Réunion GR R2

This trip was my pre-hip surgery treat, kind of a finale before swapping out a second hip and being out of action for months! Also it was a sought after GR hike on a French department island in the Indian Ocean, and very close to Mauritius – what wasn’t there to be excited about.

Department 974 was unfortunately not easily reached, at least not from our local airport, Geneva. For this trip we had to book a direct flight out of Paris Orly, a route that would at least allow us to spend a couple of nights in Paris beforehand. And so it was; drive to Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, train to Paris, couple days sightseeing, flight to Reunion (and a cheeky 5 days in Mauritius).

The highlight of this vacation being the GR R2 hike, crossing a very mountainous Reunion from north to south.

Typical 12 day itinerary

• Stage 1: Le Brûlé – Gite Roche Ecrite (our day 1)
• Stage 2: Gite Roche Ecrite – Dos D’âne (our day 2)
• Stage 3: Dos D’âne – Aurère (our day 2)
• Stage 4: Aurère à Grande Place (our day 3)
• Stage 5: Grande Place à Roche Plate (our day 3)
• Stage 6: Roche Plate – Trois Roches – Marla (our day 4 ending at Bergerie de Vaccaghja)
• Stage 7: Marla à Cilaos (our day 5 beginning at Bergerie de Vaccaghja)
• Stage 8: Cilaos à Dufour (our day 5)
• Stage 9: Dufour à Bourg Murat (our day 6)
• Stage 10: Bourg Murat – Gîte du Volcan – Piton de la Fournaise (alt route not on GRR2)
• Stage 11: Gîte du Volcan à Gîte de Base Vallée (our day 7)
• Stage 12: Gîte de Base Vallée à Base Vallée (our day 8)

GR R2 Day 1: Au Banc, Le Brûlé to Gîte Bienvenue dans les Hauts, Dos d’Âne

Distance: 26.39km, Ascent: 1,471m, Time: 7:51:39
Total Distance: 26.39km, Total Ascent: 1,471m

GR R2 Day 2: Gîte Bienvenue dans les Hauts, Dos d’Âne to BOYER Georget – Le Poinsétia, Aurère

Distance: 12.76km, Ascent: 911m, Time: 5:13:30
Total Distance: 39.15km, Total Ascent: 2,382m

GR R2 Day 3: BOYER Georget – Le Poinsétia, Aurère to Gîte Le Domaine de Mafate, Roche Plate

Distance: 21.9km, Ascent: 2,048m, Time: 9:04:40
Total Distance: 61.05km, Total Ascent: 4,430m

GR R2 Day 4: Gîte Le Domaine de Mafate, Roche Plate to Chambre et table d’hôte Le Kerval, Marla

Distance: 11.89km, Ascent: 985m, Time: 5:27:54
Total Distance: 72.94km, Total Ascent: 5,415m

GR R2 Day 5: Chambre et table d’hôte Le Kerval, Marla to Refuge du Piton des Neiges, Cilaos

Distance: 21.63km, Ascent: 2,385m, Time: 8:38:40
Total Distance: 94.57km, Total Ascent: 7,800m

GR R2 Day 6: Refuge du Piton des Neiges, Cilaos to Les Agapanthes, Bourg Murat

Distance: 25.4km, Ascent: 1,034m, Time: 9:17:50
Total Distance: 119.97km, Total Ascent: 8,834m

GR R2 Day 7: Les Agapanthes, Bourg Murat to Le Gîte du Volcan, Sainte-Rose

Distance: 22.86km, Ascent: 1,212m, Time: 7:26:27
Total Distance: 142.83km, Total Ascent: 10,046m

GR R2 Day 8: Le Gîte du Volcan, Sainte-Rose to Basse Vallée

Distance: 23.81km, Ascent: 263m, Time: 7:47:33
Total Distance: 166.64km, Total Ascent: 10,309m