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Karthala360by Discovermores

The climb, map in hand

From Mvouni (370 m) to the caldera (2,300 m), on the real path: scroll down, and the point moves along the map. Or move the pointer over the elevation profile.

Map of the route: start from Mvouni in the west, climb east past the old camp, the 4×4 stop and the end of the concrete road, to the caldera, about 11 km.Mvouni370 mOld camp1,300 m4×4 stop1,600 mEnd of concrete≈ 1,830 mCaldera2,300 m

On footBy 4×4

11 km · ≈ 1,970 m of ascent

0.0 km370 mMvouni

Setting off from the village

Fields and villages: bananas, coconut palms, cassava, mango trees, cloves, vanilla. A landscape shaped by the people who live here, crossed on foot from Mvouni.

  • Full Climb: starts on foot
  • Other tours: start by 4×4
Hikers setting off through the village

4.9 km1,300 mOld camp

Into the cloud forest

Above the strawberry guava thickets, the dense rainforest: large endemic trees, tree ferns, orchids, mosses and lichens. The heart of the mountain’s biodiversity, and home to the Karthala scops owl.

  • Full Climb: about half of the ascent
Two hikers climbing under the trees

7.3 km1,600 m4×4 stop

The 4×4 stops, the walk begins

For the Soft Trek and the Bivouac, the 4×4 stops at about 1,600 m. About two hours of walking remain to the caldera. For the Bivouac, the camp is always set up outside the caldera.

  • Soft Trek · Bivouac: walking starts here
4×4 vehicles parked on the track

8.7 km≈ 1,830 mEnd of concrete

The high heather

The shrubby savannah of giant heather (Philippia comoriensis): home to the Karthala white-eye, a bird found nowhere else.

  • Zero Effort: the 4×4 continues on the upper track
Hikers in dense high-altitude vegetation

11.1 km2,300 mCaldera

Into the caldera

At the end of the path, the caldera: about 3 km by 4, a set of nested collapses, with the Choungou Chahalé at its centre. Zero Effort reaches it after about 25 minutes of walking.

  • Every tour arrives here
Group sitting on the edge of the caldera

Karthala360 reference route, established by Discovermores. Walking times are indicative, at the pace of a trained hiker. Schematic map, not a navigation tool. Altitudes from the Karthala 360 website (terrain model); the full GPX file is sold in the shop.

Choose how you climb

All four tours follow this path; only the part done by 4×4 changes.

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