The route
Mamode Camp, at 1,200 m, is at the end of the Roche Écrite forest road, above the cemetery of Le Brûlé, in the heights of Saint-Denis. Park at the Mamode Camp car park, not at the picnic area just before it. The trail starts behind the barrier, opposite the roundabout.
The trail first climbs under the cryptomerias planted by the ONF, then enters the forest of highland tamarind and "bois de couleurs". The gradient is steady and there is shade almost all the way to the plateau, but the path is often muddy, with many steps. At the Bois de Nèfles junction, keep right towards the Plaine des Chicots.
The trail comes out onto the Plaine des Chicots, a plateau where the refuge stands, at 1,836 m. You are in the heart of the National Park here, in the former Roche Écrite nature reserve, the last stronghold of the tuit-tuit, the Réunion cuckooshrike, one of the most threatened birds in the world. Dogs must be kept on a lead, and camping follows the Park's rules: tent up before sunset, down in the morning, no fires, and all rubbish carried back down.
From the refuge to the summit there is about 1 h 30 of climbing left through branles and heather, on a stonier trail. The Roche Écrite probably owes its name to the lichens that draw white and grey rings on the bare rock, like writing, noticed by the naturalists who came to collect plants here, among them Bory de Saint-Vincent. The panorama is best earned early: around 9 am, clouds often rise from the cirques and block the view of Mafate, Salazie, the Piton des Neiges and the Grand Bénare.
The return follows the same trail. Just below the summit, the Salazie junction leads to Grand Îlet by a trail nicknamed the vertical kilometre: about 1,000 m of descent over 2.5 km, with a ladder and passages where you use your hands. Count 2 h 30 to 3 h on slippery ground if you are planning a traverse.
Where to sleep
The Roche Écrite refuge, on the Plaine des Chicots, splits the climb in two and lets you be on the summit at sunrise, when the view is clear. Owned by the Département, it has 40 beds in dormitories and twin rooms. It runs on solar power, with cold water only. Book the night on the Île de La Réunion Tourisme website (reunion.fr), and meals on +262 692 30 94 29. Closed for works until the end of June 2026, it has reopened: book early, especially from June to October.
Good to know
The view from the Roche Écrite comes down to a window of a few hours in the morning. RandoMafate shows the weather for the day and ONF closures before you set off, such as the closure of the Bois de Nèfles trail, which leaves towards the Pic Adam from the junction of the same name. It keeps the map offline in the forest, and the people close to you follow your hike on a simple web page, with a notification if your return time has passed.
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
