Roque de los Muchachos (b) #17

 A few kilometers north-east from there, I turned right onto LP-4, the huge long climb up to Roque de los Muchachos.

Just past the intersection, at the start of LP-4, there is a big old sign warning about a 15% grade -Yikes!  Indeed, the first kilometer or so are very steep that I thought if it keeps going like that all the way to the top, I am not going to make it.

Fortunately, like many secondary, uphill roads on La Palma, they start steep but then gradually reduce grade to manageable levels.  Anyway, I think that 15% grade warning was mostly about tight hairpins, where motor vehicles might have trouble (going both up and down).

Very long climb nevertheless, and getting above the tree line does not mean you are at the top.
There is lots more climbing up to the astronomical observatories, and then even past that to the very top at Roque de los Muchachos.

I slowed down a fair bit, as the air got thinner near the top. But the views are truly spectacular and worth every bit of effort.  Arriving at the parking lot near the lookout point, there were only cars – no other bikers.  Not surprisingly, I turned a few heads..

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Photos belong to Jaro Franta