Difficulty: middle
Fitness: middle
Fear of heights: middle
Surefootedness: easy
Distance: 1,31 km
Duration: 1:00 h
Heights: 150
Start/End: mountain
station Teleferico

Hike 4: peak from Pico del Teide
In addition to the direct ascent via the Montana Blanca, there is the option of taking the cable car (Teleferico) up. From there you start the short ascent to the summit. It is certainly not a big challenge, but you should not underestimate the altitude of 3700 metres. To get used to the altitude, you should have hiked at least 2 times in the Canadas at an altitude of 2000 metres to prevent altitude sickness and to be able to cope with it. We were often out of breath, although the way up the steps was very easy.
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The view from Teide is breathtaking, but this may also be due to the sulphur fumes of the still active volcano. Finding a quiet minute directly on the summit is relatively difficult due to the traffic up there. You can spend the night in the Altavista hut and then go to the summit at dawn with a headlamp to enjoy the sunrise. It is advisable to book the hut in advance, otherwise you will have the benefit of the unheated outhouse. The hut itself is not managed. However, there is food, drinks, sleeping space and Wi-Fi.
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For the summit ascent starting at 9:00 a.m., timely (2 months in advance) registration on this site is required. There you have to register for a 2-hour time slot for a specific day. You should also take into account the last descent of the Teleferico at 5 pm. If you stay overnight at the Altavista, you can also go up to the summit until 9:00 a.m. without a permit.
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A detailed description of the route and the GPS track can be found in the Hiking Guide Tenerife.
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