recommended route
Piton de la Fournaise (2512m) - to the edge of the Dolomieu crater
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Even the approach, the last stretch on an unpaved road, is an experience.Photo: Gerhard König, Alpenverein Salzkammergut
moderate
Distance 11.6 km
5:00 h
500 m
500 m
2,512 m
2,215 m
The Piton de la Fournaise is one of the active volcanoes. The last major eruption was in 2007 and there was a smaller eruption for a few hours on 5 November 2009. The hike presented here leads through a unique lava landscape. After a descent of just over 100 metres into a magnificent lava plain, the trail crosses it on a slight incline. Passing a lava chapel (Chapelle de Rosemont), the volcano is half circumnavigated in a clockwise direction to reach the crater rim. Here you have a unique view into the deep crater funnel.
The hike is possible all year round, but the driest time is from June to October.
Author’s recommendation
Don't be put off by the journey times on the signposts! It really doesn't take that long!
Difficulty
moderate
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Highest point
Piton de la Fournaise (Cratere Dolomieu), 2,512 m
Lowest point
Enclos du Vulcan, 2,215 m
Best time of year
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Track types
Forested/wild trail
2.3 km
Path
1.5 km
No marked trail
7.9 km
Safety information
Once you reach the edge of the crater, signs indicate unstable terrain, which is demarcated by a white line and could collapse into the crater at any time. However, this does not seem to impress the countless hikers.The path is marked with clear white and broad lines at intervals of 2 to 3 metres, as the lava plain offers no points of reference in foggy conditions. Therefore, do not stray far from the markings, as fog can roll in very quickly.
Start
Car park at the end of the Route du Volcan
Coordinates:
DD
-21.225536, 55.684434
DMS
21°13'31.9"S 55°41'04.0"E
UTM
40K 363472 7652323
w3w
///eloquently.craning.watchwords
Destination
Edge of the Cratere Dolomieu (Piton de la Fournaise)
Turn-by-turn directions
From the car park at the outer edge of the crater, walk 700m in an easterly direction slightly downhill to a gate, where the descent path to the lava plain begins. On a wide, well-maintained path, the trail descends 100 metres downhill in serpentines. The white markings begin here at intervals of 2 to 3 metres. The path climbs gently for 1.5 kilometres in a south-south-easterly direction to the lava chapel (Chapelle de Rosemont). Keep left at a crossroads (signpost). The route now begins to climb. At an altitude of around 2480 metres, you turn southwards. The eastern slopes of the Piton de la Fournaise are crossed, descending and ascending. Finally, a signpost (2460m) is reached. The path now climbs south-westwards for the last 50 metres to the crater rim.
Public transport
NoneDirections
From La Plaine des Cafres, take the Route du Volcan to the end (2350m).Parking
Large free car parkCoordinates
DD
-21.225536, 55.684434
DMS
21°13'31.9"S 55°41'04.0"E
UTM
40K 363472 7652323
w3w
///eloquently.craning.watchwords
Get there by train, car, bike, or on foot!
Book recommendation by the author
Rother hiking guide Le Reunion by Walter Iwersen ISBN 978-3-7633-4278-5
Book recommendations for this region:
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Equipment
Many hikers undertake the hike wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and a water bottle. It can suddenly get very cold due to fog and wind (take a jumper/rain jacket)! Don't forget sun protection - it's a shade-free hike in the tropics!Localization
Parts of this content were machine translated using German as the source language
Reviews
Difficulty
moderate
Distance
11.6 km
Duration
5:00 h
Ascent
500 m
Descent
500 m
Highest point
2,512 m
Lowest point
2,215 m
Weather at the route's trailhead
Statistics
2D
3D
Maps and trails
- Waypoints
- Waypoints
-
Route
-
Gradient
-
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km
Distance
: h
Duration
m
Ascent
m
Descent
m
Highest point
m
Lowest point
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