John shifted his flight from the afternoon to the morning, so I dropped him off at the airport. Now, with 3-4 hours to spare, I’m pondering my options. Naturally, I think of peaks. The more captivating ones like Volcán de la Deseada require more time than I have. Thus, I narrow down my search and…
John shifted his flight from the afternoon to the morning, so I dropped him off at the airport. Now, with 3-4 hours to spare, I’m pondering my options. Naturally, I think of peaks. The more captivating ones like Volcán de la Deseada require more time than I have. Thus, I narrow down my search and spot an intriguing P104 bump—Montaña Quemada. The maps don’t show a trail all the way to the top, but this isn’t my first rodeo. Obviously, I’m heading there.
After a half-hour drive, I park in the obvious lot. It seems like guiding companies have added temporary road signs suggesting the parking isn’t for public use. Despite this, a group with a guide heads off toward the volcano trails and says nothing to me. So, I leave my car and start walking clockwise around the inviting peak.
The trails wind through layers of fine volcanic ash.
A few minutes later, I’m stopped by a park ranger. He explains that I can’t go left due to volcanic activity and the risk of poisonous gases—voilà. Luckily, my peak is to the right. I thank him and continue. Initially, there’s a trail that descends about 50-70 meters, but soon I need to veer further right towards the summit’s slope, where the trail disappears.
The line on the map is my only guide, and I decide to follow this virtual path. On the ground, I find faint traces of an old trail, long abandoned—a promising sign. After traveling about half a kilometer, my path diverges from the mapped line. It leads straight ahead, but I need to make a sharp right. There, a striking volcanic rock ridge awaits, the stones warm, probably heated by the sun. Numerous old trees cling to the slopes, a sign that the volcano has been dormant for at least fifty years.
The trail is barely visible and so rarely used that not a single footprint marks its path.
Volcanic rock ridge—the steep path that leads straight to the summit.
Steep climbs on a mix of volcanic ash and rocks make the ascent challenging. Dry pine needles are surprisingly slippery yet manageable. Soon, I reach the summit. The whole virtual trail is impressively ‘designed.’ Although the ranger station is out of sight, it’s up here at the summit. To mitigate risks, I don’t linger long at the top and head back down the same way. Soon, I’m back at the trail, ranger station, and parking lot. I continue the loop drive on Camino de los Volcanos towards the airport.
Santa Cruz de la Palma lies to the east while Tazacorte sits on the west side of the island.
The views are breathtaking, with the volcanic ash surface adding a dramatic touch. At one vantage point, I glimpse a smoking volcano cone, its surrounding houses half-buried under lava—evidence of a recent eruption. This scenic pause is a rewarding lead-up to my next major challenge, Pico Ruivo. As I drive along Ruta de Los Volcanes towards the airport, I plan a quick detour to Montaña de Breña 567m P52.
Download the .gpx file for your GPS device or mapping app
