HPB La Gomera: Pajarito and the Olsen Hut

A fine high level circuit, partly in Laurisilva and pine forest but with open sections giving great views of the upper reaches of the Benchijigua Barranco, including the Agando rock.  In clear weather Mt Teide, on Tenerife, is visible. Easy walking, mainly on broad, unsurfaced roadways, with just one short section of narrow path, with steps. No prolonged or severe gradients. The ‘Olsen Hut’ is rather puzzling; at the appropriate place on the map an insignificant building with a communications mast is the only structure.

Start:
Car park by roadside at Pajarito junction. Drive past Alajero and pass the junction with the road to Chipude. Next is the Pajarito junction, where a left turn leads to Laguna Grande and Valle Gran Rey and bearing right continues to San Sebastian and Hermigua.
Refreshments: None on the route of the walk. Several bars at Alajero.

WALK
Leave the Pajanto car park past the information board down a broad track signposted ‘Los Roques 3.9km’.In about 300 metres look carefully for a narrower path on the left signposted ‘Los roques’.

1. Turn left here to follow this path as it rises quite steeply throught the forest, with flights of steps. Emerge at a mini summit, which is a lovely viewpoint. Continue along a well made path passing a Parque National sign and descending steeply in places towards the main road. Gomeran marguirites are prominent among the wildflowers bordering this path.

2. After 1.1 km from the start descend to a broad unsurfaced track but do not go as far as the road - instead turn immediately sharp right down the unsurfaced track, which descends gently. shortly you come to a lone Eucalyptus tree on the left: from here are good views of Mount Teide, Roque Agandgo and in the distance Playa Santiago. The track is now high on the wall of the Benigijigua Baranco. Ignore a track on the right by a signdipicting the Parque National limit.

3. You reach a sharp right bend with signs for ‘Imada 1.4’ straight on and ‘Ruta 16’ to the right. Follow the Ruta 16 sign and the track descends. Below left is a tributary barranco which the track crosses and then rises uphill on the other side. A change in vegetation now has some cacti and canarian pines ahead. The village Imada nestles a long way down the steep side of the main barranco and now comes into view on the left. The track continues along the side of another tributary barrano, very much in the pine forest. Bear left to cross the bed of this barranco and then rise up the far side to a junction in a clearing.

4. Turn sharp right uphill following the sign ‘Pajarito 2.4kms’ ignore a track on the right and keep straight on through attractive countryside until you come to a junction with a sign to ‘Pajarito 0.7km’. Take this turning to the right. The track now narrows to a path and curves to the right and follow it uphill to a sharp left bend. The path now levels out and passes the path taken at step 1 to lead back to the car park.

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