The difficulty of our hikes

Choosing your hiking trip carefully

The hikes or treks we offer in Madagascar are by no means extreme sporting feats. However, it is important to choose your trip carefully so that it is perfectly suited to your expectations and your physical and mental capabilities. In addition to the challenges related to hiking itself, you must also consider climatic and seasonal factors (heat, cold, rain) as well as the notion of remoteness. In Madagascar, the concept of altitude is not significant, as no summit is higher than 2800 meters above sea level.

Levels of difficulty for hiking trips:

• Easy: 4 to 5 hours of walking per day. Accessible to anyone who practices walking. Slow pace, minimal technical difficulties, and an average positive elevation gain of less than 400 meters per day.
• Moderate: 5 to 6 hours of walking per day. Accessible to anyone with some endurance and experience in hiking or sports. Steady pace, few technical difficulties, with an average positive elevation gain of less than 600 meters per day.
• Experienced: 5 to 7 hours of walking per day. Accessible to anyone with good endurance and experience in hiking or sports. Steady pace, moderate technical difficulties, with an average positive elevation gain of less than 800 meters per day.
• Challenging: 5 to 8 hours of walking per day. Excellent physical condition is necessary, as the stages can be long. One must be able to maintain this pace for several days. The positive elevation gain can reach 900 meters.
• Advanced: Routes designed for experienced travelers. They require exceptional mental resilience due to the isolation and length of the trips, as well as excellent physical condition. The elevation gain can exceed 1,000 meters.

To make the right choice, our team is here to help: At Détours Madagascar, you will find passionate field specialists who will guide you in choosing the right trip and answer all your questions regarding logistics, equipment, route difficulty, climate, and more.