Piton des Neiges
Encyclopedia
The Piton des Neiges is a massive 3,069 m (10,069 ft) shield volcano
on Réunion
, one of the French
volcanic island
s in the Mascarene Archipelago
in the southwestern Indian Ocean
. It is located about 800 kilometres (497.1 mi) east of Madagascar
. Piton des Neiges is the highest point on Réunion and is considered to be the highest point in the Indian Ocean. The volcano was formed by the Réunion hotspot
and emerged from the sea about two million years ago. Now deeply eroded, the volcano has been inactive for 20,000 years and is surrounded by three massive crater valleys, the Cirques. Piton des Neiges forms the northwestern two thirds of Réunion, with the very active Piton de la Fournaise
comprising the rest. Despite its name, snow
practically never falls on the summit.
The volcanic island is considered to be about three million years old (Pliocene
); the other two islands in the archipelago, Mauritius
and Rodrigues
, are 7.8 million (Miocene
) and 1½ million (Pleistocene
) years old, respectively. The island possesses a high endemism
of flowering plants (about 225); this has justified the creation of a biological reserve on the lower slopes of the Piton des Neiges.
There are three medium-difficulty tracks leading up to the peak, one from the Cirque de Salazie, one from the Cirque de Cilaos
and one from La Plaine des Cafres. They meet at a staffed mountain hut about an hour's walk below the peak at la Caverne Dufour. Walkers often arrive there after a long day trek up the mountain, and start out very early the next day to watch the sunrise from the summit. The hike can be done in a long one day 10-12 hour hike, but it is often preferable to make it a two day hike. The mountain hut offers heated indoor lodging, outdoor tent lodging, and meals. It is best to make reservations.
The hike starting from Cilaos
is about 6.5 hours up and 4 hours down. To reach the start of the hike, drive through Cilaos toward la Mare à St Joseph. About 3 km past Cilaos, you will see a sign and some parking on both sides of the street. You may also leave your car downtown and follow the road to the trail head (sometimes there is no parking at the trail head). The hike is very steep (a climb of 1700m from trail head, almost 2000m from downtown), and one should be cautious if the trail is wet. The trail is well marked.
The hike starting from la Plaine des Cafres is about 8 hours up and 5 hours down with a change in elevation of 1700m. To access the hike, follow RN3 past Le Tampon, all the way to La Plaine des Cafres and Bourg Murat. 2.5 km after Bourg Murat, take a left on the GR R2 road toward Savane Mare à Boue, follow for 2 km and park at the trail head. The trail is well marked.
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
on Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, one of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
volcanic island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s in the Mascarene Archipelago
Mascarene Islands
The Mascarene Islands is a group of islands in the Indian Ocean east of Madagascar comprising Mauritius, Réunion, Rodrigues, Cargados Carajos shoals, plus the former islands of the Saya de Malha, Nazareth and Soudan banks...
in the southwestern Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. It is located about 800 kilometres (497.1 mi) east of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Piton des Neiges is the highest point on Réunion and is considered to be the highest point in the Indian Ocean. The volcano was formed by the Réunion hotspot
Réunion hotspot
The Réunion hotspot is a volcanic hotspot which currently lies under the Island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos-Laccadive Ridge and the southern part of the Mascarene Plateau are volcanic traces of the Réunion hotspot....
and emerged from the sea about two million years ago. Now deeply eroded, the volcano has been inactive for 20,000 years and is surrounded by three massive crater valleys, the Cirques. Piton des Neiges forms the northwestern two thirds of Réunion, with the very active Piton de la Fournaise
Piton de la Fournaise
Piton de la Fournaise : "Peak of the Furnace" is a shield volcano on the eastern side of Réunion island in the Indian Ocean. It is currently one of the most active volcanoes in the world, along with Kīlauea in the Hawaiian Islands , Stromboli, Etna and Mount Erebus in Antarctica...
comprising the rest. Despite its name, snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
practically never falls on the summit.
The volcanic island is considered to be about three million years old (Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
); the other two islands in the archipelago, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
and Rodrigues
Rodrigues (island)
Rodrigues , sometimes spelled Rodriguez but named after the Portuguese explorer Diogo Rodrigues, is the smallest of the Mascarene Islands and a dependency of Mauritius...
, are 7.8 million (Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
) and 1½ million (Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
) years old, respectively. The island possesses a high endemism
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
of flowering plants (about 225); this has justified the creation of a biological reserve on the lower slopes of the Piton des Neiges.
Tourism
Cilaos
Cilaos is a town and commune on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1214 m...
and one from La Plaine des Cafres. They meet at a staffed mountain hut about an hour's walk below the peak at la Caverne Dufour. Walkers often arrive there after a long day trek up the mountain, and start out very early the next day to watch the sunrise from the summit. The hike can be done in a long one day 10-12 hour hike, but it is often preferable to make it a two day hike. The mountain hut offers heated indoor lodging, outdoor tent lodging, and meals. It is best to make reservations.
The hike starting from Cilaos
Cilaos
Cilaos is a town and commune on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean. It is located centrally on the island, in a caldera of altitude 1214 m...
is about 6.5 hours up and 4 hours down. To reach the start of the hike, drive through Cilaos toward la Mare à St Joseph. About 3 km past Cilaos, you will see a sign and some parking on both sides of the street. You may also leave your car downtown and follow the road to the trail head (sometimes there is no parking at the trail head). The hike is very steep (a climb of 1700m from trail head, almost 2000m from downtown), and one should be cautious if the trail is wet. The trail is well marked.
The hike starting from la Plaine des Cafres is about 8 hours up and 5 hours down with a change in elevation of 1700m. To access the hike, follow RN3 past Le Tampon, all the way to La Plaine des Cafres and Bourg Murat. 2.5 km after Bourg Murat, take a left on the GR R2 road toward Savane Mare à Boue, follow for 2 km and park at the trail head. The trail is well marked.
See also
- List of volcanoes in Réunion
- List of islands by highest point
- List of Ultras of Africa