Mt Tiede - how difficult?
Discussion
I'm off to Tenerife next week with my wife staying in Los Cristianos, although not cycling holiday I'm hiring a bike for four of the days I'm there.
Naturally I'm looking to challenge myself and conquer Tiede but I'm unsure as to how difficult it will be.
FWIW I've got 2000 miles in my legs this year and can cope with the 25% climbs of North Yorkshire, I'm heavier than I would like to be but I'm confident of my endurance for 6hr+ rides.
I've routes etc sorted as I've stolen then from a mate who was on a training camp earlier this year
Naturally I'm looking to challenge myself and conquer Tiede but I'm unsure as to how difficult it will be.
FWIW I've got 2000 miles in my legs this year and can cope with the 25% climbs of North Yorkshire, I'm heavier than I would like to be but I'm confident of my endurance for 6hr+ rides.
I've routes etc sorted as I've stolen then from a mate who was on a training camp earlier this year
I'd imagine really hard, in fact really really hard. We nipped off there earlier in the year and I wasn't riding but driving instead. From Los Cristianos it's solid climbing up to Mt Tiede, think 4-5 hours riding with very little respite. You're looking at around 50kms of climbing with just a few shorter flatter / downhill bits. Even when you get into the national park itself there is a good long way to go to get to the foot of the final bit of Mt Tiede and the hotel near there where you can grab food / drink.
I wouldn't say the climbing is that steep but there are tons of sharp bends where you will get the impact of the steep ramps around the inside corner. I think what will hit you is the unremitting nature of the climb and the lack of time to spin out and recover.
It's on my bucket list to do but I'm making sure I'm very prepared before I go.
I wouldn't say the climbing is that steep but there are tons of sharp bends where you will get the impact of the steep ramps around the inside corner. I think what will hit you is the unremitting nature of the climb and the lack of time to spin out and recover.
It's on my bucket list to do but I'm making sure I'm very prepared before I go.
It will be very hard, the road tops out at 2,300m which is basically Ben Nevis with a Snowdon on top, at that sort of height, you will definately notice the lack of oxygen and your breathing becomes a fair bit harder, right at the point where your muscles are screaming for more oxygen!. Sounds epic though, good luck!
http://www.polkadotcycling.com/latest-news/october...
http://www.polkadotcycling.com/latest-news/october...
stongle said:
Obvious, but take arm, leg warmers & winter gloves. Its viciously cold up there and windy (well was when I was there, but I'm not powerfully built director type). If you are stopping at the top / refueling the last thing you need is to get cold / or be an excuse to stop.
Good point, easy to forget that, epically if its lovely and warm at the bottom!!Yonex off here has been up it a few times I think, it can't be that hard 
I'd imagine if you have the gearing it won't be too bad, but it will be hot and it looks pretty exposed. When climbing alps my main issue was just the sun beating down with nowhere to hide, but at least there were streams to fill the bottles up from, not sure if tht is the case on Tiede...
Looking at the strava segment, if you're half decent it won't be anywhere near 5 hours, under 3 certainly doable, Yonex has done 2.5 hours.
I'd imagine if you have the gearing it won't be too bad, but it will be hot and it looks pretty exposed. When climbing alps my main issue was just the sun beating down with nowhere to hide, but at least there were streams to fill the bottles up from, not sure if tht is the case on Tiede...
Looking at the strava segment, if you're half decent it won't be anywhere near 5 hours, under 3 certainly doable, Yonex has done 2.5 hours.
Edited by okgo on Tuesday 12th May 10:20
I did it at the start of March as I was there for a stag do and a few of us stayed on for the rest of the week. I hired a basic road bike from Bike Point in Las Americas and started stupidly early as I'm not that great with the heat. It was also plenty warm at the top so I didn't need arm or leg warmers.
Its pretty tough and gets harder after Vilaflor, I think it took me about 3.5 hours plus a few small stops to get to the 2100m sign at the crater rim. It was only about 1 hour to get back down and I must have passed at least 100 cyclist heading up. If you have a bike for four days you might as well give it a go, just need to keep slogging your way up, and it is a constant climb the full way, a few sections are flatter but there are no descents until the 2100m sign
Its pretty tough and gets harder after Vilaflor, I think it took me about 3.5 hours plus a few small stops to get to the 2100m sign at the crater rim. It was only about 1 hour to get back down and I must have passed at least 100 cyclist heading up. If you have a bike for four days you might as well give it a go, just need to keep slogging your way up, and it is a constant climb the full way, a few sections are flatter but there are no descents until the 2100m sign
Edited by cjm on Tuesday 12th May 10:54
I'd check the weather if you can at the bottom first. It was very hot at the bottom when we did it; but the wind chill up near the crater and constant winds (that felt very strong) were vicious. It was early in the year when we did it. Personally, I'd rather have the warmers and not need them than vice versa.
I was there in December last year, for 5 days, hired a Focus with full Durace 52/36 with 11-28 on it. I normally ride a compact with a 30 on the back depending upon what I am expecting.
From Vilaflor there is only one way up, about 10-11km gaining about 900m, the majority is 8-9% with patches of 12-13. If you get there for mid morning its in the shade of the trees and a pleasant climb up there to the crater. There you can continue to the hotel Sky and other stay, it drops into the crater so make sure you legs can get you back out.
In terms of getting to Vilaflor there are a few routes, three below which I would grade from medium, hard, b
d. See below, we weren't in Los C, but Golf del Sur. You can cut across once you have climbed out of Los C.
https://www.strava.com/activities/230482409
Hard https://www.strava.com/activities/230739028
Medium https://www.strava.com/activities/230817788
bd https://www.strava.com/activities/231125911
The the medium route was great nice winding mid gradient roads a smooth tarmac most of the time.
The last day we went for the route with a pretty unpleasant mid section of 2-3km of a high average grade (think 18%) with patches of 25%, its exposed and hot (the locals laughed at us)!
I would thoroughly recommend it, I am going to the Alps with the same chaps in July who have done both before, with another visit in Dec planned.
If you get a bike with a compact and 30 you should have no issues, keep hydrated and the cafe at Vilaflor is nice.
The top was never chilly in December but arm/leg warmers/gilet are required coming down. There can be snow apparently!
A word of caution when coming downhill, speeds build rapidly and you need to remember that! I had a blow out (not rim heat related) and was lucky to only hurt my arm and not the hire bike!
From Vilaflor there is only one way up, about 10-11km gaining about 900m, the majority is 8-9% with patches of 12-13. If you get there for mid morning its in the shade of the trees and a pleasant climb up there to the crater. There you can continue to the hotel Sky and other stay, it drops into the crater so make sure you legs can get you back out.
In terms of getting to Vilaflor there are a few routes, three below which I would grade from medium, hard, b
d. See below, we weren't in Los C, but Golf del Sur. You can cut across once you have climbed out of Los C.https://www.strava.com/activities/230482409
Hard https://www.strava.com/activities/230739028
Medium https://www.strava.com/activities/230817788
b
d https://www.strava.com/activities/231125911The the medium route was great nice winding mid gradient roads a smooth tarmac most of the time.
The last day we went for the route with a pretty unpleasant mid section of 2-3km of a high average grade (think 18%) with patches of 25%, its exposed and hot (the locals laughed at us)!
I would thoroughly recommend it, I am going to the Alps with the same chaps in July who have done both before, with another visit in Dec planned.
If you get a bike with a compact and 30 you should have no issues, keep hydrated and the cafe at Vilaflor is nice.
The top was never chilly in December but arm/leg warmers/gilet are required coming down. There can be snow apparently!
A word of caution when coming downhill, speeds build rapidly and you need to remember that! I had a blow out (not rim heat related) and was lucky to only hurt my arm and not the hire bike!
It's actually not too bad a climb if you keep a steady pace. I'm not a climber but found it suited me more, due to the steadier gradients, than some of the shorter climbs I'd done in the alps last year which killed me. The climb from the south is lovely but climbing from the north is epic. Recommend these guys:-
http://clubactivocycling.com/?product_cat=day-tour...
Can't recommend the red Teide from the North tour enough. You are straight into an 18km climb straight out the minibus. It then carries on forever but the change in scenery and climate as you make your way up is incredible. One of the best days I've ever had on a bike.
http://clubactivocycling.com/?product_cat=day-tour...
Can't recommend the red Teide from the North tour enough. You are straight into an 18km climb straight out the minibus. It then carries on forever but the change in scenery and climate as you make your way up is incredible. One of the best days I've ever had on a bike.
It's not hard. Don't get me wrong it's fecking MASSIVE! By the end you'll be asking how can I still be going up but it's honestly a pleasant ride with some stunning scenery. I rode from the Bike Point hire shop in Los Christianos (went a little wrong straight away) once you start climbing it doesn't stop. There's a 100m or so almost flat part just before La Camella but other than that it's relentless. BUT, not overly steep. I think the average is about 5%. I certainly cant remember any ramps on my route up there.
There's quite a few shops on the way up so plenty places to top up your bottles. La Paz in Vilaflor is the very last chance so make sure you're topped up when you're there. The very nice lady even gave me a couple of free bananas on my way up. I used about 4 litres on my way up and loads of chocolate which gave me a banging headache by the time I got to the top.
My time was terrible on the ascent. Partly because i didn't want to over do it and partly because I was about as out of shape as I get. I now want to return to have another more focused effort.
It was Feb when i was there but a decent week weather wise. Vilaflor was in cloud as I passed through, the temperature went from 25c ish to 13c only to return to 25c when I rode out the top of it. I managed it without any extra layers but a friend of mine was riding on Gran Canaria the same week i was in Tenerife and had to ask a local for a lift down as it got so cold while he was up there (he's a bit of a wimp though). It'd be wise to take at least a base layer in your pocket just in case it turns.
I do love a decent and coming back down is awesome. 30+ mph for 35 mins, maxed out about 60. even with a headache it was enormous fun. Just be careful of the Euro brake setup especially on some of the switchbacks.
Definitely no it. Id say do it on the first day that you have a bike so you can do it again on the last to try and beat your time. You'll easily make the top and you'll be so glad you did it when you get there (eventually.... in my case)
Oh, if you use Bike point make sure you book it in advance. I very nearly missed out by not booking. The bikes they have are nice bits of kit too!!
Good luck.
There's quite a few shops on the way up so plenty places to top up your bottles. La Paz in Vilaflor is the very last chance so make sure you're topped up when you're there. The very nice lady even gave me a couple of free bananas on my way up. I used about 4 litres on my way up and loads of chocolate which gave me a banging headache by the time I got to the top.
My time was terrible on the ascent. Partly because i didn't want to over do it and partly because I was about as out of shape as I get. I now want to return to have another more focused effort.
It was Feb when i was there but a decent week weather wise. Vilaflor was in cloud as I passed through, the temperature went from 25c ish to 13c only to return to 25c when I rode out the top of it. I managed it without any extra layers but a friend of mine was riding on Gran Canaria the same week i was in Tenerife and had to ask a local for a lift down as it got so cold while he was up there (he's a bit of a wimp though). It'd be wise to take at least a base layer in your pocket just in case it turns.
I do love a decent and coming back down is awesome. 30+ mph for 35 mins, maxed out about 60. even with a headache it was enormous fun. Just be careful of the Euro brake setup especially on some of the switchbacks.
Definitely no it. Id say do it on the first day that you have a bike so you can do it again on the last to try and beat your time. You'll easily make the top and you'll be so glad you did it when you get there (eventually.... in my case)
Oh, if you use Bike point make sure you book it in advance. I very nearly missed out by not booking. The bikes they have are nice bits of kit too!!
Good luck.
Dixie said:
60 miles an hour max, I'd have proper pooped at that.
As per comments above it's a long way up but doable if you're prepared to spend a long time climbing!
I did it in November (and I'm no climber!) from Puerto de la Cruz/La Orotava, took me ~4hrs to do ~45kms of climbing.
Nice and warm at the top when I did it, in fact the coldest bit was going through the cloud layer on the way up.
The air's definitely a bit thinner at 2,300m, apparently when I walked into the Parador near the top (having broken a spoke literally 100m over the top, so didn't get to do the ~35km descent I was rather looking forward to
) my lips were blue.
Spectacular scenery to cycle through.
https://www.strava.com/activities/215486984
I did it in November (and I'm no climber!) from Puerto de la Cruz/La Orotava, took me ~4hrs to do ~45kms of climbing.
Nice and warm at the top when I did it, in fact the coldest bit was going through the cloud layer on the way up.
The air's definitely a bit thinner at 2,300m, apparently when I walked into the Parador near the top (having broken a spoke literally 100m over the top, so didn't get to do the ~35km descent I was rather looking forward to
) my lips were blue.Spectacular scenery to cycle through.
https://www.strava.com/activities/215486984
Edited by ajk on Tuesday 12th May 21:55
Done it many times, including setting off at about 11am on a Sunday in August from Los Cristianos with only 2 small water bottles - no shops open to top up and stunningly hot and hard work! Not to be repeated...
That said, as others have mentioned if you fuel properly and be prepared for a long but not too steep slog it isn't too bad. View from the top above the cloud-line is stunning.
That said, as others have mentioned if you fuel properly and be prepared for a long but not too steep slog it isn't too bad. View from the top above the cloud-line is stunning.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff