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| Early morning cloud drifts over the mountains |
Most hikers who have walked in the south of Tenerife will be familiar with the Barranco del Rey. The GR131 long distance trail flirts with this impressive gorge in it's initial stages and as it departs Arona, on it's journey to La Esperanza in the north of the island, it crosses the ravine before heading off into the hills.
It was here that I turned right into the ravine leaving the path to find myself enclosed between the rocky, spurge covered walls. The walking was, at times quite difficult, as I negotiated the boulder strewn stream-bed and concentration was required as I carefully picked my way along the bottom of the ravine.
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| Heading into the ravine |
The sun was just rising on the hills above and I enjoyed the deep reds and browns highlighted in the rocks as I made my way along the silent channel. My intention was to try and walk to the Salto del Topo (dry) waterfall below the summit of Roque Imoque before climbing out of the barranco on a path near the foot of the waterfall.
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| In the Barranco del Rey |
As it happened, my progress was halted by a large rocky hollow filled with water in the bottom of the barranco. There were steel cables suspended above the hollow, which clearly indicated that this area was used by climbers but being alone, I did not try anything risky to bypass the pool and returned the way I had come and climbed out of the gorge on an old path that I had passed on my outward trip.
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| Approaching the rocky hollow |
Once out, I followed a wide track alongside the edge of the barranco, from which I had superb views, the pool in the rocky hollow clearly visible from above.
After a climb along the edge, I reached the path to the bottom of the Salto del Topo and stood for a while admiring the views of the surrounding cliffs, the silence only broken by the croaking of a couple of ravens and the cries of a buzzard as it wheeled around the cliffs.
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