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THE WEEKLY #230: NEW HEIGHTS

THE WEEKLY #230: NEW HEIGHTS

There are hundreds of peaks on Madeira but many seem a little bit too steep, slightly out of reach or comprise of unstable rocks. When you hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, it already seems quite an adventure but all around this trail are other peaks. When you meet the right people, instead of looking up at these peaks you end up on top of them.

This week I was lucky enough to meet Gonçalo Silva who is one of the most experienced mountain guides and climbers on Madeira. He took us on a guided adventure from Pico do Arieiro all the way up to the summit of Pico das Torres. We used ropes and harnesses to safely ascend through a few crumbly, steep areas but for the most part it was a scrambling adventure rather than a rock climb. It was good to get the adrenaline going and step it up to another level.

Once on top of the summit, Gonçalo told us that he’s only ever taken a handful up to the summit and not many even know about it so we were fortunate to be up there. It was an epic day and you can check out that video below.

The other big adventure for the week was the short but steep climb to Pico da Roda with the Madeira Les a Les crew on Saturday. This is another spot very few people hike up to. It involves some cliff-side hiking and some local routes but takes you to a viewpoint over Nun’s Valley looking out to the highest peaks on Madeira. As always, it’s a great time on Saturday with good, wholesome people! Here’s a short video of the highlights from that hike.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the photos from the highlights of this week and had some epic highlights yourself!