The ascent of Mount Mou is one of the very beautiful hikes offered to good walkers. It is less than a half hour’s drive from Noumea. For others, feel free to go to the very attractive Mount Mou market! The reputation of Mount Mou today is based primarily on the path that leads to its summit or on the very beautiful Tyroleans, put on one of the slopes to "fly over" the canopy.
A picturesque market
Held every second Sunday of the month on a lawn in the shade under large trees, the market is essentially for plants. There are also a few food stands there giving pride of place to local products: achards, jams, sugar cane juice and fruits of the region.
950 metres difference in height, 7km and 5 hours’ walk to/fro.
To access the hiking path, you should go right onto a small road at the top of the Col de la Piroque. After about 2 km, you will cross a creek (small river). You can park on site and be prepared for five-hour walk to/fro. On the path, the forest is quickly replaced by a mining scrub that is exposed to the sun (protect yourself!). The path then rises up hill in a much sustained way. Do not forget to carry enough water that will last for the distance (7 km A/R) and for the difference in altitude (950 meters)! In the middle of the walk, you will find the tomb of Maxime Païta, son of High Chief Marc, who died in 1944. Then you are already at an altitude of 850 meters. After two hours of quite intense walk, the scrubby vegetation, made up of ferns, gives way to a magnificent moss forest. The path meanders between lianas, big trees and their exuberant roots.
An unusual encounter: the wreckage of an American military plane
Once at the summit which is 1 219 meters high, you will not enjoy an unobstructed view given that you will always be at the heart of the vegetation! Having said that, if you continue about fifteen minutes on the path, you will reach a site where you will get a beautiful view of Noumea, Mounts Ouin and Humboldt and, below, the wreckage of a U.S. military aircraft that crashed there during the Second World War!
A piece of advice: go early in the morning to avoid the clouds that often gather at the top in the early afternoon. In these conditions, you can also enjoy higher brightness and therefore the most beautiful view of the plains and the lagoon.
