The crossing of Mafate by hiking
Duration : 4 days
Africa, Réunion Island
Level : advanced
from 585 € / p. from 1 to 12 persons
Infos & Booking
Description
I propose you to go for the north-south crossing of the Mafate cirque by hiking. Along the 43,5 kilometres of trails located between 450 and 1750 meters of altitude, you will climb a total positive difference in altitude of 2900 meters.
This crossing of the cirque of Mafate on the Reunion Island is designed by my care to make you discover the most beautiful landscapes of the cirque!
The pick up is in Savannah, Saint-Paul, reachable by city bus and where you can leave the vehicles. End of the trek in Cilaos, junction Cilaos - Saint-Louis by bus and minibus.
If I am unavailable, a colleague from the Bureau Montagne Réunion Trek will take care of the supervision.
Still in this beautiful cirque, I also propose four other treks:
- a 2-day discovery of the high Mafate,
- a hike on the Orangers pipe and in the low Mafate,
- the loop of the high Mafate cirque,
- the tour of the low Mafate islets by hiking,
- and the discovery of the low Mafate cirque.
Program
D1 : Sans Soucis - Islet des Orangers.
We start by going to Sans Soucis, in the heights of Saint-Paul, by minibus (20 minutes, 10km), from where we start the path of the Orangers channel: it's a superb panoramic path on the side of the rampart, almost flat, which offers you an exceptional entrance to the Mafate cirque. You reach the îlet des orangers, to spend your first night in a lodge at the foot of the vertiginous Maïdo rampart.
Duration: 6 hours, distance: 13.5km, positive altitude difference: 550 meters, negative altitude difference: 50 meters.
D2: Les Orangers - Roche Plate - La plaine aux Sables.
Today we take the GRR3 to cross the islet of Roche Plate, continue to the foot of the Maïdo rampart for one of the most beautiful sections of path on the island, and reach the Trois Roches and their plunging waterfall. After a break by the river, you go back up to the Plaine aux Sables, a magnificent plateau overlooking the Galets river, to reach an incredible isolated lodge where you spend the night (if the gîte is not available, we can spend the night in La Nouvelle).
Duration: 6 hours, distance: 11km, D+: 1000m, D-: 550m.
D3: La plaine aux Sables - La Nouvelle - Marla.
From the Plaine aux Sables, you reach the islet of La Nouvelle, the largest islet of Mafate, then go up to the Plaine des Tamarins, where the emblematic tamarinds of the highlands offer a mystical decor. You then descend to the bottom of the Galets river to enjoy its refreshing atmosphere, then climb back up to the Marla plateau, the highest islet of Mafate (1600m), and overhung by the 3000 meters high Gros Morne.
Duration: 5 hours, distance: 8,5km, D+: 550m, D-: 400m.
D4: Marla - Cilaos.
Today you leave the Mafate cirque to reach the Cilaos cirque via the Taïbit pass, the only passage between the two cirques. You cross the road to the îlet à Cordes, then reach the bottom of the Bras Rouge river to discover the waterfall of the same name. A final climb up the shaded ravine leads you to the town of Cilaos, from where we take the town bus to Saint-Louis. (1h30 bus ride). From Saint-Louis we transfer to Savannah to meet our vehicles. (50 km, 40 minutes).
Duration: 6 hours, distance: 10.5km, D+: 800m, D-: 1200m.
The price includes
- Supervision by the mountain leader.
- Accommodation in ½ board (night + evening meal and breakfasts), in gites or huts, in small dormitories.
- Transfers mentioned in the programme.
- Price calculated on a minimum number of 4 participants, guidance in French.
- Special requests (small groups, large groups, foreign languages): please contact me.
- For groups that have already been formed, the rates are degressive according to the number of participants.
The price does not include
- Picnic lunches (available as an option). I will advise you of the best ways to have lunch.
- Vehicle transfers other than those mentioned in the program.
- Drinks other than those provided at meals.
- Personal equipment.
- Personal expenses.
- Insurance and assistance (optional).
- Anything not mentioned in "The price includes".
Accommodation
- Mountain lodges.