Le Morne Brabant is one of the most iconic hikes on the island with spectacular views of southwestern corner of the island. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 in recognition of its function as a refuge for freed slaves in the 19th and early 20th century. It served as a vibrant hub for Creole culture for over two centuries. The history of the area is very interesting; more information can be found at UNESCO.
It is not possible to reach the true summit without climbing as it now functions as a nature reserve with access restricted by the Le Morne Heritage Trust. The trail to the minor summit is very easy to follow and well worn. The hike is not very physically demanding, although there are a few sections that are steep where using your hands is advisable. It is very exposed to the sun so an early start is recommended. There are a few steep, rocky sections that would not be advisable if the forecast is calling for rain.
The base of the peak is now surrounded by private land holdings. If you have any experience hiking, then there is little reason to hire a guide for this trip, other than to navigate the strange legal status of the trail. Civil disobedience seems like a good idea here as the Creoles, in whose name the site was created, are not able to visit the site without paying a price that is out of reach for many. If you would like to do the trail without a guide, then there are a few things worth knowing that will be covered below.
Yan from Trekking Ile Maurice, who has an exclusive arrangement with nearby landowners, charges 1000 rupees per person for the hike. He offers the trip a few times a week in the early morning. If you would like a guide, email him at yan@trekkingilemaurice.com.
Background for hiking without a guide:
- Type of trail: Out and Back
- Start point: Base of Le Morne
- End Point: Minor summit
- Length: 4 miles round trip
- Duration: 2-3 hours
- Lowest point: 0ft
- Highest point: 1595ft
- Total elevation gain: 1747ft
The primary benefits of doing the hike on your own are the ability to make your own schedule and enjoy some solitude. It is not intimidating or stressful to pass through the short stretch of private property without permission for several reasons: the way entire way to the peak is open, there are no checkpoints to pass through, fences to hop, or gates to open. Although, there are scattered private property signs along the first few hundred feet.
The landowners from what I can gather are not interested in prosecuting hikers for passing through their lands. I know quite a few people who have been stopped for hiking without a guide and they were charged 500 rupees a person without any other issue.
Route:
Along the coastal road that goes to the peninsula you will encounter a sign for Haras du Morne, an equestrian center, across from a large open area. I would advise parking outside the gate and entering on foot. Turn left here and enter through the gate. Along this road one of your first lefts will be a driveway that accesses several homes. You could alternatively park here, although this raises the likelihood of someone asking questions. Follow the most significant road/driveway as it begins to climb through the homes. There are a few other driveways that diverge, but this one is the most significant. The concrete tracks will end at a home and you will continue following the dirt road to the right. This road will take you halfway around Le Morne and then you will encounter a well worn trail on your left that begins the ascent of the rocky section.
The trail will take you to a rocky V-notch that you will ascend. Follow the trail as it climbs a series of short easy rocky sections until you reach the top off the pinnacle with the white cross. This is as far as you can go without climbing gear.
Excellent guide, really useful. We followed it really easily. The only comment I would make is that the rocky sections at the top have ropes to assist ascent and descent of the final section. The ascent is easy for the fit and relatively agile. The descent is tricky if rocks are wet; the ropes on those rocky sections are very useful since without them, especially for the descent.
Hi,
thanks a million for your routes on here. It is indeed better now to choose another way climbing the Le Morne since the government has opened it to the public. The entrance is on the opposite site from your start. You either drive around the whole peninsula after all the hotels and the following public beach, where one will see all the kite surfers, or you come from the road leading to Le Morne village. Coming from the north, take this long down hill straight after the 3 serpentine ascent and after the football pitch in the following left turn, take a right into the dirt road and go for about 3km until you find the public parking for the climb.
If you don’t have to, at least avoid weekends. Then everybody seems to climb there, and you cannot avoid delays especially where it gets in the narrow and climbing parts.
There is no entrance fee, you can enter you name in a guest book. I will send you the gpx file in a mail, so you can update it, basically it is only at the beginning different from your route here until it joins with the other route somewhere down in the forest.
Cheers
Mario