THE LAST CONTINENT

My good friends from Reunion

10 days, 10 hours and 58 minutes is what it took to sail from St. Pierre to Richards Bay, South Africa... 1392 nm. This was the most challenging leg of the voyage so far. Usually when sailing in trade winds one is not concerned about the weather (provided you don't sail during cyclone season). This leg is different because the Agulhas Current must be crossed. It runs just off the coast of South Africa and averages a speed of 3-4 knots. About every three days a weather system called a "southerly buster" moves up the East coast of SA bringing southwesterly winds. These are many times gale force (30-40kts). This wind against current produces more abnormally high and "freak wave" conditions than any place else in the world. The trick is to cross the current with NE winds. This becomes problematic on a ten day passage because the weather forecasts are only accurate for 3 days. As luck would have it I had a small window (4 hours) to reach Richards Bay before a southerly wind arrived. The night before crossing I had winds of 35 knots with gusts of 40+. Its interesting that the highest winds of the journey so far have been on September 26th 2011 and 2012.

GRAND BASSIN

A last set of pictures before I set sail for South Africa. Grand Bassin is a tiny village at the bottom of a 2500 foot ravine. Very near the village is a small lake fed by a waterfall. One must work their way along a vertical wall of rock with very few hand holds to reach it.. Magnifique, as the French would say.

TOUR DE LA REUNION

Looking up the Ravine du Mat toward Hell-Bourg.

The beautiful chapel in St. Philippe

What could be better than sorbet and beer?

I found a cycle shop that rented bikes so I thought I would see some more of the island. The bike was a one year old Trek "Madone" all carbon, about 4000 euros new, for 15 euros/day. I liked the town of Hell - Bourg where I had stayed during the hike so I decided to ride back. The next day I returned to St, Pierre by way of the southern coastline. 140 miles, mostly up and down was well worth my sore sit bones.

THE THREE CIRQUES

One of the reasons I came to Reunion is because I heard the hiking was very good. "Very good", doesn't begin to describe it. Basically the island was one big volcano whose interior collapsed millions of years ago, forming three cirques... Cilaos, Mafate and Salazie with Piton des Neige, the highest point in the Indian Ocean, in the middle. My hike took me to all three cirques and to the top of Piton des Neige.

The chapel in Cilaos

The trail is cut into the solid rock

The beginning of a 7500' climb

This is meters...each 305 meters is = 1000 feet.

The top of Piton des Neige.. just over 10,000 feet