The privileged climate and the unique volcanic orography that have made Gran Canaria one of the most important international tourist destinations, have created the perfect setting for non-winter mountain sports. One of the most popular is rock climbing, which on the island finds an unexpected paradise of rock and verticality yet to be discovered and that have given rise to important school areas. The incessant opening of new routes of higher difficulties together with the increasing number of climbers and clubs give an idea of the boom that the modality experiences.
A climbing wall called Gran Canaria
The volcanic relief of Gran Canaria was built by three large eruptive cycles over 16 million years. The oldest rocks emitted in the form of castings, even being of different composition and lithology, are ideal for climbing due to their great solidity and adhesion. Erosion finished modeling the elements that today characterize the island''s landscape: ravines, cliffs, crests, boilers, roques ... They offer the most complete repertoire of fissures, chimneys, plates, dihedrals, extra-plumes, ceilings, etc. that make the island a gigantic climbing wall with endless possibilities yet to be discovered. At present it is scaled throughout the island geography although they are the sites with good access and best rock where the most popular areas or climbing schools are located.
Climbing areas
In the Summits, emblematic areas such as the Roque Nublo stand out, an excellent basaltic conglomerate spire with 12 beautiful roads and numerous variants of difficulty, which constitutes the natural symbol of Gran Canaria and the origin of island climbing. Other scalable ridge rocks are the Palmés in Toscón de Tejeda, Betancuria in Ayacata or Nose, at the foot of the north face of Roque Bentayga, the latter climbing restricted by its archaeological value.
Near the Nublo is the Ayacata rocky circus, a traditional climbing sanctuary that concentrates the greatest number of classic routes of varied length and difficulty distributed through the areas known by the Bookstore, the GEC Frontón, the Candelilla, the Montañón. Somewhat further away, El Pino and El Aserrador, offer the highest routes in the basaltic conglomerate wall of the Island.
In the northwest at more than 1000 m above sea level, there is Tamadaba, an old mountain range covered with pine trees that is cut into vertical walls. In its upper flows are the areas of Lomo Caraballo, Supernova, Perfumería or El Gulich with its famous route Emiliano Zapata, which made this capital area of sports climbing in Gran Canaria.
Other places are Costa Ayala, former climbing school, Bañaderos, marine cliffs located 3 km and 14 km respectively, from the capital of the island following the GC2 north highway and Las Meleguinas, next to the bridge of the same name in the municipality of Sta Bridget.
