La Ermita de los Santos Reyes from La Puntilla — round trip via Las Pilas and Teguerguenche

Once again I activated Komoot too late. From the sea it is about 1000 meters above sea level. We had great weather 😊☀️

This morning a strong storm blew through the valley. All the surrounding mountains were covered in fast-moving clouds. This is not the weather for going to the mountains. I tried it a few years ago. You get blown through by a thick drizzle. It is damp, windy, cold and in the "fog" or rather in the clouds there is zero visibility. In short, it is no fun! So I decided to spend a quiet day in the VGR. It is only my second day of vacation. Around midday the clouds in the mountains gradually dissolved, or rather they were blown away by the still strong wind. So I changed my mind. You can start walking and turn around at any time if new clouds come. It was actually already too late for a longer tour. I set off around 1 p.m. I thought I would first go up the church path. When I got to the top of the Grad Degollada del Cerrillal, the weather was still good, so I decided to walk to the great viewpoint of the Tequerguenche. The hike is recommended, despite the many sections that can be walked in both directions. The last section before Tequergueche is difficult to keep to the path. With many small, enclosed fields, you often get the impression that the path is going lengthways. This turns out not to be the case. The cairns sometimes help. After the Tequerguenche viewpoint, you follow the western flank of Las Pilas (Ronquillo). Here the Valle shows itself from the "other side". It's worth it. You can, for example, retrace the entire ascent to La Mérica. The western section should actually meet the outward route that you have already walked. The return route then begins there. This was the second time I had difficulty finding this path. Each time it was "off grid", as Komoot so beautifully puts it, through impassable, sometimes steep terrain. That's annoying and costs time, especially today when I started so late. Next time I'll try to follow the route to Las Pilas marked on the map, even if it goes in the opposite direction, maybe it'll be easier to find the way back that way. At around 8 p.m. I was happily back in the apartment.

Hike from Valle to Teguerguenche with great views of Valle Gran Rey. The views are worth the effort. Take enough to drink with you, as there is almost no shade and no place to stop. After the round above, descend on the same path, as it is clearly visible and safe to walk.

Challenging hike, good fitness, sturdy shoes, surefootedness necessary. Wonderful view of the Valle Gran Rey and the Barranco de Argaga. It is not so easy to find the way on the Las Pilas and the Teguerguenche.

One of the few hikes directly from Valle Gran Rey that can be completed in 4 hours. Those who start early (9:00 a.m.) have a shady ascent. The path is easy to walk, but the steep ascent and descent require a good level of fitness. We were very happy that we used walking shoes and sticks. We were compensated by great looks.

A strenuous tour, which in my opinion is at best worthwhile because of the views of the valley and the coastal towns. The way up is often full of rubble, the way from Las Pilas to the Tequergenche is hard to find, despite the many "piles of stones". Las Pilas and even more de Tequergenche resemble a Martian landscape (see images from April 2023). La Gomera has much more attractive places to offer.

A solo exit. Today we climb one of the two local mountains, or Haus Hügel. The Tequergenche. Early start at 8 a.m. so as not to be exposed to the sun right from the start. From the car park in Gudow sesimbra, climb up to the small church. What I don't know at this point is that they don't actually stop for the next 2 hours. In other words 500 hm steps. Initially paved, later scree. Even without the sun, the ascent is already sweaty. After the main climb, it takes me another hour or so to get to the vantage point at the top of the nett. The views of Valle Gran Rey are phenomenal. I'm still alone and enjoying the absolute peace and quiet up here. Approaching insects are just as good at listening as a raven sailing past.

Crisp climb, not much going on on the plateau, the path is sometimes difficult to see. Great vision! No shadow. Under no circumstances should the Camino de Leche be chosen as a descent! Better to go back the same way. Sticks are recommended. Take enough water with you as there is no source along the way.