Walking in Tenerife - Montana Blanca, Mount Teide |
A circular walk with terrific views high on Tenerife's Mount Teide.
Grade: |
Moderate |
Distance: |
13km |
Altitude Gained: |
500m |
Duration: |
3.5 hours |
Topping out on a high mountain - such as the 3718m high Mount Teide - has an
obvious appeal to many, but sometimes this can lead to the lesser peaks being
overlooked.
If the weather is against you, if you haven't got the time, energy or a permit
for the 1200m ascent to Teide's summit, or if you can't face paying for the
cable car - this circular route on Montana Blanca is a great alternative.
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Above: The sign at the start of the Montana Blanca walk, Mount Teide, Tenerife.
© Mat & Niki Adlam-Stiles, 2011
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The ascent of Montana Blanca:
This moderate
circular walk in the shadow of the majestic Mount Teide on good, clear tracks
throughout and presents no route-finding difficulties.
The walk starts from the Montana Blanca car park, approximately
2km North East of
the main Mount Teide cable car station. The car park is popular with
hikers making the ascent to Teide's summit and the Alta Vista mountain hut, so
an early start can be advisable.
To the left of the car park, an obvious jeep track rises steadily - this is
Sendero 7, and is followed for the majority of the climb. The jeep track
itself is rather uninspiring as it climbs relentlessly from the car park, but
the landscape through which it passes is magnificent.
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Teide Eggs:
The jeep track is followed to the bitter end, but on-route there are a few
points to note. As you ascend, you will pass two tracks on the right.
The first is a jeep track, with a smaller footpath branching off. This is
our return route - Sendero 27. Further up the track a sign denotes the
start of Sendero 6, the start of our return loop.
Beyond the Sendero 6 sign, you encounter the "Teide Eggs", a large collection of
volcanic "balls"!
At first glance they look much like the "breadcrust bombs" seen on Mount Etna,
but they are infact the product of lava "snow balling" down the slopes.
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Above: "Teide Eggs" - lava accretion balls,
Mount Teide, Tenerife
© Mat & Niki Adlam-Stiles, 2011
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At the end
of the jeep track, Sendero 7 starts the steep climb to the Alta Vista hut.
Just before this, a near-level track left will bring you to the summit of Montana
Blanca, from which superb views across the Teide Caldera are to be had.
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Having taken in the views, return via the jeep track until the sign for Sendero
6 is reached. From here a smaller and altogether more pleasant path drops
steeply at first into the volcanic landscape. The area here has a real
"badlands" feel to it - you could easily imagine yourself in a scene
from a spaghetti Western!
Continue to follow Sendero 6, ignoring any unsigned paths off. Just
as you start to wonder if you've missed your turn, a junction is reached with
Sendero 27, clearly marked and signed.
Turn right here to continue in the "badlands" landscape, a gentle ascent along Sendero 27 will
return you neatly to the jeep track. From there, 10 minutes walking down-dip and you're back at the car
park.
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Above: "Badlands" - the volcanic landscape on Mount Teide's slopes, Tenerife.
© Mat & Niki Adlam-Stiles, 2011
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