Risco Blanco

Peaks: Risco (Roque) Blanco/Chimayachi (935m)
Area: El Molledo, Tenerife
Consulting my map after breakfast, I noticed that a path led towards Roque Blanco from El Molledo, a hamlet further up the valley. Roque Blanco, also called Risco Blanco or Chimayachi, was such an eye-catching peak that I really wanted to do it after seeing it from Guama this morning. However, it was also obviously sheer to the south, climbing territory, and not feasible solo. As I drove up the valley, however, I kept looking across and saw obvious weaknesses further north. I parked in El Molledo, the weather clearing beautifully, and set off through the village to the superbly runnable contouring path heading west below Montana Ijada and around a couple of lengthy spurs to the more isolated valley that drops down to the sea very steeply, typical of the spectacular terrain of this part of Western Tenerife. Finally, I got a view of the otherwise hidden Risco Blanco, and although still steep and impressive from this northern side, a reasonable route up seemed very likely as the terrain looked like slabby rock interspersed with vegetation: a classic volcanic shape. The path reaches Casa Quemada, a goat farm, then drops down a well-defined ridge to the base of Risco Blanco. From here, I went straight for a line of weakness up a steep open groove. This gave good scrambling, around grade II, and I then moved out right to the excellent slabby ridge (north-west) which marks the transition between the steep and slabby side of the mountain. I stuck to the rock and it gave a great little route to the summit, which takes the form of a short, narrow ridge in a predictably spectacular position. To the south and west, sheer drops to those wonderful steep, lush valleys plunging down to the Atlantic 1000 metres below, framed by this morning's peaks, particularly Guama, not far away across the valley. Further over, the Cabezada ridge that towers over the famous village of Masca. And inland, my next objective, Pico la Mesa. The sun was still shining, and it all felt like a tremendous bonus, some recompense for the cancellation on Wednesday. To my mild disappointment, I found a tiny path which weaved in and out of the crags and picked an easier, less steep, route down to the base of the roque. From here, I ran all the way back to El Molledo along the traverse path trying to save a little energy for part three of the day.