CLIMBING THE LORE

Pieter Both peak

Every morning when I open my bedroom window to let in fresh air, I love to see the Pieter Both silently standing, its peak just visible over the clouds and looking directly at me. When I am in a good mood, I can hear it whisper, "good morning" to me. It stands pleasantly bathed in the golden sun. But when it is cold and grey and I don't feel up to a great morning, I can hear it say, "...and you think you are in a bad situation?" These daily secret conversations intrigued me to know more about it. One day while taking my driving lessons, I passed by its foot in La Laura village and lo-and-behold! I saw the great sage meditating.

Some Fun Facts

Muriya Pahar is its local name in Bhojpuri. It is a peak in the Moka Range in the north of Mauritius. Named after Dutch East Indies’ first Governor-General, who died when his ship sank near Mauritius, Pieter Both is the second highest mountain peak of Mauritius at 820 metres, first being Piton de la Petite Rivière Noire. A big stone about 30 feet (9.144m) in diameter sits balanced at its peak. It looks like the head of a man sitting in meditation, and this gave birth to folklore.

The Folklore

It is said that there was a man who used to sell milk in the village below (Crève Coeur). One day, he was late and dusk fell as he was returning home through the jungle after delivering milk to neighbouring villages. As he hurried along, he heard some music and became curious. To his surprise, he saw fairies dancing in circles in a clearing. As he watched transfixed at the beautiful sight, the fairies discovered the intruder. After much deliberation and the milkman's request, they allowed him to watch them every day but extracted a promise from him he should not tell this to anybody.

Days passed, the fairies danced, and the milkman watched. All were happy. Eventually, people noticed the milkman's absence during the evenings, and they were suspicious. People pestered him as to his whereabouts. Eventually, the milkman spilled out the truth. We don't know whether next evening his friends accompanied him, but when he came to the same place where the fairies danced; he turned into stone and stands there till date as Pieter Both mountain peak. Its neighbour, Le Pouce mountain peak, as if in answer to his predicament for his failure to keep a promise gives a "thumbs up". This lore has many variations though. One version says that it was a shepherd who crossed the forbidden peak in search of a strayed lamb and the fairies cursed him.

Le Pouce and Pieter Both

Climbing Pieter Both

The huge stone perched on the top of the mountain looks challenging, though it is easy to climb. Some basic equipment like ropes, helmets and harnesses will be necessary. As much as the mountain intrigues climbers, so does the mountain trail. It passes by some old endemic trees and rock surfaces. From the gully to the shoulder it is a steep climb. The view of the Crève Coeur valley and La Laura village from there is breathtaking. From the shoulder to the neck presents more challenge to climbers. There are ridges with about 500 metre drop on each side and one has to climb through this to reach the balcony beneath the great stone, which stands balanced at the peak, and it never falls. On a clear and sunny day, you will enjoy the climb to the top of the hill. Guides choose the path that will best suit you and your family. The top is flat and is about 6 feet across. From here, the view all around is breathtaking.

https://youtu.be/It3a9LZr6uQ

Some Notes

It will take about 1 hour to 3 hours to climb and come back. The ascent is difficult compared to the descent. We should do the climb on a clear day. Rain makes the way up slippery and dangerous.

Good to Know

In 1971, some climbers went to the top to celebrate New Year, disregarding the thunderstorm and lightning. One of them fell into a ravine, and the Special Mobile Force could not recover the body until 5th January.

If you are keen on climbing, there are well-trained, experienced guides available, who will make the otherwise difficult ascent a safer one, and you just have to be full on stamina.

©Indrani Pudaruth 12/02/2020