Tenerife s Teide Challenge

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1 The ultimate pro experience winter cycling holiday with Marmot Tours. Conquer Mount Teide 6 ways in 6 days! Summary WHERE: Tenerife DISTANCE: 720km min. TIME : 6 days PRICE (2017): 1290 DATES: Nov Highlights We love hearing about a day in the life of a pro cyclist. We are in awe of their strength and stamina, their determination, their focus. We love to watch them on TV, racing or otherwise, to read about them, their training tips, what they have for breakfast, their best climbs. We want to know what it is like to be a pro! With this ultimate cycling challenge on the striking island of Tenerife, Marmot Tours can give you the chance to see what it feels like to have a pro winter-training experience. Conquer all 6 Mt Teide routes Enjoy a pro like experience staying in the famous Teide Parador Hotel 2 Marmot vehicles & experienced, energetic guides With 720km and 17,600m of ascent in 6 days of cycling, this trip is not for the faint hearted! You will take on one of the 6 routes up to Mount Teide each day, with some optional extras thrown in for good measure (if you really are hungry for a challenge!). Each route from sea to summit has its own character and challenges - you will get to know this mountain intimately during the week! Off the bike, when you have cycled what you want to cycle, you can enjoy the facilities and ambiance of the infamous Parador Hotel, strikingly located in the crater of the mountain. Marmot Tours guide Mary Gordon Cummings will be on hand to offer supplementary massages for those wanting to maximise their muscle recovery for the following day. The pool and jacuzzi will, we are sure, be appreciated more and more as the week s challenge mounts! Winter Sun: average of 22 degrees For more flexible route choices, take a look at our Classic Cols of Tenerife holiday. 1

2 Itinerary Day 0 - Travel Out We offer transfers (45 mins) at various times during the day from Tenerife s Southern Airport (TFS) to the welcoming Hotel Villalba situated on the edge of the mountain hamlet of Vilaflor in the South of the island. Nestled in the pine forest and surrounded by beautiful gardens, this 4-star hotel is the perfect place to start your cycling challenge. Its swimming pool and spa facilities will be extremely welcome too when we return to finish the holiday here after a week of mind blowing cycling! If your arrival time allows then there are plenty of great cycling options from this hotel. Day 01: Puerto de Santiago to Teide (88km with 2600m ascent) The most frequently travelled route up the mighty volcano is from Playa de Las Americas on the South coast, so it seems a good one for us to start with. En route to the coast from the hotel, you take in the Mirador de la Centinela to soak up some stunning views of the south of the island. The climb to Mt Teide from this direction is full of variety, passing through the vineyards of Trevejos and the pine forest of Vilaflor (which will feel familiar!), before finally cresting the crater rim, where you are greeted with a spectacular view. After taking in the 'true summit' of Tabinal Negro (2324m) you return to the Parador de Canadas del Teide, your base for the next 5 nights. This famous hotel is the only building in the Teide National Park and commands unrivalled views of Mount Teide from its terrace. Being up at 2150m and surrounded by great tarmac, it has become a top destination for pro-cycling teams wanting a high altitude winter training camp, so bring on a little pro-spotting' (the competition begins!) The optional extra today is a 25km loop including a short punchy climb to Monteleon (Cima Pedro Gonzalez, 490 m) and a beautiful gentle descent in the Barranco de Ayagaures, to discover the hidden oasis and idyllic palm tree islands of the reservoirs. Day 02: Puerto de la Cruz to Teide (106km with 2700m ascent) The ascent from Puerto de la Cruz up the verdant Valle de La Orotava, involves a massive (terrifying?) 43km of pure climbing! Make sure you pause every now and again to wipe the sweat from your eyes as it is considered to be the most beautiful of the '6 roads to the summit'. Today you will pass through La Orotava, one of Tenerife's most historic and architecturally interesting towns so take the chance to lap up a bit of Tenerife s culture (aka a good excuse for a breather!) Then it s onwards and upwards to tick another epic climb of Mt Teide off the bucket list. 2

3 Day 03: Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Teide (137km with 3400m ascent) The start of your Teide ascent today is the coastal Canadian town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Get a reminder that whilst you are on your bike living the pro-life, for Tenerife islanders, its just another day! Turn your bike away from this version of suburbia and towards your goal for the day - a mere 60km climb up to the crater. As you pass the space observatory en route to the top, conversely one wonders whether a 60km climb can be seen from space?? Day 04: Puerto de Santiago to Teide (106km with 2590m ascent) This is a challenge (and you are training ) but the geology of the route today is in your favour! Obviously that is not to say that cycling any of these routes are easy. Far from it. You are, after all, climbing from sea level to 2300m in one go, but the climb from Tenerife's Puerto de Santiago to the Teide summit is probably the easiest. The gradients are a little less eek but if your legs are feeling it none the less, the compelling scenery will distract you : from the impressive cliffs of Los Gigantes at sea level to the most recent lava flows of Volcán Chinyero near the top. Today there is the option of detouring into the rugged Teno mountains and the isolated hamlet of Mascá adding 22km and 800m of ascent to the ride. Day 05: Puerito de Guimar to Teide (122km with 3300m ascent) This is arguably the least travelled of the 6 ascents of Teide so we can look forward to some quiet roads and time for peaceful reflection on the way up! Its not clear why fewer people take on El Teide from Puerto de Güímar.perhaps it is due to the small population of this sleepy seaside town, or (and probably more realistically) due to the rather savage gradients of the eastern side of the island. (Did we say that??) Either on the descent or as a detour on the way back up, you could take the opportunity of a short detour to the pyramids of Güímar: although only dating back to the 19th Century, they are the centre of various Myths around masonic symbolism. Standing on the platform of the largest pyramid on the summer solstice, one can experience a double sunset: first the sun setting behind a mountain, then emerging again and setting for a second time behind a neighbouring peak. Today you have the option of taking a longer route to get to the Puerto de Güímar, via Vilaflor. This spectacular TF28 road traverses around the South Easterly side of the volcano, taking in a series of lush barrancos (river valleys) en route, and adds 25km and 400m of ascent. 3

4 Day 06: El Medano to Teide (127km, 3100m ascent) Descending to the South Coast and the town of El Médano, (incidentally the kite surfing capital of Tenerife so let s hope for a tail wind) is the start of the second most popular route to the summit of Mt Teide. Read the Cyclist Magazine s Big Ride in Aug 2016 for the small print but it goes without saying that the route goes up, and goes on! The town of Granadilla (rather randomly home to a women first division football team!) is well situated for a sneaky coffee and a moment to reflect that this is your last ascent of the holiday! The sense of achievement as you crest El Tabonal Negro for the final time today will be immense and very well deserved. You have earnt some serious bragging rights. So, its time to tott up the 'pro-spotting' competition results from the week, and, with a last glance at the mighty El Teide, turning to descend back down to Vilaflor for a chilled El Teide cerveza on the terrace of the hotel. Day 07: Travel Day We offer transfers to Tenerife s Southern Airport at various times during the day (45 min transfer) Navigation You will see the van and your guides regularly so navigation does not tend to be an issue on our Classic Cols itineraries. We provide you with colour maps and altitude profiles, as well as detailed directions of where to go. Our guides will even aim to be at those easy to miss junctions. For those of you with GPS units, we have GPS files available, provided a few weeks prior to your trip, in.gpx, and.tcx formats. The files can be downloaded onto any Garmin unit and in their most basic form provide a 'purple line' to follow, however with the more recent units you will also receive a set of visual instructions as you approach a turning. Our GPS tracks take you from hotel to hotel and are updated regularly. Am I fit Enough? Banish the doubt It is possible (some would say probable) that the seed of setting yourself this pro-like challenge, at the end of your summer on the bike, was planted in your mind when you had a drink in hand, chatting with mates. In the light of day it is normal (and only right) that you should consider whether or not you are fit enough to take it on! Marmot Tours is known for its challenging itineraries and this is no exception. You need to be a regular road cyclist in order to enjoy and get the most out of this trip. This itinerary is unusual compared to our other holidays - the bulk of the challenge is about climbing, and cycling at altitude. The distances covered are not great, and half of that value is descent, so it really is about the climbs. On 6 consecutive days you are asking your legs to carry you uphill for between 40 and 60kms. We only want you to book on this holiday if it is right for you. Many of our riders are club cyclists or have done cyclosportives or some longer distance rides, however by no means all of them have, and we have had many clients who have been fairly new to road cycling (but who have a good level of fitness perhaps from a different sport) who have effectively trained for a Marmot challenge. One of the other things to note with this holiday, different to other Marmot challenges, is that there is some built in downtime after you have achieved your climb on the bike. Make use of the supplementary massage on offer, the flexi or foam rollers in the van and the hotel jacuzzi jets to aid your muscle recovery so as to be in tip top shape for the following day s route. 4

5 Pacing and Training As with all sports holidays, the fitter you are the more you can relax and enjoy the stunning route It can be difficult finding extended climbs for the training in the UK (and absolutely impossible to find climbs of 40kms plus that emulate the Mount Teide ascents), but generally if you can build up your comfort on the bike (ideally on consecutive days) and your stamina and cardio vascular fitness generally, then you will really benefit when it comes to the holiday itself. As well as training before the holiday, pacing yourself will go a long way towards you achieving your goals. The joy of a group holiday is that you are likely to find someone to cycle at a similar pace to you so you don t need to try and keep up with your partner/friend/room mate. The quickest way to injure yourself or burn out is to cycle faster than you feel comfortable going. We can t emphasise enough that this is your holiday and your challenge so if you want a lift up the hill for whatever reason, on whatever day, then that is fine by us. Gearing/Bikes The climbs are not particularly steep (compared to a lot of hills in the UK), but they do go on for a very long time. It is best to make sure that your bike will be suitable for your strength/fitness. Most people 'get away with' a compact (smallest ring on front having 34 teeth), with the largest ring on the rear cassette having 27 teeth. If you are worried about getting up the hill then the cheapest way to get even lower gears is to change your rear cassette and chain. Campag, Shimano and SRAM produce 11 speed 32 toothed cassettes that will get you up anything! For most of these big cassettes you may need to have fitted a rear derailleur with a long reach. You may already have a triple fitted on your bike. If so, great! You will appreciate being able to drop down to a granny gear and twiddle your way up the steeper sections. If this all sounds too complicated then we do have some fabulous titanium framed bikes for hire, which are fitted out with SRAM at the front with a 11 speed toothed cassettes - perfect for our tours. Guiding This trip was fabulous and made by the awesome..the small things and attention to detail really made a big difference H Gray Supporting you on your holiday will be 2 of our highly experienced, fun, approachable and knowledgeable guides. Despite being passionate about cycling, both guides will be in support vans as this holiday is all about you and your needs. They will know the area, one at least will speak the language and one at least will be a bike mechanic. Having two vehicles per group (regardless of the number of bookings up to the maximum group size of 20) is what allows us to offer you freedom to cycle at your own pace and a level of independence on this holiday. Our guides are experts at advising you on the routes, where you can expect to see the van, and what you might need with you. In the event that you need help for a mechanical (for example) there are 2 vans on the road so one will be able to quickly get to you with full tool kits, spare back wheels and even a spare bike. We hope you won t need us for anything serious but being prepared for all eventualities is what we do exceptionally well. Just coming down to earth now after an unforgettable week of amazing scenery and new friendships made. R Bill Strava Many cyclists nowadays are using apps like Strava and Garmin Connect to track their progress, and to compare themselves to their peers using segments, for instance. These apps make for great training tools and interesting post-ride analysis but there are obvious risks associated with competitive cycling styles, pushing yourself beyond your usual tolerance, and focusing on live feed information whilst on the bike. We therefore encourage our clients to avoid such Live Segment features when cycling on a Marmot Tours holiday or Challenge, especially descending, and to focus on the road at all times. 5

6 Group Dynamics Your group will be any number up to a maximum of 20 clients. This number works really well - it s big enough for you to find others to cycle with at your pace, but not so huge as to feel impersonal! We get lots of clients booking alone, and lots of small groups of friends. If you think you can get a group of people together then we can offer you a custom departure date. We love that we also get a really big variety in terms of cycling experience from club cyclists, people training for other events, those raising money for charity, to ex-pro cyclists Accommodation This trip is unlike some of our other itineraries as it is set across just 2 fabulous 4* hotels meaning less moving on, more relaxing, and a more luxurious hotel environment compared to some of our summer itineraries (both hotels have swimming pools). The hotels have been selected for their customer service towards cyclists and their location. You will be sharing a twin room with another client (of the same gender) unless you book a single room for a supplement of 280 (contact cycle@marmot-tours.co.uk for availability). Both hotels have a garage/locked room to ensure that your trusty steed has a comfortable night too. Food Breakfast No surprise that this is the crucial meal of the day. Expect continental style breakfasts with cheese & meats for your protein kick start. We also supplement the breakfasts with Dorset Cereals and fruit. Generally breakfast is at 08:30 (the Spanish don t do early mornings!) so we don t leave the hotel till around 09:30. Remember, this is a holiday! Lunches You know what you like to eat when you are riding, and it is not likely to be the same as what the other guys and gals in your group will want to eat. We don t include lunches so there are no enforced group stops. We strongly advise that you stop for proper food at lunchtime (well, Spanish lunchtime, which is more like 14:00!). Depending on your pace you may be at the Parador Hotel for some late lunches, or stopping on the road. Snacks Your support van aka snackshop will be well stocked with a variety of tasty delectables: cereal bars, cakes, fresh fruit (bananas obviously!), dried fruit & nuts & sweets are the staples. We suggest you bring your own favourite energy powders/gels/bars with you as these will not be easily available en route and we find clients are quite brand specific in terms of what they like. Dinner We eat as a group in the hotel in the evening. Expect 3 or 4 courses (and generous portions) which are tailored to the needs of cyclists. Dinner will be served at around 20:00 (Spanish eat later than the French for example). Wine at dinner is included every night, including the last celebratory evening. Coffees/soft drinks and beers are not included (we d be broke!) 6

7 Special diets Please contact us with any special dietary requirements. Vegetarians fare well on this trip but we do need to give the hotels plenty of warning and need clients to firmly be either vegetarian for the trip or not - they (and the guides) find it hard if clients are vegetarian for some meals and not for others. Coeliacs and other intolerances can also be provided for and we can communicate with you individually and prepare to make sure you have the right food throughout your trip. Whats Included Trip Price: 1290 (twin share) Single Room Supplement: days supported riding Airport specified times Route notes/directions/maps/gps files 7 nights half board accommodation & table dinner including last night Post Trip Massage Good performance is as much how you recover between sessions as how hard you train. The prolike rhythm of this holiday allows us to offer a post ride recovery massage service. By working with the the body s micro circulation, massage helps to flush out accumulated waste, replenish nutritional stores and assist repair of micro trauma in your muscles. This both speeds up recovery, but can also help limit the risk of overuse injuries one of the most common problems in cycling challenges such as these. Each day 20 minute slots will be available to work typically problematic areas such as legs, lower back and glutes, or neck and shoulders. For a longer treatment you can book two consecutive slots work two of these muscle groups, or for more focussed work on a specific problem. Not everyone may want this so it is a supplementary cost (20mins - 25/ 40mins 50). Start(& end!) 2 customised & well stocked vehicles with experienced guides, offering moral, mechanical & medical support, plus snacks & water 750ml Marmot Tours water bidon x 1 & UV resistant cotton Buff Travel Marmot Tours includes airport transfers from the most convenient airport for the start & end of your trip. Transfers are timed to fit in with as many flights from as many regional airports as possible - we are slaves to the airline timetables! Airport Transfers If you arrive earlier than the transfer time then you will need to wait at the airport for your pick up. If flights are delayed then transfers may also be delayed. If flights are significantly delayed or cancelled then you may need to get public transport to the start hotel and make a claim on your insurance or to your airline. 4* Hotel Spa Villalba: Camino San Roque S/N 38613, Vilaflor, Tenerife, Spain ( ) 7

8 Our pick up/drop off times are when we will be leaving the airport, all being well. Please don t book flights arriving later than suggested below (in brackets) or leaving earlier than suggested below (in brackets). Pick up: 1) (for flights arriving before 11.15) 2) 14:45 (for flights arriving before 14:30) 3) 17:00 (for flights arriving before 16:45) 4) 19:00 (for flights arriving before 18:45) Drop off: 1) 09:15 (for flights departing after 09:20) 2) 11:00 (for flights departing after 13:10) 3) 13:20 (for flights departing after 15.25) Flights These pick ups coincide with direct return flights as follows: Monarch from Luton, LGW, Birmingham and Manchester, RA from Stansted, Manchester, East Midlands and Edinburgh plusjet 2 flights from Stansted, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow. We have lots of experience in helping clients get to / from their holiday in the simplest way so contact us at cycle@marmot-tours.co.uk if you need more detailed information. Under your own steam If you are going to meet us at the start hotel or are leaving independently at the end of your trip to go on elsewhere then do let us know and we may be able to help you with your travel plans. If you are travelling long haul for your holiday, then we recommend arriving into Tenerife a day early in order to get over any jet lag before you start cycling. Insurance Holiday insurance is essential for all Marmot Tours trips. Anyone without insurance is not able to take part in the cycle so please make sure you arrange cover. We recommend sorting your insurance when you book so that if you have problems during training and need to cancel, you are covered. Your insurance needs to cover you for noncompetitive road cycling (cycle touring) with the following fairly standard inclusions: Medical Expenses Repatriation Some clients also like to ensure they have the following optional items: Cancellation cover Loss or damage to their bike. NB if you are hiring a bike from us there is an insurance element in the fee so you will not need additional cover. We will ask you to complete a form with your policy number and emergency contact details for the trip but in the meantime we don t need any confirmation of your cover. Bike Hire Marmot Tours has an excellently maintained fleet of custom built titanium framed bikes available to rent for your holiday. Advantages of rental include: avoiding hefty fees levied by airlines for transport worry free travel (knowing your trusty steed is safely stored away at home!) the chance to try a titanium bike built specifically with climbing cols in mind (gearing!) relinquishing responsibility for cleaning and maintenance to our experienced team. Prices: 40/day on the bike including an insurance fee. For full spec and dimensions, please look at our website Bike Hire page Financial Protection Marmot Tours are members of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents. ABTA and ABTA members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist them when things do not go according to plan. 8

9 As part of our membership contract we are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. In line with our ABTA membership (no Y6184), we hold an insurance policy that gives you full financial protection for all funds you pay us for your holiday We have full Tour Operators Professional and Public Liability Insurance with specialist brokers Campbell Irvine We carry out risk assessments on all of our holidays to ensure we have thought through every detail We employ staff with the correct experience and skills to ensure you have a safe and fun trip, and have a thorough training programme each season. For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a a complaint, please contact ABTA, 30 Park St, London, SE1 9EQ (Tel ) How to Book 1. cycle@marmot-tours.co.uk to check availability for your preferred departure date 2. Bag your spot with a provisional booking for a week or so while you get planning 3. Find your trip page on and follow the link to our online booking form 4. Receive an automated with payment options for your 200 deposit, and arrange payment We comply with the legislation and Tourism Code for the countries we work in. Accordingly, in France we are registered with ATOUT France, the French registration body for Tour Operators. Marmot Tours holds a Tour Operators License (IM ) awarded by ATOUT (July 2012). 5. Await contact from Kate and Catherine in the office regarding confirmation of your booking. 6. We send out a detailed Holiday Guide around 6 weeks before your holiday but are here to answer questions at any time 9