GUNUNG · Réunion (Prancis)

Maïdo

Le Maïdo / Piton Maïdo

Titik pandang Piton Maïdo yang menghadap Cirque de Mafate, Réunion. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 2.205 m
Country: Réunion (Prancis) (RE)
Location / Range: Massif du Piton des Neiges, Pulau Réunion (Samudra Hindia barat daya); di atas komune Saint-Paul, menghadap Cirque de Mafate
Mountain type: Puncak dan titik pandang di tepi (rempart) sisa gunung berapi perisai Piton des Neiges yang tererosi — bukan gunung berapi aktif
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -21.0689, 55.3878
Difficulty: Titik pandang puncak dapat dicapai berkendara lalu jalan kaki singkat; namun jalur turun ke Mafate (mis. ke Roche Plate) sangat berat karena rempart curam dan beda ketinggian besar
Best Season: Musim kemarau austral (Mei–November); paling ramai saat matahari terbit ketika langit di atas awan Mafate paling jernih
Permits & Rules: Tidak perlu izin; kawasan berada dalam Parc national de La Réunion (Situs Warisan Dunia UNESCO)
Hazards: Kabut yang menutup pemandangan dengan cepat, angin dingin di pagi hari, dan — bagi yang turun ke Mafate — jalur rempart sangat curam dengan risiko tergelincir dan kelelahan berat

Description

The Maïdo, or Piton Maïdo, is a 2,205 m peak on the island of Réunion, a French overseas department in the south-western Indian Ocean. It sits within the commune of Saint-Paul and looks straight down into the Cirque de Mafate, making it one of the island's most popular viewpoints because a road climbs almost to its top. From the edge of its rempart, visitors gaze down into the heart of Mafate — a roadless, isolated cirque reachable only on foot or by helicopter — with its scattered îlets (tiny hamlets) and distant summits. Sunrise at the Maïdo is an iconic sight, a sea of cloud filling the cirque before the morning light breaks through. Beyond the panorama, the Maïdo is a hiking gateway: trails set off from here along the rempart toward the Grand Bénare, as well as a demanding descent to the hamlet of Roche Plate on the floor of Mafate. The peak is part of the eroded rim of the extinct Piton des Neiges shield volcano rather than an active crater, and the whole area lies within the UNESCO-listed Parc national de La Réunion.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Titik pandang Maïdo & sentier découverte tamarinaie

Mudah, dekat area parkir

Beberapa menit ke titik pandang; ~1–2 jam untuk jalur penemuan hutan tamarin

The Maïdo summit and viewpoint are reached by driving to the car park, then a short walk to the edge of the rempart overlooking the Cirque de Mafate. Nearby runs the sentier de découverte de la tamarinaie, a short, easy family-friendly trail through the tamarind forest. The Randopitons guide has the details.

Source

Turun ke Roche Plate (Cirque de Mafate)

Berat, rempart curam

Pendakian sehari penuh (turun-naik menguras tenaga)

From the Maïdo a trail branches down the steep rempart to the hamlet of Roche Plate on the floor of the roadless Cirque de Mafate. The descent and the climb back out are exhausting due to the large elevation difference. The Réunion la 1ère report follows this route.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Experiences at the Maïdo come in two flavours: as an easily road-accessible viewpoint for watching sunrise over the sea of cloud filling the Cirque de Mafate, and as the trailhead for the tough route to the Grand Bénare or the descent to the hamlet of Roche Plate on the floor of Mafate. The clips below — from a sunrise, to a summit exploration, to the Grand Raid trail-running route and a mountain-bike descent — show the many ways people enjoy the Maïdo.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.