Our last "bus day" we're taking 9 a.m. bus to Encumeada pass (line to Porto Moniz) at elevation 1007m. After getting off the bus and morning coffee in a bar we're starting trek crossing the main Madeira mountain ridge. Few meters after pass we're turning right to track going to mast and than left by "invisible" stony stairs uphill.
The surrounding is fabulous! We're gaining altitude by stairs under the rocky wall. It remind me a bit of Roraima table mountain scenery in Venezuela. Then climbing to ridge with again fantastic views.
The clouds rising from the vallys. On this time, it reminds me Simien mountains in Etiopia. Similarly fascinating but cca 2000m lower than in Simien ...
The path is rugged, steeply descending and ascending. Mountains around are also very rugged. It is one of the nicest mountain trek which I ever done.
We're passing different geological formations e.g. some kind of sandstone.
After cca 5 hour "heavy" walk / climb (from 1007m to 1800m) finaly Pico Ruivo appeared in the front of us. It is extinct volcano and the highest mountain of the island
Vicinity is typicaly volcanic - ash, pemsa and sulphur appearance. Just few meters below the summit I shoot nice "shade with a tree".
Huraah, finaly on the summit! It is warm and we could see the sea.
Initialy we planned to spent a night in refugio Ruivo to continue to Pico Arieiro but local refugio curator refused to give us accomodation. We have to have a special permit to stay there! Hard to believe that someone don't want make money. It remind me a strange former comunistic directives which we had in the past ...
Luckily, there is a parking place just 20 minutes of walk from refugio. A young couple from Lisbon took us directly to Funchal.