The Thumb – Le Pouce
The Thumb is famous for being the third highest mountain of Mauritius, following Peter Both and Little Black River Peak. It is a part of the Moka Mountain Range, which was formed ten million years ago from volcanic eruptions. This mountain range is volcanically inactive.
As far as I know, there are different hiking routes to the Thumb starting from Port Louis and Moka. We started the hike from Saint Pierre, 395 m altitude. The Thumb’s altitude 812-meters, to be specific, and it is called The Thumb because of its thumb looking shape. Even though this is a steep hike, it doesn’t require special climbing gear.
A quick note:
When you are in Mauritius, everyone including non-French speakers will call it Le Pouce. Unless you speak French, you will be like “huh?”. So it’s good to know that The Thumb means Le Pouce in French.
Another classic recommendation:
Pay attention to the weather condition. I don’t suggest going to this hike after a rainy day and definitely not on a rainy day.
From St. Pierre to the Thumb it is a 4.5 km hike, with 315 elevation gain. The beginning of the route is a wide path through a nice forest. After the forest, it becomes more like a bush route. During the hike, you will have a nice view of the mountain range. If you are not in a hurry, you can picnic on the way. Besides, there is not much space on the summit, therefore it would be better to enjoy a spot you like on the path.
Only the last climb to The Thumb is very steep, but it doesn’t feel dangerous. There is always enough space and rocks to hold on to. The 360 view from the summit is just incredible. You see Port Louis, therefore the port, Moka, and all the mountains. It is quite windy up there. When we reached the summit, there was a big flag of Mauritius and we could shoot some nice photos holding the flag, definitely a great Instagram picture spot!
For runners, this route would be good for a trail-run as well. On the way back, I ran some parts as well.
Since I have a few years to live in Mauritius, I hope I will go back to discover more and try the other routes to The Thumb.
Will keep you posted!
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