SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 18 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife has opted to prohibit walking climbs to the summit of Teide for the next fifteen days, from 4 in the afternoon until 9 in the morning starting this Tuesday. This decision comes in light of over 100 individuals requiring rescue in the past three days after attempting to access the upper section of the Cable Car on foot without due care.
Minister of Natural Environment, Sustainability, Security and Emergencies, Blanca Pérez, made this announcement following a meeting to discuss the situation in Teide National Park and implement urgent measures aimed at ensuring the safety of visitors.
Specifically, access will be restricted on the following trails between 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.: Trail No. 7: Montaña Blanca-Pico Teide, the segment from the summit of Montaña Blanca to the junction of trails No. 7 and No. 11 Mirador de La Fortaleza, Path No. 11: Mirador de La Fortaleza, Path No. 23: Regatones Negros, and Path No. 9: Teide – Pico Viejo – TF-38.
The minister described the events of this weekend as an “absolutely unprecedented” scenario, noting that 130 individuals required rescue at the peak of Teide (77 on Saturday, 28 on Sunday, and 25 on Monday). She indicated that these occurrences are “completely anomalous” and had not been previously recorded, particularly as there were no frost conditions last year.
Blanca Pérez pointed out that activity in the National Park has significantly increased this year, as evidenced by approximately 1,800 descent tickets issued by Teleférico in October alone. She emphasised that “extraordinary measures” must be implemented to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Consequently, until a new framework for climbing Teide is established, the trails leading to the summit will remain closed from 4 in the afternoon until 9 in the morning for the next fifteen days, which “will prevent many individuals from continuing to ascend without appropriate gear,” stated the minister.
Blanca Pérez indicated that during this time, “suitable measures” must be introduced, such as installing signage, employing security personnel, and setting minimum requirements that any individual wishing to hike Teide must fulfil. “We are dealing with high mountains where temperatures have plummeted to -8 degrees, accompanied by ice and frost. Ascending Teide is not something to be taken lightly. Our goal is to regulate this access within two weeks, ensuring that anyone wishing to climb must adhere to the safety conditions and requirements we will implement,” she added.
Additionally, another measure instituted today is that Teleférico del Teide will no longer offer the option to descend only, thereby preventing foot access to La Rambleta. “We have received around 1,800 requests for just a descent each month, indicating that most, predominantly tourists, were climbing up on foot and then descending via the Cable Car. We will eliminate that choice until we formulate a new regulation to ensure the safety of visitors,” Pérez disclosed.
The minister specified that those who were rescued over the past three days, having already been identified, will bear the costs of the rescue operation. The Tenerife Firefighters Consortium estimates the rescue cost to be around 1,800 euros per person—1,200 euros for the rescue itself and 600 euros as a fine—hence the appropriate proceedings will be initiated for those rescued today.
Blanca Pérez stressed that these individuals had recklessly ascended the upper part of Mount Teide on foot. She reminded everyone that a pre-alert situation for rain and storms had been issued by the Government of the Canary Islands since Friday, leading to the closure of the Cable Car. Furthermore, with temperatures dropping below zero, these individuals made the decision to ascend and subsequently activated the emergency button to request rescue.
The Cabildo of Tenerife urges the public to exercise extreme caution during pre-alert, alert, and maximum alert scenarios affecting the island, and recommends following the established self-protection guidelines to minimise unnecessary risks.
