A hike through the Mafate cirque that I had planned to do later in my trip. It’s said to be difficult, and I’m not sure I’m up to the challenge. With a group of Fabienne’s friends, we set out on this two-day hike, a loop that follows the Scouts Trail and the Augustave Trail. We start with the Augustave Trail, which is less frequently used.

In fact, the Augustave Trail is shorter but also more difficult. And it starts raining fairly early on, which makes the hike harder and the trails more slippery. It’s only at the end of the hike that the clouds clear and magnificent landscapes come into view...

Once we arrive in Aurere, our first stop will be the local bar, which serves an excellent Dalon IPA on tap ! Then we’ll head to the Bonne Terre campground, where we’ll be staying. The meal scheduled for 7 p.m. is running late because part of our group got lost... Around 7:30 p.m., shouts in Creole erupt from all corners of the room : “Enough already, it’s time to eat !” The lost group arrives around 7:45 p.m., just in time for the appetizer.

The next day, we set off at a leisurely pace a little after 9 a.m., after having breakfast at the village bakery.

So we headed up the Scouts Trail, which had a significant elevation gain but a longer incline than the day before. The path was beautiful, with splendid views of the Mafate peaks...
Beautiful weather all the way. I had a hard time getting back into the rhythm after lunch and arrived at the parking lot long after the others. A really great hike.