Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
of Pic Boby to get the full Andringitra experience. You will need at least two days for this,
but better to take three so you can explore the Tsaranoro Valley and exit the other side of
the park rather than retrace your steps.
Other circuits include the easy
Asaramanitra
(6km, about four hours), which includes
waterfalls and a cave, and the scenic
Diavolana
(13km, six to seven hours) which is the
next best choice after Imarivolanitra, as it takes in much of the plateau beneath the moun-
tains. The best route for lemur-spotting is
Imaitso
(14km, about eight hours) which goes
through the eastern forests.
Isahavato
is a long (12km, 15 hours) trek into a zone of rare
palm trees with a natural pool. Details of the various routes are available from the park of-
fice and website.
Reaching the Tsaranoro Valley requires a further trek across a pass through the central
range and down, crossing the park boundary. Here there are three major trails to villages
along the valley floor and around the Gates of the South. The presence of Pic Dondy and
the Tsaranoro Massif are impressive from all angles. See the trail maps at Camp Catta re-
ception for further information.
THE BEST OF ANDRINGITRA
The best way to do Andringitra is on the
Imarivolanitra Trail
. Enter through
the Namoly Valley, summit Pic Boby, descend into the Tsaranoro, and exit
through Morarano, with an overnight at Camp Catta. First, you begin at the
Namoly park office, and arrange your trek. Then you ascend to the final camp.
This entails hiking up 1000m or so until you reach a high plateau that hugs the
rocky skyline for miles. It's a generally gentle climb, with a few steep 50m as-
cents, that takes four hours. The camp is by a stream, so you can fall asleep
while listening to a waterfall beneath the stars. Awake early, and depart by flash-
light at 4am for a two-hour trek to the summit, which is not where you think.
When you reach the top of the skyline, with the sky beginning to lighten, you fi-
nally see what looks like Gibraltar sitting on top. This strenuous last leg takes
you to the roof of Madagascar, just in time for sunrise. Here you stand astride
the entire island, a sea of clouds on one side, and an unbroken vista on the other.
Beneath a cairn lies a metal box, where you can leave a handwritten note be-
hind.
Now it's back to the camp for breakfast, and onwards to new territory. You
walk along the flat plateau for hours, breathing in the finest scenery. The sky is
huge, the ridgeline dramatic. After crossing over the mountains through a deep
