Climbing Peak Boby / Andringitra | Madagascar - Lonely Planet Forum

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Sun, 19 Oct 2014 19:10:36 +0000

Hi everyone,

We recently toured Madagascar through the West and South in 3 weeks and also visited National Park Andringitra and wanted to share some thoughts about that.

First of all, it is a fantastic park! Lonely Planet is in our view right to put it on the highlights list of Madagascar. The road / journey to the park's entrance is indeed a beautiful trip. The park itself is very impressive and (very) quiet. Definitely worth going. We did a 2 day trek with one night camping.

However, be adviced that trekking is quite tough (and we are a couple about 40years old in pretty good shape.) We walked up to the plateau on the first day, which is a steep climb of c 600 meters (ascent) in the beating sun to an altitude of 2000m. From there it is quite flat towards the camp, which indeed can get quite cold at night (we were there in October), and your camp is an open hut with the wind sweeping through it. Bring a warm sweater and jacket against the wind for the evening hours until you go to bed.

The climb to the peak Boby is also quite tough. The LP guide talks about leaving at 4h, but that is way too late. We left at 3h, walked for 2.5 hours and were EXACTLY on time to watch sunrise at 5.35h. The trek is in itself not so difficult, but this again is a 600m, sometimes steep, ascent to the peak and you are using a torch, so it is quite tiring. We were there all alone and it is indeed amazing, so definitely worth the effort. Then it's back (again 2.5h!) to the camp for breakfast and down to the valley again, where we arrived by lunchtime, so we had time for a transfer to Ambalavao.

Overall, one of the highlights of our trip, absolutely stunning landscapes, but we just wanted to stress that it is quite strenuous.

Best,
Philip

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Wed, 29 Oct 2014 03:16:10 +0000

In response to #0

Hi Phillip,

Thanks for this post. I'm headed to Andringitra in December and this is very helpful. Did you go into the park with a trek company or did you hire a guide when you got to the park office? We are thinking about hiring a driver to get us there and then a guide when we get there, but I'm wondering if it makes more sense to go with a trek outfit.

Thanks!
Monica

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Wed, 29 Oct 2014 06:35:56 +0000

In response to #1

Hi Monica,

We travelled with a tour operator with our own 4x4, driver and guide during our holiday in Madagascar, so transport was arranged. I guess they had arranged for a guide and porters beforehand, but that can certainly be done upon arrival at the park office as well, provided some time to get things arranged. Note that we also took our own food from Ambalavao, you can't find anything at the park entrance.

I think it is possible to hire a driver and then a guide, we met some people who actually did that, but I think it is more convenient to arrange the whole trek in one go (although you still need the guide and porters locally). I believe there are some people in Ambalavao who do that. Depends a bit on how much time you have.

Hope this helps. Enjoy it anyway, because it's great out there! (And thanks for this, because It helps me remember Andringitra while now sitting in a commuter train to work in rainy the Netherlands...)
P

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Wed, 29 Oct 2014 08:37:27 +0000

Visited in 2012 and trekked up Pic Boby. I was 68 at the time so it's not that hard. You can take three days resting after the climb at the camp. Mass of detail as to arrangements in Bradt Guide. I think it a good idea to have a tent which will be much more comfortable and avoid the rats in the stone huts. I caught typhus there and was treated in Antsirabe but I think the risk is small and I would certainly go again. Another issue is that the guides keep strictly to the paths and fixed routes which I as a fairly independent trekker found frustrating. Overall it is one of the best treks I know.

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