Skip Harper’s adventures on Cayman Brac 

Author Skip Harper climbs Cayman Brac’s Bluff 

Wave Wall – a favourite climb on the Brac.

Friday,  September 16, 2005

While everyone in the tourism industry is looking for ways to expand the product, they have only to look at one remarkable book to see how this can be done on Cayman Brac.

Adventuring on Cayman Brac – A guide to great adventures on this small island gem is the first book dedicated to vacationing on Cayman Brac, and Skip Harper has found a wide variety of activities to appeal to a new type of vacationer – the adventure tourist.

Harper walks the walk.

He has hiked the trails, climbed the Bluff, done the running routes and dived the waters. He’s explored boltholes and caves, found hidden footpaths and unearthed folklore and oral history with a genuine appreciation of this island and its people.

The book is full of outstanding pictures of the scenery, people, undersea life and skillful rock climbers finding new ways to enjoy the Bluff.

One or two glossy photographs are found on every page, most of them taken by the author, mixed with old snapshots taken by Brackers, historic photographs borrowed from the National Archives or pictures taken from history books.

The book starts with an introduction to the Brac and an historic overview, which more than demonstrates the author’s love of this island and its people. But his first love, and the reason he came here in the first place is the climbing.

Climbers speak of the Bluff with the same degree of enthusiasm that divers refer to the Cayman Wall. In fact, some have indicated that a major attraction of the Brac is the possibility of experiencing world class climbing and world class diving in the same day. Harper writes: “The limestone found on Cayman Brac compares favorably with other high quality limestone areas around the world including the valleys of southern France, southeast Asia, and a recently developed area 50 miles west of Puerto Rico on Mona Island”.

The introduction to this chapter explains the history of sport climbing and is fascinating, even if you don’t climb. The climbing itself is for the experienced only and the details of the routes are directed to these experienced climbers.

The chapter on hiking is the most comprehensive guide to the various trails around the Island so far in print.

As well as a brief look at the history and development of these hikes and notes on hiking generally, Harper details nineteen trails: where to find them, what to look for and what to expect.

Particularly useful is a grading system (easy, moderate, rough) for each leg of the trail, so there will be no surprises if a trail suddenly shifts from easy to hard. He also includes particular advise for each trail.

For example, on Rock Road he tells the reader: “Wear long pants or you will become a human pin cushion.” Birdwatching is covered only briefly, but Harper refers readers to other books that fully describe this activity.

Running is given its own chapter and Harper details nine routes on various types of terrain.

Cave exploring on the Brac is generally confined to a basic five caves, each easy to find and easy to get into. Harper, however, describes thirteen in various degrees of accessibility.

He gives them the same grading system as the hikes, including one, “Elevator Shaft”, recommended for climbers only. Even Rebecca’s Cave, the most frequently visited on the island, is given the Harper treatment.

While the history of Rebecca’s sad little grave inside this cave is well known and oft recited, the author has gone to the trouble of finding her sister, Dolly Brown, and poignantly retells the tragic events that led to the child’s death seventy years ago in Ms. Brown’s own words.

Though fishing is not one of Harper’s main interests, he has clearly enjoyed listening to fishing yarns over the years, and several are retold in full in this section, as are a number of old photos of local fishermen and their catches.

Both shore diving and boat diving are detailed in full, as well as swimming, snorkeling and how to find empty beaches.

The history, geology, and politics are all given a brief but highly readable coverage. Harper is clearly a visitor who enjoys a good chat with Brackers and obviously holds the local population in high regard, so the section on local culture is sensitive and enthusiastic.

Adventuring on Cayman Brac retails for $24.99. It is published by Heel and Toe Publishers, owned by Skip Harper, and distributed by Hobbies and Books.

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