Mount Otemanu
2,385 feet of vertical basalt at the centre of the lagoon, with an unreachable summit.
Duration
4 hrs – 7 hrs
Difficulty
●●●●●
Best time
Early morning
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Otemanu rises seven hundred and twenty-seven metres and is what remains of the volcano Bora Bora was born from: the lagoon fills the collapsed crater, and the barrier reef follows the line of the vanished coast.
Its summit has never been reached by a normal route. The basalt of the last few metres is rotten and crumbling and holds no anchor — climbers have landed on it by helicopter, but climbing from below stops on a shoulder beneath. It is one of the few accessible peaks in the world whose top remains out of reach.
Getting there
Guided hike from Vaitape to the intermediate shoulder; the summit itself is not accessible.
What the price covers
hikes to the lower ridges go with a paid guide; the summit is off limits
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Reef shoes
- Swimsuit
- Helmet
Rules on site
A guide is compulsory: the path crosses private land and is unmarked. The rock is friable and slippery, and the climb is steep — this is not a beach stroll.