My girlfriend and I are going out to Tenerife in December, and want to go to the top of Teide. I've not been able to find particularly good information on the internet or in books about it, particularly if you are tackling it on foot in winter rather than by cablecar in summer.
So, a few questions really:
1. I was thinking of staying in the refuge overnight and then attempting the summit the next day. We'll have bags with us as we are camping - one is a Alpkit PD400 (I think this is good down to about -5C) and a Mountain Hardwear Ultralamina 15 (rated to -9C, has good loft). It says they supply bed clothing, which I presume is the usual blankets. Do you reckon that will be warm enough? I'm not so fussed by a night that is a touch uncomfortable, but my girlfriend would be.
2. Is the cablecar open this time of year, in case we decide the foot option isn't happening?
3. It sounds like crampons are a good idea this time of year. Is there anywhere on the island these can be hired instead of taking them all the way out there for one day?
If anyone has any other advice about Tenerife or La Gomera, that would be great as well - we will be camping most of the time and hoping to just relax, do some gentle climbing and some walking as well.
I'll be out there for some extended periods over the winter. Last time I tried to get to El Teide, the road was closed at 1400m because of snow, so you can guess what conditions might have been like at 3700m! Snow by itself isn't too bad. If necessary you can just plough through it, but beware of big holes between the rocks, which won't be visible. When the sun hits the snow and freeze/thaw conditions alternate night and day, the whole summit turns into glass, so yes, crampons are needed and they need to be sharp!
Some things you need to know...
* Road access will be closed if there's snow.
* The refuge will be closed if there's snow.
* The cablecar closes as soon as it gets windy.
* Don't forget to apply for a permit to reach the summit.
If you're camping, you're supposed to use the 'official' sites, which means more bureaucracy as you have to get permission from the local councils one day, then pick up your permit another day. Doesn't make for flexible travelling! If you're wild camping, keep your head down.
There's some info in my book - but this is next on the list for a complete overhaul - with significant expansion of routes - hence my plans for the winter!
Thanks Paddy - I'd seen the other volume of the guide in Stanfords last week - I'll try and get a copy volume one this week then.
When you say the refuge is closed if there is snow, does it have an emergency always open shelter that never closes whatever the weather?
In reality, is wild camping OK? I've seen photos and read reports of people camping away from the official sites. The tent is green and not too obvious. It sounds like there is a fairly strong ranger presence in the national parks. What about less popular beaches? I've also seen photos of disused buildings on La Gomera that look ok for a night as well.
I have bivvied on the plains below Teide a couple of times - there is some vegetation to hide behind.....the processing beetles were a little scary though
Yes - there's supposed to be a very basic shelter left open. I haven't used it, but I imagine you'd need double the winter woollies in winter! I once bivvied on top of nearby Guajara, at 2715m, early in October one year. It was unbearably hot during the day, but unbelievably chilly during the night. El Teide is another 1000m higher, and December is colder than October. Throughout January and February of 2006, every view I had of El Teide saw all its gullies full of snow.
People do camp wild on Tenerife, but so long as you're not caught, you can't get into trouble. It all depends who's doing the catching. Anywhere within walking distance of El Teide, it's likely to be a toss-up between the National Park wardens or the Guardia Civil doing the catching, and neither of them will be pleased to see you. I got told off by a warden for stepping off a path once!
On La Gomera, I noticed a number of people at a ruined farmstead, and some of them were preparing to doss inside the building for the night, while others were going to camp outside. Then again, I got a very early bus and started walking in the dark, hoping to reach the highest point on the island in time for sunrise. A policeman came through the forest on his motorbike, and specifically asked me if I'd been camping. I told him I'd come up on the bus and still had my ticket to prove it, which satisfied him.
The snow seems pretty variable - there are accounts of people using the cable car in December and wearing shorts and getting away with it for the short time. I'd figure the temperature at the top would be no less than -5C in winter though, then take windchill into account.
Sounds like it might be an idea not to use disused buildings then...
Is there the usual issue of only being able to get pierceable gas canisters on Tenerife?
They get 'weather' in the Canary Islands - it's not just sunny all the time. I've been walking in winter over there and turned a sunny corner or two to find my way barred by steep sheets of ice, with spiky rocks sticking out of them. It's no fun when you've no crampons, and no way of bailing out of a mountain walk at over 2000m. I had to improvise, collect a pile of small stones, and hammer them into the ice so that my footwear had something to grip on. Took me about half an hour to sort out a ten yard line, but one slip would have meant a rapid descent, followed by a swift death by having the hide ripped off me! It's surprising how quickly soft snow can turn to hard ice with only a couple of days of freeze/thaw cycles.
I guess Ed's processing beetles are those beetles that march along after each other in a long line, nose to tail all the way. Some creatures do that sort of thing when they're out 'hunting'. Pine processionary caterpillars do it, hence their name. Beats counting sheep to get to sleep!
I've no info about gas canisters, but I'll check out the situation this winter, though it'll be a bit late for you. I've never really bothered about cooking on the move over there. Most of the time the last thing I want is a hot meal or drink, but I guess any extended period in the mountains in winter might convince me otherwise!
As Paddy has said the weather in Tenerife in the mountains during the winter can be very changeable as it can be warm and sunny down at the Parador but freezing cold once you start to climb.
There was the first snow on Teide last week which is earlier in the year than usual as I could see it from our terrace and it was reported in the local newspapers that the police had closed the roads due to ice making driving conditions dangerous.
The main problem with camping is the lack of official campsites available and very few sources of water. There are also very few shops on the island which sell specialist hiking and camping equipment and I am not aware of anywhere which hires equipment out. Do you have any dates in mind when you will be visiting Tenerife as I will try and find out answers to any questions you may have. I have just arrived back in the UK for two weeks until 25/11/08 but will then be returning back to Tenerife until 20/12/08. I have spoken to my wife earlier on this evening and she said it has been very hot in the south of the island today 80 plus degrees.
Alan, we'll be in Tenerife from 11th till the 21st of December.
I found a list of official free campsites - it appeared that nearly all of them have running water, and two even have toilets and showers. I also found two other commercial sites, Nuata and another one (I've not got the bookmarks on this PC). I'm not sure what any of them will be like, but we can always fall back on "normal" accommodation.
Roxtar in Granadilla de Abona is a climbing shop, and I think there is a Decathlon on the northern part of the island?
By the way, thanks for all the information and advice!
I picked up a copy of your book earlier Paddy. Spent a while going through the different maps available to me, and went for a 1:50k Kompass map, contrary to the advice in the book. Some of the maps available are truly awful!
When you get to El Teide, make sure you pop into the National Park visitor centre at El Portillo. You can pick up a free leaflet there that includes the most detailed map of El Teide that I've ever seen. There's only one path up and down the peak, but there are a few places you can link into it from the caldera.
I've just got back home after a non-stop descent from El Teide... direct to the airport in Tenerife... stalled at Manchester Airport waiting for a train... further delayed by a cancelled train at Preston... finally dropped off at the bottom of my road by a rail replacement taxi... and now feeling a bit sleep-deprived.
Still... if anyone wants an update on current conditions... submit a request below!
We stayed at the Parador on the 17th. The room was 80€ which wasn't bad really. Static electricity is a real problem with the air being so dry... . We had a wander round Roques de Garcia, just getting back to the hotel as the sun set. There were perhaps 4 cars left when we set off and only a park ranger when we got back - it's much nicer seeing these places when they aren't teeming with people.
The next night we were staying at the refugio. On arrival, the front door was open, so we go in. There's a number of chairs, a coffee machine (2€ a cup... but remember to put the cup under the spout!), fireplace, several locked doors, including glass doors into a kitchen area with a kettle and microwave.
We took sleeping bags, a stove, water, insulating layers for sitting around etc. When we turned up there was a Belgian couple there, similarly equipped.
We went to sleep for a bit, and after a while, more people arrived. They varied from a couple who were wearing jeans and street coats (who as time progressed looked colder and colder) to guys who looked like fell runners.
The kitchen area was opened at 5pm, people made food. The water from the taps is marked "Non-potable", but could be boiled in the kettle. There was cutlery, plates, mugs, chopping boards, everything needed.
The guardian of the hut took payment - I thought my BMC card would get half-price accommodation, but I think my poor Spanish failed to communicate this.
At the same time, toilets were opened down at the other end. Male and female toilets, both with two flushing toilets and a sink!
When the sun sets you get an amazing view of the sea of clouds with the shadow of the conical summit of Teide projected onto them. Most beautiful.
Then the dorms were opened at 7pm. There were small electric heaters in the dorms, and you were provided with a duvet and pillow. The dorm we were in had 7 double bunks. The temperature didn't drop below 10 degrees all night with so many bodies and a heater. The bunks really squeaked everytime anyone moved (and one of the couples appeared to be moving quite a lot ), so it was actually pretty hard sleeping.... I think I actually contemplated unpacking my bag and sleeping outside at one point!
A large number of people rose at 5:30 to go to the summit, including the jeans-clad couple, who must have been freezing... we decided to stay asleep until sunrise. The sunrise was equally as good as the sunset, but the clouds rapidly rose up the mountain until we were enveloped. The low temperature caused this to turn to ice quite rapidly. Again, I thought of how cold the jeans-clad couple must be right now.
We set off down the mountain with the Belgian couple, taking care with the ice. It rapidly warmed up and the cloud cleared and it turned into a lovely day. On the way down we passed a real range of people - from rangers dressed similarly to us, all the way to a couple where the man was wearing sandals and the woman a skirt!
We saw no sign of an emergency shelter, and I didn't really have anyway of asking if there was one.
But all in all, a very beautiful and strange place to visit. Nothing like I have seen before.
With respect to the camping... we first tried to stay at the Montana Roja campsite, which is run by the government, but does not need a permit. It is next to a lovely beach and was where we would have liked to have stayed. But it's shut, and it seems it is going to remain that way.
So we stayed at Camping Nauta for the first few days. It's more like a Butlins than anything... quite an interesting little place! The ground is very rocky though.
On Monday we headed up to Santa Cruz to get the camping permit. First off, the address that is supplied for the permit is NOT right. Just go to the Cabildo Insular on Plaza Espana, there is a information desk on the north side. A helpful gentleman called Max who spoke English helped us apply. You need to tell them which days and which campsite you wish to stay at. We applied for a week at El Lagar. The permit is granted there and then but you cannot apply for that night. So we stayed in a hotel again.
I can now go to this site and apply for a permit myself, but I think you need to go there in person first: http://www.cabtfe.es/acampadas/site%20del%20cabildo/areas/medio%20ambiente/acampadas/aplicacion/web/Acampadas-Bis.htm
So the campsite is marked as having parking, so we figure we can drive to it. The map from the above site shows the preferred route, so we go there. On arrival, the road is a "Pista Forestal" which seems to be hard packed dirt. A sign says that only approved vehicles are allowed, and shows picture of three categories, A (ATVs), B (dirt bikes) and C (4x4). The road looked good so we drove up a bit further, to be greated by a fence with "Passo Prohibido" and other ominous signs with rocks falling and the like.
It's only about 5km from there to the campsite, but we would need to carry all water in, and it would change our plans, so we try to find another route. This ended up with us driving the car up some of the steepest hills and off-roading a Citroen C3.... and we still didn't get there!
We had seen other campsites, but they were very exposed and windy, and we'd need to apply again, so we gave up on the idea of camping. Saying that, Max in the Cabildo did seem to hint that it was unlikely the permit would get checked.
I spent a few weeks on El Hierro and added Teide onto the very end of my trip as an 'extra'. I got a flight from El Hierro to Tenerife Norte, and the nice stewardess made sure I got the best window on the plane for pictures of the side of Teide that hardly anyone ever sees! That night I stayed in Puerto Cruz, then next morning at 0845 I phoned about the refuge and was simply given a number to quote on arrival, and the guy on the phone only wanted my surname and nationality. I got on the bus at 0915 and was walking by about 1030. I was in no hurry, and reached the refuge at 1500. There were three people lounging around, so I decided to continue up the mountain. I was mooching around near the summit around 1630, but the ranger was guarding the final approach and of course I didn't have a permit. I went back down to the refuge, reaching it about 1730. It cost €20 for the night, and I brought my own food and water. Apart from me, there were five Spanish people and four Germans. The guardian runs a tight ship, unlocking and locking doors according to some sort of timetable. Facilities are basic, as outlined above - toilets, washbasin, little cooker, kettle and drinks machine. The place is absolutely spotless, which is quite something, considering all the dust on the mountain!
Folk were getting up around 0530 for the sunrise hike, and the five Spanish walkers were off first. I went next, and just about caught them up on the summit as the sun rose. I've never been there in the middle of winter before, and although sunny and clear, it was desperately cold. All the volcanic fumaroles were steaming, and the water vapour turned to a crust of ice around each one. Still... they provided some warmth if you huddled close to them! It was brilliant being on top of the mountain, above all the clouds, with the summit throwing a huge triangular shadow westwards, but you really didn't want to hang around! Apparently, if you stay in the refuge, and keep a hold of the ticket the guardian gives you, then you don't need to apply for a permit to visit the summit, so long as you're off the actual summit path by 0900. In view of the cold, I was off it by 0730!
On the way down the mountain, I kept leap-frogging three of the Spanish walkers, and by the time I was back down on the road, they were just leaving the car park. My plan involved either waiting for the bus to Los Cristianos and a tight connecting bus for the airport, or hitch-hiking to the airport in the hope of saving some time. As it turned out, the Spanish walkers offered me a lift, threw in some photographic stops along the way, as well as a very welcome Canarian lunch-stop, and had me at the airport in good time for my flight home.
Highly recommended... and probably one of the easiest 12,000ft mountains you can climb without busting your guts too much!
Wednesday night... Thursday morning... 17th/18th of this month. About the only time I had a completely clear view of Teide out of the previous three weeks!
