Trek the Grand Traverse of Reunion Island

Get your first glimpse of Reunion Island, nestled in the Indian Ocean, as you descend into Saint-Denis Roland Garros Airport. Your host will meet you on arrival and transfer you a short distance to your hotel in downtown Saint-Denis. The rest of today is free to relax after your journey to Reunion; there's a pool at the hotel if you want to chill, or the seafront and historic centre of Saint-Denis are all easily explored on foot. There'll be a meet-up this evening with your guides and fellow adventurers for a welcome dinner and a briefing on the adventure ahead.

Hop in the van for a 45-minute drive to Dos d'Âne, a small village between the sea and the mountains which marks the start point for your grand traverse of the island. The trail sets you off into Reunion's famous cirques – a trilogy of mountainous valleys and natural amphitheatres formed by multiple millennias worth of volcanic activity and erosion. After a short distance you'll begin your descent into the truly stunning Cirque of Mafate via a technical but well-secured trail, ensuring some incredible vistas right from the beginning of your trek. You'll be following the GRR2 trail, a meandering route which allows trekkers to traverse the cirque in four days; Mafate is only accessible by foot which gives the grand traverse a feeling of having gone back in time, with no roads or cars to be seen for several days. Your first stop is at the îlet of Aurère, a small plateau isolated within the rugged terrain. The îlets on Reunion were once the refuge of fugitive slaves, historically known as Maroons. On today's last section between Deux-Bras and Aurère, you'll follow the bed of the Rivière des Galets, crossing the river at several points and eventually reaching Piton Cabris Inn, the first of a series of gîtes that you'll be staying in, tucked away in the rugged interior of Reunion's cirques. Settle in for dinner and a well-earned night's sleep with your first day of trekking under your belt.

Fuel up on breakfast and coffee at the gîte before setting off for the next stage through the Cirque of Mafate, continuing along the GRR2. Along this section you'll have ample time to take in the breathtaking scenery of the heart of Mafate as you pass through the charming hamlets of îlet à Malheur, îlet à Bourse, and Grand-Place-les-Hauts. The grocery shop at Le Pavillon Lodge is a great place to stock up on snacks and supplies, before descending to the bridge over the Rivière des Galets which will take you to the western side of the cirque. A steep climb with many steps awaits you here, leading all the way to îlet des Orangers, where you’ll stay for the night nestled in an incredible and remote spot that's worth the tough ascent to get there.

Wake up in a truly memorable location, waiting for the sun to rise above the peaks and light up the valley around you before breakfast and coffee to fuel you up for the day. A final full stage through Mafate awaits as you lace up your boots and set off on the GRR2 from îlet des Orangers, with a scenic meandering ascent through a rocky ravine taking you to Roche-Plate. Here, you'll switch trails to avoid a section of technical passages with steep descents and vertiginous, exposed points. You'll take an alternative route to Marla via the geological site of Trois-Roches with its impressive waterfall, an ideal spot for a nice picnic. Finish up today's route at another picturesque gîte at the foot of the Col du Taïbit – a ridgeline that separates the cirques of Mafate and Cilaos.

Today kicks off in adventurous fashion with an ascent of a mythical pass: the Col du Taïbit, perched at an altitude of 2081m. You'll gradually climb the ridgeline, bidding farewell to the Cirque du Mafate which has been your home for the past few days as the route transitions into the Cirque du Cilaos. The Col du Taïbit is a prominent section of a famous trail-running race known as 'The Diagonal of Fools' – you'll be taking it a little easier than the trail runners along the ridge today, with your pack in tow. Back on the GRR2 trail, take in the epic expanse of views over the Cirque du Cilaos as you descend towards the town of the same name, this long route dotted with beautiful rivers, waterfalls and canyons. After several days away from civilisation, Cilaos will welcome you with its friendly mountain town vibe as you settle into a hotel for the next two nights, slowing down the pace of the trek a little ahead of the big effort required on the second half of the Grand Traverse of Reunion in the days to come.

Today is all about soaking up Cilaos and exploring one of three ways: the relaxed way, the adventurous way, or the super-adventurous way. If you want to take a load off your feet and relax in the town today, chilling at your hotel and spa surrounded by the highest mountains on the island, then that's all good and a fine choice! For those keen for more hiking today, your guide will lead a day hike along a beautiful trail called 'Le sentier de la Chapelle' to discover the cirque. This trail takes in a good chunk of the cirque outside of Cilaos with 4-5 hours of hiking, including exploring one of Cilaos' famous canyons to reach an incredible stone cathedral. The other option for you today is to go canyoning – Cilaos is a fantastic place to do this activity, so if you're a fan of getting wet and wild and tackling natural water slides, rappels and jumps into natural pools and wish to tick this off during your time in the Indian Ocean, then this is the place to do it. Please note that this guided activity is not included in the trip cost and is payable locally – the activity costs €70 and your guide can help you arrange it with their local partner company.

Leave Cilaos behind to get back on with the job at hand – kicking off the second half of your great crossing of Reunion. Today is almost all uphill, with a lung-busting but beautiful climb to reach the Caverne Dufour hut, nestled below the Piton des Neiges – the highest point in the Indian Ocean. Bunk down in the mountain refuge here, surrounded by lunar-like terrain, near the summit of this 3069m-high volcano which emerged from the sea over two million years ago. Alarms will be set for a very early rise in the morning...

Rise early – very early – and roll out of the refuge while the stars are still out. As long as the forecast is good (your guide will make the call), you'll wrap up with warm layers and a headtorch and set off at around 04:00 to climb Piton des Neiges straight from the refuge. The first light of the day will help guide the way towards the summit, allowing you to reach it in time for a magical sunrise from the highest point of the Indian Ocean at 3069m. Take in this memorable moment, looking out across the island of Reunion (or at a blanket of cloud below you, depending on the conditions) before descending. The round trip to the summit and back takes approximately three hours, with 600m of up and down to get through. This is all before the next stage of the traverse itself, which you'll tackle after breakfast, so today is a really big day. It is optional to sit out the summit section if you wish. The GRR2 will lead you on as you admire fantastic views of the Cirque of Cilaos from the Kerveguen hillside, before switching to Bourg Murat and its landscapes of open plains populated by cows. This part of the trail leads you to a beautiful primary forest and a long – and at times muddy – descent. The final few kilometres take you through open pastures to reach Bourg-Murat, your final stop today where you'll find your local guesthouse.

For anyone struggling towards the end of today having done the sunrise summit, you can shave the final 6km (1.5hrs) off and take a transfer from Mare-à-Boue to the guesthouse at Bourg-Murat.

The landscape continues to morph today. Having left the cirques behind, you'll trek through plains, pastures and on to a forest before arriving at the panorama of the Nez de Boeuf. Entering the dry river canyon here, you'll skirt old volcanic craters before reaching the Piton Textor – a summit overlooking the barren landscape. The final stretch today crosses the splendid Plaine des Sables and its otherwordly horizon as you approach the refuge at the Piton de la Fournaise volcano (2250m).

Another volcano sunrise hike kicks off this morning; however, it's a much easier and quicker undertaking compared with the one a few days ago. A 20-minute hike down to the Piton de la Fournaise at around 06:00 allows you to soak up the incredible light and colours as the darkness changes to the first light of the day. Hike back up to the gîte for breakfast, then the final section of your epic traverse gets underway. Trek down further into the volcanic area below, passing near a crater called 'Formica Léo' with its tones of ochre and vivid red, then continue your route to the summit of the main crater of the volcano, the Dolomieu crater. The trek officially ends today, with the final six hours or so of trekking under your belt. You've walked across the bulk of the island, covering 120km and eating into 9000m of elevation gain and 7500m of descent: a truly epic effort! A driver will meet you at the end point to transfer you to Reunion's glistening west coast area and your accommodation close to the beautiful lagoon beaches at L’Hermitage-les-Bains. Grab a sundowner to toast your achievement while watching the sunset over the Indian Ocean.

You've earned the right to do anything you please today. No trip to this part of the world is complete without some time soaking up the incredible coastline and tropical ocean. Your base is ideal for either relaxing at the beautiful lagoon beach at L’Hermitage-les-Bains, swimming and snorkelling whenever you wish, or if you're keen to pack more adventure in, there are a number of activities that your host can help organise for you. Whale- and dolphin-watching trips are popular from July to October when the humpbacks are around, scuba diving trips are a possibility nearby (for those qualified) to dive above Reunion's coral reefs, or you can take a scenic helicopter flight over the island for a different perspective of the incredible landscape you spent the past 10 days trekking through.

The time has come to bid a fond farewell to your host as they take you back to Saint-Denis for your onward flight back to the real world.