Trying to bike up Maïdo was one of the goals of my trip. But first, I wanted to tackle a training pass, and if I could manage that, then I’d give it a shot.

Tuesday, Dos d’âne

A pass at an altitude of 1,045 m, starting from La Possession, fairly close to St-Denis. A tailwind made for easy riding along the main N1 road, then I started the climb. When I’m riding, I set little milestones in my head : a third of the way, halfway, just a quarter left… In this case, I measured them by elevation.
I pass just a few meters from the pass (they aren’t marked like they are in mainland France, most of the time) and then decide to push on to Cap Noir, a little further up.
There’s a very pretty lookout point at Cap Noir with a magnificent view of Mafate.
Then it’s back down... but the return trip along the main coastal road will be tough ; the headwind is very strong starting from Grande Chaloupe. It takes me over an hour and a half to cover the 12 km...

Wednesday, stop in Petite France

I couldn’t see myself tackling the 2,200-meter elevation gain all at once. I planned a stop halfway up and chose the bed-and-breakfast closest to Maïdo that I could find. Luckily, because after a break in St-Paul to buy a sandwich, I started climbing around noon and it was incredibly hot. I arrived at the guesthouse around 3 p.m. I’d have dinner there that evening, and my host made me a thermos of coffee.

Thursday morning, Le Maïdo

I set off a little before 4 a.m. to reach Le Maïdo at sunrise. For the first hour, not a single car, just a few dogs in front of their houses, a gray cat... Then I’m overtaken by cars full of people also coming to see the morning spectacle.
Sunrise was forecast for 6:52 a.m., but in reality, two hundred meters from the summit, the ridges were already glowing red.

In three days, I’ll have still managed 3,800 meters of elevation gain !!