To Traverse an Island
- Part 3
An epic adventure in the heart of the Indian Ocean
“Reunion is a hiker’s paradise with over 1000km of well-marked trails….”
Wanderlust Travel Magazine
Day 8 Gîte du Piton des Neiges 2400m to Plane des Cafres 1330m - "On top of the World!"
Gîte du Piton des Neiges. It’s not your normal gîte.
Given its location and the plus 2000m elevation, it actually serves as a refugio, meaning its doors are never closed, lest it need be used in case of emergency.
Waking as we did in the middle of the night (I’ll blame the altitude and the water consumed for the need to utilise the bathroom), it was with some surprise we found the common area full of people sleeping atop tables and on the floor!
There was no emergency, rather, many people will ascend during the night, then utilise the refugio for a few hours, rather then freeze outdoors waiting for the sunrise.
We too rose in the pre-dawn dark, ready to ascend the Piton des Neiges, in the dark, so we could hopefully enjoy a sunrise from the highest point in the Indian Ocean!
After a small breakfast of cake & Bananas, we were out in the initially bracing cold, head torches on and tip-toeing our way up the mountain.
The footing had the potential to be treacherous, however, with little in the way of views in the dark, all there really was to focus on, was your next step (ultimately meaning it was probably harder on the descent).
Before long, we were shedding layers as well.
Gazing ahead or behind, one could see pinpricks of light, bobbing away as others too made the ascent.
Eventually, the sky began to lighten, and with almost perfect timing, we found a perch from which to view the show.
Would could not have asked for more perfect conditions.
As the light began to reveal the landscape, we could see how rocky and barren it was near the top.
Small rings of stones dotted the approach, sheltered rings within which souls far hardier than us pitched their tents and waited out the freezing night.
Patches of ice dotted the ground (not snow, although it can snow here), and nearer the summit, an already sizeable group lingered.
We chose a spot, a little distant from the larger throng, and sat down to wait for the show.
It was cold, but given we were at 3070m, there was surprisingly little breeze, and with our timing almost perfect (Arnaud had paced us so we wouldn’t be sitting in the cold waiting for too long), the Sun began to emerge from beyond the horizon.
It was a beautiful sight!
Abandoning the people posing at the summit, once we’d had our fill of the Sun warming our cockles as the glasslike expanse of the Indian Ocean was revealed before us, we began our ascent back down.
Vegetation was sparse so high, but there were patches of ice suggesting that there was a little water around, and the odd daisy broke up the Martian like landscape.
The views as we made our way back towards the gîte were glorious, a distant ridge and the plain beyond, our goal for the day.
It was going to be a long one, and by reputation, this one has a LOT of mud!
A pit stop to breakfast and collect our packs, and we were on our way.
Despite already having been up for hours, we still had a full days walking ahead.
This was going to test the endurance!
Fortunately the day was another glorious one, so the views, as ever, made it worth it!!
Leaving the gîte behind, the trail was rocky and entered scrub, almost reminiscent of back home in Australia, the path taking us close to the ridgeline and affording occasional views of Cilaos way down below.
The jagged rocks that formed the track, meant a lot of time was spent considering the next step, as the risk of rolling an ankle was very real.
Slowly, we continued to descend, excepting a couple who passed us moments after leaving the gîte, not another person was to be found along the trail.
Eventually the terrain flattened out near an area known as La Mare (The Pond, or Pool) and suddenly it was far less rocky underfoot.
There were patches of mud though, so whilst the walking was generally easier, there was an ample amount of squelch.
We took a snack and bathroom break, and continued on our way, the vegetation starting to get thicker and a bit more stifling as we neared that once distant ridge.
The trail became narrow and slick with mud, and the prospect of a slip became very real.
We replenished and filtered water from a stream, before eventually taking a right turn that marked the start of our short, yet sharp ascent up the ridge itself, which was not unreminiscent of a climb from Kokoda in parts.
Soon, we were on the ridge, but climbing still, following its contours as clouds began to roll in.
The rocks we used as handholds were hot to the touch, warmed by the now obscured Sun.
In a somewhat sheltered spot, we broke for lunch, before the final descent for the day.
It’s amazing how several hours slog, can be condensed into a few lines of text!
The trail down to the plains was wet, but at least the cloud cleared rather quickly, and suddenly we had glorious blue skies again, and could see our still distant goal, as well as the Piton de la Fournaise, tomorrows destination.
Still slowly, progress was made, and surprisingly, we all managed to keep relatively free of mud or incident.
Eventually, we emerged from the trees, and suddenly our trails had us traipsing between fields, the terrain flat, and the shadows by now long.
Finally, we reached the point where our ride awaited, and we were whisked off to our lodgings for the night, after been on the go for over 13 hours and descending over 1600m!
Day 9 Plane des Cafres 1330m to Gîte du Volcan 2230m - "Volcanic Activity"
Our luck with the weather remained, and the start to our day was rather comfortable compared to others.
A vehicle transfer to Gîte du Volcan, along the way being treated to glorious views of where we’d come, as well as the impressive Plane des Sables, which sat between us and the volcano ahead.
The only dampener on the mood, was Deborah was really starting to feel the effects of her blisters.
Getting to the gîte, we learned that this place was pretty special.
It was like a modern, palatial hotel (at least compared to where we had been)!
It had impressive ocean views, and a wide deck which we envisaged enjoying later, but first, we had some walking today.
It was time to ascend the Piton de la Fournaise (2632m)!
Fifteen to twenty minutes walk from the gîte got us to the start of the walk proper and the first proper views of the volcano.
We had to first descend, cross the plain, then begin the ascent.
The air and breeze was cooling, but with little cloud, sunburn was a very real risk!
The winding descent down proper stairs was in the shade, but from that point onwards, it was full on exposure.
There was a smaller cone on the plain that our guide advised was not beneficial to climb, as it has eroded its size immensely in recent years.
We respected his advice.
Many others scrambling up its sides, did not.
The rock was really grippy, even in my quite worn Keen boots, but it was also rough, so you certainly didn’t want to slip and graze yourself, as it would cut you up like sandpaper.
There were also pockets of what looked like fairy floss (cotton candy), which was actually silica from the volcanic eruptions. Basically, cotton like glass!
Not something you’d want in a wound either!
Normally, one is supposed to stick to the marked & well worn path, however, as we had an authorised guide, Arnaud was able to take us cross country, so we ascended via our own path, rock hopping our way up the volcano.
It was a climb full of false peaks, and was pretty tough going.
Eventually we crested a rise and the gradient slackened, from which point we skirted the volcanoes rim, before eventually dropping down to a ledge to gaze within this active marvel.
Active it may be (it last erupted in August 2023), but not in the sense that we could see bubbling magma.
It was still a pretty awesome spot to marvel, and once we dropped our packs, eventually have lunch!
What goes up, must come down, and so it was for us.
The views given on the descent even better than on the way up, given we could see the entire landscape unfold before us.
It was steep, and as we were making our own path, we were mighty thankful for how grippy the rocks were.
But the constant downhill was hard, especially on the toes and knees, and Deborah with her blistered feet, really began to feel it.
After some foot repairs were administered by Arnaud, we all got to the end, making it to the final marvel of the day.
The views from our gîte!
The clouds had begun to roll in, and we were perched high above them.
It truly was a magical spot to reflect on the day!
Day 6 Gîte du Volcan 2230m to Basse Vallee 660m - "The Slow Decline..."
Fortunate again with a gloriously clear morning, today was our final of the whole traverse.
Sadly, our party was smaller.
Deborah, having soldiered on for several days in excruciating pain from her blistered feet, opted out, with the promise of a tough day walking all the way down to the sea (well, not quite all the way, but most of it) not an especially enticing one.
There was also the possibility of rain from around 9am onwards too!
A small section of gravel road walking was how our day started, but when we veered off onto the trail, the sound of crunching rocks beneath our feet did not change at all.
It was a weird section of contrasting weather. If we weren’t suddenly surrounded by damp cloud, the morning was very blue, and the going easy for the first couple of hours.
We skirted a ridge, below which sat the volcanic plain and the Piton de la Fournaise which we summited yesterday, but eventually, we veered away and began the trudge through a slightly damp landscape.
The forecast rain hadn’t yet eventuated, however the cloud through which we walked left the rock and scrub dripping damp, and brushing up against this was impossible to avoid.
When the terrain was gently undulating, the going was easy, however, as soon as there was any slight downhill incline, the going became a lot more treacherous, with so much loose scree underfoot.
A bit otherworldly at times, it was also beautiful, the mist only enhancing the feeling.
When the wind died, it was also deathly quiet. The only sounds the crunch of our feet, or the sounds of our panting when a section required a bit more exertion.
Eventually, after a final push across the scrub and rock, we reached the edge of the plateau, and the beginning of our long (1800m) descent.
The large swathes of barren rock were now behind us, and initially it was more of that low lying scrub everywhere.
What was very apparent throughout all of this hike, was how easy it was to see the elevation changes through little more than the surrounding vegetation.
It was amazing.
We soon also had our first look at the south coast.
The end was in sight (albeit a long way distant)!
We paused for a short break, snacked on our lunch as from here onwards, there would be few flat and clear places for us to stop and relax.
Then we began, the long way down…
So many have slips and slides in the loose rocks. It really was slow going, and had I poles, even I may have used them!
Arnaud had suggested it unlikely we’d see any other hikers today, so it was with some surprise, we even passed a couple of pairs coming in the other direction, whom we allowed to pass with some admiration (that would be a hell of a climb in the other direction).
Eventually, the scrub became thicker and taller, and without us even really noticing, our descent was surrounded by jungle.
The going was still slow, as the trail was still incredibly sleep, but soon, in addition to loose rock, we had to worry ourselves with slick roots that covered the trail, and the trail itself, well, for some sections, it was also a creek bed!
It floated between beautiful and oppressive, as eventually it clouded over, and finally began to rain (at least it was 6 hours later than forecast).
We thought we had an hour, or perhaps an hour and a half ahead, so we’d just have to suck it up and get there as quick as we could.
It got heavier.
And heavier.
Pretty soon, it was monsoonal.
There was nothing we could do, but walk.
Finally, we hit the end of the trail, where we’d follow a tarmac road for a bit (we sheltered for a brief moment too).
It was just a short walk now to the gîte!
On the road, the water, despite it being a steep, downhill road, was ankle deep!
The cloud and thick surrounding jungle, which was by now tall, also made it extremely dark.
When we veered off the road, it got only worse.
The only ones who seemed to enjoy it were the frogs, of which we saw several.
That final half an hours walk, took us over an hour!
And that is how we completed our epic traverse. In near dark, completely saturated conditions, we staggered into Gîte de Basse Vallée.
We showered, put on dryer clothes (everything was a touch damp by now) and settled in for hot drinks and eventually a nice meal.
Come morning, everything we’d hung to dry was till at best damp, but often still sodden!
After a transfer to Saint Gilles, and an eventual reunion (on La Réunion) with Deborah, we spent a nice couple of days relaxing, eating and drinking, nursing our weary limbs, but hearts full after a truly amazing adventure.
This island is truly stunning! The variety of landscapes so diverse, and the hiking as good as anywhere I've ever been!
Sure, it was bloody tough at times, but then you'd see another view that would take your breath away, and you'd forget the weary feet or the busting lungs and just be captured by the moment.
This island, is a true adventure!
Explore the The ‘Grande Traversée’ HERE
Read the rest of our adventure HERE