Located in the Society Archipelago of French Polynesia, Tahiti is a tropical high volcanic island with
some of the tallest mountains in the South Pacific. Mount Aorai, (“Ao-Ra’i”,
literally the “world of the sky” in Tahitian language, also the “royal house”),
with its peak at 2066 m asl, is the third highest summit on the island of
Tahiti following Mt Orohena (2241 m) and Mt Pito Hiti (2110 m).
The peak of
Aorai is easily accessible by a well-maintained trail starting at Le Belvédère
restaurant at 600 m elevation in the “commune de Pirae”, located on the north
side (Leeward) of the island. There are two cabins, one at 1400 m called Fare
Mato (“House of the rocky cliff”) and the second at 1800 m called Fare Ata
(“House of the clouds”) with a Drop Zone for helicopter landing on both sites.
The wooden cabins, built in 1989, house 15-20 people at a time and are
maintained by the nature protection group “Te Rau Atiati”. The hike from Le
Belvédère to Fare Ata takes 4 hours one way with a one-day light backpack and 6
hours with a 20 kg backpack for overnight trips. Less than one hour is needed
to reach the summit from Fare Ata, the last spot where a campsite (4-5 tents
max) can be set up. Pito Hiti is more difficult to reach (8 hours minimum one
way) and Orohena can only be reached by helicopter.
 |
| Metrosideros collina in blossom (JYM) |
The trail to Mt. Aroai passes through several
vegetation types: between 600-900 m asl, remnants of mesic forests (dominated
by the native tree Rhus taitensis) are found on steep and sunny
slopes, as well as rainforests (with the native tree Neonauclea forsteri)
in wet and shady gulches; followed by the species-rich montane cloudforest
above 900 m in deep gullies and steep slopes (characterised by tall treeferns Cyathea
spp.) and shrublands (with the native Dodonea viscose) on exposed windy
ridges; a unique subalpine shrubland vegetation (with the endemic herb Astelia
nadeaudii, the ericoid shrubs Leptecophylla pomarea and Vaccinium
cereum and the sedges Gahnia schoenoides and Machaerina bidwillii)
is found above 1500-1800 m. The most common trees found all over the elevation
gradient, are the native Metrosideros collina (Myrtaceae) and the
endemic Weinmannia parviflora (Cunoniaceae). Most mesic areas are
invaded by the alien grass Melinis minutiflora, the thorny shrub Lantana
camara and the small tree Tecoma stans, and wet forests by African
tulip tree Spathodea campanulata, thimbleberry Rubus rosifolius,
and monospecific stands of the small tree Miconia calvescens up to 1400
m elevation.
Weinmannia parviflora with fruits (JYM)