I am excited to start showing you the experience of hiking to the highest mountain on Madeira which sits 1861 meters above sea level. The mountain is located right in the center of the island. The trail starts from the mountain Pice de Ariero, which is the third-highest mountain on the island. You can see a post of this mountain here where I watched the sunrise above clouds @1812m altitude.
You might think that eh not much altitude gain to the highest mountain then, probably gonna be easy. Oh no no no, you are mistaken here. The trail there and back is 14 kilometers and you have 1000m of altitude change in between these mountains. The trail is well maintained but you have thousands of stairs to climb and that's the hard part.
Having watched the sunrise, it was time to start hitting the trail. It's a quite popular path so there were crowds, at least in the first section of the trail, many are turning back after a couple of kilometers. Right away you are blasted with views of the cliffs and valleys like no other. It was seriously stunning to see.
The weather was pleasant and sunny. We put on some sunscreen because the sun really does start destroying my skin pretty quickly. Im a northern man yeah, UV 10 on Madeira is quite hard for me 😀.
The mountains were sharp and dramatic. Jaw-dropping views everywhere. I think that the first few kilometers of this trail were the most spectacular. All this is an old volcanic landscape that raged millions of years ago and by looking at the rock formations, the origin is pretty apparent to me.
An interesting plant I noticed on the trail. I owe you the answer, I don't know what that might be.
At times, the trail got pretty thin and I could see the long drop on both sides but what a cool sight all around.
Yes, stairs... up and down up and down. There are no flat parts on this trail, you either go up or down and it's exhausting as hell. To take this hike, you really need to be in shape because I can tell you, it is one of the hardest I had done. I consider myself quite a fit person but I lost my breath after 3 kilometers lol 😅. Had to do many short breaks to catch my breath again.
Talking about a thin trail, check this out! The trail is less than a meter wide and on both sides, you have a couple of hundred meters of freefall, that's insane. I am not afraid of heights but my girlfriend is a bit and she was terrified 😂.
There are protection rails but it's not advised to lean on them, as these might give out.
Mostly the trail went along the cliffsides so most of the time you got a long drop on one side.
Here are some more photos of the first half of this trail.
You can see the stairs in the photo below as well. Crazy trail.
On the trail, you can also notice several tunnels that are man-made. The trail goes right through these. Some of them are hundreds of meters long and totally dark so a flashlight is essential when going on this hike.
The best part is knowing that when you got stairs going down like the one in the photo below, you know that you have to walk all of this up again when coming back and these were steep, very steep.
However hard the trail was. You tend to forget it often and get blown away by the sights you see everywhere. The landscape is just so different and spectacular. Here are some more photos.
By that time we were somewhere at the halfway point of the trail.
In the sunshine, the temperature was about 20C and it was really hot, especially when climbing steep stairs. However, when in shade, the real temperature was about 13C due to altitude and combine it with the wind, it got pretty cold.
Whenever you do this hike, lots of water is essential because you will still sweat A LOT.
Soon we were on the other side of the mountain again, on the sunshine side and it got extremely hot again. There are these cool-looking dead trees that seem to be very old. The whole valley is full of these.
There were no stairs in this part of the trail but the path itself was pretty rugged. I reapplied some sunscreen because I started to feel my hand burning. I also positioned my cap in the direction of the sunshine always to hopefully prevent my neck from getting a sunburn. The sunshine is more intense at higher altitudes too.
By that time we had hiked about 5.5 kilometers but it felt MUCH more, the pace is just really slow usually.
This is where I end part one. In the next post, we had to make the final hard push to the top of the Pico Ruivo mountain and saw some crazy views over all of Madeira island. Stay tuned!
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We’ve been to Madeira before and hired a car, so one day went on a bit of a random tour of the island. We didn’t make it up to any of the Picos that trip mainly because my wife hates mountain roads. She doesn’t trust my driving😀I get too close to the edges apparently and I nearly killed us once in Italy, that’s another story but we were totally safe all of the time, I digress. In Madeira we came across an interesting twisty turny climbing upwards kind of road and I had to stop the car. A minor argument but I agreed to turn back and we stuck to the coastal level roads after that. Santana, Ponta Sao Laurenca (I think I may have got that wrong) and Calheta in a day was great. Love their tunnels!
I can’t talk because I’m terrified of heights and would find your hike difficult from that point of view, so enjoy reading and watching other people’s adventures up in those mountains!
Thing is I want to go up there despite all of those fears! Maybe just to do the first 2km as a high level of fitness sounds like a must have. Something to strive for perhaps.
I look forward to part 2.
We’re going back to Funchal this May. Really excited because it’s our first trip away from the U.K. since 2019, Madeira was the last one before Covid.
In my opinion, the mountain roads were really nice and interesting there. Too bad she hates them, Madeira is one big mountain 😅.
If you are afraid of heights then be prepared for fear 😀. There are a lot of scary parts, even for people who are not afraid of heights so you probably can't enjoy yourself there. This very thin path section was during the first couple of kilometers if I remember correctly. Also, you have to drive a lot of mountain roads to get to the start of the trail.
That's cool! Enjoy some warmth. I'll be doing many more Madeira posts so hopefully, you find some interesting places from here!
Haha love it. A bit of expected fear is harmless but we’ll probably stick to the lower level places or just chill by the pool. We’re going to take the cable car up to Monte again. We’re fine with those and fine with flying. If I’m in something, aircraft, car, cable car etc I’m not scared at all. It’s when I’m standing on a chair or ladder, I get a bit unsteady; as for a mountain - forget it!!
Lol, yeah this trail is not for you then but you can still drive a car up the Pico de Ariero and watch the sunrise above the clouds.
I took the cable car to Monte too. Overpriced ticket but still a cool thing to do.
This is my kind of a trip! Unfortunately, due to my hip issues I wouldn't be able to do it anymore but I enjoy you taking us on this trip to experience it first hand 🙂
1812m doesn't sound as much but since you're on the island, you're at low altitude either way, so it's a lot of work to get to 1812m 🙂 We experienced the same on Mallorca. Altitudes are low but hikes are SO difficult!
Sunscreen is a must in the mountains. My husband usually learns that the hard way each time as he hates any sort of lotions, so get burns EVERY TIME 😂
Your photos are amazing! I love the rough nature, narrow stairs, steep cliffs and vastness of the rocks.
Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to the part two!
Thank you, glad you like the shots!
I did injure my knee too, will talk about it more in part 3, when I hiked back. Overall climbing stairs is such an overload to the knees.
The altitude difference made it hard yeah. The top was @1861 but at some point, I hiked around 1300m altitude, then up again and down again. All the declines and inclines were steep as hell but with really cool views!
I do learn the hard way too even if I prepare the sunscreen 😅. Okay, I didn't burn badly but still have a little bit on my hands and neck.
Great work done on the photography. Thoroughly enjoyed.
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Thank you!
Amazing spot. It was a great hike, we loved it when we went as well. You really captured it well. Nice photos!
Thank you! I did see your post on Pinmapple, looks like you had a great time too on the mountain!
It's an amazing spot. I think anyone would enjoy it.
An amazingly beautiful publication, the mountains impress with their fabulous views. Thank you so much for sharing such interesting and informative content with us. I wish you success and all the best.
Glad you enjoyed!
These mountains are for sure a sight to see. Pictures dont really do the justice.
It is really very beautiful. Thank you very much for responding to my comment. Have a nice day.
Definitely all the effort is soo WORTH IT!! those view are incredibely stunning!! i had never seen before one hikking trail made of stairs, that was interesting!
Well yeah, at least half of it is stairs, this is really heavy on the knees. Still, sure worth an effort!
Oh my! Look at those jaw dropping rock formations 🤩. I love this kind of climb where you really test your stamina, but the view keeps the thrill and it keeps you curious to see more and keep going. Thanks for sharing this,nice shots, as always. 👌💪
Thank you! Yea, this one for sure tests one's endurance limit. Cant imagine that it can be easy for anyone.
Madeira is very pro-bitcoin even in their local government level. They can't make it a legal tender because of EU, but otherwise there are a lot businesses acccepting bitcoin there.
I did see some bitcoin signs in Madeira yes tho I never paid anywhere with BTC. Also, I had read something before that they are very pro Bitcoin, pretty cool.
Those are some of the great photos out there.
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Thanks!
That is utterly amazing. I am with your girlfriend, there is no way I would be doing that!
Thanks so much for showing us the mountains of Madeira and those scaryass paths!
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Scarier the trail is, the more stunning views can usually be seen. I have found out this to be case often times 😄.
That is true right enough!
Seeing these rocks make my inner rock climber go BANG! Awesome views, I think I will need to look into bouldering areas and crags on Madeira. Do you know about any bolted routes?
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No, I have no knowledge about bolted trails there. I am quite sure there are some though.
I loved all the photos you shared and all these are just amazing and undoubtedly a great photography.
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Good to hear that you find the pics great!
Looks like a great hike! love to see it.
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Extremely exhausting but great!
Oh my! Beautiful and breathtaking views there. All the climb and descent are very worth it with all those you see while on the hike. The steep stairs with the cliff on both sides made my feet tremble though, lol! That is some scary part!
The plant by the way might be the Echium Candicans, Madeira's Pride according to Google Lens.
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Some good old adrenaline rush when walking there. Views were certainly worth it!
It looks to be this plant yeah, thanks!
Amazing spot for hiking. I'd love to experience this one day... although I'm not a fan of great heights 😅 I remember how I always get scared of climbing the pedestrian bridge 😅 But I've gotten over that.
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Yea, you are not the first one here who does not like heights 😅. Some height scenarios are a bit scary for me but always fascinating.
Loved it. @greddyforce you're indeed living your passion and at the same time enjoying the serenity of nature..me too, I'm a nature lover and I enjoy hiking...such scenic views you got there..such beautiful pictures and it seems I'm with you walking the same trails.🤗
Hiking is the best! Especially when you have some epic trails to take a hike on. Glad you enjoyed the post.
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What an incredible hike! Although some of those paths would be rather nerve wracking
Yeah, some of these are just a bit, but if you are not really insanely scared of heights then its all doable just well.
The pictures speak volumes about the adventures that you had. Such outdoor excursions in the lap of nature add the quality of life and seem to be the best value for time.
I bet the relaxation this kind of activity brings not only beats stress but adds years to ones life
I found this post by browsing Threads. Learn more about threads. Happy trekking @greddyforce
All that and also great memories that I will always remember!
Absolutely a happy outdoor trip usually gets etched in our minds and hearts.
How are things back in Estonia ? The closest I got to your wonderful country was when I had a stopover in Finland.
Though I have a friend from Estonia so am kind of fond of that place.
Nice meeting you @greddyforce
Hermoso lugar, buenas fotos, un poco solitario como para hacer meditaciones , me gusto mucho gracias por mostrar lo grande que es nuestro planeta, y sitios inmensos como ese, con una gran fuerza espiritual, gracias por tu post.
My pleasure, glad you liked it.
Such a epic adventure I had to share it to more over on LeoThreads https://leofinance.io/threads/@bitcoinflood/re-leothreads-4gsxzu
Indeed, it was. Got to do several awesome hikes on Madeira.
DEVASTATINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
TOTALLY!!
This hike sounds like worth visiting Madeira. I still haven't visit any of the Portuguese Islands since I live in the country. The small edge looks 'easy' with the protection. Believe me, some mountain / volcano hikes have none and are pretty scary. Imagine this in strong wind.
I am looking forward to part 2
You should visit, the island is really beautiful. Though I'm not sure if it's the best suited for your big van. Some roads are really small and some are extremely steep. If you go with your van then you need to take quite a long ship cruise.
Writing part 2 at the moment, coming in an hour or so. 😀
I already read several post that convinced me not to use my current van.
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