Piton des Neiges

Getting there

Set your GPS to - Parking du Bloc Reunion Island - There is a medium sized carpark that fills up at the peak times of the day. It is free to leave your vehicle there overnight.

Route/Trail notes

The walk is well marked and well maintained and starts from the carpark. The first hour is the steepest section with lots of stairs and switchbacks. Even though it eases off a bit an hour in it is still constant uphill all the way to the refuge. The refuge is a large hut with a common area, bathroom with flushing toilets, a dining room and 2 sleeping areas filled with bunk beds. Blankets are included but you will have to bring your own sleeping bag liner or sheets. You can also purchase drinking water, beers and snacks here. The staff are all very friendly but only speak limited English.

The walk from the refuge to the summit follows a rocky trail that is a bit more undulating than the constantly steep uphill you faced to get to the refuge. Eventually you will pass rock barriers built to shelter people from the cold wind at the summit and from here it is only a short walk to the summit. On a clear day you will be greeted by immense views of the island and the nearby ocean.

Permits/Costs

If you elect to stay at the refuge it costs 19 Euro for the night + 32 Euro if you elect to have dinner and breakfast included.

https://book.reunion.fr/fr/hebergements/a310792/product/reserver

Other References

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/reunion/saint-pierre/piton-des-neiges

GPS Tracks

No GPS available for this walk yet.

Comments

If you ever just happen to be on Reunion Island for some reason this is well worth a visit. The hike is quite similar to Mt Olympus except without the scrambling section near the summit. Quite a popular walk, attracts a lot of tourists - mostly from France. It took me 2.5hrs to the refuge and a further 2hrs to the summit with the descent taking slightly less time. So it is quite reasonable to do it in a day if you were so inclined, however I was time poor and commenced the walk at around 3.30pm. Looking back this was a good time to start because the carpark had a few available spots due to the time coinciding with when a lot of the day hikers began returning. I arrived at the refuge around sunset and just in time for dinner which starts at 1830. Even on a mountain refuge the dinner was served with wine which was a nice French touch. Unfortunately the summit was engulfed in cloud so I didn't get to see the view, but got some nice views on the way up and down to make up for it.
Vonsnrub on 7 Jun, 2024