Overall rating: ★★★★★

Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ - No technical difficulty but steep at times (I wasn't the most fit when we climbed this, which might have skewed my rating - Ros didn't struggle)

Start point: Sendero de Montana Blanca

Distance: 9.5km (one way)

Elevation: 1,350m

Time: Approx. 5 hours

Gear Needed: Standard hiking gear

Restrictions: Permit needed

Pico del Teide, or Teide for short, rises magnificently out of the Atlantic Ocean on the island of Tenerife. At 3,718m, it is probably one of the highest peaks in Europe that can be climbed with no real technical difficulty. It also happens to be the highest mountain in Spain (though subject to debate). On our second trip to the Canary Islands, an excuse to get some winter sun, we decided to get up super early to try to beat the sun to the summit.