Andringitra National Park

Andringitra is a granite massif rising to Pic Boby at 2,658 metres, the second-highest peak in Madagascar after Maromokotro and much the more straightforward of the two to walk up, and the classic route crosses the park from the Namoly valley over the summit and down to Tsaranoro in three days. The landscape changes completely along the way: rainforest on the eastern flank, then open high plateau of grass, rock slabs and glacial lakes, with palm-like Pachypodium growing out of the granite and ring-tailed lemurs living at altitudes where snow occasionally falls. Camps are set at fixed sites and porters carry loads. It is a component of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana World Heritage property. Weather changes fast on the plateau and nights are genuinely cold, sometimes below freezing.

History

Explorers noted the importance of the area in the early 20th century, and in 1927 the central part of the range was declared a strict nature reserve. In the early 1990s Madagascar's Environmental Action Plan put the country rather than its donors in charge of its environmental agenda, in 1999 the area became a national park, run by the Madagascar National Parks association, and in 2007 it became part of the Rainforests of the Atsinanana World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Andringitra National Park).

What's there

• Pic Boby - a walkable summit at 2,658 metres, the country's second-highest.
• Granite plateau - open rock slabs, grass and small lakes.
• Rainforest flank - dense forest on the eastern side of the massif.
• High-altitude lemurs - ring-tails living above two thousand metres.

When to go

April to November; the trek is best from May to October. Nights on the plateau drop below freezing in June and July. December to March brings heavy rain, closed tracks and cancelled treks.

What to expect

This is real trekking with long days, altitude and cold camps; a decent sleeping bag is essential and often underestimated. Guides and porters are compulsory and add cost. The track to the trailheads is rough and slow. Weather can shut the summit day entirely.

Nearby

Tsaranoro valley is on the western side; Ambalavao lies north.

Key facts