Route: Pico Duarte (Dominican Republic)

David Bean posted:

On 3/22/13 I will be heading to La Cienaga to attempt a fastest summit/round trip of Pico Duarte. I will be doing the La Cienaga route which is roughly 46 kilometers (28 miles) and 10,000 feet in cumulative gain round trip. La Cienaga sits at somewhere around 3,600 feet and the summit of Pico Duarte is at 10,164 feet. Pico Duarte is the tallest mountain in the Caribbean.
In my less than extensive research I have heard a fastest time of 6 hours to the top and 13 hours round trip. The 6 hour trip was heard of from a friend that had additionally heard it second hand. The 13 hour round trip was by a friend and some of his friends. 
Myself David Bean will be doing this unsupported. You must hire a guide to enter the park where the mountain is, but the guide will not be with me during the day and they are more of a formality than anything.
On 3/23/15 at 5:30am I plan on starting up Pico Duarte and returning back to La Cienaga where we will spend another night. On the trip I will have my Garmin Forerunner 305, and that will be our means of verification. I do not own a camera that can go with us, but am attempting to borrow a GoPro for further documentation.
My hope for this attempt is that it sets a sorry precedent that someone else sees and decides to crush. I am sure that someone can fly up and down this mountain and I really want to see it happen. If anyone sees this in the next few days and wants to join/humble me, I would be more than happy to include you in my plans!

*I was originally planning to do this with a friend, but he is now trying out for the National Soccer team the same day as the planned trip. 

**Due to fires in the park during the originally scheduled attempt I am indefinitely pushing back my go at it. It will happen before to long though.