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CLIMBING IN GRAN CANARIA
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The island of
Gran Canaria is commonly known by the “miniature continent”
on account of the natural environment that the island offers
to visitors and inhabitants. For sports enthusiasts, there are
inexhaustible opportunities to combine the practice of their
favourite sport with the enjoyment of the verdant landscapes
of the interior or the spectacular areas along the coast.
The mild weather conditions that reign throughout the year is
an invitation to practise a large variety of sports right in
the heart of nature, with hiking, rock climbing and bicycle
routes being some of the best alternatives that Gran Canaria
offers to tourists. |
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The delightful
climate and the outstanding volcanic terrain that have made
Gran Canaria a leading international holiday destination, have
also created the perfect setting for non-winter mountain sports.
One of the most popular of these is rock climbing, which has
an unexpected paradise of rocks and vertical cliffs waiting
to be discovered in the island that has generated some important
school sites.
The constant opening of new and more difficult routes, together
with the growing number of climbers and clubs give us an idea
of just how fast this sport is catching on. |
The volcanic
relief of Gran Canaria was constructed by three major periods
of volcanic eruptions over a period of 16 million years. The
oldest rock, spewed forth as lava flows, are ideal for climbing,
even though they vary in composition and lithology, because
they are solid and they are not slippery. Erosion put the final
touches to moulding the elements that are now characteristic
of the island landscape: gullies, cliffs, crests, cauldrons,
rock needles...
This landscape offers a complete repertoire of cracks, chimneys,
plates, wedges, overhangs, ceilings, etc, that turn the whole
island into one immense climbing wall with an infinity of possibilities
to be discovered. There are presently climbing sites all over
the island, although the most popular areas and climbing schools
are found at the sites with good access and the best rock. |
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In the mountain
peaks, there are outstanding areas like Roque Nublo, a rock
needle of excellent basalt conglomerate with 12 beautiful routes
and an endless variation of difficulty, which is the natural
symbol of Gran Canaria and the origin of climbing on the island.
Other highland rock needles that can be climbed are El Palmés,
in El Toscón de Tejeda, Betancuria in Ayacata or Narices,
at the foot of the north face of Roque Bentayga. Climbing is
restricted on this latter rock, because of its archaeological
value. |
Close to El Nublo
is the rock circus of Ayacata, a sanctuary of traditional climbing
with the largest number of classical routes of different lengths
and degrees of difficulty, scattered over the areas known as
La Librería, El Frontón del GEC, La Candelilla,
El Montañón. Somewhat further away, El Pino and
El Aserrador, offer the highest routes on basalt conglomerate
walls on the island.
Tamadaba, an ancient mountain massif covered in pine forests
and vertical cliffs, is in the north west, rising over the sea
to an altitude of over 1000 m. On its upper lave flows, you
can find the sites of Lomo Caraballo, Supernova, la Perfumería
and El Gulich, with its famous Emiliano Zapata route, which
made this area the sports climbing capital of Gran Canaria.
Other sites include Costa Ayala, a former climbing school, Bañaderos,
sea cliffs located 3 Km. and 14 Km. respectively, from Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria, along the northern motorway GC2, and Las Meleguinas,
next to the bridge of the same name, in the borough of Sta.
Brígida.
On the walls moulded by the erosion of rain and streams, and
the blocks of the gullies of the south of the island, you can
find the main setting of the new school of sports climbing and
boulder climbing. La Sorrueda, very near Santa Lucia, in the
Tirajana gulley, the leading site for sports climbing in the
south of Gran Canaria and, together with Fatagonia, in the neighbouring
Fataga gulley, close to the village of the same name, the sites
that attract the most climbers. The southern gullies of Berriel
and Ayagaures. |
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With the exception
of a few publicly owned places, military sites or sites of special
ecological sensitivity, climbing is allowed everywhere. The
only restrictions are the regulations governing the use and
enjoyment of natural areas; avoid any environmental impact or
damage to the inhabitants of the countryside and their way of
life. Sports climbing does require the regulation papers: federation
license, insurance policy covering civil liability, accident,
etc. We recommend you acquire more detailed and more up to date
information about climbing sites, regulations, equipment,..
from the Canary Island Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing,
or that you go with local climbers. |
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