Scaling New Heights: Huanna Leon Conquers Saint Lucia’s Twin Peaks

As people age, there is usually a natural slowdown of their childlike wonder and enthusiasm for adventure. However, Huanna Leon is not your average 37-year-old mother of two. For her birthday celebration this year, the Sak Sa author scaled Saint Lucia’s twin peaks, Petit Piton and Gros Piton, on the same day.

In an interview with St Lucia Times, Leon explained how she gained inspiration for her trek after listening to a podcast episode. The guest on the My First Million podcast introduced her to an ancient Japanese principle that ignited a spark inside her.

“I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts,” she recalled. “The guest was speaking about his life, and he mentioned something called a misogi. From his explanation, I understood that a misogi is a physical challenge you take on once a year, and it has to be extremely difficult, with at least a 50 per cent chance that you might not be able to accomplish it.”

 “For the last few years, I’ve taken on the challenge of publishing a book for my birthday. This year, I decided to do something different. Hearing about misogi and its standards, I wanted to do something cool and meaningful for my birthday.”

Regardless of how well-trained an individual is, one doesn’t simply take on a feat of this magnitude without ample preparation and support. As such, Leon took several trusted companions on the trek—many of whom were experienced hikers—and engaged in specific training to ensure she was ready. She explained how her preparations for the hike went.

“Generally, I’m an active person and I do hikes and other outdoor activities for recreation. So when I decided I wanted to do this hike, I didn’t need to train heavily specifically for it, since my body was already accustomed to this type of activity. But when I made the decision, I did shift my workout routine to include more HIIT [high-intensity interval training] that combined cardio and strength. As the hike got closer, I focused more on cardio to make sure I was as prepared as possible,” she explained.

A key element of her preparation was ensuring she had the right people around her. “We made it look easy enough, but it’s not something that just anyone should attempt, and it’s definitely not something you should try alone.”

“My group of friends was essential for this to happen. The guys provided the physical support, and the ladies offered moral support and hype. Their presence and encouragement were just as important as the physical aspect of the preparation for the success of the hike,” Leon said.

The biggest challenges of the trek were the physical demands of scaling two Pitons in one day. Leon noted, “None of the challenges were unexpected. Everyone in the group had done both Pitons separately at some point, except one person who had never done Petit Piton. The biggest challenge was that after climbing Petit Piton, we headed straight into the midday climb of Gros Piton. Our bodies were physically tired, so we powered through the first part, but it got harder during the second half of Gros Piton. That’s when things started to get tough, and we began questioning whether we could make it. But we stayed focused and kept going.”

For those uncertain about attempting similar feats, Leon had some words of advice.

“Do things that your 90-year-old self would look back on and chuckle about, or do things that your 12-year-old self would be proud of,” she said. “I think about how my daughters will feel when they’re older. How will they feel knowing I did this? What will they think when they see pictures or videos of me accomplishing something like this?”

“I tell young mothers, fathers, and people in general: Do interesting things. Do ‘main character’ stuff. Imagine yourself as the star of a movie and do things that would make that character an interesting one.”