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 galeria is privately owned by the Barranco Vegara Water Community and transports water for 70 kilometres to the waterworks in Guia de Isora in the south-west of the island. At the entrance to the galeria, there is a tiny chapel with several virgins and saints and a letter that tells the story of a man with mental problems who survived in the mountains in 2008 for seven days thanks to the water and shelter of Vergara that kept him alive until rescued by the forest brigades.
As I climbed, the clouds rolled in and I walked through the beautiful pine forest as the clouds swirled through the branches. This cloud, or 'bruma', as it is known on the island, is partly responsible for replenishing the underground aquifers as the moisture laden cloud condenses on the pine trees before dripping to the ground and refilling the underground supplies. Often, I thought it had started raining when in fact it was simply water dripping from the overhead branches.
After camping overnight next to the channel where I had a ready supply of water, I continued the walk the following day in much clearer conditions which enable me to enjoy some of the superb volcanic scenery in the area.
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