Arenas negras

Today's walk began high and took us higher, to the amazing Arenas Negras, the black sands, a volcanic area where, more than 300 years after the last eruption, new trees are growing, bright green against the black, their needles forming pools of gold around their roots.

We began in sunshine, but climbed into chilly cloud that swirled around us for several hours. And after a fairly gruelling descent of the lava flow, we learned that the police have closed off El Teide.because the snow has rendered the access road and the footpaths impassable. Will it clear before we leave?

Fingers crossed...