Casa da Monthana - Pico

Access to the starting point:
The starting point is Casa da Monthana. The starting point can be reached from several directions. There are two harbours on the island, Madalena and Sao Rogue.
Access from Sao Roque (25km/29 min) - follow R. to Alves towards EN2 road, after 9 km on EN2 road, turn right onto EN3 road, follow this road for 10 km to a section where you turn left towards Casa da Monthana, follow this road for approximately 3 km and turn left at an unmarked junction, after 1. 5 km you will reach the starting point.
2. Access to the starting point from Madalena (17 km/23 min) - go north on the EN3 road, after 12 km turn left at a section in the direction of Casa Da Monthania, after 3 km turn left at an unmarked junction, after 1. 8 km you reach the starting point.

Path description:
At Casa da Monthana, you register, pay the entrance fee (€15 to the crater, €20 to the top, children under 6 free) and get a GPS device. Pico has a visitor limit of 160 people at a time. However, the number is limited to 320 people per day. Once we get the permit, we are on our way. The route is well marked with 44 wooden numbered posts to the crater of the volcano. The pillars are at different distances from each other but always clearly visible. At the beginning the distance is greater, but later it decreases. They are also clearly visible in fog. The initial 15 minutes of the route is earth or mud, depending on the weather. Then the path starts to change. There are more and more volcanic boulders of different shapes (difficult to walk on) and different formations of solidified lava. These lava formations are very slippery in bad weather. The trail continues like this to the top, with short paths in between to give the legs a rest. After about half an hour's walk, you reach a cave which offers shelter in case of strong winds. The weather changes very quickly here. The top may be sunny, but in 5 minutes it may be completely covered in clouds. The temperature difference between the starting point and the summit is on average 10 degrees. After about 2. 5 hours of walking, you will reach the pillar number 44, where the crater of the volcano is located. The crater is 500 m in diameter and 30 m deep. Shelters made of stones are set up here. It is possible to spend the night in the crater with tents. It is said that if you strain your eyes at night you can see the lights of New York. We continue to Pico Piquinho (Little Peak), which is the most difficult part of the route, 70 m and about half an hour of almost vertical walking. The markings continue on the stones. Here begins a very steep part of the trail where we use our hands. It is advisable to wear gloves, as the stones are very sharp and some are hot, with hot steam blowing off them. The steam also makes the surroundings hot and the climbing is quite tiring. The volcanic rocks are not solid and crack quickly, so you need to be very careful when gripping them.
At the top, however, we are greeted by breath-taking views and the feeling of standing on the highest point in the middle of the ocean is indescribable. With good visibility, you can see all nine islands of the Azores archipelago. We rest our feet on heated stones. The way down is more strenuous than the way up, as you have to watch out for crumbling rocks and slippery lava formations.
On arrival back at the Casa da Monthana hut, you will receive a certificate of Pico-tu.

On the way: Vulkanski krater (2281m)

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