El Teide

Yesterday we went up Mount Teide with Margaret and Nigel. They did not want an early start so we picked them up at midday and headed down the Autopista Sur to Guia de Isora, which is the easier way up.

On the way, Margaret marveled at the pine trees growing up in the lava fields

Parking near the cable car looked bad but in fact we found a spot near the kiosk. The queue was longer than expected, and it took about an hour to get to the front. It was 25 Euros, which is rather expensive, and extortionate in Margaret's eyes. The ride to the top rises 1500m to just short of the summit cone at 3717m.

It is cold at the top but Kevin had brought extra hats and scarves which Margaret availed herself of. Apart from the previously mentioned ascent to the summit, there are two walks. We took the one to the viewpoint that overlooks the north of the island. It was fairly easy going, but Nigel was finding the change in temperature hard and went back. By the side of the path there were a couple of fumaroles which were nice to put your hands in for a warm. We took the obligatory photos.

Given Nigel was feeling uncomfortable, we thought it best to go straight back down when we returned but Margaret wanted to see the other path. In truth there wasn't time to do it all, though if we had had more time, we would have liked to have done. This path goes to a viewpoint of the old crater, Pico Viejo, and Margaret was insistent that she wanted to do some of it. Her and Joan went off and not too far down the path came across some more fumaroles and a sulphurous geothermal field. Mindfulof the last cablecar, Joan drragged Margaret back. On the way back and she came across a ticket for the journey down the cablecar. Margaret picked it up. It turned out to be the ticket of the lad in the queue in front off us. He was grateful for its return!

They pack you into the cable car and we became separated. During the drop Kevin became light headed and afterwards had to rest in the cafe with a hot chocolate. The oversugared drink soon perked him up and we drove down from the mountain to views of a sunset over La Gomera and El Hierro. Margaret and Nigel were so unperturbed by the zigzags, they both fell asleep.

Having dropped them off at their villa, we returned home to a dinner of bean casserole and rice.



Looking down to the coast where we are staying.









At the cable car station.