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Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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28.69260°N / 17.877°W |
Route Type:
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Hike |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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Walk-Up |
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Approach
See the Getting There Section on the main page for the approach info.Route Description
- Start altitude: 1150m
- Summit altitude: 1844m
- Prevailing exposition: N
- Type: 3h
- Protection: sparsely marked path
As said on the main page, both routes to Pico Bejenado originate at the same trailhead, at El Barrial. Moreover they recombine some 250m below the summit, near the saddle of El Rodeo. The very first part of the route follows a dirt road (closed for traffic). After a couple of hundred metres a footpath turns off to the right. Pay attention here – though the path is marked the signs are hard to find while on the road. You can identify the path by the fact that it runs norhward exactly while the road takes a western turn.
The footpath ascends through the impressive Canarian Pine Forest to a shoulder where you can have an almost perfect view of the Cumbrecita Saddle and Punta de los Roques towering above. You need to scramble a bit for the perfect lookout spot – the trail always runs along the shadows of the pines. From the lookout the trail turns north-westward and climbs to its first highpoint at 1693m. The spot is already located on the caldera crest which from now on can be followed to the El Rodeo Saddle.
Constant up-and-down hiking leads you to several perfect caldera lookouts, most of them located in small saddles along the crest. The crest summits are always covered with trees. After reaching the first spot where you can take in the Pico Bejenado eastern profile the trail heads downward to recombine with the second route about 50m below the El Rodeo Saddle. The saddle is reached by circumventing a rock on its southern side and it is here that you can take in almost all of the Caldera for the first time.
From El Rodeo the trail leads westward to easily climb to the summit from the south-western side. The pines retreat to leave an open view towards Cumbre Vieja in the south but the Caldera view remains obstructed by Pico Bejenado itself. Only as you reach the summit you regain the views into and across the Caldera but here they are complete.
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