La Gomera Island GR131

La Gomera (28 miles and 8,000 ft elevation gain) with my new friend Caitie - a expat from Maryland traveling the world - for her longest trek and my 5/7 Canary Island along the GR131 trail. From Vallehermoso beach to St Sebastian, we traversed cloud forests, volcanic remnants, fields, farms and sleepy Spanish towns. History is written on the landscape here with mountain steppes, stone irrigation pools, and falling stone houses built hundreds of years ago. We saw lots of sheep, three fringed orchids, and lots of birds including Eurasian blackbird, African blue tit, and Eurasian robin.

Tenerife Island GR 131

 Tenerife, or “white mountain,” named by the indigenous Guanche referring to Mount Tiede (the tallest peak in Spain), was a beautiful trek along the GR131 filled with volcanic remnants and old growth Canary Island Pine groves - some trees reaching 800 years in age. I had to push it in this one because both my battery banks failed, so I had to make it through on my phone battery for maps. The first day was non-stop rain. I camped at the base of Mt Tiede and it snowed that night. The next day was a bluebird day. I hustled down the mountain and asked an officer to call a taxi to get me on the last ferry to La Gomera. The police here are nice! I barely got on. Only three more islands left u til I complete the GR131 across all seven of the Canary Islands. I’m cutting it close but I’m determined. Stay tuned!

Gran Canaria GR 131

Gran Canaria didn’t disappoint. Where else can you find mountains dipping into the ocean, Sedona and Gran Canyon, and Machu Picchu all wrapped into one? 55 miles and 12,000 ft of gain across eroded volcanos where the north is lush and the south feels like southwest US. From tropical plants to short grass prairie and Canary Island pine groves. What a gem.

I put in 20 miles the first day but got stopped near Tejada during a nasty storm up high. I had met a nice Hungarian girl earlier named Reni who came upon me pitching a tent to get out of the sideways rain and cold. She convinced me to go to the hostel she was staying at down the mountain, and I’m glad I did - I got to meet some cool people and warm up. The next day I hiked back up and continued for 35 miles. I added bonus miles to check out some indigenous caves. Someone stole the drop bag full of snacks and gels I left in the bushes near the start, so I’ve been living off of Iberian ham or chorizo and cheese sandwiches, which is fine by me.

Many birds on this leg, but highlights are red-legged partridge, Canary Islands chiffchaff, Eurasian blackcap, and plain swift. 

Next up: Tenerife

GR 131 Fuenteventura Island

 

Fuenteventura means “strong winds” or “strong adventure” in Spanish. Having just traversed the 100-mile GR131 section from Corralejo to Punta de Jandia (end to end), I can confirm both are true. Both terminuses are surf towns; the north is built up and a popular destination for European vacationers. The south is very rural and picturesque with volcanic mountains and white sand beaches. Everything in between is a patchwork of tight knit farming communities. Every town has a square, a church, a good cafe and a Christmas tree. 

This trail was chock full of diversity in landscapes, from massive calderas in the north, to malpais (“bad lands”) boulder fields, perched dune desert, and lots of beaches.

After staying at a hotel to charge everything up and do laundry, I got on trail and camped along the way in abandoned backyards, beaches and farmlands. Last night, near the end, having hiked 31 miles, I hung out with some local surfers in the south before making the final push. Lots of open land, barrel waves, and built out off-road camper vans that dot the landscape. They know how to live.

This effort is part of my attempt to record the @fastestknowntime across the GR131 trail on all seven of the Canary Islands. For this section, I established the fastest known time on Fuerteventura. 

So many birds on this island. Some highlights include Buzzard, European stonechat, Canary Islands stonechat, black-bellied sand grouse, chiffchaff, stone curlew, grey heron, little egret, etc

Now to take a ferry to Gran Canaria to start that trail. Cheers

Fuerteventura   164k (102 miles) 13,550 gain

GR131 Lazarote Island

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be attempting to complete the 348- mile GR131 trail across the seven Canary Islands. I’ve always wanted to travel abroad, and I found out I’d have an extra free week of vacation last month, so I threw this dream together in short time. My plan is to use ultralight backpacking gear to go farther faster by wild camping on trail most nights, and to recover every so often in airbnbs and hostels. The trail runs east to west and covers the islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Tenarife, La Gomera, La Palma, and El Hierro.

On Friday, my friend Aly and I flew to Madrid and then to Gran Canaria where we rented a car and dropped off a pre-packed food supply that I hid in a bush near the trailhead. On the way there we realized we had arrived during the end of tropical storm Emilia. The waves in Gran Canaria were 30+ feet with strong gusts and sideways rain. We knew the conditions didn’t bode well for our later flight to Lanzarote and we were right. We sat through several delays lasting at least 6 hours. Finally - after over 24-hours of traveling- we arrived to Lanzarote and checked into our hotel. 

The next morning, we took a taxi to the trailhead and began our trek. We started in Orzola and went through Haría and Teguise. Some highlights include sunset at the high cliffs overlooking the water at Mirador de la Ermita de las Nieves, and all the small towns.

After 17 miles, we stopped at El Recoveco in Tequise and had tapas. We tried the local wrinkled potato’s, stuffed mushrooms, and fried pork. After paying, they brought out cake and dessert rum for free probably because they knew how far we had hiked. It was all so tasty and the staff were incredibly kind and welcoming. After dinner, we traveled another mile where we found a campsite in an agricultural plot surrounded by stone walls.

The next day, we started at 8am and went 29 miles to finish Lanzarote. We went through Tindaya, Valle de Santa Ines, Betancuria, Tías, Uga, Yaiza, Las Brenas, and finally Playa Blanca where we caught our ferry to Fuenteventura. I was really impressed with how Aly pushed through so much pain. We just missed the mixed gender Fastest Known Time by 20 minutes! It was the furthest she had ever hiked.

In total, the trail section on Lazarote Aly and I completed over 30 hours was 47 miles and 5,000 ft in vertical gain. 

Lanzarote is the sandiest island for how close it is to the Saharan desert in Africa, and the frequent dust storms. The terrain, views, and ecology are so diverse here. There are volcanos and agriculture all around, and the crushed black lava rock craters are meant to protect the grapes from winds and retain moisture. The weather is just right, with a constant sea breeze. I had pre-packed enough meals and gels just in case to get me through, but the trail meanders through several towns with restaurants filled with cured meats, cheeses and tapas to keep me full.

Already lots of new birds for me, here are some highlights: Great gray shrike, Ruddy shelduck, Eurasian hoppoe, Sardinia warbler, Spanish sparrow, Barbary partridge, Island Canary. A good start to the trip! Next stop is Fuenteventura which is 100 miles and 11,000 ft elevation gain. I’ll do this one alone as Aly flies out today.