Yesterday's walk took me from the lower cable-car station to the summit of Montaña Blanca, which is a hill on the flanks of Teide reaching just over 9,000ft in altitude. The path is signposted from the roadside below the cable-car station and is easy follow as it passes through the awesome, other-wordly landscape of the Las Cañadas National Park. Crossing the road at the small Montaña Blanca parking area, I joined the crowds of people heading up towards the start of the Teide path. The initial trail is a fairly easy, steady climb on a wide track in incredible scenery with views across to La Foretleza and the bulk of Teide looming above. Soon, the path passes the Huevos del Teide or Teide Eggs. These huge boulders are giant accretion balls, formed as they rolled downhill on slow moving lava flows and gaining in size like huge snowballs. Soon, I reached the split in the path where the path to Teide turned right and I watched the line of people heading up into the cloud that had now formed on the volcano as I headed left to the top of Montaña Blanca. The views from the top were superb but there was a very cold wind blowing so I didn't linger long before turning and heading back.
A Las Lajas circular walk
 |
Montana Colorada |
Las Lajas is a campsite and recreation area sitting at around the 7,000ft/2,100mtr altitude on the main road from the south of the island to the Teide National Park. I set out on this walk on a beautiful morning and headed for a path contouring around Montana de Las Lajas and descended a very steep, slippery and eroded path enjoying the stunning views towards the south coast and to nearby Montana Colorada.
A walk from Chio along the Canal de Vergara
This weekend, I walked from the hill village of Chio in the south-west of the island and climbed 1,000 metres before descending to the Canal de Vergara. This was a continuation of walk I started a couple of years ago when I hiked to the source of the water channel in the Barranco de Vergara on the northern slopes of Teide and then followed the water channel for many kilometres, sometimes hiking on top of it.
The Lighthouse at the End of the World
Eucalyptus
and almond blossom. The church square and picnic zone look and smell
wonderful in the bright morning sun. The square is dotted with
tourists taking photos and enjoying the quiet of the simple but
attractive church and the trees bedecked in the pink of the blossom.
I do the same as I take my photos and enjoy the ambience but this is
probably my only connection with these holidaymakers. I look at my
watch, it is 10.50 am and I turn and leave the square and the idyllic
scene and take the first steps towards my destination.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)