Signal Mountain - Spear Grass Peak - Snail Rock
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 4.92 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,608 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 1,608 ft
- Max elevation
- 1,217 ft
- TrailRank
-
35
4.3
- Min elevation
- 140 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 3 hours 27 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1375
- Uploaded
- January 8, 2013
- Recorded
- January 2013
near Tranquebar, Port Louis (Mauritius)
Viewed 4633 times, downloaded 35 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
This track will bring you only until Spear Grass Peak. Due to unfavorable circumstances I had to abort the hike before getting to Snail Rock. Maybe I'll give it another try some day.
Snail Rock can be hiked/climbed from two sides. Either from the Le Pouce side or from the Signal Mountain side. I have chosen the latter one as I've heard that the Le Pouce approach is tricky and requires climbing gear at some point.
The hike can be divided into three sections. The first one is a walk up the tarred road to Signal Mountain. The second section is another walk on an old dirt road and the third one is probably best described as making your way along the ridge the best you can.
The track starts off in Port Louis at the bottom of Signal Mountain. There is a tarred road winding up to the antenna station on top of the mountain. This road is used by quite a few people for jogging and fitness. However, this section is quite tiring and energy-consuming. Knowing what lies ahead, I'd try to get a ride by one of the security or maintenance cars going up and down the mountain. This will spare you a lot of effort and save some energy.
Once you are up, go straight and follow an old dirt road which is somewhat overgrown but clearly visible and easy to walk on.
After about 1.7km the road ends. Look for two power poles standing close together. From here on there is no path or visible track but the objective is the ridge to your right. It is a mixture of grass, bush, vacoas and loose rocks. Make your way best you can keeping close to the ridge and you will soon reach Spear Grass Peak (see picture).
From there you have a good view of the next section which promises nothing but bush-bashing. You see the ridge clearly leading to the next peak (Goat Rock) and then to Snail Rock (see picture). It looks, however, quite doable as long as you keep close to the ridge and you don't mind bush-bashing.
Long pants, Gloves, Machete and sunscreen are highly recommended. Bring enough water. The entire hike is exposed to the sun.
Snail Rock can be hiked/climbed from two sides. Either from the Le Pouce side or from the Signal Mountain side. I have chosen the latter one as I've heard that the Le Pouce approach is tricky and requires climbing gear at some point.
The hike can be divided into three sections. The first one is a walk up the tarred road to Signal Mountain. The second section is another walk on an old dirt road and the third one is probably best described as making your way along the ridge the best you can.
The track starts off in Port Louis at the bottom of Signal Mountain. There is a tarred road winding up to the antenna station on top of the mountain. This road is used by quite a few people for jogging and fitness. However, this section is quite tiring and energy-consuming. Knowing what lies ahead, I'd try to get a ride by one of the security or maintenance cars going up and down the mountain. This will spare you a lot of effort and save some energy.
Once you are up, go straight and follow an old dirt road which is somewhat overgrown but clearly visible and easy to walk on.
After about 1.7km the road ends. Look for two power poles standing close together. From here on there is no path or visible track but the objective is the ridge to your right. It is a mixture of grass, bush, vacoas and loose rocks. Make your way best you can keeping close to the ridge and you will soon reach Spear Grass Peak (see picture).
From there you have a good view of the next section which promises nothing but bush-bashing. You see the ridge clearly leading to the next peak (Goat Rock) and then to Snail Rock (see picture). It looks, however, quite doable as long as you keep close to the ridge and you don't mind bush-bashing.
Long pants, Gloves, Machete and sunscreen are highly recommended. Bring enough water. The entire hike is exposed to the sun.
Comments (7)
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Splendid views from that track
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Difficult
The title is wrongly given.
From map, attempt is made to cross from signal mountain to Spear grass peak.
Which is adjoining Le Pouce.
Most technically demanding. Blazing sun.
My apologies if i'm too harsh.
Regards
Got more pictures for that trail. antishf@gmail.com
Thanks, changed the order in the title. If you made it all the way up to Snail Rock I'd be interested in your track. Cheers.
Dear hike mu
Where is Spear Grass Peak?
Asked officers at local police station, they'd no clue https://www.wikiloc.com/mountaineering-trails/signal-mountain-spear-grass-peak-snail-rock-3827156/photo-2422878
Spear Grass Peak is one of the two smaller summits on the ridge close to Snail Rock. The picture above shows the summit of Spear Grass Peak. The other photo from this tour shows the second lower summit (Goat Rock) and Snail Rock, taken from Spear Grass Peak. If you follow my track it will lead to right to the summit of Spear Grass Peak. https://www.wikiloc.com/mountaineering-trails/signal-mountain-spear-grass-peak-snail-rock-3827156/photo-2422878
Hikemu,
I just stumbled across a site with a track all the way to Snail Rock and a description on how to do it http://www.exploremauritius.org/?page_id=780