ARE YOU THINKING OF GETTING TO THE SUMMIT OF EL TEIDE VOLCANO????

7am. Summit of El Teide volcano at 1.717 mtrs.

watching the sun rising with the moon at my back.

See the shade of the volcano behind me. Amazing

There are two ways to get to the summit of EL TEIDE volcano, you can be a tourist or either you can be a trekking lover and walk up.

OPTION ” I AM A TOURIST”:

take your car or excursion to the cable car access in the middle of Teide National Park and buy a return ticket to the Summit. It is not cheap, around 25 euros per person. You just need a camera and a jacket even if it’s summer, it’s usually windy up there. Do not think that the cable car is taking you to the very top of the crater, you need a special permit to walk to the summit. You can get that permission on line at this link:

http://www.reservasparquesnacionales.es/real/parquesnac/usu/html/Previo-inicio-reserva-oapn.aspx?cen=2&act=%201

If you do not have the permit to acces to the crater, take direction to “PICO VIEJO” path, it takes only 20 minutes walk to get another cráter of beautiful colours, it’s worth doint it.

OPTION ” I AM A TREKKING LOVER”:

For this option you need to book a night at REFUGIO DE ALTAVISTA, you cannot sleep higher at any other place in Spain, 2.800 mtrs., . This is the link to book (you must do it a couple of weeks in advance):

http://www.telefericoteide.com/altavista

The place is been refurbish a few years ago and there are bunk beds to sleep fully equiped with bed linen, what you need to bring is food and water. You must park your car at the area of the National Park called MONTAÑA BLANCA (there are signs on the road with the name). You should be starting the adventure around 4pm or earlier if it’s winter time you you get to the refugio before sunset. It takes 4 to 5 hours walking to get to the Refugio. It is nice to meet other people at night and make new friends. In the morning you must wake up around 5am and start walking towards the summit. Do not worry if it is your first time, every body sleeping at the refugio will be going to the same direction and wil help you. The magic momento arrives when the sun rise and you are already at the summit looking at that wonderful landscape, at your front the red light of the begining of the day at at your back still the full dark night and the moon. The shape of El Teide at the dark side is something I will never forget. You feel like just you and a few more around you exist in the world, you feel that you can see the hole world in front of you, 360 grades in silence, the ocean.