1285 - Piton Maido (Réunion)
GOBERT Daniel - 02-10-2022:
Bonjour,
le Piton Maido n'est pas un des 1000 BIG mais bien une déclaration hors Europe. Même si la Réunion appartient à la France, au sens du BIG, les territoires d'outre-mer et colonies des pays sont situés géographiquement et non administrativement. ce fut décidé par sens pratico-pratique en Assemblée Générale il y a 10-15 ans. La Réunion fait donc partie de la "géographie de l'Afrique". Tu peux déclarer tes ascensions mais en suivant https://www.bigcycling.eu/fr/pages/index/index/url/zoneplus-inportant-information/ et surtout en remplissant pour chaque ascension le formulaire situé dans les menus en haut de cette page. Notre délégué zone+ entérinera ces réussites si elles suivent les règles en vigueur. Merci pour l'intérêt marqué à notre challenge et bravo pour ces réussites lointaines et probantes. A bientôt.
Presi-Dan
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
Bonjour,
le Piton Maido n'est pas un des 1000 BIG mais bien une déclaration hors Europe. Même si la Réunion appartient à la France, au sens du BIG, les territoires d'outre-mer et colonies des pays sont situés géographiquement et non administrativement. ce fut décidé par sens pratico-pratique en Assemblée Générale il y a 10-15 ans. La Réunion fait donc partie de la "géographie de l'Afrique". Tu peux déclarer tes ascensions mais en suivant https://www.bigcycling.eu/fr/pages/index/index/url/zoneplus-inportant-information/ et surtout en remplissant pour chaque ascension le formulaire situé dans les menus en haut de cette page. Notre délégué zone+ entérinera ces réussites si elles suivent les règles en vigueur. Merci pour l'intérêt marqué à notre challenge et bravo pour ces réussites lointaines et probantes. A bientôt.
Presi-Dan
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
CRAMAY Daniel - 01-10-2022:
Bonjour,
Je rentre d'un séjour à la Réunion, j'ai fait du vélo VTT, j'ai passé quelques BIG dont le Maido, mais je n'arrive pas à les déclarer sur le site
Peux tu m'aider
Daniel
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
Bonjour,
Je rentre d'un séjour à la Réunion, j'ai fait du vélo VTT, j'ai passé quelques BIG dont le Maido, mais je n'arrive pas à les déclarer sur le site
Peux tu m'aider
Daniel
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
OOSTRA Ard - 26-03-2019:
Climb of Le Maido (2195m alt.), island of La Réunion (France)
Its 3 am in the morning and pitch dark when I leave the hotel set on the coast of the Indian Ocean at St. Gilles les Bains and drive up with the car and the bicycle in it to the summit of Le Maido.
Two reasons, to start from the summit that day, 1) the star filled sky and sunrise at this high altitude are said to be really amazing and memorable, 2) because of the « yellow vests » protest movement in this November 2019, the roads are often blocked, mostly during the day, by sometimes over-excited protestors.
Driving the 30 km drive up this early in the day, I encounter hardly any traffic. Only the many curves in the roads, some steep ramps and smoking rubble and debris on the road at places where roadblocks had been set up previously, make me realize that I’m indeed on the mountainous, volcanic, almost exploding (from the societal point of view) island of La Réunion.
Arrived on the almost empty car park near the summit around 4 am I inhale the fresh mountain air, about 6 Celsius, quite a change from the subtropical nights at sea level. I notice some camping cars and see some other cars in which obviously others are spending their night. The little torchlight on my phone helps to find my way up to the viewpoint at the edge of the crater. From the dark I suddenly hear a “bonjour”. A French couple is already waiting silently for the first sounds of birds to come, before sunrise starts. We’ve a chat and I make some photos of the magnificent night sky. Its quite cold and I go back to the car for early breakfast and preparing myself for the bike ride. At first sight of dawn I walk back to the ridge and with a slowly increasing number of tourists and hikers we experience the sunrise above the central and eastern mountain peaks (of which the highest peak, the Piton des Neiges (3050 m) which gradually inundates the landscape with its light.
Time for some serious work has come now. Around 7 am I start the downhill on the bike until the outskirts of the city of Saint Paul. Going down from about 2200 m altitude to almost sea level in some 27 km! I make regular stops for making photos, there are many different landscapes on and changing views over the island! Also, for peeling of some layers of clothes.
When I start for the climb back up around 9 am, temperatures have risen to some 25 C and the sun is fully out. It’s typical for the mountain climate in the northwestern part of the island that during periods of stable high pressure, the nights and early mornings are cloudless. During my climb up I notice that clouds are quickly building up around the ridges and summits. Some welcome shade for the cyclist that wants to avoid from overheating on the steep ramps.
The suburban landscape at the lower altitudes turns into agricultural fields –mostly sugar cane-. In some of the villages, such as Le Guillaume, ordinary morning life, seems about to give way already to hot heads that want to re-establish roadblocks. By being friendly to them but not showing intention to hold from my side, they give me way, the cyclist even gets some positive remarks. Some kids on bikes try to join me for a while. Overall an interesting experience this “yellow vest” movement, the reasons for the anger of a big part of the local population is understandable. Although, as a cyclist, during my 18 day stay on the island, I had the chance to ride on increasingly empty roads (traffic halted, fuel shortage, curfews, fears to go out), it didn’t fully compensate from my frustration and daily need to cancel or change plans as far as discovering the island was concerned.
So, once arrived at forest level (national park) near Domaine La Petite France at 1200m altitude I feel relieved to have a good last stretch of quiet road in calm nature ahead. At his altitude the sun hides behind the clouds and mist is building up. Above 1800m at places the view ahead is not more than 20 meters. It’s my intention to climb up in one go, in which I succeed. The legs however are more than happy when the summit is reached. Despite the mist and absence of panoramic views from late morning onwards, the car park is fully filled now. It is easy to find some hikers that are willing to put me on photo with the sign of “Maido 2170m”. Mission accomplished.
In the end, by making some detours and choosing some alternative roads I make it back to the hotel in the late afternoon. With the sunset above the sea, another memorable cycling day on La Réunion has passed by in a particular setting.
Ard Oostra
December 2018
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
Climb of Le Maido (2195m alt.), island of La Réunion (France)
Its 3 am in the morning and pitch dark when I leave the hotel set on the coast of the Indian Ocean at St. Gilles les Bains and drive up with the car and the bicycle in it to the summit of Le Maido.
Two reasons, to start from the summit that day, 1) the star filled sky and sunrise at this high altitude are said to be really amazing and memorable, 2) because of the « yellow vests » protest movement in this November 2019, the roads are often blocked, mostly during the day, by sometimes over-excited protestors.
Driving the 30 km drive up this early in the day, I encounter hardly any traffic. Only the many curves in the roads, some steep ramps and smoking rubble and debris on the road at places where roadblocks had been set up previously, make me realize that I’m indeed on the mountainous, volcanic, almost exploding (from the societal point of view) island of La Réunion.
Arrived on the almost empty car park near the summit around 4 am I inhale the fresh mountain air, about 6 Celsius, quite a change from the subtropical nights at sea level. I notice some camping cars and see some other cars in which obviously others are spending their night. The little torchlight on my phone helps to find my way up to the viewpoint at the edge of the crater. From the dark I suddenly hear a “bonjour”. A French couple is already waiting silently for the first sounds of birds to come, before sunrise starts. We’ve a chat and I make some photos of the magnificent night sky. Its quite cold and I go back to the car for early breakfast and preparing myself for the bike ride. At first sight of dawn I walk back to the ridge and with a slowly increasing number of tourists and hikers we experience the sunrise above the central and eastern mountain peaks (of which the highest peak, the Piton des Neiges (3050 m) which gradually inundates the landscape with its light.
Time for some serious work has come now. Around 7 am I start the downhill on the bike until the outskirts of the city of Saint Paul. Going down from about 2200 m altitude to almost sea level in some 27 km! I make regular stops for making photos, there are many different landscapes on and changing views over the island! Also, for peeling of some layers of clothes.
When I start for the climb back up around 9 am, temperatures have risen to some 25 C and the sun is fully out. It’s typical for the mountain climate in the northwestern part of the island that during periods of stable high pressure, the nights and early mornings are cloudless. During my climb up I notice that clouds are quickly building up around the ridges and summits. Some welcome shade for the cyclist that wants to avoid from overheating on the steep ramps.
The suburban landscape at the lower altitudes turns into agricultural fields –mostly sugar cane-. In some of the villages, such as Le Guillaume, ordinary morning life, seems about to give way already to hot heads that want to re-establish roadblocks. By being friendly to them but not showing intention to hold from my side, they give me way, the cyclist even gets some positive remarks. Some kids on bikes try to join me for a while. Overall an interesting experience this “yellow vest” movement, the reasons for the anger of a big part of the local population is understandable. Although, as a cyclist, during my 18 day stay on the island, I had the chance to ride on increasingly empty roads (traffic halted, fuel shortage, curfews, fears to go out), it didn’t fully compensate from my frustration and daily need to cancel or change plans as far as discovering the island was concerned.
So, once arrived at forest level (national park) near Domaine La Petite France at 1200m altitude I feel relieved to have a good last stretch of quiet road in calm nature ahead. At his altitude the sun hides behind the clouds and mist is building up. Above 1800m at places the view ahead is not more than 20 meters. It’s my intention to climb up in one go, in which I succeed. The legs however are more than happy when the summit is reached. Despite the mist and absence of panoramic views from late morning onwards, the car park is fully filled now. It is easy to find some hikers that are willing to put me on photo with the sign of “Maido 2170m”. Mission accomplished.
In the end, by making some detours and choosing some alternative roads I make it back to the hotel in the late afternoon. With the sunset above the sea, another memorable cycling day on La Réunion has passed by in a particular setting.
Ard Oostra
December 2018
Write if you suggest some modification or a new side the URL of a GPX track
