Hell-Bourg – Caverne Dufour

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Thank you for the clear description and the details.

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Date of your route : Mar 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We walked this trail starting from the car park at the BELOUVE lodge only. Our aim was to reach the DUFOUR cave lodge so we could climb the Piton des Neiges the following morning (a magnificent sunrise: the effort was well worth it!).
The trail, right up until you catch sight of the refuge (a good half-hour before you reach it!), is very wet. Although well-maintained with recent, sturdy walkways on stilts (wooden slats with wire mesh) or new wooden steps, it remains waterlogged and/or muddy between these sections. Around fifteen (short) ladders feature along the route.
On the other hand, the vegetation (primary forest, then tall shrubs) provides shelter from the sun. Beautiful views of Salazie during the walk along the ledge to Cap Anglais, then of the Bébour Biological Reserve and Piton des Neiges.
We set off around 7 am and took just under 4 hours 30 minutes (including breaks): skirting the puddles is sometimes slow… but a good idea for the rest of the hike (the Caverne Dufour lodge isn’t equipped for drying clothes or showering).
The ascents and descents can be a bit of a slog at times. If you want to reach the Piton lodge more directly, you should start from Cilaos… a more direct route, but much steeper...
Les Zams de Behoust

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Date of your route : Nov 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A fairly strenuous route

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Date of your route : Jul 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike was done only as far as Cap Anglais, and in the opposite direction when included as part of another route (Bélouve > Hell Bourg > Terre Plate > Cap Anglais > Bélouve). A very beautiful hike. I can confirm that heading to Piton des Neiges via this route is longer and more challenging, but offers more of a reward than the other routes. The climb to the Bélouve lodge isn’t too difficult and is a good warm-up. There are a few springs here and there during the first part of the climb. After the lodge, things get trickier with the slush. Having some acrobatic skills can only be a plus. The forest of colourful trees in the highlands (Forêt de Bélouve) is magnificent and offers numerous views. It’s best not to be too tall to avoid bumping into the trees.

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