El Morrón de la Agujereada

El Morrón de la Agujereada stands as the island’s highpoint—an ultra-prominent peak with nearly 100 km of isolation. It boasts an exposed climbing ‘trail’ that snakes its way to the true summit. This challenge is precisely why 99.99 percent of visitors park their cars, stop at the Pico de las Nieves (“touristic high point”) just a few meters off, and claim they’ve conquered Gran Canaria. Understandable, but as peakbaggers, we aim for the genuine summit.

Gran Canarians call these volcanic pinnacles “Morróns,” flaunting nature’s flair for dramatic architecture with Tenerife’s Pico de Teide towering in the background.

Waking up in the hotel, I check my messages—only Aron has written, expecting to meet at 8:30 am with a Google Maps link attached. I still have plenty of time. En route to the meeting point, I grab a cup of cappuccino and a warm croissant filled with ham and cheese. Mid-bite, I receive a message from John saying he’s landed at Gran Canaria Airport and met Aron. All is well, so I finish my breakfast and walk to the meeting point in the middle of the Telde city park. Deciding where to wait, I choose the gates, grand enough to be called the main entrance to the park.

A few minutes later, I spot two figures emerging from one of the cars—Aron and John. For the next hour, we drive towards the summit, parking at the touristic summit parking area. There, Aron double-checks and prepares all the necessary gear. We don our harnesses and helmets, and in about 20 minutes, we start our short hike to the true summit.

The surrounding peaks stand impressively.

The landscape shines under the clear day.

A military radar perches next to the peak, overseeing our climb preparations like a stern chaperone.

El Morrón de la Agujereada stands as the true highpoint, looking utterly inaccessible from this angle—nature’s version of ‘keep out’.

The first abseil is easy, not hard but exposed.

These few steps down are straightforward, not hard but definitely exposed.

We descend a bit down the ridge, just a few meters. Then comes the first quick scramble down. It’s doable solo, but Aron thinks it’s smart to rope up. Probably a good call, considering the lovely view—straight down a hundred meters. Next, we stroll along the ledge, nothing too tricky, but definitely exposed. Requires a touch of focus. After that, we squeeze through a gap between two rocks. A few more meters on the ledge, then a simple scramble up, a couple more steps, another short stretch to scramble, and we’re on easy ground. Aron kept checking if we needed a hand, which we didn’t, but hey, nice gesture. Thanks.

It’s nature’s way of checking your fitness—squeeze between the rocks before you can continue.

Aron is busy fixing ropes on the few-hundred-meter cliff, like a pro securing his office for the day.

John traverses the slope, which isn’t complicated but, once again, it’s exposed.

The last meters to the summit feature easy scrambling.

The true summit’s this tiny outcrop, clearly towering above everything else. There’s a logbook where we leave our mark. The views? Pretty much what we’ve been soaking in for the past hour, just now in full 360-degree glory. Snap a few selfies, and we’re all set to head back down.

Aron captured John and me in a photo at the highpoint, documenting our peak moment.

Nice views with the ocean stretching out in the background, as if nature framed the perfect postcard for us.

Surrounding, lower peaks play a humble supporting role in this majestic landscape.

Then we tackled a short, few-meter abseil down, just a quick hop to the next challenge.

Heading down, we opt for a different route. Aron sets up the ropes, and we rappel down about five meters. Once we’re on a flat platform with a few more bolts, we take a breather. From here, we spot three more folks making their way up to the true peak. Seems like this mountain’s quite the hotspot. Nice. Smooth rappelling for the next 25 meters. Aron’s on point, double-checking every connection, making sure we’re comfy before we kick off. Nice touch. Once we’re down, we navigate an exposed ramp. Not too tough, got some handholds, but definitely requires attention.

Probably the longest abseil of this climb, a thrilling 25 meters down.

Aron suggests trying a different route, later dubbing it the most beautiful abseil in Gran Canaria. And you know what? I think he’s onto something. The 15-meter abseil is like hanging in mid-air, not many footholds around. You gotta maneuver through this “double arch” setup—start in one, then make your way to the other. It’s a stellar experience, even for a guy like me who conveniently forgot his gloves at home. Hands get a bit toasty, but definitely memorable. Once we’re at the bottom of the arch, there’s still another 5 meters to descend. Sure, we could probably manage without ropes, but why risk it when we’ve got ’em? Safety first, folks.

We’re approaching the arch, as if drawn by some grand, natural doorway inviting us in.

Abseiling through the double window arch was the highlight of the day, soaring through the air and stealing the show—of course, only after reaching that ultra-prominent summit.

John is abseiling through the arch, a graceful 15-meter descent.

Holes in the rocks are quite common here, like nature’s version of Swiss cheese.

One more Morrón on the way to the parking.

A short stroll back to the parking lot, where tourists in slippers eye us like we’re from another planet. Aron offers us some locally typical and tasty corn snacks, and John and I are fueled up for our next adventure: Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma island.

And here we have an all-in-one picture: a rock with a hole, a Morrón, the ocean, and Tenerife with Spain’s high point in the background—nature’s grand ensemble on display.

Knowing it would be an exposed climb, we wisely hired a mountain guide from Aron Perez de Umiaga Experience (WhatsApp: +34 646 396 746). Aron demonstrated professionalism and excellent local knowledge throughout the ascent. I’m delighted to have climbed with him and look forward to future encounters. Thanks!

El Morrón de la Agujereada	1960 m altitude	1960 m prominence 96.69 km isolation
Ranges	Mid-Atlantic Islands - North Atlantic Islands
Countries/regions	Spain - Islas Canarias
Distance	0.30 km up	0.40 km down
Elevation	64 m gain	64 m loss
Time	1h10 up 0h05 other	1h10 down 2h25 total
Trailhead	1895 m altitude	27.9620270, -15.5720000
Route	From the parking lot, the route ascends to the touristy high point before descending slightly along the ridge. A short scramble follows, aided by ropes, continuing along the ridge. Veering right from the summit, a ramp leads to the descent, with a few exposed sections but manageable. Squeezing through two rocks, another scramble ensues, with Aron providing rope protection at key spots. The final stretch involves an easy scramble to the summit plateau. On the descent, we opt for abseiling to the North. The first abseil spans approximately 5 meters, followed by a 25-meter abseil to the west. We could return via the same route to avoid further abseils, but Aron insists on showcasing the "most beautiful abseil" in Gran Canaria—an exhilarating 15-meter descent through a double window. Undeniably breathtaking. Finally, an easy walk along the trail leads back to the car park.
Difficulties	Exposed scrambles are no joke, but ropes definitely make life easier, not to mention safer.
Links	GPX trail