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La Piton De La Fournaise stands at over 8,000 feet.
The volcano has erupted thirty times in the last seven years
making it one of the most active volcanos in the world. The
last major eruption took place in 1986 when the lava flows
reached the sea and added a fair amount of land to the island.
When to go
The weather is highly changeable year round, fog can cover
the crater and plateau in under ten minutes, so the best season
to go is June or July when clear blue skies are practically
guaranteed.
Equipment to bring
The hike is of medium difficulty, taking five or six hours
to reach the crater and return, but it's easily done independently.
You will need to bring suitable clothing: layers of clothing
which you can peel off as the weather gets warmer, waterproof
jacket and trousers, a hat and gloves. Also bring plenty of
water, energy snacks, and a mobile phone.
Trekker's tips
Before attempting the climb, inspect the hazard warnings posted
up by the National Parks Service which let you know where
it is safe and where it is forbidden to hike. You should always
keep to the marked trails; when there is a risk of eruption
some of the trails are closed.
You descend a precariously roped path way down to explore
the expansive caldera. A caldera is where low viscosity
magma pours from the volcano and the magma is runny (basalt).
The land forms according to the magma exiting the chambers.
The volcano erupts gently and the lava flows away easily to
form a shield-shaped plain. La Piton is a basalt shield
volcano.
You can climb a strange, pebbly 'ant hill' mound - the colour
and form is like something you can imagine on Mars. This is
formed when occasionally high viscosity magma gets stuck on
the way out of the crater until pressure builds up and it
gets forced out explosively like a fire mountain, scattering
rock fragments and volcanic dust over a wide area.
From the mountain ridge you can view broken craters, shrouded
by a stream of wafting clouds, and other mountains, most notably
the Piton des Neiges - the highest peak in the Indian
Ocean at 9,000 feet and the oldest mountain in Réunion.
It takes three hours to reach the inner crater from the base.
From here you may see smoke or even fiery lava channels depending
on how active the volcano is that day. Your guide will advise
how far it is safe to continue but you can bet this will be
the most daring geological experience of your life!
Flora
Nothing grows or lives in the volcano apart from dry bush
which, if given sufficient nourishment through rain, becomes
a mousse plant. Then if that thrives a 'Petit bois' plant
grows with berries, but you must not eat the berries because
it can kill you as the soil is poisonous. The Creoles call
the plant 'Mother-in-law' because you can boil the
plant in water and serve it to your mother in law as a soup!
Instead, keep your energy levels up on the trek with plenty
of sugar and liquids.
Where to stay
The Gîte du Volcan is in a fantastic location
near the volcano Piton de La Fournaise - and ideal
departure point for a volcano mini-trek. Accommodation is
in dormitories of 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16, with communal showers
and hot water, although the wooden cabin is solar-powered,
so if it's cloudy (which it often is in Réunion) the
hot water can be erratic. It costs $35 for a bed, breakfast
and dinner at communal tables. The gîte is family-run
by the welcoming and friendly Picard family whose uncle started
the gîte in the 1930s. It's often full so you must book
in advance through the Maison
de La Montagne's website. |
