Mount Teide for not so fit?

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Orbitolina 03 Sep 2018

I'm currently on Tenerife. I was supposed to go up to the top of Teide by cable car yesterday and hike down but the ride was cancelled due to too strong winds. I was only able to rebook for the 7th, my last day here. If this gets cancelled again I am considering hiking up.

Now, there's a little problem with this: I'm fit but have never been able to hike uphill properly in my life. It's a blood pressure problem: basically blood starts pooling in my legs with the smallest incline and traps lovely oxygen along the way. My heart rate is then lower than it should be for the effort. Basically the opposite of POTS. Never have any problems on flat terrain or downhill though.

I've made a few adjustments involving lower leg compression and lots of salt and am now able to hike uphill, if not as fast as most. I hiked Ben Nevis this year and needed 4.5hrs up, 2 hours down (mainly due to too many people). I also hiked to the top of Pico Viejo (3100m at top) about a week ago, needed 5 hours up, 90 minutes down. Interestingly, this was the first ever altitude effort where I didn't have high altitude problems at all. A few years ago I walked through Addis Abeba and visited a few concerts (2300-2500m) and basically felt short of breath, altitude headaches, weak muscles for most of the trip.

So I'm kind of positive about the whole thing. But I'm still a bit uncertain. My cable car would leave at 11:00, thus I guess I'd be informed at about 08:00 if I'm able to go. Basically looking for opinions. Also looking for advice on temperature at the top. The forecast says 5-7 degrees. Just being 600m above Pico Viejo I wonder if it's really that cold as I was running around in a shirt on Viejo and felt warm.

Post edited at 12:13
 PPP 03 Sep 2018
In reply to Orbitolina:

You need a permit for Mt Teide during the day. 

 

The only other option is to stay at Altavista hut and then start early to catch a sunrise and then get back down before the first lift up. 

 

It gets cold in the morning. A lot colder than it is down in the valley! 

Orbitolina 03 Sep 2018
In reply to PPP:

I talked to the national park guys yesterday who told me that as long as I stay on the number 7 path I don't need a permit as it ends at the cable car station. I only need the permit for the actual top, some 200m higher. Regardless of being able to take the cable car up or not, I've lost my top permit anyway now. Thus that's not an option. I also don't have equipment with me to stay at the hut and have something planned for the evening of the 6th, thus it will have to be a 1 day trip.

Orbitolina 03 Sep 2018

Thinking loud: I think the best option would be to be at the cable car station at 9:00 latest, see if it runs. If so see if I can get up earlier than 11:00 and request a refund for my ticket. If not, walk and request a refund anyway. It still seems to be closed today, and the weather forecast suggests that the 7th has the best chance anyway.


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