Saturday 14 January. Lanzarote. Volcanoes Ride.
The day dawned bright and sunny again with temperatures reaching 20C.

Today I decided on a ride in the southern end of the Island where massive eruptions of many Volcanoes only 250 years ago spread a sheet of lava over a third of the Island.

The lava field is spread over a high plateau over the centre of the Island at 1000ft. This means that to get anywhere interesting on the Islands roads usually means a climb of 1000ft which makes for some good training rides.

I took a byroad south to Puerto Calero and then a steady climb inland to cross the main road at a roundabout. Then the real climb started on a byroad to La Asomada. The gradient was about 12 percent for 2 Kilometers and the summit was reached at 1150ft. Near the top an old villager said something to me which I didn’t understand in my non existent Spanish but I decided must have been “Well done, bravo” or maybe it was “you silly tourist, why do you ride a bike up this hill”

After a short descent to the Uga to Teguise road I turned off heading north towards Mancha Blanca and the other coast. Here there is a vast plain of lava rocks too recent to be broken down into soil with volcanic cones shattered by the force of the eruptions on each side.

From Mancha Blanca I took a road west into the Timanfaya National Park. This road is not far from Club La Santa, Sports Training Centre on the north coast and is base for many cyclists here for winter training. I greeted many coming in the opposite direction. Several also came past me with ease. I decided they were probably 20 to 30 years younger.

I then headed south again on a dead straight road through the lava fields to Yaiza. Then an unavoidable 2 miles of main road before turning off on the byroad to Puerto Calero. I went down to the Marina for a cafe lunch before continuing the last 3 miles back to base.

Mileage for the day was 31 with about 2000ft of climbing.

Edwin