Conquering El Teide

If you’ve read my Forty by Forty bucketlist, then you will know that climbing a mountain is on the bucketlist. Does going by cable car count? Perhaps the title of the post is misleading but we still made it to the top (or the top as far as the cable car would take us) so it counts in my books! El Teide is the resident volcano on Tenerife, and the third tallest volcano in the world at 12,198ft from the sea floor. It’s also an active volcano, which is quite exciting but scary at the same time when you think of the destruction it is capable of – remember Garachico? Happily, the last proper eruption was in 1909 so we were pretty safe. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and frankly a trip to Tenerife would not be complete without a visit to the famous peak. There are various options for exploring the mountain, including ascending on foot, as well as by cable car. There are also an abundance of hiking trails for all ranges of hiking ability. You can even spend on the volcano and camp up there to enjoy the sunrise or sunset as you like. Book well in advance though, because slots get booked up very quickly. My friend and I were first determined to climb the mountain on foot, completely by ourselves and without any prior mountain climbing experience. Luckily for us, I sustained an ankle injury playing netball shortly before the trip which allowed us to revert to the cable car option without losing face hahaha! The cable car experience was definitely one for the books! We were crammed into a little box for about 8 minutes (not one for the claustrophobic!), swinging from side to side up the side of the mountain. Bear in mind, we had already driven quite a way up to actually reach the National Park so the heights reached by the cable car are pretty amazing. Once set free from the swinging cage, we were struck by how cold it was up there and nearly blown off the side of the mountain by gale force winds. Apparently my outfit – pink trench and denim shorts, together with headscarf was not going to protect me against the chilly winds atop the volcano. Ah well, I tried to stay strong and think warm thoughts. When exploring Teide by whichever means chosen, make sure to wear comfortable shoes – hiking boots are recommended but if you don’t have those, a good pair of trainers should do the trick too. Don’t forget to bring jumpers/sweaters and cover your legs! It gets pretty cold up there, do not be deceived by the sunny pictures! If you can, forego headgear as there is no point spending the entire time holding on to your hat or praying the Lord won’t expose your bad hair day by blowing your headscarf off. Sunblock should also be in your arsenal. Take your time exploring the trails of the rock formations and if you’re brave enough, you can try to make your way to the actual summit of the mountain (you need a permit for that though!). As a first timer, it was an exhilarating experience, even just doing it by cable car. I have to say, there’s nothing like being, quite literally, up in the clouds and so close to God.