GUNUNG · Réunion (Prancis)

Piton des Neiges

Piton des Neiges ("Puncak Salju")

Information

Elevation: 3.069 m
Country: Réunion (Prancis) (RE)
Location / Range: Massif du Piton des Neiges, Pulau Réunion (Kepulauan Mascarene), Samudra Hindia barat daya
Mountain type: Gunung berapi kompleks (perisai) yang sudah punah & tererosi dalam — puncak tertinggi Samudra Hindia
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -21.0989, 55.4789
Difficulty: Menantang — pendakian panjang dengan tanjakan curam (±1.700 m gain dari Cilaos) lewat banyak anak tangga batu; umumnya bermalam di gîte lalu summit dini hari
Best Season: Mei–November (musim kemarau, lebih kering & cerah). Hindari musim hujan/siklon Desember–Maret. Berangkat dini hari untuk matahari terbit di atas lautan awan
Permits & Rules: Tidak perlu izin khusus; akses bebas lewat jalur GR R1/R2. Menginap di Gîte de la Caverne Dufour wajib reservasi
Hazards: Suhu mendekati beku di puncak (kadang turun salju), angin & paparan terbuka, kabut/awan tebal, jalur batu licin saat gelap, dan kelelahan akibat tanjakan panjang

Description

Piton des Neiges (literally "Snow Peak") is the highest point of Réunion, a French overseas department in the south-western Indian Ocean about 800 km east of Madagascar. At roughly 3,069 m it is regarded as the highest point in the entire Indian Ocean. It is the summit of a complex shield volcano that is now extinct — inactive for more than 12,000 years — and so deeply eroded that it is ringed by three vast crater valleys (cirques): Cilaos, Salazie and Mafate, which define the island's dramatic landscape. Its massif covers about three-fifths of Réunion. Climbing to the top is one of the island's signature hikes: the most popular track starts from Cilaos and climbs steeply through forest and volcanic rock to the Gîte de la Caverne Dufour mountain hut, where most walkers sleep before making a pre-dawn push to catch sunrise above a sea of clouds. Snow occasionally dusts the summit in the austral winter — the source of its name.

Gallery

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

Routes

Via Cilaos – Gîte de la Caverne Dufour (jalur terpopuler)

Menantang (tanjakan ±1.736 m, banyak anak tangga batu)

14.30 km +1736 m ~8,5 jam mendaki; umumnya dibagi 2 hari dengan bermalam di gîte

The most popular track starts in the Cirque de Cilaos and climbs steeply about 1,736 m to the staffed Gîte de la Caverne Dufour, roughly an hour's walk below the summit. Although doable in a single day, most hikers sleep at the hut and make a pre-dawn push for sunrise. Wikipedia gives the route as about 8.9 miles, averaging 8.5 hours.

Source

Via Cirque de Salazie (Hell-Bourg)

Menantang

1–2 hari (bertemu jalur Cilaos di gîte)

A track from the Cirque de Salazie (near Hell-Bourg) that joins the Cilaos route at the Gîte de la Caverne Dufour about an hour below the summit. A classic alternative approaching the peak from the island's northern side.

Source

Via Plaine des Cafres (Bourg-Murat)

Panjang & menantang

31.50 km +1430 m Jauh lebih panjang dari jalur Cilaos

The longest approach, starting from la Plaine des Cafres (Bourg-Murat). Wikipedia records it at about 19.6 miles with a similar elevation gain (~1,430 m). Suited to hikers wanting a longer, quieter route.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Experiences on Piton des Neiges almost always centre on the pre-dawn climb from Cilaos: the long ascent to the Gîte de la Caverne Dufour, a short sleep, then a head-torch push in the dark to reach the summit for sunrise above a sea of clouds. The sources below are first-person French- and English-language vlogs capturing the hut logistics, the brutal climb, the cold summit and the panorama over the three cirques.

References

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