After a long and dark winter in the north, we were really longing for summer, sun and adventures in shorts and t-shirts. What better way to kick off the summer season than by going on a micro adventure in a new environment; climbing a volcano!
We had to apply for a permit to ascend several months in advance, as they only allow a certain number of people to access by day. The date and even the time slot was therefore decided, with no possibility of changing it.
Well arrived in Tenerife, a couple of days before the planned hike, Kari caught the flu. The timing could not have been worse considering the holidays and the planned hike… Anyway, she refused to let go of the opportunity to climb El Teide.
Our plan was initially to make some smaller hikes in advance to get accustomed to the altitude, but this plan had to go.
The morning of the adventure day came, and Kari still had a stuffy nose and an intense headache. She swallowed some painkillers as we went towards the starting point of El Teide. We went from sea level until the starting point of the hike at a bit more than 2000 m, and already there the headache got more intense in addition to an intense altitude pressure in the ears.
We did not look back, too excited for the hike and the day ahead of us. The landscapes and views were very distinctive and impressive. We found ourselves captured by the dry terrain and the incredible flowers breaking their way up between the stones, able to survive in these extremely dry conditions. We saw old lava flows and volcanic formations which left us completely amazed.
The physical challenges did not decrease with the altitude though. The headache just got more intense and every step was an effort. As we got closer to the summit, Jonathan also got hit hard in the head by the altitude, catching the famous headache and nausea simultaneously.
After a good effort, we finally reached the highest point of Spain at 3715 m! We found ourselves on the top of the volcano looking down into the impressive crater. According to Jonathan, the smell of the vapor coming out of the volcano was totally disgusting. Kari was « lucky » enough to have lost her sense of smell due to her stuffy nose.
On the way down, Jonathan felt even worse, while Kari started to feel a bit better meter by meter as we descended. Like always when we are outside, we choose to see the good in the bad, find funny moments in hardship, laugh when we fall and support each other when its needed.
Definitely a cool experience and hike, but Kari would highly recommend to avoid doing it while suffering from the flu or other respiratory illnesses.
