PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
NAVIGATION ON THE GR® NC1 AND PR®
12/07/2008
• The tracks are marked but New Caledonia’s landscape is complex. Managing your route individually guarantees your safety, independence and intellectual satisfaction.
• The place names used are those on the IGN or DITTT maps.
• The magnetic variation is substantial (around 13°E).
• Coordinates are expressed in the UTM system and referenced on the WGS 84.
• The time frames (approximate walking times calibrated to GPS with no stops) and difficulty gradings are assessed according to the criteria of the French hiking federation.
MAPS
12/07/2008
• All libraries in Nouméa - IGN 1/50 000e
• The Government maps departement (DITTT) produce new topo maps of very quality (numeric or paper). They are not sold in libraries.
EQUIPMENT
12/07/2008
• Waterproof and windproof clothing, light for daytime, warm for evenings or high-altitude hikes.
• Shoes that are light but with closed toes.
• Hat or cap.
• CamelBak-type water container.
• Sun cream.
• Headlamp.
• First-aid kit.
• Instruments: map, compass, altimeter and GPS.
• Safety and signalling: mobile phone, survival blanket, strobe lamp or distress miniflares, perhaps a Spot-type satellite messenger or personal locator beacon.
FOOD FOR HIKING
12/07/2008
• During the day, take "endurance supplies": dried fruit, energy bars, little sandwiches, salted peanuts, almonds to avoid the notorious “energy slump”… Alternate between sweet and savoury. Keep them in a small waist pouch so you can snack while walking.
• For the morning and evening, bring a substantial meal that doesn’t weigh down your pack too much.
• Water : Drinking a lot and often is a necessity when hiking if you don’t want to lose your strength quickly. Physical effort and the temperature require a significant water intake. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty. So always bring a sufficient quantity of water. Finding water during the humid season (January to July) is quite easy. However, from August to late November, sometimes even in December, it can be very dry. The water quality in New Caledonia is generally excellent above an altitude of 500 to 600 metres. This is not the case during the first stages of the GR®-NC1. The water at the Néocallitropsis shelter and at Netcha must be treated by:
- Decanting (rudimentary and fairly unsafe practice)
- Boiling (camping stove)
- Filtering (effective filters can be found in specialized shops, but the water produced must be drunk immediately or it will need extra chemical treatment).
- Chemical disinfection. Hydroclonazone tablets give the water a mild chlorine taste. The Katadyn brand silver salt tablets called Micropur do not present this inconvenience. The treated water can be kept for a long time.
HEALTH
12/07/2008
New Caledonia is a tropical country. You will therefore often have to deal with the heat, even during the cool season. However, cold and humidity are also present at higher altitudes.
• Heatstroke shows itself in intense general fatigue and headaches.
• Sweating often causes irritations, namely in places where there is friction. Use ointment (Vaseline, Nok) to avoid these problems. Wash your feet and body frequently. Dry off with a small chamois leather.
• First-aid kit : The Caledonian terrain presents very few specific risks. The difficulties you will have to face are standard: sun, cuts, sprains, tendonitis, blisters, aches, mosquito bites during the hot season, treating water.
• Clothing must protect you from the heat during the day, and from the rain or cold draughts on windswept ridges. But it must also be lightweight so as not to weigh down your pack. The ideal solution is to use three adjustable layers to suit the conditions:
- The first, a thin layer that dries quickly to prevent humidity from staying in contact with your body.
- The second must maintain a suitable temperature by trapping a layer of air against your body (fleecy material).
- The third must protect you from the wind and rain while allowing body dampness to evacuate.
• Take care of your feet: comfortable, “broken-in” shoes, socks without folds in non-synthetic material. Anti-friction ointment to reduce the risk of blisters.
SAFETY AND ETIQUETTE
12/07/2008
• Walk light : weight is the enemy of pleasure and safety.
• Tell your family, friends or accommodation hosts which itinerary you are taking. Do not go alone.
• Avoid camping outside specific camping areas and picking plants so as to help protect a fragile environment.
• Take your rubbish with you; nobody will pick it up for you.
• Fire can make you the perpetrator of a tragedy that will slowly and inexorably destroy the vegetation of the Far South. We strongly advise you not to light fires on the GR®-NC1 trail. If there is smoke, especially on windy days, you must leave the area involved.
• Weather reports : Pre-recorded report, tel: 36.67.36 - Weather fax: 36.68.08 - www.meteo.nc
• In the event of problems : SAMU (ambulance), dial 15; Gendarmerie Nationale Plum – Tel: 44 87 70
• Mobile phones : The GSM network covers the south of the island quite well, however there are still some shadow regions.
FINDING A GUIDE
12/07/2008
• Alain Fort – Heritage Guide. Address: BP 3482 - 98846 Nouméa Cedex – Tel: 26.48.13 – E-mail: fortdomi@lagoon.nc
• Gilles Lecam – Qualified highland guide - Koghi Découverte - Auberge du Mont Koghi. Address: BP 2423 - 98810 Mont-Dore - Tel/fax : 27 51 52 - Mobile: 77.81.43
• Cyrille Huruguen – Cagoutrek. Address: BP KO 1007 98830 Dumbéa. Mobile: 77.43.39 – Fax: 27 42 99 - E-mail: cagoutrek@mls.nc
SHELTERS AND CAMPSITES
12/07/2008
Places where life is simple and friendly, they offer conditions of minimum comfort: no stove, no kitchen utensils, little or no food supplies.
• The Prony Shelter (start of Stage 1): by the sea at Baie de la Somme (Somme Bay), free of charge, eight sleeping berths, tables, benches, barbecue, toilets, untreated fresh water. Campsite spaces. A faré (open-air shelter) will open soon for the water-taxi business to Île Ouen (Ouen Island) and Îlot Casy (Casy Islet). A snack service is planned.
• The Néocallitropsis Shelter (end of Stage 1): by a creek, free of charge, eight sleeping berths, tables, benches, barbecue, toilets, untreated fresh water. Campsite spaces. No food supplies.
• The Netcha Site (end of Stage 2): admission charge. No shelter but a collection of little covered farés (traditional thatched shelters) and a large closed faré. Campsite spaces. Tents are provided free of charge to hikers at the reception. On the other hand, you must book to use the facilities (faré, tables and benches). Toilets, shower, untreated fresh water. Drinks sold.
• The Ouénarou Shelter (at the entrance to the Blue River Provincial Park, at the end of Stage 3): access to the shelter is free of charge but there is an admission charge for entrance to the park (Direction de l’Environnement (Department of the Environment) or the Tourism Office of the South Province). Tables, benches, eight sleeping berths, barbecue, untreated fresh water, toilets, shower.
• The Muletiers (mule-drivers) Shelter (end of Stage 4): by a creek, free of charge, eight sleeping berths, tables, benches, barbecue, toilets, untreated fresh water. Campsite spaces. No food supplies.
• The Tristaniopsis Shelter (end of Stage 5): near a creek, free of charge, eight sleeping berths, tables, benches, barbecue, toilets, untreated fresh water. Campsite spaces. No food supplies.
• The Soleil Mine Shelter (end of Stage 6): free of charge, eight sleeping berths, tables, benches, barbecue, toilets, untreated fresh water (rain water). Campsite spaces. No food supplies.
• The huts: they are placed along Stage 6 for safety reasons (helicopter landing area for the second Corne du Diable and the Fougères camp). Free of charge, four sleeping berths.
RESERVES
12/07/2008
THE BLUE RIVER PROVINCIAL PARK
12/07/2008
Created in 1980, in the heart of the great South massif, the Blue River Provincial Park (9045 ha) covers the entire catchment that feeds the upper Yaté River. Its altitudes vary from 150 to 1,250 m. It is bounded to the east by the hydroelectric dam and its artificial lake, to the west by the Montagne des Sources (mountain of springs) nature reserve, to the north by a long ridge line adjoining the Ouinné–Pourina formation, to the south by the White River catchment (itself isolated from the Coulée and Lembi Rivers by a ridge that goes from Buse Peak to Mouirange Peak). The park is open to the prevailing winds. Its landscape facilitates rainfall (an average of 3,000 mm of rain per year). It protects rainforest with a great variety of plants: kaoris (Agathis lanceolata), araucarias (Araucaria bernieri), endemic palm trees (Campercarpus fulcitus), spectacular tree ferns (Cyathea vieillardii), some orchids (Dendrobium or Calanthe) and some scrub kaoris (Agathis ovata) on the ridges.
Park operation
Opening hours: From Tuesdays to Sundays, 7 am till 5 pm. Cars are not admitted after 2 pm. Access conditions: Hikers must inform the park administration of their trip (tel: 43 61 24; email: parcrivierebleue@province-sud.nc) and pay the entrance fee. Dogs are prohibited. A bus provides a shuttle service (rate: 400 f/pers) between the Pérignon Bridge and the far end of the park via the Germain Bridge. First departure at 7.30 am from the Pérignon Bridge. Last departure from the old Blue River shelter at 1 pm during the week and 3.45 pm on weekends and public holidays. Entrance tickets (park and shuttle): Walkers leaving from Dumbéa can buy their tickets at the Noumea zoo and park (tel: (27) 89 51; fax: 27 89 50; email: denv.parcforestier@province-sud.nc).