GUNUNG · Mayotte (Prancis)

Mont Choungui

Mlima wa Choungui

Information

Elevation: 593 m
Country: Mayotte (Prancis) (YT)
Location / Range: Southern Grande-Terre, Mayotte
Mountain type: Remnant volcanic mountain with a phonolitic extrusion.
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -12.9569, 45.1339
Difficulty: Randopitons rates the main route difficult: 3.2 km return, 320 m of ascent and about 2 hours. The upper section requires handholds on roots and rocks.
Best Season: Outremer Tourisme suggests the dry season, roughly April–November, and an early start. Check trail conditions after rain.
Permits & Rules: Jardin Maore describes an outing with a guide in 2023. That account does not confirm permit rules, organized-hike schedules or current access.
Hazards: Roots and rocks provide handholds on steep ground, and descending can be harder than climbing. Allier à Mayotte highlights difficulty for people uncomfortable with heights; Outremer Tourisme warns of slippery footing after rain and recommends water and grippy footwear.

Description

Mont Choungui is a conical volcanic mountain in southern Grande-Terre, Mayotte. Wikidata records an elevation of 593 m, while Jardin Maore describes it as the island's second-highest summit. The short ascent passes plantations and forest before a steep finish above the lagoon, so its limited length understates the terrain's difficulty. Accounts report different timings: the Allier à Mayotte group records about 45 minutes uphill in 2016, while Jardin Maore allows an hour each way excluding breaks. Karibu maoré documents a forest circuit with a summit detour taking about 2.5 hours in 2014. These figures are source experiences or estimates, not guaranteed timings or confirmation of current access.

Gallery

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

Routes

Desa Choungui → Puncak Mont Choungui (rute utama, pulang-pergi)

Sulit — menurut Randopitons

3.20 km +320 m Sekitar 2 jam pulang-pergi (estimasi Randopitons)

The Randopitons route starts near the reservoir and picnic area before Choungui village. It crosses banana plots and forest before a steep upper section requiring root and rock handholds. Return the same way; the description emphasizes the difficult descent. The source’s 3.2 km, 320 m ascent and roughly 2 hours apply to the full route, not individual segments.

Route Segments

1

Reservoir → kebun pisang / Reservoir → banana plots
2

Kebun → hutan / Plantations → forest
3

Hutan → puncak / Forest → summit

593 mdpl

Bagian curam dengan pegangan akar dan batu / Steep ground with root and rock handholds
4

Puncak → reservoir / Summit → reservoir

Kembali melalui jalur yang sama / Return along the same trail

Source

Putaran hutan Choungui dengan cabang puncak

Bagian puncak curam; grade teknis tidak disebutkan

Sekitar 2,5 jam dalam catatan 2014

Historical 2014 route from the cistern roughly 1 km before the village: join the wooded GR, then take the summit spur at the information board. Return to continue the forest circuit. The summit section is very steep with root handholds; check current access locally.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Choungui starts gently before becoming steep, with roots and rocks used as handholds. The 2016 and 2023 accounts describe lagoon views as the reward while emphasizing hands-on climbing and care on descent. Group timings differ, and the forest circuit plus summit detour in the 2014 account is longer than a direct ascent. Historical reports illustrate terrain experiences rather than establish current access.

References

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