In this article you will read about how to turn a plan for a relaxing hike to the Teide into a completely extreme adventure…and surviving it!
Introduction
Hiking the Teide in total relax: the plan
Mount Teide is the tallest mountain in Spain and the highest Volcano in Europe, with its whopping 3780 meters of altitude. It sits in the middle of Tenerife, the most populated island of the Canary archipelago, which owes its origin to the volcano itself.
Maria and myself are spending a wonderful New Year’s holiday in Tenerife, one of these holidays where the only plan is to have no plan and relax and mellow out, going with the flow of the typican island laid back rythm of life.
However, how to resist the temptation of climbing mount Teide? How can we keep to our goal of ultimate relaxation if there is such a beautiful volcano to climb? Well, the real answer is that there is kind of a way of achieving both goals, as there is a handy cable car that saves effort and time. Also, there is a mountain refuge only 500meters below the peak, which means we can take our time, spend the night up there and comfortably hike to the peak.
Therefore, the plan is laid out: we would climb by cable car in the late afternoon, spend a cozy night at the Altavista Mountain Refuge, hike to the top the following morning and then descend to the car park once again by cable car. Here is the list of what you need to follow our plan:
- Transport: we had a rented car, otherwise you can hop on a bus from puerto de la cruz or other touristic areas.
- Cable Car Tickets: you can buy them on the spot or in advance through the National Park website. More info here
- Accommodation at the Altavista mountain refuge (book well in advance!). More info here
- Gears: good hiking boots, warm socks, warm clothes (dress for 0 celsius), headlamp, gloves, hat, windbreaker warm jacket (the more technical the better)
We could have titled this plan “Teide peak hike and relax”…however, as you’ll read down below, things did not actually unfolded according to plan!
Climbing the Teide can be an extreme adventure
It’s January the 1st and we reluctantly wake up tp the sound of our alarm clock at 10 am. We feel a bit hangover and dizzy after partying for the New Year’s eve, but we are not worried because we just need to drag our assess to the cable car station by 4 pm, which is only one hour away. Sipping coffee and eating croissants, the plan “hike and relax” is playing out smoothly, it appears.
However, bad news strikes us when I look at my email. In my inbox, I find an email from the Teide National Park warning that, due to adverse weather conditions, the cable car will not be in service today.
Unbelievable! All of a sudden we need to make up our mind quickly. The hangover doesn’t help clear thinking, but it is obvious that we only have two choices: cancel our plan altogether or hike all the way to the refuge. We go for the second option, however is there sufficient time for the car drive, the hike up the mountain before the sun goes down?
We make a few phone calls to enquiry about the conditions and the duration of the hike. The weather is actually sunny and clear, but with strong winds at high altitude. The hike from the Montana Blanca car park takes four hours, and the drive to the car park from our hotel in Puerto de la Cruz is a little over one hour.
It is going to be tight, but we are going to make it. We check out in the blink of an eye and hit the road towards the Teide national park.
Hiking the Teide: Photostory
At first we are very excited: the hangover has gone and it is a beautiful day to hike. Moreover, the views in the National Park are unbelievable: moon like landscapes with rocks of many colours and shy vegetation trying to grow on the lava soil.
Maria thrilled to begin the climb, not knowing what awaits her!
The air is chilly at these altitudes (the climb starts at 2400 meters) but it is not cold, and in our warm gears we have no problems.
The first section from Montana Blanca consists in a 4 kilometers gravel road with mild gradient. So far so good!
Selfie on the way up, the sun is shining and the morale is high! (…or not, Maria?)
After the first 4 kilometers, the real climb begins. The path becomes a single track and the steepness increases. Nothing crazy, it is actually a very pleasant hike offering spectacular views of the island and the volcanic lands around the Teide.
Maria climbing up to the Altavista Refuge
The climb is all above 2400 meters, and we are above the patches of clouds forming in the sea
The climb is all on a section of the mountain that once was covered in lava
The climb is well signposted and nice, but having started so late we are running against the clock if we do not want to arrive after sunset. Moreover, as we climb the temperature drops very quickly, and in the patches of shade it is easily very close to freezing.
When we reach 3000 meters, another factor comes into play to slow us down: the air is very light here and everything becomes slower and harder.
Finally, a few minutes before sundown, we reach the Refuge.
The Altavista Refuge at 3260 meters.
The hike got us cold and tired and we are looking forward to some warmth and food. However, the Refuge is more of a bivack than a proper mountain hut. We knew it and prepared accordingly, but we expected to find at least warm temperatures indoor. This was not the case unfortunately (no stoves or fireplaces), but we were clever enough to eye one the only radiator in the entire kitchen and occupy the seats in its surroundings!
As for the food, we originally planned to cook pasta and drink wine, but we had to abandon the plan when we realised we had to hike. So we opted for cold sandwiches and fruit. This is enough to replenish our energies but not to warm us up! Luckily there is a vending machine selling hot chocolate at a whopping 2 euros a cup.
Bedtime comes early, as we learn that everyone must leave the refuge by 7 am, and most people plan on leaving at 6 in order to see the dawn from the top, the sunrise happening at 7.45 at this time of the year. Not bad, a good night sleep is what we need. Unfortunately, though, we must share our room with other 15 snooring guests.
The night passes quickly and, 30 minutes before schedule, we are woken up by our fellow hikers. After a quick but energetic breakfast and another cup of overpriced hot chocolate, we are ready to begin our climb in complete darkness and freezing temperature.
Ready for the climb. It’s dark outside and very cold, and it will be even more challenging as we near the top.
It is cold indeed outside, and almost immediately we run out of breath: we are above 3000 meters and our muscles have not woken up yet. This is not entirely bad news though, as our accelerated heartbeat gives us some warmth to contrast the chilly morning air.
The trail is not bad, even with only the light of our headlamps it is easy to follow. Moreover, it is full moon today, and after our eyes get used to the darkness we can spot the shapes of the rocks in the distance.
Maria on her way to the top in the freezing morning air, lighting the way with a headlamp
After a while we reach the cable car station, and we feel the winds whispering by. The sun is also about to come up, so there is no time to waste!
However, as we begin the last section of the climb, which is essentially a straight line to the top, things quickly become seriously sketchy. The wind here is incredibly strong, and in the most exposed traits it is literally beating us, deafening with its loudness and freezing us rapidly. My hydration pack hose gets frozen in no time, as do my beard and nostrils. We can no longer speak and we must proceed ducking and almost crawling in order to expose the least area to the power of the wind.
Now it is serious. I think of giving up and going down to more sheltered areas, as I fear for Maria’s safety. She looks beaten, a little scared, but she agrees to keep going. We proceed at a crawl, and some hikers with young kids decide the risk is too big and give up.
After some 30 minutes of real suffering in the most powerful winds I have ever experienced, with temperatures easily below 10 degrees celsius, we finally reach the top. It is beautiful here, we are just in time for sunrise and we can even enjoy some welcome warmth from the volcanic vapors emerging from the rocks (not healthy, we would have sore eyes for 2 days afterwards).
Here are some pictures of us at the top!
A selfie from the top! It was very, very cold.
After enjoying the sunrise, it is time to get down. Easier said than done, with the crazy winds giving us a hard time to keep balance.
Time to descend from the top
Finally we reach the cable car station and we can look back to where we had just been, all the way to the top! It has been a struggle but we made it!
The peak of mount Teide seen from the cable car station.
Now, this would be the time for us to take the cable car down in all comfort. At least, that is what we hope for…but we cannot keep our hope up after witnessing the power of the winds at the top. As anticipated, annoyingly, the cable car is not going to open neither today, so we are left with only one choice, that is hiking all the way down. Today, we will descend 1300 meters after being beaten to a mush by the wind.
Maria descending through lava rocks
Finally, after 3 hours of battering our knees to descend, we get to the gravel road that will take us to the car. Taken by an unexpected surge of energy (and willingness to be in the car as soon as possible), Maria surprises me with a proposal as she asks: “why don’t we jog all the way to the car park?”
We change into more proper clothes for the run and we hit the gravel road.
Map and Stats
Max elevation: 3688 m
Total climbing: 1690 m
Video
Relive ‘Pico del Teide con Maria, crazy winds !!’