Visitor reviews for Pilon des Neiges

• December 22, 2004
  Hugo from SOUTH AFRICA
  

  This is funny. The locals have ski'ed up here but it is a task for the dedicated. You can buy post cards of a ski track between the bushes. I guess access to the top is via helichopter either from St Gilles or perhaps Cilaos. Normally Nieges is cloud covered - Circe Selaze on the east side gets 8000mm of rain anually. Snow depth gets to ten cm but lasts a day or two. The 'season' is April to September with skiing possible every five years or so. Not bad for a tropical (20 deg South) island. There is a hut on the Grand Randonee a couple of hundered meters lower than the sumit on the South side. Bring your French phrase book but do not expect it to match the patois.

• 
  Andrew from UNITED KINGDOM
  

  I visited the island in 1999 and didn't see any evidence of there being any skiing facilities, but the mountain itself is pretty impressive - though it is cloudy at the top as soon as the sun gets up (which given the latitude is pretty hot). You can get helicopter rides into the gorges and over the volcanoes (unless it's time for the Piton de la Fournaise to erupt) which make for some spectacular views. There's a good picture of the gorges in the Earth from the Air exhibition to give a flavour.