the Gambiers, a group of small islands that are part of French Polynesia. After that, it’s a two day sail, following in the wake of The Bounty itself. If you’re interested in making the trek yourself, this hand adventure guide should get you started.
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I’ll see if I have room on the ‘List’…!
🙂
DSD
LOL! I was actually thinking the same thing as I read this article. “Damn! I think I might have to go here!”
It sounds like it’s an adventure just getting to the island.