Masca (Teno massif) then back up the NW ridge

The early start worked well - our lovely hotel let us have breakfast almost an hour early, at 0715, and everyone was raring to go by 8am. This early start is well worth it as we parked right on the exposure in Masca car park  which is as impressive as ever - those lovely big augite crystals in the thin ankaramite pahoehoe flows. A bonus: the loos at the first cafe on the left are much improved! Now indoors for starters! And the fresh squeezed lemon is as good as ever.
On then over the hill and down to El Palmar for the first NW ridge stop where scoria cones have punched a hole in the valley bottom. The quarries still show the different oxidation states really well though the light isn't marvellous at this time in the morning. On then to Garachico and straight up the hairpins to the mirador where it was gratifying to hear 14 'Wow's in quick succession as people saw the view down over the town on its lava delta. I had a particular reason for coming here this year as I wanted to get an olive wood bowl for my niece for an engagement present - due at their fiancailles near Geneva 2 days after getting home from this trip.

Chirche mirador

Then we headed SE along the NW ridge - i.e. towards the caldera, back over the Boca de Cangrejo flow from the ridge that we'd passed over earlier and down to Guia de Isora first though to get stuff for our picnic lunch, then hmmm OK I should know better than to take short cuts but it looked like a good time saver! We went straight up the hill through Chirche and it was only because of some pretty good driving skills that we actually made it - steep, narrow, winding through the village and real crunch time comes when you meet something! We made it though (thanks drivers!) and were rewarded by finding a lovely mirador where we ate our lunch.
Then onward and upward, a wave to Chinyero - the baby volcano here which erupted in 1909 - and to the Narices del Teide mirador (Chahorra 1798) before ferrying the group to the forestry path that heads over to the caldera wall for a nice leg stretch. This is a super intro to a lava flow close up - beautiful fresh a'a and then a treat at the caldera wall end where it rests on a slightly earlier pahoehoe flow ponded against the caldera wall.
Back down the hill to Vilaflor and on down to La Escalona for a welcome swim and jacuzzi (or beer!)