Grey rocks and bright green trees
Landscape,  Madagascar,  Monday walks,  Nature and wildlife

Where one cannot walk barefoot

December 13, 2023 / 38 Comments

In parts of Madagascar a unique landscape has formed, alternating sharp shards of rock and deep canyons. This is the tsingy, from a Malagasy word meaning ‘where one cannot walk barefoot’. It is formed from limestone plateaus, the remains of ancient coral reefs when this area lay under the sea. The plateaus have been weathered by acidic water, which seeps into cracks and widens them. As time goes by, the surface cracks can widen so much that the surface appears like a forest of knives. And below, caves and canyons form.

We had the chance to visit one of these iconic areas, in the Ankarana Special Reserve. With my injured leg still sore I was glad to be promised a relatively easy walk; easy definitely being a relative word, as I was to discover.

Two men on a sandy path
Laurent and Chris at the start of the walk

It was already hot when we set out on our walk and the first part was very exposed. Then a few trees started to appear, and some clumps of bamboo. We descended a series of steps to a dry river bed, where we had to negotiate some thankfully mostly flat boulders.

Large boulders with trees lining them
Crossing the dry river bed
Large boulders with trees lining them
And the path up the far side

Into the forest

On the far side we were properly into the forest and out of the hot sun. The path was now mostly flat and sandy, much easier going.

Sandy path between trees
The path through the forest

We made various stops at points where our guide Laurent would detour off the main path (but never far), seemingly always knowing where some creature would be tucked away. We saw a crested drongo, two scops owls and several Ankarana sportive lemurs, one with a baby. This is a nocturnal species, so they were all tucked away in holes or in the fork of a tree trunk, but most were awake, their big eyes peering down at us. Further along the path we saw a magpie-robin and a hook-billed vanga.

Tsingy Rary

After about two kilometres we reached the fork to visit the viewing platform for the tsingy. The path descended some steps and then to reach the platform we had to climb up some more boulders. I found it tough in the heat but worth it for the views.

Panorama of grey rocks and bright green trees
Tsing Rary panorama, stitched from five shots

It looked at first glance to be a solid mass of rock, like a cliff face, but no. We were looking at around two kilometres of row after row of these dramatic rocky outcrops, separated by canyons. In better light (less flat) it would have been more obvious. However the trees that grow between the rows really help the eye to separate them out.

In the dry season, Laurent told us, these trees would be bare and grey, hard to distinguish against the rocks, but visiting just as the rainy season was starting (though we had no rain) meant that these bright green leaves had begun to appear.

We stayed for quite some time enjoying the views and the slightly cooler air up here. But eventually we had to leave and to tackle those boulders and steps in what was by now even hotter weather (Laurent checked when we got back to the car; it was by then 37 degrees).

The return walk

I found the first climb up from the platform very tough in that heat and had to rest for a while before starting the walk back. I was glad it was mainly flat as the heat was really taking its toll on me. But there was still the challenge of the dry river crossing in full sun and the long run of steps up from there. As I said at the start, easy is a relative term and I found this anything but!

Rocky path between trees
Path up from the platform
Path with sand and stone steps
The path near the end of the walk, Laurent waiting patiently

However, it was more than worth it to have had those spectacular views of the tsingy and for the various wildlife sightings too. I hope Jo will agree so I’m sharing this with her as a Monday walk.

I visited Madagascar in October/November 2023

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