Le Pouce

Le Pouce rises to 812 metres in the Moka range and takes its name from the shape of the summit block, a thumb of rock standing above the ridge. It is the third-highest point on the island and the easiest of the major peaks to climb: the usual route from Petit Verger is a walk up a broad path through scrub and eucalyptus to the saddle, then a short steep pull to the top, taking around an hour and a half up. From the summit the view runs over Port Louis and its harbour on one side and across the central plateau to the southern mountains on the other. Charles Darwin climbed it in 1836 during the Beagle voyage and recorded the ascent in his journal.

History

The mountain formed ten million years ago in a basalt lava dome. Charles Darwin climbed it on 2 May 1836 and wrote of a mountain "so called from a thumb-like projection" rising close behind the town to 2600 feet (Wikipedia, Le Pouce).

The landscape

• The summit block - the thumb of rock that names the mountain.
• Port Louis and the harbour - the city laid out below the north face.
• The Moka ridge - the range running east toward Pieter Both.
• Central plateau views - the interior and southern peaks on clear days.

When to go

May to December for the drier, cooler weather. Start early to avoid heat and afternoon cloud on the summit. The Port Louis side is steeper and rougher than the Petit Verger approach.

Things to know

The final section to the summit is steep with loose ground and some scrambling. Cloud frequently covers the top even on clear mornings. There is no shade on the upper path and no water on the route. Break-ins at trailhead parking have been reported.

Nearby

Pieter Both stands east on the same ridge; Port Louis is below.

Key facts