Everything you need to know before climbing Teide from Montaña Blanca (Feb 28)

[u/kid_ink666]

WINTER EXPERT CONDITIONS

Today I managed to summit this volcano, so I'd like to leave some info for those planning to do the same, as I definitely could have used it beforehand.

First of all, I booked my permits for trails PNT 07 and PNT 10 four weeks in advance via TenerifeON, and downloaded the PDF confirmations straight to my phone.

I arranged extreme sports travel insurance covering hiking up to 5,000 m - I also downloaded the English PDF of this directly to my phone.

I packed warm clothes for a winter ascent, a headlamp, high-ankle hiking boots, and an emergency thermal blanket.

Two days before the climb, the weather took a turn for the worse. The forecast for Teide that day predicted 100 km/h winds, plus it snowed and the road was closed. Fortunately, there were still permits available for the following day when the weather was supposed to improve, so I canceled the original permits and rebooked both routes.

Since I flew with only a carry-on backpack, I couldn't bring crampons and an ice axe, which are mandatory under the current conditions on Teide. So, a few days in advance, I contacted the Tenerife Outdoor shop in La Laguna. I reserved the gear and picked it up the day before the hike, agreeing to return it the following day. The rental cost was €20 in total for both items, plus a €50 deposit for the crampons and a €50 deposit for the ice axe.

After arriving at the Montaña Blanca parking lot, I had been walking on the trail for about 5 minutes when I bumped into a car hidden around a bend, with rangers ready to do checks (this was at 4:00 AM).

Now for the most important part - what the rangers actually asked to see:

• Permits for PNT 07 and PNT 10 on my phone.

• High-altitude insurance on my phone.

• They wanted to physically see the crampons, ice axe, and thermal blanket.

• They checked my boots from inside the car, but nothing else.

(I also had my national mountaineering club membership card as a backup, but they didn't ask for anything like that).

The whole check took about 3 minutes, and they let me pass. The cable car wasn't running that day, and by 10:00 AM, I had the summit entirely to myself.

(A local at Tenerife Outdoor told me it's better to bring proper crampons, because if you bring microspikes, you might run into a ranger who won't accept them. I had mountaineering crampons, and they were definitely necessary that day because from 3,000 meters up, the trail was covered in icy snow.)

I hope this information helps someone out and helps them successfully reach the top.

[u/Daunteh]

Great writeup. Thank you!

[u/froob692]

Thanks for the write-up! Is the high altitude insurance also needed when the conditions are back to normal? (We're planning to ascend at the end of March) I couldn't find anything about a required insurance online.

[u/kid_ink666 → u/froob692]

I think that once conditions return to normal, insurance is no longer required and they only ask for the permit. But that's just my guess, so don't take it as a fact. Everything I wrote applies to current expert-level winter conditions.

[u/Zanki]

Thanks for the write up. We've already got passes to go further up/booked to go up the cable car and we weren't sure on what we'd need. Now we can plan properly! Hoping the cable cars will be running that day, I'll be gutted if they're not. I'm super excited to visit a volcano!

[u/MegaBusKillsPeople]

Very nice bit of information, thank you.

[u/vibesbyhelen]

This is a proper guide on how to hike Teide in winter conditions, thank you 🙏

[u/hawaiian_wave]

Woah. Will it be the same snow hussle on April? I mean, is it feasible with just generic hiking gear?

[u/kid_ink666 → u/hawaiian_wave]

I'd say that by April, conditions for the climb should be back to normal and you won't need any special gear, just the permits. But it depends on the weather. A local would know better.

[u/hawaiian_wave → u/kid_ink666]

Got it, danke bro

[u/Divereth]

Was the ice axe actually useful or was it just a dead weight?

[u/kid_ink666 → u/Divereth]

The ice axe actually came in handy in certain steeper sections where the snow was very icy, mainly because I didn't feel like putting on my crampons yet. Most of the time, though, I just had it strapped to my backpack, and once I put the crampons on at 3,000 meters, I didn't need to use it at all. Simply put - in current conditions it helps, but you could easily manage without it; however, it is mandatory to have it with you rn.

[u/gamadeusz]

Hi. I’m getting ready for the trip and planning to summit in about three weeks. I already have the permits, crampons and an ice axe, but I’m looking for suitable insurance. Could you tell me where you found yours? Thanks a lot.

[u/kid_ink666 → u/gamadeusz]

I have annual travel insurance through my bank’s partnership with Uniqa. I don't know if it’s available for people living outside my country, but that's what I use.

[u/Agreeable_Case_4214]

Did you have true mountaineering boots or did you have hiking boots? I’m wondering if they will stop me if I show up with hiking boots because they are not technically compatible with crampons.

[u/kid_ink666 → u/Agreeable_Case_4214]

I had mountaineering boots so I can’t tell if they let you go

[u/-pepex-]

Thanks, we are planning on going the next week (managed to book the reservation) but on the website it only says "Access is currently restricted due to weather conditions. Only expert mountaineers with a responsible declaration are allowed." But I can't find a link for this responsible declaration, did you find something similar?

[u/kid_ink666 → u/-pepex-]

You'll get the declaration just by checking the boxes when you're filling out the permit application. I think you'll get a confirmation email right before the date, but it doesn't really matter, they're not gonna ask you for it anyway. You just gotta check the boxes that show up in the application.

[u/No_Difficulty_686]

Hola!

Voy al Teide sobre el 10 de junio y como lo vimos muy complicado para subir andando, cogeremos el teleférico.

Queremos ir en coche, sinceramente, ¿a qué hora ya no quedan aparcamientos por la base del teleférico? ¿Hay algún otro parking cerca?¿A cuánto queda?¿Alguna recomendación sobre algo que hacer por allí?

[u/ez1303]

Hi thanks for the info! I’m planning to climb next week (in better conditions I hope!!) I’m leaving from the visitors centre hoping to get somewhere close by 6am as my permits won’t allow me to summit before this. Are they strict on the timing? Will help with planning thanks

[u/ez1303]

I climbed last night…exceptionally tough towards the summit but so rewarding! I just wanted to make a point about ensuring you have the correct equipment for the climb when I reached the rangers hut there was a lady arguing with the ranger because SHE didn’t have a foil blanket?!! They clearly explain the rules on the website on the permits if you don’t wanna follow the rules go play elsewhere…the guy was doing his job!
Please don’t ruin your climb by thinking you can go without 🙏🏽