I have had five night climbs on Mount Teide and this in practically all seasons, so here I can share with you my own first-hand experience about what to wear on such tours. Keep reading.
So, what do you wear to Mount Teide at night? My short answer is as follows. Be prepared for a very cold environment and strong winds. This is why it is essential to have a warm cap and gloves, a windproof shell jacket, a fleece jacket as well, and good hiking boots. Everything else is up to you.
Can you go up Mount Teide at night? If so why?
The answer is yes, you can, I did it several times, and here are the reasons why you would want to do this.
Watching sunrise from El Teide
If you want to be on the summit to watch sunrise, you have two options:
- Climb overnight.
- Stay at Altavista hut.
I climbed three times from Montagna Blanca parking and this is described in several texts on my Mountains for Everybody site. So this is very doable by anybody and it may be a nice adventure.
The top picture above as well as the photo below show how spectacular can dawn be on Teide. So if you do the same, you will climb overnight, but you will walk back during the day.
Staying at Altavista hut may be problematic because it is always booked months in advance. But if you manage to book a reservation, this will include Teide permit as well. In this case, only climbing the section from Altavista hut will be in the dark.
Watching sunset from El Teide
If this is what you plan to do, you will climb during the daylight. So you will descend when it is dark. This should not be so difficult, you will know the route if you walked it when ascending.
You may try to find a place at Altavista hut instead of descending at night. It costs nothing to ask, you will be passing the hut in any case if you descend towards Montagna Blanca parking.
Teide permit reason
So this is the third reason why you might be forced to climb Teide at night, and it can be the most important one. Namely, you officially need a permit.
This may include either watching sunrise or sunset, but again, this is the way to be there without a permit. I have discussed this issue in my separate text about climbing Teide without a permit, so please follow the link to read more.
What to wear to Mount Teide at night?
So this is the main topic of this post, and I have mentioned essentials above, here just to elaborate this a bit.
El Teide summit is at an elevation of 3718 meters, so this is a very high mountain and you definitely need warm clothing. This holds in particular at night.
I have experienced the strongest winds ever in the mountains exactly there. This is why you should not consider going without a good windproof jacket. If you have a rain shell jacket, it will do. One fleece jacket must be in your backpack. You can have what is called 3-in-1 jacket or interchange jacket and you will be perfectly fine.
If you use trekking poles, you will definitely need gloves. I never go into mountains without gloves and a warm cap.
So use the usual principles of layering that you do in high mountains. It may happen that you will not need everything you carry, but better play safe.
How about layering when it comes to pants?
I have never needed a second layer for the lower part of the body. But I normally always have waterproof pants in the pack in the case of rain, so this is what I can use if it is cold.
I am pretty sure you will not need a second layer, but you know yourself better. No need to buy anything, put your yoga pants or anything similar in the pack if you wish.
In any case, forget jeans and cotton in general. It is heavy and it remains wet if you sweat in it. It kills as people say, with all the bad reasons.
What footwear to use for Teide at night?
Make no mistake and forget trainers or any similar light sports shoes. This is a harsh volcanic terrain. It is hard even during the day, and it is much worse in the dark.
So if you have no idea what kind of boots may work, I can tell you what I used. A few times this was a pair of Lowa Renegade boots, and you can also use Salomon Men’s Quest Prime GTX Backpacking Boots. These are boots that I own and I can fully recommend them. If you have something even stronger, certainly use them.
In this video you can see how this can be, have a look:
Summary
So this is what I had to say on what to wear on Mount Teide at night, my focus here is only on essentials. You can follow the links mentioned in the text and read about my climbs in detail. This will give you some idea of how it can be on Teide at night. Note that it is more or less the same regardless of season.
I did all my night tours solo, so you can do the same, there is no need to hire a guide. There are two possible routes, but for a night climb it is best to follow the one that goes over Montagna Blanca. It should be easier to find the route at night, and you also have a hut on your way up, so you might feel safer.
Thank you for reading, there is a comment box below so let me know if you have questions. Bookmark this site and come again. Have a nice day.
Hi, I am Jovo, the founder of this OutdoorsFAQs site and several other outdoor sites. I have been mountaineering for almost 40 years already, and I have created this site to use as a reference for various questions that I receive in my sites. Being a theoretical physicist by profession, I tend to base my answers on facts and on my own personal experience.
Hi Jovo,
a friend and I (also physicists:D) want to do the sea-to-summit 0-4 route in the end of March. Since there are no permits left between 9am and 17pm, we want to be at the summit either at sunrise or sunset. What do you recommend? With the first option, most of the climb is in the dark, but there is the option to use the cablecar to go down if we are too exhausted. With option two, most of the climb would be during the day, but no cablecar option. We are both physically very fit, but this would be the most vertical ascend todate. The hardest route so far was 2400m ascend and descend in ~14 hours, but with a several hours of climbing and a glacier crossing. Of course some acclimatisation will also be done. Furthermore, regarding the temperature/climate: In what time of the year did you do your overnight climbs? Have a nice day, Sonja:)
Hi Sonja, it is so great to read about your plans, and in particular from a colleague.
If you have any doubts about your physical state, it may be better to do it overnight and get there for the sunrise, and then eventually use the lift to get back. Have a torch and use the route that passes the hut, you cannot miss the route, it is always very visible.
However, the reason why this may not be a great option may be the following: You will be obviously exhausted (due to the climb itself and due to lack of sleep), and you might get there late (either for the sunrise or also for the guards). This happened to me once, I was simply too slow. So this may ruin all the adventure. Also, your progress may be slow if you cannot find the route easily, and you might lose time.
In view of this, getting there for sunset may be a far less stressful option. You do not have to rush, and from my own experience this will make your climb far more pleasant. Orientation will be far easier. When you descend, you will already know the route, so although it will be dark, this will not be a problem with a torch.
To tell you about my longest direct access, it was Weissmies, and I climbed it from the valley, 2340 meters difference in 8 hours one way, overnight climb, and then descend immediately after that. But later I had hallucinations in the broad daylight. So it can indeed be bad.
Regarding climate and temperature, I climbed it overnight in various seasons, no big difference at all. I do not think you will have ice, I never had it there. The only issue may be wind, it can be very strong in any season.
I hope I shall be able to traverse it once from the south coast to the north, with a tent. I always wanted it but did not have a chance.
Please let me know if you need more help, and when you finish it, it will be great to hear from you.
Hello, is it smart to watch the sunset on Teide and then walk all the way down?
Hi Patrik, I have done this several times, and also did the opposite, climbed overnight to watch the sunrise. Though I do not claim to be a smart person. Let me know if I can help more regarding this issue, but all my climbs are described in my mountaineering site, some links are in the text and here are all.