DIFFICULTY: Average. A clear, well-maintained path, its main difficulty being the considerable height difference involved.
ACCUMULATED ASCENDING LEVEL: 70 mt.
ACCUMULATED DESCENDING LEVEL: 2300 mt.
ESTIMATED TIME OF GOING: 5:30 hrs.
ESTIMATED TIME COMING BACK: 6:30 hrs.
NATURE RESERVES WITHIN THE TRAIL: Parque Natural de Las Nieves.
RECOMMENDED TIME OF THE YEAR: All year round.
GETTING TO THE TRAIL: There is no bus service.
BASIC RECOMMENDATIONS: Habitual precautions common to hiking in general are listed below. At the risk of sounding obvious, here are some of the most important:
Check weather forecasts before setting off to hike.
Don´t go alone.
Tell someone your intended destination and expected time of arrival.
Carry a small rucksack with warm clothing, waterproofs, food and plenty of water.
Don´t forget such simple items as: sun hat, protective cream and sun glasses.
Carry a mobile phone with fully-charged battery, a map and, if possible, a compass. They will probably never be used but, when required, are of vital importance.
Wear suitable gear, especially footwear: trekking boots or similar are essential, trainers or pumps are to be avoided, habitual precautions common to hiking in general are listed below.
REMARKS: This path is usually walked in a downhill direction from the junction of the Roque de los Muchachos road with the Pico de la Nieve forest track. In the opinion of the writers of this guide, the most recommendable is to first climb Pico de la Nieve from this point (1h 15min) – a person is required to drive the group there – then descend and continue on to Santa Cruz. Another alternative, radically different, is to depart from the capital itself, climb Pico de la Nieve and then continue along the summit (GR 131) to Roque de los Muchachos, highest point on the island, reached in approximately another two hours, a route which can also be done in the opposite direction, that is, from the highest peak to Santa Cruz. The path can also be combined with the PR LP 4, going up one, and down the other as the case may be.