Thirteen pairs of hiking boots, 17 pairs of socks, and five headlamps. Nine U.S. states, six national parks, and 25 backpacker hostels. Approximately 15 million steps and 6,875.5 total miles.
These dizzying metrics come from hiker Nick Gagnon’s recent completion of the Great Western Loop, a massive thru-hike that links together sections of the Pacific Crest, Pacific Northwest, Continental Divide, Grand Enchantment, and Arizona trails in a nearly 7,000-mile circle.
This unofficial via ferrata looked like my kind of adventure. 😀
Sadly — before I got there — it was shut down following five deaths in 1999 and 2000. The final incident was when 3 local men tried to do an unofficial zipline across the gorge. Simultaneously. The cable broke and all were killed.
It didn’t reopen for non-climbers until 2015.
I finally got there in 2022.
Today it’s super safe. Everyone must wear a helmet AND hair net to keep the helmet clean(er).
Originally, a walkway was built to provide workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls with access. Families of those workers lived here and also used the simple paths.
You can still see remaining sections of the old walkways.
King Alfonso XIII actually did get off his private train and walk a short section in 1921, hence the name.
Construction of the railway is impressive, too. Here’s one of many bridges.
It is a fun half day — though crowded.
If you have a fear of heights, this might not be the best adventure for you. There are many OTHER great hikes in Spain.
The cliff walls are steep. This is one of the most popular rock climbing areas in Spain. Unsurprisingly, the climbers were not all that keen to have tourists return in 2015.
You can do this hike on your own — but since I didn’t have a vehicle, instead I signed up for a group tour from Málaga for about €60. And it was quite good.
At the age of 18, Álvaro Silberstein had a tragic accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
But his passion for the outdoors never died and years later, he made history while doing Patagonia’s most famous trek (the W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile) in a wheelchair.
While founding the Wheel the World project and partnering with local tourism organizations, he started a real revolution of inclusive tourism in South America.
The specific trail is numbered PR-TF 10 Cruz del Carmen to La Punta del Hidalgo.
Definitely one of the best hikes on Tenerife island.
I caught 2 buses to get to Cruz del Carmen, off the main roadways.
From there it was 5.3km to Chinamada. And a further 4.5km to Punta del Hidalgo on the coast. A descent of about 916m on mixed surface, some sharp and volcanic. You need good shoes and plenty of water.
I had downloaded an AllTrails map, but never used it as trails here are very well marked.
It was warm in November. But not too hot.
Near the tourist information office at the start, there is a weird bug.
Even more surprising was this bouquet set into a tree near the start.
Dropping in elevation, the vegetation changes. Near Cruz del Carmen it’s relatively lush laurel forest. After Chinamada it’s arid brushwood and cactus.
The only wildlife I saw was birds and lizards.
I would say the Chinamada to Hidalgo section is the more spectacular half. Plenty of steep cliffs — though nothing dangerous.
My favourite parts were while approaching the Atlantic. That’s Punta del Hidalgo in the distance.
Indigenous people lived in natural caves on this part of the island. As did I. 😀
Once I got to town next morning, the main attraction is the Punta del Hidalgo Lighthouse, the strangest I’ve ever seen. Unequal and irregular columns of increasing height rising from a triangular base.
Built 1992, it’s 50-metres-high (160 ft).
This is the end of the line for the bus along the coast. A quaint town.
I caught a different bus back to the main highway . Bus service on Tenerife is excellent running every half hour or less, even on Sundays.
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