Mount Tabwemasana

Tabwemasana rises to 1879 metres on the western side of Espiritu Santo and is the highest point in Vanuatu, a mountain in dense forest with no road anywhere near it, so the climb runs several days from the west coast through villages and rainforest with local guides and porters. Cloud sits on the top almost permanently. Very few people attempt it in any given year.

Background

Tabwemasana has two peaks, and local folklore holds that the pair, one male and one female, come together in an embrace at night. Kerepua village stood on the mountain's flanks until the 1970s, a full day's walk through thick rainforest from the coast. In the late 1970s it moved down to the coast, as many other mountain villages did, and it is now the starting point for climbs. Climbers first take a boat from Tasiriki to Kerepua, follow a river upstream, then leave the valley for a steep ascent. Usually fewer than six people reach the summit in a year. One tree, Metrosideros tabwemasanaensis, grows only on this mountain.

Source: Wikipedia, "Mount Tabwemasana"

The landscape

• The summit - 1879 metres and the highest point in the country.
• The forest route - several days walking through rainforest and gardens.
• The villages - the settlements the route passes and depends on.
• The cloud - near-permanent cover over the upper mountain.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and the only sensible window. The wet season makes the route impassable. Cloud covers the summit in any month.

Before you go

This is a multi-day expedition requiring guides, porters, custom permissions and full self-sufficiency. There is no rescue capability. The summit is almost always in cloud and there is often no view at all.

Nearby

Big Bay is east, and Luganville is southeast.

Key facts