Tenerife - live October 2017

[simato73]

I enjoy browsing through the images of different aspects of Tenerife island.  I do know about Canary Islands but not about any specific island.  Thank you for sharing!

Tenerife is the biggest and most inhabited of the Canary Islands, about 2000 sq km and 800.000 people.
It is very varied, a greener North, a drier, more desertic south, and a vast highland in the middle, the caldera of a huge volcano, averaging above 2000m. Then there is the top of the volcano El Teide, which is only a few tens of meters shorter than Fuji.
Overall it is a very varied islands, and there are many different places that I could not visit in the one week I was there - a reason for returning.
The whole place is a paradise for hikers, with trails for all tastes and difficulties.
The island is completely volcanic, the hallmarks are everywhere. The last eruption was in 1909.

[simato73]

The big draw of the island for me are its mountains, especially El Teide.
Almost the following images are from the tourist honey trap - the area of rocky pinnacles called Roques de Garcia.

1. Morning view of El Teide from Roques de Garcia
2. Again from a different part of Roques de Garcia - a murky late afternoon
3. A lone Canarian Pine
4. Hanging on to the red rock
5. El Teide summit - west view from the top of Pico Viejo (>3000m)
6. SW view descending from Pico Viejo to Roques de Garcia.

[Danulon]

Hello Simone,

I enjoyed your pictures in this thread very much so far! 
We spent our Easter vacation on Tenerife and therefore your pictures are a nice reminder of the time spent there. It is also interesting to compare your view of some of the spots visited to mine. You definitely took some very beautiful pictures. My favourites so far: The first series of storm photos, the pictures of the balcony houses, and the pictures around El Teide. Unfortunately we had to abandon our plans of hiking because there was still too much snow in that area and some hiking tracks were still closed by then.

One question: What was your photo gear during your hiking tours?

Cheers from Austria,
Günther

[rosko]

Beautiful series of this archipelago !

Mostly the volcanic island which I dream to go for a while now.

Don't hesitate to post more of it !

Thank's for sharing.

[simato73]

Hello Simone,

I enjoyed your pictures in this thread very much so far! 
We spent our Easter vacation on Tenerife and therefore your pictures are a nice reminder of the time spent there. It is also interesting to compare your view of some of the spots visited to mine. You definitely took some very beautiful pictures. My favourites so far: The first series of storm photos, the pictures of the balcony houses, and the pictures around El Teide. Unfortunately we had to abandon our plans of hiking because there was still too much snow in that area and some hiking tracks were still closed by then.

One question: What was your photo gear during your hiking tours?

Cheers from Austria,
Günther

Hello Günther and thanks for the kind comment.
The photos are actually not as good as could be, to begin with they are just JPG from the camera and a bit sub-optimal, but I have had no time to work on them properly, I favoured quick posting.
You have been unlucky with the snow, I read that on the high plateau (the "cañadas") snow is rare and short-lived.

The kit I took to Tenerife is the same I use everywhere - including last year in Scotland.
I had with me a Fuji X-T1 and X-T2, plus the following Fuji lenses: 18-55 f/2.8-4, 55-200 f/3.5-4.8, 18-135 f/3.5-5.6, 35 f/1.4, 14 f/2.8, 12 f/2 (Samyang).
Usually on days when we went sightseeing in towns I took a bag with the X-T2, 18-55, 55-200 and 14.
On the beach I took the X-T1 and 18-135.
I did a long hike on El Teide, followed by night photography at Roques de Garcia.
For that I took the X-T2, 18-55, 55-200, 14 and 12 and my tripod. I considered taking the 18-135 in stead of the first two, for weight reasons and also to change less in dusty environments, but then decided I wanted the extra reach.
Overall it did not feel very heavy and the whole lot fit in a smallish camera bag strapped to my rucksack (except for the 12, which I kept in the rucksack for the night shots).
I find most camera carrying solutions overly expensive and heavy and find my low-tech, low-cost and low-weight solutions far superior.

[simato73]

Beautiful series of this archipelago !

Mostly the volcanic island which I dream to go for a while now.

Don't hesitate to post more of it !

Thank's for sharing.

Thank you Francis!
Since you asked...
Same day of the big hike, these are panos, which were mostly taken by hand. Only for one I think I used the tripod. Stitched with the excellent and free Hugin.

By the way, the hike started from the top of El Teide, which I reached by cable car. After walking the tourist-filled trails at the base of the summit cone - access to the very top is limited all spots had already been booked - I took the trail to the Pico Viejo, a 500 m descent, and then descended further to Roques de Garcia (another 800 m down). A most beautiful walk, and there was nobody, except a family of four French people, who decided to hike down, despite having a very expensive return ticket on the cable car. They just decided the place was too beautiful and that it had to be explored more on foot.

1. From the top of the Teleferico, the Cañadas below, in the middle the black, raw scar of a lava flow
2. The trail to the Pico Viejo lookout, after which the throngs were left behind.
3. Descending toward Pico Viejo amidst very rough lava flows - but the trail was excellent.
4. On the opposite side of Pico Viejo, looking back to El Teide
5. Final parts of the descent, sunset on the Cañadas and Roques de Garcia

[Danulon]

Thanks for the gear information (after all this is a Gear centric forum...  ).
I am still experimenting which gear to choose for hiking. The constant struggle between weight and output quality. Mostly I still tend towards the smaller Classic line Zeiss lenses (--> Scotland), even though AF and weather sealling can be advantageous.

Very nice pictures again.
Second to last one resembles a moon landscape - if there wasn't El Teide in the background... ;-)
The last one has a nice colour tint (sun set).

Cheers,
Günther

[rosko]

Many thanks for this prompt answer, Simone !

I am spoiled... .

Really like them.

I am sure It would be enough to see to organise a get together over there (out of season, I mean).

 

[simato73]

Many thanks for this prompt answer, Simone !

I am spoiled... .

Really like them.

I am sure It would be enough to see to organise a get together over there (out of season, I mean).

 

Thanks again.
Tenerife would make a great place for a get together, plenty to go at.
I was thinking the same while I was there. Apart from avoiding the hottest part of the summer, any time is good. The only problem (for me) is to free some time from work and family commitments.

[Frank Fremerey]

seems to be a place worth visiting

[David Paterson]

I somehow missed this excellent series until tonight. Continuously interesting, though of course the rock-formations/desert/mountain images are my favourite part of the whole. Very well done - you managed to see much more of Tenerife than I did (many years ago).

[simato73]

I somehow missed this excellent series until tonight. Continuously interesting, though of course the rock-formations/desert/mountain images are my favourite part of the whole. Very well done - you managed to see much more of Tenerife than I did (many years ago).

Thank you David.
I am now adding what is probably going to be the last batch.
Dusk and night shots taken at the end of the hike, again in the Roques de Garcia area.

1. Moon and rock
2. Funny rocks silhouettes
3. Star trails, rocks and Teide