Have you cycled Mt teide in January

blackvalley

Hi .
I will be in Tenerife ( Los Christianos ) next week and plan to hire a bike for a few days . Hope to do Mt Teide but I have no idea what weather to expect up there . Our rout up will be via Arona and Vilaflor returning the same way or looping back via Guia de Isora . Now I know it’s impossible to predict the actual conditions but has anyone experience of that mountain in January. Should I pack full finger gloves , leggings , arm warmers etc. I have been up some of the major European climbs in mid-summer , Tourmalet etc. and know that it can be very cold up there while balmy at sea level . Any suggestions or advice would be great .:):confused:


PS . Any suggestions for bike hire in Los Christianos or Las Americas.
Thanks
Blackvalley

07Lapierre

I cycled it in October and it was cold at the top!

We hired bikes from Bikepoint Tenerife, and yes I'd recommend them.

Planet X

It woke up last week
Richter scale 3 rumble.
Be grand.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I was up Teide in early January a few years ago, it was a bit nippy at the cable car station but warmer further down. We drove up and I was wearing shorts and a T/shirt. I guess you'll have to play it by ear for whenever you are there as weather changes regularly. Pack arm and leg warmers for the descent, you'll generate your own heat on the way up.

ninoon

Yes I cycled it in January 2015. Temperatures ok at the top . Summer jersey ,gillet, and arm warmers . Also bikepoint in Las Americas excellent for the bike.

Wishbone Ash

I've done it 5 or 6 times in March/April and usually need arm warmers for the descent.

Last year the temp dropped to 5 degrees at Vilaflor on the ascent in a very heavy wet fog.

And another vote for bike point.

http://www.bikepointtenerife.com/

Wishbone Ash

PS blackvalley - have you done it before?

ted1

07Lapierre wrote: »

I cycled it in October and it was cold at the top!

We hired bikes from Bikepoint Tenerife, and yes I'd recommend them.

I drove up once and their was a difference of about 15 degreees between the top and bottom. It's also one if the few places that you see rocks in the road beside a beware of falling rocks sign

nilhg

Went up a few times in early November, the problem with Teide is that it can be warm down low and up top it can be quite chilly in the cloud layer (which can be quite thick) on the way down and you never get a chance to warm up because it's 35km non stop drop at 50km/hr+.

As the others have said, arm and leg warmers are essentials and I'd pack a gilet and a packable wind/showerproof jacket,

BTW the road up from Guia D'isadora is rough, I'd reckon it'd be a horrible descent

blackvalley

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

PS blackvalley - have you done it before?

No haven't been up that one before . Last big day out in the sun was " sa calobra " in Majorca

blackvalley

ted1 wrote: »

I drove up once and their was a difference of about 15 degreees between the top and bottom. It's also one if the few places that you see rocks in the road beside a beware of falling rocks sign

Without doing the maths that temp drop would be about right @ 1 degree per 100 mtr of accent

blackvalley

nilhg wrote: »

BTW the road up from Guia D'isadora is rough, I'd reckon it'd be a horrible descent

Hi nilhg . Would you suggest another descent to make a loop

nilhg

blackvalley wrote: »

Hi nilhg . Would you suggest another descent to make a loop

Really you have to come down to Vilaflor so the loop has to be under there, I'd suggest this, but if you have a look at my strava timeline a few day either side you'll find other options.

https://www.strava.com/activities/769638877

JK.BMC

blackvalley wrote: »

Hi nilhg . Would you suggest another descent to make a loop

I cycled it twice in February; started south at El Medano. Temperature really wasn't a problem at all; in fact it was c. 20C at the bottom and close to 10C at the crater. Use common sense so if it's dull, cloudy and looks misty at the top, then prepare for a significant temperature drop; otherwise it should be pleasant.
The 1 degree drop per 100 metres is something I've never heard of but doesn't seem right based on my experience- it should have been minus 4 on that scale!

By far the more troubling factor is the wind, especially on the descent. The top slopes are well sheltered but once you go below Granadilla they are exposed everywhere and I found it challenging and I would be handy enough on the bike. The road surfaces south of the same village are quite poor so I recommend heading West and across the slope DO NOT take the road to San Isidro as it is atrocious and quite busy with cars.

I hope you enjoy the trip!

cunavalos

I cycled Teide in December/January maybe 7 or 8 years ago. I was based in the north of the island around Puerto de la Cruz so cycled up from La Oratova on TF-21 and descended the aforementioned TF-38 to Chio through the old lava field which was a bit uncomfortable.

If you are based near Adeje you can also rent from Free-Motion http://www.free-motion.com/en/tenerife/road-bike/road-bike-rental/. They also do guided tours. This is their first year of operation in Tenerife but have been operating in Gran Canaria for years.

The climbs around Masca and Anaga are actually much more interesting and challenging than the climb to Teide which is generally just a slog

Wishbone Ash

blackvalley wrote: »

No haven't been up that one before . Last big day out in the sun was " sa calobra " in Majorca

OK - It's a 50k climb from Las Americas to the cable car station so you're talking about 4 hours ball park to get to the top. When you get to Vilafor (the highest village in the Canary Islands) be sure to eat and replenish your bottles. It's another 25k after this to the top and there are no other opportunities to get food/water. There's a nice little cafe at the intersection there and if you're lucky, you might be mingling with pro cyclists doing off season training.

The surface is pretty good for 95% of the way but there is one very rough section for a couple of kms at the volcano crater (where the road descends for a bit before the final push to the cable car station).

Whatever you do avoid the descent on the western road known as the TF 38, a horrendous surface - a bit like holding on to a jack hammer.

If you're on Strava here's a link to a segment from the outskirts of Las Americas to the top: https://www.strava.com/segments/11692544

Enjoy - my all time favourite climb!

disco1

cycled it end of jan last year...all very nice....20c at bottom....15 at top...bring a rain jacket

deekster

https://www.strava.com/activities/818824913

This is the loop I did last week - Jan 2, 2017.
You'll be grand with a few layers.

The number one lesson I learned from also having been up Teide last year was to climb from the west side. Last year I descended into Los Gigantes and the road surface made it a super unpleasant experience. This year I climbed it instead - (at 12kph!)

If you have time, you might also turn left on your descent when you get to Vilaflor and head for Grandilla - it's a superb stretch.

skerry

Cycled it in February of last year. Temp around 20 at sea level and 10 ish at the top. Was a clear day. Descent can be nippy so arm warmers and gilet are a must. I hadn't cycled anything of that altitude before and hadn't realised how quickly you get parched as the air gets thinner. Don't pass up an opportunity to top up your bottles. Rented from BikePoint too which were great.

Wishbone Ash

deekster wrote: »

https://www.strava.com/activities/818824913

This is the loop I did last week - Jan 2, 2017.
....

You didn't you go to the top!:p

It would have given you another 300 or so metres of elevation!

blackvalley

Thanks for all the advice. I will report back after the trip.:)

vandriver

I was up near the cable car one year with a few feet of snow.
(Hire car,I'm not mad)

kingoffifa

Bring arm warmers and knee warmers and one of those wind jackets that fit in your pocket. Agree competely with whoever said to go up near masca. Crazy hard cycle compared to going up teide from South side. Any where around el teno is serous cycling. Also peurto de la cruz is really step The north side of the island is much cooler so descending there is much cooler. It's a nicer cycle i think though. I'll try and remember to report back with links. It's handy to rent a car, drive to these places and start cy cling nearer to these locations

uck51js9zml2yt

I'll be there from Thursday for a week. Tell me what you're wearing so I can avoid you with my car:)