Pieter Both

Pieter Both rises to 820 metres in the Moka range and is the second-highest mountain in Mauritius, but its fame comes from the shape: a rounded boulder sits on the summit like a head on shoulders, visible from most of the north of the island and named after a Dutch governor-general who drowned off the coast in 1615. The walk up to the base of the boulder is a steep hike through scrub and rock; getting onto the boulder itself is a technical climb requiring ropes and is done with guides who fix lines. Most walkers stop at the shoulder below, which already gives the view over Port Louis, the northern plain and the lagoon. Local legend attaches a story of a milkman turned to stone to the summit rock.

What you actually see

• The summit boulder - the balanced rock that gives the mountain its outline.
• The northern plain - the view over Port Louis and the sugar country.
• The Moka ridge - the connecting ridge west to Le Pouce.
• Rock and scrub - the steep vegetated slopes of the approach.

When to go

May to December for drier rock and cooler walking. The upper section is dangerous when wet. Start early; cloud builds on the summit through the day and the climb needs daylight margin.

Honest expectations

The final boulder is a roped technical climb, not a hike, and should only be attempted with a qualified guide; people have died here. The approach path is steep, eroded and poorly marked in places. Cloud often hides the view entirely.

Nearby

Le Pouce lies west along the ridge; Port Louis is northwest.