Jacko Steps

Tribute To The Rainforest

An Adventure Packed Activity, which begins in the village of Bells, where the hike
down the awesome Layou River Gorge starts to arrive at the trail leading to the historical Jacko Steps.
These steps were carved into a mountain by the Maroons (escaped slaves) in the 1760s.
The Maroons used the steps to get to and from their hide outs in the mountains.
The trail begins with a steep climb up the Jacko steps and through The Jacko Steps were named after a Maroon bearing that name, local historian
Dr. Lennox Honychurch give an overview of the Jacko Steps and famous maroon

"The maroons of Jacko's camp cut high steps out of the side of the cliff
The steps were designed in a way to give security to those above and to provide

control over those attempting to scale the cliff. The historian Thomas
Atwood describes these steps in his book of 11791.

Each step was high above the other, forcing people to pull themselves up at every stage.
When the pioneer planter A. Campbell bought the land in the 1980's
He got workers to cut each step at a lower level for more easy access and he ran cables
through iron loops alongside for added safety.
The cables are gone but the steps may still be visited. Jacko

One of the most important maroon chiefs commanding camps of escaped slaves in
the center of the island during the period of slavery.
Born in Africa, Jacko (also written Jacco) escaped from Beaubois Estate (Castle
Comfort) soon after his transportation to Dominica in the late 1760's.
He established himself and his followers on a plateau near the present day village of Bells.

He was the main strategist for much of the maroon activity in Dominica during the
Maroon wars of the 1780's and 1810's.

When Governor Ainslie launched his big offensive against the maroons in 1812.
Jacko's camp was one of the main targets.

On 12 July 1814 ageing Jacko was surrounded and killed after a desperate resistance.

Reports at the time said that he had been in the forest " for upward of forty years."
Five leaders of his camp surrendered and the loss of Jacko's leadership
was a blow to the morale of the maroons".

Time: 4-5 hours
This activity should not be attempted by persons with heart conditions, back or knee injuries.

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Even though we are a little island in the Caribbean, we are part of the world community and we need the support of the whole world to help us protect one of the most dynamic of the world's Oceanic Rainforest.
If we save Dominica's Rainforest and its natural environment millions will have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe when *Koyaanisqatsi completes its destruction of the world's rainforests which produce 40% of the oxygen we need.

We know from experience that world leaders have an inveterate propensity to place the
development and growth of the enconomy above the protection and preservation of the natural
environment, but what good is a booming economy if the natural environment becomes hazardous to the health of the world's people?.

*Koyaanisqatsi: A Hopi Indian word meaning "Life Out Of Balance"

Ken's Hinterland Adventure Tours
Fort Young Hotel
Victoria Street
Po Box 1652
Roseau
Commonwealth of Dominica
Toll Free: 1.866.880.0508
USA: 561.210.5825
Dominica: 767.448.1660
info@khatts.com

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