The route
From the RN1, take the "Dos d'Âne / Moulin Joli" exit, then follow "Dos d'Âne" and "Cap Noir" to the end of the road. The Cap Noir car park is at about 1,145 m. Without a car, Kar'Ouest bus line 8a runs from Le Port to the "Cap Noir" stop, a quarter of an hour's walk from the car park. Dos d'Âne is a farming hamlet set on a plateau above the Rivière des Galets valley. It is also one of the gateways to Mafate, by the path down to Deux Bras.
At the first junction, turn left towards the Roche Verre Bouteille. The right-hand branch, the Cap Noir trail, is closed by the ONF because of an unstable cliff, and in January 2026 the Park authorised barriers at both its ends. The Roche Verre Bouteille path climbs two short ladders and reaches the Roche Verre Bouteille junction, at about 1,230 m. The rock's name has two explanations: shards of bottle glass set on the walls, or the olivine crystals in the rock. The Grand Coin path, which climbs here from the village, is closed by a municipal order.
Then follow the GR R2, waymarked white and red, towards the Roche Écrite gîte. The path climbs through the native "bois de couleurs" forest of the highlands, among ferns and tamarins, along a knife edge between Mafate and Dos d'Âne. Views open onto the Aurère ridges, the Rivière des Galets, the Roche Écrite and the Gros Morne. The Piton Fougères is on the GR itself, a little before the junction named after it. You come back the same way.
Good to know
The path is often muddy and full of roots, with a few airy passages: good shoes are a must. The Park advises setting off early, around 7 am, as clouds or heat often arrive by midday, and bringing warm and waterproof clothes. No water point is listed. The Cap Noir kiosk and viewing table can only be reached by the closed trail: don't go. The trail is in the core of the National Park. RandoMafate shows ONF closures and the weather for the day before you set off, keeps the map offline in a forest where junctions follow one another, and the people close to you follow your outing on a simple web page.
Plan this hike in RandoMafate
The trail map offline, elevation to the metre, ONF closures and the weather for the day, and the people close to you told when you set off and when you are back.
RandoMafate
