We felt the air get thinner and more humid as the road winded further towards the hills of Orotava. The sound of traffic was merely distant background noise by the time the small town scenery transformed into the countryside. The road became more narrow and was engulfed by a veil of clouds, underneath them a looming pine forest. Riddled with hiking routes and steep cliffs – Barrancos.
The adventure began from Chimoche crossroads and the first stop was at a five meter high canyon channel. The Xwander trip consisted of ten brave adventurers who individually descended down the cliff, unbeknownst of things to come. The highest and steepest of the cliffs was 26 meters high, bested by 60-year-old Eero Utriainen.
“It was certainly tense to descend the cliff with only the help of a rope and a harness. The hike was just the right amount of excitement and fun as a whole. The Xwander guides gave a professional and trustworthy impression but a live rope demonstration could be helpful. The picnic at the end of the hike was a terrific surprise and gave us participants a nice moment to exchange experiences.”