Rock Climbing and Bouldering on Tenerife

Rock climbing on Tenerife has become more and more popular over the years, with many big climbers realising that you are guaranteed sunshine all year. And in the winter months when the rest of Europe is being drenched in rain, climbers can get some winter sunshine on the rocks.

Tenerife has undergone some heavy redevelopment in the last couple of years, replacing all the old bolts, to make the routes safe and access to the crags a lot easier.

There are now over 900 routes on the island, spread over 20 individual crags. The most spectacular of these are Canada del Capricho at the base of mount Teide. Spectacular spirals of volcanic rock, more than 300 feet high jut into the blue skies, making an ideal venue.

The second best area is the superb Arico gorge, set in the mountains of Arico; it is the largest climbing area on the island, and home to Tenerife’s hardest routes. Arico is a dried up river bed, layered with pine trees and huge boulders. The lower gorge was once quarried leaving huge overhanging walls up to 30 meters high and home to some of the hardest routes in Spain.

The climbing on the island is suited for all grades of climbers. The easier walls of Arico upper and Tejina are well within the capabilities of even beginner climbers. And the lower walls of Arico are suited to the more experienced climbers. And if sport climbing isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of adventure routes in the mountains of the north. Around Tanganana and Roque Ambro are the best places in the north. The huge sea cliffs of Los Gigantes in the south are another good location for the more adventurous. They stand some 2000 feet from the sea and should only be challenged by very experienced climbers.

The sport of bouldering has really taken off all around the world over the last few years, and Tenerife isn’t shy of any boulders. The gorges and deep barrancos provide endless opportunity for bouldering. And there are at least 8 really good spots where this can be practised. Hundreds of climbers come to the island just to boulder, leaving all their gear at home; all you need is your boots and chalk bag and maybe a crash pad.

The good thing about bouldering is you don’t have to slog all your kit around, making your trip a lot easier.

Local climbers normally open new areas with a competition, pulling in sponsors from local climbing shops and sports clubs. And more and more people are exploring the island, finding and developing new areas all the time. The one problem about climbing on the island is the lack of guide books. So together with canaryclimbs and local climbers, a new book is about to be published, opening up more opportunity to move the sport forward in the future. And if all this isn’t enough for you, there is even an artificial wall in La Laguna in case it rains.

Teide National Park
Los Caprichos: this area hosts more than 130 routes.
Roque de Garcia: more than 12 routes

Arico
Villa de Arico: at approximately 800 metres above sea level, this area is home to more than 120 climbing routes.

Taganana
Roque de las Animas: classic climb in the northern section of the Anaga mountain range.

UK Climbing Forum
This is a lively forum and several of the members have had experience of climbing in Tenerife or do so on a regular basis. If you decide to research your trip there, do follow general forum ettiquette and search the forum for answers before asking a question that may have been answered many times before.

A climbing guide was published in September 2007 and is available from the Bar Central in Arico or from the Basalto climbing shop in La Laguna.

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Tagged as: extreme sports in Tenerife, Tenerife bouldering, Tenerife rock climbing