Cycling Pico de las Nieves, Maspalomas, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain
51 kilometers from 7m to 1940 m peak gaining 2340m at 3.8% average grade (6.4% climb only).
Climb summary by PJAMM’s Ron Hawks of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
This climb, which starts in the heart of Maspalomas (population 36,065 as of 2013), a tourist town at the southern tip of the Canary Island of Las Palmas. The first several miles of the ride are a bit hectic before we leave the congested city traffic and begin our climb up the volcano on GC-60.
Once out of the city, the climb opens up and gives us good views of the mountain ahead. The landscape in the beginning is mostly desert and the road is very smooth. There are a few descents along the way but the last half of the climb is straight up.
Once we get to Ayacatta, about 22 miles into the climb, we head north onto GC-600 and the road quality deteriorates while the grade gets steep. Not a winning combination but the scenery changes from volcanic to forested, giving us a pleasant diversion from the agony of this extremely difficult bike climb.
After a few miles, we head east on GC-130 and the good road quality comes back and continues all the way to the top. The final section is a right on GC-134 heading south for a few miles that takes us to where the road ends with amazing views. Food and drinks are available for sale at the top, so bring some euros with you so can fuel up before the long descent home.
Pico de las Nieves viewpoint has a Google 4.8 rating of 3,770 reviews (as of December 2022)
Thank you Ron Hawks.
Climb Finish
Thank you Luke Hise of Phoenix, Arizona for many of the photos on this page.