The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion

Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Trou De Fer ( Via Bras de Caverne )

(Grade V6,A5,V )

1
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Details
Map: St Denis, Cirque de Mafate et Salazie #4402-RT
Approx length of canyon: 3300m
Largest drop: 100m / 105m
Example time: Two days (Total of 20 hours moving). 3 people, perfect weather conditions. Group moved at a
comfortable speed but spend considerable time to locate the correct anchors as it was the first descent of
this canyon for all members of the party. With prior knowledge of the canyon and anchors considerable time
could be saved for the descent.

Exit parking area and bus stop on D48 at Plateau Wickers

Exit location can found by the

the altitude marker and these letter boxes on the D48 at Plateau Wickers

Location
Trou De Fer start point is accessed from the end of forestry No 2 road off the N3 road mid way
between St Benoit and Le Tampon.

The road starts at La Plaine-Des-Palmistes and is sign posted for Trou de Fer lookout and Foret de
Bebour. Follow the road for approx 1 hour from the turn off to near the end and park at the parking

2
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

area at Plateau de Belouve. To reach the exit point a two hour car shuttle is required from here to
Plateau Wickers.(For details see Exit below).

Please note the final 3km before the end of the road is gated by the Forestry department and may
be locked at times. The Forestry department advised that the gate will be locked from midday
Friday to midday Monday but locals advised this regularly changes and they open and close it as
they require so best to check in advance. If the gate is locked the walk will add approx 45min walk
An alternate option for those groups who only have one vehicle is to park the vehicle at the exit on
the D48 at Plateau Wickers (see exit description for details) and catch a bus to Hell Bourg where
you can take the GR-R1 hiking trail up to Plateau de Belouve. This hike will take approx 2 hours.

The sign to the Sentier de Trou de Fer

Access
From the parking area at Plateau de Belouve follow the old trail marked Sentier de Trou de Fer to
the northwest corner of the trail network marked as 1404m on the map. At this point the trail takes
a 90 degree turn and the start of access trail can be found which is also marked on the map as a
dashed line. Be sure not to confuse the trail with the newer trails which have sections of
boardwalks that lead to the lookouts further east. Once on the access trail and off the main hiking
routes the trail leads out to some view points before dropping down into the river of Bras de
Caverne after approx 2 hours from the car. With some careful climbing its possible to reach all the
way to the river without the use of ropes (there are a couple of short hand lines tied to trees in the
steepest sections) .
Its advisable to start as early as possible on the trail. Commencing the walk along the forestry road
and onto the hiking trail before light is a good idea to get a good start on the day.

Descent
The descent of Trou de Fer can be divided into four main sections;
1) The first dry waterfall of 180m
2) The second waterfall of 150m (Direct wet or dry routes available)
3) The third waterfall of Bras de Caverne 260m (Direct wet or dry routes available)

3
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

4) The corridor of Bras de Caverne which is 2800m long

1) Once you reach the river of Bras de Caverne a short 10 minute walk down stream will bring you
to the first waterfall which is normally dry. If this waterfall is flowing its strongly advisable not to
continue as the water in the lower section will be flooding and impassable.

This first waterfall of 180m is split into six pitches just to RL of where the water would flow. The
anchors for the first 20m pitch are easily located at the top. This is followed by another short pitch
of 5m. After climbing over a large boulder pile, a long 10m traverse on rope from bolts fixed on the
face of rock next to a small tree is required to reach the third anchors for the 40m drop to the next
anchors. Once at the fourth anchors a short, almost horizontal drop of 7m towards RL is required to
reach the fifth anchors. These have been placed on the underside of a large triangle rock which
hangs approx 1m out from the cliff face. From here the fifth drop is approx 95m - mostly free
hanging - to the final set of anchors and the last 15m drop to a large ledge behind the pool. From
here it is possible to traverse around to RR without getting wet. Approx 30m of river walking over
boulders will bring you to the top of the second waterfall.

2) Direct wet route: The second waterfall of 150m is split into three pitches. Upon reaching the top
of the second waterfall a short down climb of 5m is required on RL to reach the pool to access the
first anchors. From this point you will get wet so if you havent already done so, now is a good time
to put on your wetsuit. A small drop of 2m provides access to a long 15m pool at the top of this
waterfall. If required a set of anchors can be found on a step RL to get down this small 2m waterfall
before locating the traverse anchors that are fixed on the wall RR approx half way along the pool at
head height. This slippery traverse of 10m brings you to the first pitch anchors of the second
waterfall which is 15m. At the base of the first pitch a number of bolts can be found on RR on a
large box shaped step just to the side of the water flow. From here a small climb over the step (on
safety) is required to locate the next anchors on the face of the step facing down the waterfall. Be
sure to take extreme care as the rock here is very slippery and difficult to walk on.

The second pitch is approx 25m to reach the third anchor points directly below. The third pitch of
85m provides the highlight of the upper section of this trip. Once near the bottom of this pitch you
encounter a hanging pool that takes the full flow of the waterfall. It requires a short swim of 5-10m
through the pounding white water while on rope before continuing down the waterfall from the pool
10m to the bottom. Once at the bottom another short swim of approx 10m is required to reach the
opposite side of the pool and the bottom of the second waterfall. Continuing on from the bottom of
the second pool for approx 15min down stream will bring you to the top of the third waterfall and
the entry into Bras de Caverne.

4
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Pitches on Second waterfall from above

3) Dry route: The third waterfall of 270m is split into four pitches. Once you have arrived at the top
of the waterfall a small trail can be located on RR that leads upwards through the trees for 30m to
anchor points located on the cliff edge. This first pitch of approx 20m leads to a set of hanging
anchors comfortable enough for two people or three at a push. From here a 96m free hanging pitch
brings you level to the third anchors but as the cliff is undercut a pendulum of 4-5m is required to
reach the anchors. At this location a short piece of rope is normally fixed off between two bolts in a
corner to provide an easy target for your hooking device to assist in the pendulum. On our trip we
used small custom made hook but others have also used a series of carabiners taped together or
bolting hammers on a short rope. What ever you decide to use be sure to practice before the trip as
some parties have spent hours here trying to achieve the pendulum move required to reach the
anchors.Please note that on this route there are several old anchor stations located on the way
down that are in very poor condition. The main anchors are as described here and it is important to
descend the full 95m to locate the correct anchors, dont be tempted to opt for one of the higher
anchors as they may be in need of replacement and it also may leave you with a much larger drop
to reach the bottom.

After the pendulum another drop of 96m is required to reach a large ledge and the anchors for the
fourth and final drop of this third waterfall. Once on the ledge its advisable not to hang around as
loose rocks often fall from above (as evidenced by the many rocks and broken pieces of cliff side
scattered about on the ledge). From the ledge a short traverse out on a slippery slope is required to
reach the fourth anchors for the final 50m pitch to the edge of the pool below and access to the
bivouac site. From the side of the pool follow a faint trail up to the platform and locate a large
obvious boulder where the bivvy site is located.
Note: At the time of descent we were advised the direct wet route may be missing anchors and/or
in need of new bolt placement due to poor condition.

Bivouac site After climbing up through the greenery onto the central platform the bivouac site can
be found near the edge of the corridor under a large truck-sized boulder. Although not a five star
hotel the bivvy is dry and large enough to accommodate 4 or 5 people. The ambience of spending
the night totally surrounded by waterfalls in one of the most amazing places in the world is one that
any canyoner will never forget. The bivvy provides the option for sleeping flat on the ground or
hanging a few hammocks.
5
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

The bivvy shelter

4) The Corridor of Bras de Caverne is a 2.8km long, narrow corridor, with walls several hundred
meters high and, in some sections, is just a few meters wide. From the bivvy site there are two
options to access the corridor. The first is to continue from where the water flows out of the pool at
the bottom of the third waterfall and follow the river on RL to find three pitches up to 45m into the
side entrance of the corridor (below and just down stream from an area know as the Washing
Machine). The second option is to walk slightly upstream from the bivvy site to the head of the
corridor and traverse around to RR just below the impressive waterfall of Bras Mazerin. From here a
35m pitch into the head of the corridor brings you to the first pool and the start of 2.8kms of
narrows. The first 100m is the narrowest of the Bras de Caverne and it is very impressive. After the
first 50m the Washing Machine area below the side entrance waterfall is encountered, and if water
levels permit its possible to climb through a small hole in the opposite wall (RR) into a cavern
called Caverne de Minotaure. This cavern was created by the force of the waterfall above shooting
across the top of the canyon and carving out the rock behind. The only way in/out is via a small
hole in the wall approx 2m round that is essentially the plug hole for the cavern when full of water.

The bottom pool of Trou de Fer The corridor entrance at the base of Bras Mazerin

6
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Continuing on from the Washing Machine the corridor has several smaller (<15m) drops over the
next 2.5kms and many swims up to 200m depending on water levels. Nearing the end of the
corridor large sections have backed up, creating pools that are inhabited by many eels. The largest
of these pools has been named Lake of the Eels. Beyond these pools several hundred meters of
large boulders is encountered before reaching the end of the main narrows. Here the corridor finally
opens up and Ilet de Bras de Caverne (a small island in the middle of the river) can be found which
is the indicator for start of the exit trail on RL.

Bras de Caverne Corridor from the third waterfall

waterfall View up to third waterfall from bivvy site

Exit
The corridor opens up to a stream within a valley. In the middle of this stream stands a small island,
marked on the map as Ilet de Bras de Caverne. At this point the river flows in two around the island
for approx 100m but is not obvious from upstream. Adjacent to the island on RL you will see camp
Cabane Braco, which consists of some old bamboo shelters used by poachers fishing for eels. The
start of the exit trail can be found on RL just after the downstream end of island but is not clearly
marked and may be difficult to locate at the start. From here the climb to the top of the ridge is
steep and takes approx 90 mins. Once on top of the ridge a further 1 hour of downhill traversing
will bring you to the D48 at Plateau Wickers and the car. Near the end of the trail it meets a small
farm, from here it is required to cross the farm land and down the drive way to reach D48.

7
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Options
This may be undertaken as a two day trip with an alternative bivvy site located just above the third
waterfall. A nice spot can be found on RR in a dry section of the riverbed where it was once diverted
around a small island.

If staying at Gite Du Pic Des Stables lodge in La Plaine-Des-Palmistes it is possible to arrange a

shuttle from the owner who is very fond of canyoners. The charge is very reasonable and his Gite is
also a great place to organize / dry out your gear. For details they can be contacted on 06
92645497

Summary
The ultimate! This is a truly majestic canyon. The long descents allow panoramic views of water
plummeting down the slick black walls into pools surrounded by lush vegetation. The sense of
vulnerability and wild isolation adds to the mystique of this great journey.

Day one route & the start of the corridor Day two down the corridor and exit trail

8
 The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

Nearing the washing machine in the top section of the corridor

9
The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

10
The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

11
The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

12
The North Face Adventure Grant 2010 La Reunion
Scott Hall / Jonathan Smith / Lincoln Taylor

13