Ponta do Pico is a 2351 meter high vulcano on the Island of Pico. The highest mountain in Portugal. I tried to go here two times before. First time my flight was cancelled. Second time there was a snow storm. This time it was perfect weather and the trees had a unrealistic green color. Maybe the most green color I have ever seen. Just to get to Pico from Sweden is kind of a project. It´s very remote for Europe.

First sight of Pico, I was happy to know the snow was gone!

I spent the night at a hotel and the morning after the alarm was set on 04:45. I ate a cold pasta that I had saved from last nights dinner for breakfast and hit the road. I can tell that Google maps doesn´t work very well in Pico… It probably led me on the worst back way up the mountain to the start of the trail. And the cars on Pico is not exactly 4×4 either… More like small city cars. I arrived at 06:00 and started hiking in the dark.

The hike is not difficult but it´s volcanic landscape so you have to be focused on every step to not stumble over something. It´s not a plain trail. And pretty steep. But I just got back from climbing four 5000 meter mountains in Peru so I felt pretty good and strong during this climb.

The sun started to rise and it was so beautiful.

On the way. I had a thin sweater from Patagonia, tights from Nike, shoe from Salomon, backpack Osprey and hat Houdini. When I got higher up I put on a gore tex jacket for the wind.

And the higher I got the more fog and clouds there were. Navigation was never a problem, the trail is well marked. But I wish I could have seen the views from up here. When I did my research on this mountain it seems like the last 70 meters up the top should be pretty difficult. But I never even noticed any difference. Maybe a little bit steeper and some more scrambling but nothing advanced at all.

And then I was on the summit! Exactly 2 hours after I started!

The summit selfie! I did not stay for too long. There was no view and rain was coming in.

It was almost harder to walk down then up because of the loose gravel on the trail. You had to watch your step. Back down before 4 hours in total I went to the station to pay the fee for my climb. 12 euro. It was not open when I started in the morning but I want to do right for me.

I´m so happy that this project take me to places I would never go to otherwise. I don´t think I will ever return to Pico but I was glad too be here for this climb.