Atlantic Mountains Extreme - 4CI2603
Since almost everyone arrived a few days early, there was plenty of time to explore Tenerife before the tour officially kicked off. For some, that meant grabbing the bikes and heading straight for the good stuff — climbing up into the volcanic landscapes, carving through tiny canyons on narrow roads packed with hairpins, and getting a first proper taste of what the island has to offer. Others took a slightly more relaxed approach: a few extra hours by the hotel pool, a walk along the beautiful beach, maybe wandering into the little town nearby. Not a bad way to warm up either. And we even had some help preparing the bikes for the tour, so thank you Bryan, Corey, Keri and Chris! In the evening, meeting at the bar for a drink is the perfect moment to share stories. First impressions, favorite roads, small adventures already collected — and maybe a bit of friendly exaggeration here and there. Of course, it was also time for our official briefing. We talked through the plan for the next few days, what to expect, what to look forward to — and raised the excitement level just that little bit more. After the briefing comes one of the best moments: the motorcycle handover for those who didn’t already have their bikes. The second you receive the keys to the machine you’ll be riding, that’s when the trip truly begins. Tomorrow will be an early start. We’ll catch the ferry over to La Gomera so we can make the most of our time on this small island — a place that genuinely feels like it was made to be explored on two wheels.
Our first riding day took us over to the island of La Gomera. A very short ride to the ferry, some time to hang around on the boat — and then off on our bikes. We pretty much hit all the good roads on the island, and man, were they good. The only straight bits we found were the two tunnels we rode through — everything else is windy and twisty. Everything from small, super tight corners to long sweeping turns. Even some tight uphill hairpins — so really, a little bit of everything. During lunch, we tried some tajine and squid — you probably won’t find fresher seafood than in a little harbour town like this. Then, covered in sunshine, we were back on the road. It was a little cooler — some might say cold — in the middle and higher parts of the island, but soon we were heading back down towards the hotel. The last section sweeps down the mountainside with stunning views of the ocean, almost blinding in the sunlight. We organised a little “boot beer” treat to celebrate a successful first day of riding and enjoyed it on the rooftop of our hotel. The rain started just as we got up there, so we timed our ride perfectly. Walker came back with some good news. I wonder what happened — where did he put his wallet? I should ask him later… All in all, an amazing first day — and much more to come!
*pictures follow when there is a better connection It was a time, it was a day. Our morning started with a little loop on La Gomera. Climbing back up into the mountains, the roads were still a bit wet, but the weather was on our side. Grip was good, spirits were high, and the views reminded us once again why we love riding here. The ferry crossing brought its own kind of lean angles. Just like on the road, we had some proper movement — enough to wake a few of the napping passengers — but nothing too dramatic. Just a gentle reminder that the Atlantic always has a say. Back on Tenerife, we made our way up towards Teide. The sun was shining, the road surface was amazing, and the group was flowing beautifully through the curves. At the top, the view over the volcano was absolutely stunning. We were even joking about how much warmer it was than expected. Well… that may have jinxed it. On the way down, temperatures dropped to 1°C. We rode through snow, then hail, which quickly turned into steady rain. It was definitely a different experience descending than climbing up. Same mountain, completely different character. From the volcano, we continued towards Masca in the Teno Mountains. This road is always an experience. Narrow lanes, endless uphill and downhill hairpins, and traffic coming both ways — including full-size touring buses. It demands focus, precision, and a good sense of humor. Definitely memorable. A quick coffee, a Snickers, and a baguette with a stunning view topped it all off. From there, the group split onto a few different routes back to the hotel. Some took on even steeper uphill hairpins with cars that didn’t always understand the concept of space. Others chose a smoother and more direct way home. Keri told me to tell you all about the fact that Walker had planned his own special route. Apparently, the regular roads weren’t exciting enough, so he added a little off-road detour to spice things up. Not entirely sure if that was part of the original master plan — but if you ride it out, it counts 💪
Last night at our hotel, we had an absolute blast. We tested — and officially approved — their local wine, joked around, and played a few dice games. Even though Janell definitely cheated… This morning, we were ready for a lovely sunny day. Sadly, the weather had other plans. It was already pouring during the briefing, and it pretty much didn’t stop until we reached the ferry. Some of us skipped lunch, while the others enjoyed a wonderful tapas meal with an amazing view. On the boat, they warned us it would be rough, so naturally we all sat at the front, ready for the rollercoaster. There were some exciting waves, but it wasn’t quite as exhilarating as we had expected. The ride afterward on Gran Canaria was interesting. It started off on a mostly dry road winding through a canyon. As we climbed higher toward the hotel, the fog rolled in and kept getting thicker. Near the hotel, we could barely see anything — and just to make things more exciting, the rain started pouring down again. So it’s safe to say we were very happy to arrive, take a warm shower, and relax for a bit. The forecast for tomorrow looks much better, so hopefully we’ll finally get to enjoy the sights — and some sunny riding.
Our rest day started off a little foggy in the morning, so we decided to push the start back by an hour and ease into the day with a relaxed breakfast. Leaving the hotel, it was still slightly misty – but nothing like yesterday. As soon as we dropped down in elevation and headed towards the coast, the weather cleared up beautifully and we were rewarded with wonderful, partially sunny conditions. Arguably the best ride of the tour. Incredible twisty roads, stunning views around every corner, smooth asphalt, mostly dry conditions – and not a straight road in sight. Absolute biker paradise!
Already our last riding day. It started off in the fog, but very soon we were out of it, and with tiny rays of sunshine we rode along a beautiful lake on some very twisty roads back to the ferry. The ferry today was the roughest we had, and I was moving quite a bit, but that didn’t stop us from sitting at the front so we could enjoy the spectacle. From there we split up. Some headed up into the mountains to ride a section we had missed before, while some of us made our way back over the TO-28. We were in the sun the whole way, something we were not used to, which made us appreciate it even more. Endlessly winding down this amazing road, just cruising along and enjoying the view and the ride. A short coffee break at a cool café carved into the rock like a cave, and then it was already time to bring the bikes back to the hotel. Now we have a little time to get all fancy for our final dinner so we can go over the highlights of the trip. Raise our glasses to a successful journey, a great experience, and most of all some fun times together. Thanks for following along with our adventures. I’m sure many more stories will follow. And since about half the group was carrying cameras, there will definitely be some cool footage to watch.