Trek in Terra Incognita, the Vavavato

We take the beautiful road heading west. We cross typical villages of the Highlands and, gradually, large volcanic cones appear. On the shores of Lake Itasy, we settle in the small town of Ampefy. After lunch, we take time to discover and soak in the very peaceful atmospheres of this little-traveled region.

Traveling along the most beautiful mountain road in Madagascar from Ampefy, we reach the small town of Faratsiho. This village and its surroundings offer us the most beautiful mountain landscapes and the highest altitude on the entire large island: we are in the heart of the Ankaratra Massif.

On foot, we begin our approach from this village of Faratsiho. Here, passable roads do not exist.
Off the beaten path, we chart our course through an area of high relief, near the Bongolava Massif. The villagers are mainly potato farmers. The mountainous landscapes that punctuate the horizon, the valleys, the agricultural plains typical of the west of Ankaratra are reliable landmarks: we are indeed on the Madagascar Highlands.
First night camping on the balconies of Ankaratra, an altitude meadow from which offers us a majestic view of the mountains, whose peaks can be swallowed by the clouds.
Campsite at 1,750 meters

We venture into the rock chaos. Through a succession of granite ridge lines and valleys that can hide relict forests, our route heading south is varied and interesting. The little-frequented trails allow the inhabitants of these highland regions to connect their isolated homes. Here, and as we will see throughout our trekking journey, lakes are very much present. They are used, in a traditional manner, for fish conservation during the dry season, with fish evolving in the rice paddies. Rice-fish farming is the main means of subsistence for the people living here. We find tilapia, carp and Malagasy black bass.

The habitat itself is also very singular and stands in stark contrast to that of the Highlands. Houses or small hamlets are distant from one another, families live in isolation. Here, no defensive ditches, no protective walls surround these dwellings, as if the citadel were self-sufficient.

We are now trekking at the base of an immense conical mountain. It dominates the surrounding mountains by its power and also by its nature. Within the granite, a volcano has broken through and dominates the region by its dark mass. Vohitany is our objective for the end of the day. From the summit, the panorama is grand and embraces the entire Highlands region, to the west Bongolava and, in the distance, the limestone sedimentary cliffs. With a 360° view, we find starting from the north Ankaratra and the Imerina region, Vakinankaratra; at our feet the two branches of these mysterious mountain chains and the Mount Ibity region; the birth of Bongolava to the south, the sedimentary plateaus of Bemaraha to the west in the background, then the volcanoes of the Itasy region… magnificent.

Our camp is set up on the edge of a highland lake. Mountain atmosphere guaranteed

In the freshness of the morning, we set out on foot in the large rocky ridges that dominate the bivouac. The progression is made off-trail to reach beautiful peaks, allowing us to discover the composition of this massif. The highest point of the "mony mainty" stands before us, like a beautiful call to climb it. During this trek, the average altitude of our progression is around 2000 m., it is cool, almost cold, yet the southern sun remains scorching.

At midday, we emerge into the central valley at the heart of the mountains. The places are inhabited, small hamlets are scattered here and there. We head towards a beautiful line of mountains by crossing the entire valley at altitude.

The people here almost never descend into the valleys of the Highlands. Keepers of ancient animistic cults and traditional Malagasy practices, they are known only by a few scholars, astrologers and traditional practitioners. This region is filled with mysteries, and it is precisely for this reason that we have become passionate about this land; where only the curious and attentive hiker can venture, and appreciate the places at their true value.

According to those in the know, the population would be mainly comprised of a group from India settled on the Highlands, between Ankaratra and Vakinankaratra, well before the Merina expansion. This expansion would have pushed them into the heights of Vavavato, a mountain very little known to Malagasies. The women remain in the mountains, the groups live in self-sufficiency.

Interestingly, we searched for documentation, works that would have been carried out about these mountains… Nothing, just a simple mention in a French army document dating from 1914…

Since entering the mountain range, we encounter herds of bovines that are equally unique… We go from discovery to discovery: these are "vabus"! A hybrid between a zebu and cattle, sturdy like a zebu but without a hump. The herds are substantial, and among the vabus roam enormous pigs spending their days going about their business, alongside these humpless zebus. The herds are watched over by shepherds identifiable by the sound of their flutes, enchanting melodies that rise from the rocky chaos.

The western chain of the Vavavato granites stretches toward the Betafo region. Summits stand before us and offer us every opportunity to reach them. Of course, we are not talking about mountaineering but lovely hiking expeditions.

As evening approaches, we reach an astonishing region dotted with a multitude of lakes, relatively flat high-altitude prairies with abundant rocky outcrops. Walking through these places, all that's missing are a few yaks and we would be on the High Plateaus of Spiti in Northern India, on the foothills of Tibet.

On a soft meadow, we set up our bivouac for another night at altitude beneath the starry sky.

Suddenly, we reach the southern edge of the Mony Mainty. Through a narrow valley dotted with stepped lakes, we quickly lose altitude and leave the granite behind to reach, without transition, the volcanoes. The scenery changes completely. Nature is put under strict human control, the hillsides and valley floors are cultivated, shaped and developed.

The beauty of the rice fields in the Betafo region is extraordinary. From the wild and pristine nature of Vavavato, we abruptly transition to controlled nature, a striking transition that gives us pause for thought. Around Betafo, human occupation is significant and villages are scattered on the hills between the volcanoes, the wide valleys are entirely dedicated to rice fields. We reach the town of Betafo at midday, reluctantly leaving behind the mysteries of the Mony Mainty.

Short tour of the city and visit to local artisans (making miniatures of bikes and cars, zebu horn work…) then drive to Ambatolampy.
Rice fields and characteristic villages of the Highlands shape the landscape.
In Ambatolampy we make a stop to discover this very lively town on the RN7.
Continuing in the afternoon towards Antananarivo.