Portugal's Mount Pico

More than 900 miles off the coast of Portugal's mainland, are the Azores islands and the volcanic Montanha do Pico, the country's highest point.  This is our 25th summit of country high points around the world and we are dedicating it to my cousin Jonathan Fejtek and his bride Melissa.  We were lucky enough to attend Jon and Mel's wedding on Aug. 6th in a small town called Ourém, north of Lisbon in the same church where Mel's parents got married and in the village where her family all grew up.  It was a memorable experience rich in cultural charm and overflowing with food, drink and love. 

...and the occasion gave us a good excuse to thoroughly explore the beauty of Portugal over the last three weeks from Porto in the north, Lisbon, Sintra and down to the Algarve region in the south with its spectacular sea caves and postcard perfect cliff-enclosed beaches.  However the group of nine islands which make up the Azores, was a very different slice of Portugal which we likely would not have made the effort to experience if it weren't for Mt. Pico being located there.  

 

This technically "active" stratovolcano is an impressive sight to view from offshore as its steep cone-shaped slopes reaching up to its summit at 7,713 feet, tower over the rest of the island.  Clouds tend to obscure the view frequently and despite the mild subtropical weather, snow periodically blankets the mountain in the winter.  Climbing it was a relatively easy 7.5 hour round trip hike and the most challenging part for us was simply getting a permit.  In recent years access to the mountain has been restricted by the local governing Portuguese authority which has limited the number of permits per day to 160 people.  (They are also charging a fee, currently 25 Euros).  By the time we finalized our travel itinerary, there were no more permits available for any of the five days we planned to spend on Pico Island.  Fortunately we were able to find and secure the last two spots on an organized group permit with a company called Hominis Natura and led by owner/guide Steffi Denecker.  We truly enjoyed our time with Steffi and the other members in the group.  The only other Americans were a young couple from Washington D.C. Mike and Megan who recently got married and planned their climb of Mt. Pico as part of their honeymoon in the Azores.   ...our kind of couple!  We wished them all the best in their new journey through life together as husband and wife and once again to Jon and Melissa - congratulations on your marriage and thank you for inviting us to be a part of your important milestone and celebration in Portugal that we will remember forever! 

With Steffi Denecker & "Steps to the Summit"

Obrigado!

Paul & Denise