The throne at the top of the Indian Ocean

Hi VE community, 

It's been a while since I've been on the forum but we recently did a hike, and as I was wiping my brow with my VE buff at the car, I thought that I simply had to do a write-up for anyone that may be interested in this hike, in the future. 

Over this past vacation we were privileged enough to take another trip to the Island of La Reunion (hereafter simply Reunion). For those unfamiliar with the island, it is located off the east coast of Madagascar and west coast of Mauritius (~4 hour flight from Johannesburg). The island is a department of France (department 974 to be exact) and is, for all intents and purposes Europe (even though as a South African resident you do not require a visa). The island is a volcano (that is still active and overdue for an eruption) but what makes it such a cool island is that you have the best of both worlds (ocean and mountains). You can do the most incredible snorkelling and within 15 minutes be on the windiest, hair-pin roads that make you feel like you're in the French Alps. 

Anyways, more about the island at the end of the post... On this trip we decided to take hiking gear with and attempt to summit Piton des Neiges (Snow Peak) which is considered to be the highest point in the Indian Ocean (at 3070m). What follows in this post is a write-up of this hike. I hope you enjoy it!

Day 1 - Depart (~09:30)
You can begin this hike from various locations but we opted for the Cilaos route (the most direct). We left St Leu at about 09:30 and drove to the start of the hike. The focus of this blog post is the hike so I don't want to harp on the drive but it's quite an experience... very narrow roads and countless hairpins for about 20km. For someone who loves to drive - it's a dream. The hike begins as ~1200m (quick maths shows that you have to climb ~1800m...)

In any case, we arrived at about 11:00 and prepped everything for our departure. There is parking at the start of the trail and it's perfectly safe to leave your car there. Note, there is no mountain register and you don't have to pay for anything (you don't have to pay entrance for any hikes on the island).

Day 1 - Start hike (11:30)
The hike begins with climbing stairs (either formed by rocks or wood placed on the trail) and it never stops... literally. Throughout the entire hike, I would estimate that there is about 500m total of level hiking, otherwise it's only climbing. The hike is split into two sections of approximately 7km and 3km. The first 7km are pretty much straight up, along a very windy track in lush forest. About 2km in you, will find, what the locals refer to as 'the kiosk', which is simply a little hut that has a black pipe with running water coming from it. It is important to fill up here because there isn't another explicit source of water on the rest of the hike. As soon as we arrived here, it started raining and didn't really stop until later the afternoon (kind of expected, since it is also their rainy season). 

NB: it is hot and incredibly humid. Do not underestimate this. Even though we were a party of fit hikers, we had to take it slowly (carrying full packs) and in hindsight, we did not drink enough water. Drink a lot of water!

There is not need for GPS tracks as the path is very well laid out and you can even use Google Maps if you want to verify where you currently are. The Google Maps extract below (the rest of the trail to the peak is rendered when you zoom in) shows the entire route. Note the zig-zags just before reaching the boundary - these are quite intense and you gain a lot of altitude. For reference, when you reach the (what we would call escarpment in Berg terminology), you've climbed from 1200m to I believe 2600m (don't nail me on this figure, I can't quite remember). Also, it's custom to greet hikers that you pass or that come in the opposite direction. A simple Bonjour will do!

 

Day 1 - Rest at Refuge (Gîte Caverne Dufour)
Once you summit (what I've dubbed the escarpment or in the image above, the red line), you have maybe 500m to go until you reach a hut / refuge (Gîte Caverne Dufour). This is simply a building with beds and bathrooms. If you want to make use of it, you have to book and pay a small fee (don't ask me how much, we didn't stay here). However, if you don't want to take a tent along, this is a very viable option. Many hikers will hike up until this point, sleep in the refuge, and then get up at about 02:00 to finish the hike to the summit for sunrise. Dependent on the time of year, I believe it can get quite full. We spent about 30 minutes here drying off and recuperating.

It is also at this point, where the vegetation changes to alpine vegetation (as in the Berg). Except here, it reminds one of the fynbos that one would expect in the Cape. The following image shows the landscape from the refuge at which we arrived at about 15:30.

 

Day 1 - Trek to Summit (16:00)
The other notable change is that the next part of the hike (to the summit) is on volcanic rock (sure the first part is technically as well but it has been worn down quite a bit already). What makes this challenging is that it is incredibly hard and quite sharp. So by the end of the hike, the soles of your feet are broken. It's really difficult to explain - it's simply something you have to experience. Also, when I mentioned earlier that on this hike you only hike up? Yeah, it continues here as well. On the map it looks like a nice contour path like one would expect in the Berg - do not be fooled - it is not. It is still climbing. Fortunately, at this point, we were above the clouds and not influenced by the rain anymore. Needless to say, this last stretch was likely the most difficult as we were running low on water (no, you cannot drink the water at the refuge), cramping, and quite frankly - exhausted. Oh but was it worth the effort...! 

Day 1 - Arrive on summit (18:00)
The hike looks like it just keeps going until you eventually look up and you've made it onto the top (not the peak but almost there). Here you are greeted by the most breath-taking views! I will include one or two images below and then include more as attachments. On the top the mountain, the landscape changes again to what I can probably describe as 'newer' volcanic rock? I'm not a geologist but as you will see in the photos, it's completely black and very powdery (pretty much course, black sand). What the kind folk of the island have done is build shelters out of rocks (as you will see below). In these you can pitch your tent. I also think that it's a safety guard for night time because about 15m from our chosen site you will walk straight off the edge falling about 1000m to your certain death. At night this is important . 

 

 

The first image shows the view down the peak (which was obscured by clouds at this point in time) and the second one our tent in one of the shelters. I will include more and better images as attachments, these simply serve as part of the story. Being exhausted, we decided to first set up camp (~3050m altitude) and then walk up to the peak (3070m) and perhaps 100m walking up the mountain. It was at this point, that we had completed our summit!

 

 

As in the Berg, when I stand on top of a peak, I experience it as quite a humbling experience - to be reminded of how small we actually are. For me the mountains are a deeply spiritual experience and I am always reminded of how big our Creator is and that even as a small human being on this very large rock - he still has an interest in our lives. 

Day 1 - Sleep (~21:00)
Even though it is incredibly hot down in the valley, the peak is cold (even in the middle of summer). Expecting this, we quickly ate dinner and retired for the night as soon as the sun set (after which the temperatures drop rapidly). I didn't have my portable weather station with me but I would estimate that the temperature dropped to <10°C. However, we had anticipated this and were actually quite warm in the tent. 

Day 2 - Sunrise (04:30)
We left the tent at 04:30 and went back up to the peak to watch the sunrise. The sun was playing games with us and only appeared at about 05:30 (given, there were some clouds on the horizon). From the peak one can see the flashlights of the people that slept at the refuge, coming up the mountain. 99% of the tourists on the island and on the mountain that morning are French (don't quote me on the number but it feels that way). For the most part they were respectful except for a couple of younger people that made quite a bit of noise. It was still worth it, though. Besides the sunrise, the valley had also cleared and we could see down the mountain and the town of Cilaos clearly (it doesn't last long, though). This is where you will see the resemblance to the Berg, but just on a completely different scale. As any hiker will tell you, the photos don't do it justice and I can simply reiterate this. The scale is truly humbling. Below are two photos, one of the sunrise and one of the mountains that we were unable to see the night before. 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 - Depart for parking (07:00)
We broke up camp and left the peak at about 07:30 to make our way down (there was still a lot on the agenda for the trip). I almost want to say that the way back was worse because now you're dropping ~1800m in altitude across about 10km using only stairs. It was absolutely gruelling and we were stiff for a couple of days afterwards. However, now, you are met with completely different views and are reminded of the very European landscape. Unfortunately we were so buggered at this point that we didn't take many photos but we arrived at car at around 11:00 as planned. 

And that kind of sums up the hike... The official Reunion tourism website also has more information. Herewith one final image from a lookout called The Makes Window which shows the entire valley and Cilaos from another perspective. Worth the drive!

 

That being said - the island is full of hikes. We previously hiked up the volcano (Piton de la Fournaise) which is another completely different experience because it feels like you're on mars. However, there are also various other day hikes that include the most beautiful waterfalls and towns that you can only reach if you hike to them. The island also has various Cirques that can be hiked as part of a multi-day expedition (perhaps next time). 

Additional Information
For those that are actually considering visiting the island, I figured I would include a little more information:
1.  The island is reachable via a direct flight from O R Tambo (operated by Air Austral). You can rent a car at the airport (highly recommended) and after about 10 mins you'll be used to driving on the right-hand side of the road. 
2. The island has something for everyone - volcanoes, hiking, snorkelling in reefs (they call them lagoons) etc. It is really a very unique island. You can't swim everywhere, though, because they have the reputation of the highest number of shark attacks. The reefs/lagoons are perfectly safe and otherwise the swim beaches have shark nets (no, not like ours but literal nets that extend from the beach into the ocean and cordon off an area to swim - yeah, it's quite funny). Boucan Canot for example, has one of these cages. It is Europe, though, so kind of expected...
3. It is a department of France and as such, a part of Europe. As a South African you do not need a visa. The local currency is Euros and yes, most things are more expensive. 
4. The local people are very friendly and most don't speak English. However, many are also just too shy to speak it. With Bonjour, Au Revoir and Merci, you'll do just fine.
5. On a Sunday, many locals will braai on the side of the road (typically sosaties). They taste very good and the locals are very happy/grateful for the support. Also, you can buy litchis along the side of the road (wait until you get into the rural areas where you will pay 1.5-2.5EUR/kg). They are incredible!
6. The locals drive very respectfully and stick to the rules of the road (yes, they yield correctly at traffic circles). However, you will have to get used to the high speed at which they drive on the mountain passes. 
7. There aren't many resorts or hotels like you would see on Mauritius, for example. Simply book an airbnb, go self-catering, and you'll be fine. 
8. The local supermarkets include E Leclerc, SuperU, Carrefour and Leader Price. These are spread all over the island and are equivalent to the stores we have in SA. Be sure to buy lots of Baguette!

Feel free to message me if you have any more specific questions, otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the short write-up and be sure to have a look at the rest of the pictures! Au Revoir!