Via Ferrata in Gran Canaria with Mojo Picon Adventures
That day at 9:30 am climbing “Via Ferrata in Gran Canaria” was on our program. Via Ferrata means as much as complete a climbing course along a steep rock wall, using steel cables and irons (fixed in advance).. You use the steel cables to secure yourself and to continue climbing along the entire course. We were already at the agreed location at 9:20 am, but no one was there yet. After waiting 15 minutes we thought it might not go through and sent a message to the WhatsApp account Mojo Picon Adventures.
Meet at 9:30 am in the Mirador Astronomico car park
The day before we went “kayaking in Gran Canaria“, I received a “don't forget” WhatsApp message from the organizer, but this time I had not received a confirmation and we feared that something had gone wrong with the booking. Fortunately, our fears were short-lived, because I soon received a message that Miguel, our supervisor, would be a little late due to a delay with a pick-up. We had mixed feelings at that moment, on the one hand we were relieved that the climbing continued, but on the other hand we had already made plans in the parking lot to go to a beach. We thought: “Ah, we still have to climb those rocks instead of lying on a beautiful beach 😉”.
Important explanation about the safety equipment!
After a short briefing from Miguel, our guide and instructor, we filled a backpack for each two to three participants with water, nuts and bananas that we received for our trip in the mountains. We walked the first part along the road and then slightly uphill towards the mountainside for about 15 minutes. In the distance we suddenly saw several ladders hanging on a rock wall. I remember thinking “Hey, that looks nice! Exactly as I saw it on the Mojo Picon Adventures website.” That was the beginning and therefore the first part of our “Via Ferrata in Gran Canaria”. There we also received the most important explanation. It was mainly about safety equipment, but we also received tips on how to best climb.
Our children had already gone climbing trees in the south of France several times, but THIS was something different! It was shown how to best attach the security hooks to the steel cable and tips were given, such as it is sometimes better to lean back for a while to make it easier to put your feet. For the rest, you mainly need some courage and you must be able to make a click in your head if you are afraid of heights.
The real climbing starts after "the wood boards" 😬
After the ladders you arrive the second partof the climbing course, a wooden plank against a rock wall that also looks nice, but at the end of that plank the real work begins! First there is a thick rope where you can use your foot to bridge the distance to the first iron step that is attached to the rock wall. I found it easier to immediately go for the step and not use the thick rope.
Double climbing protection!
Tip: Grasp the steel cable firmly, lean back slightly, go around the corner of the rock and rest your foot on the first step. At that point you can easily hook the safety hooks onto the next section. That's how I did it anyway. The safety “tip” to hook the hooks in opposite directions is logical, but at the same time very important. The 2 hooks that hang on your belt (harness) will then be very difficult to disconnect at the same time. Another family joined us on the via ferrata, Alison, Mike and their son and they did fantastic.
What is the difficulty of this Via Ferrata in Gran Canaria?
Once you get past the planks and you are on the first steel mini step, you climb almost continuously along a steep rock wall. I found this part frightening at times. I sometimes thought “what have we gotten ourselves into”! Sometimes you had to climb vertically up and sometimes horizontally around a rock using chains. I found the part around the large rock wall for about 3m to be the hardest part, but once you get past that it gets better! I have not used the chains myself. I just used the thin steel cables to hold on to. That will probably be different for everyone. You do need sufficient strength in your hands and arms to hold on firmly, although your legs do most of the work. I'm not very strong myself, but I don't weigh much and I think this was an advantage.
It goes without saying that you have an advantage if you are sporty. It goes without saying that you should not be afraid of heights. Miguel said: To be able to complete a Via Ferrata course properly, it must be 80% “right” in your head and the other 20% is physical strength. My daughter and I would be more likely to put the ratio at 65%/35%. The difficulty of a Via Ferrata in Gran Canaria is expressed on a scale from K1 to K6. K1 is the easiest route, where a K6-climbing course is the most difficult. According to climbers, this Via Ferrata is located on a good one K2 +.
The third part of our Via Ferrata adventure
The 3rd part I personally found it easier. After you get past the corner rock, you'll come to a almost vertical rock wall (it's higher than it looks in the photo above) from which iron handles protrude from the rock face. At first glance it seems easy (you've already overcome some things), but climbing up still turned out to be a challenge, but a fun one. Once you get to the top, you have one phenomenal view. Only up here do you realize why some people love climbing in the mountains. The Via Ferrata trail was not over yet...there was still a suspension bridge waiting for us! Beautifully made by Miguel and Victor from Mojo Picon Adventures and highly recommended. Once you're over the bridge and you want to climb EVEN MORE, believe it or not, you can! If you are tired and would like to stop, you can do that too. From this point on, the climbing course was supplementary and therefore not mandatory.
Extra non-mandatory climbing course
The extra non-mandatory part goes under a shaft and comes back up through a cave-like part. Exciting and very beautifully made, but we all skipped this part. Tess, another participant and I did the last part that we could choose whether we wanted to do. That was the zip line that crosses the suspension bridge. I would definitely recommend doing this, it's a short ride but great fun. Miguel took care of the braking, although you can also partially brake yourself with your hands (with the supplied gloves on of course!) to use.
Boundaries pushed! Back to the parking lot with a satisfied feeling
From here it was another 3 minutes of climbing up and then another 15 minutes on foot to the parking lot. Miguel once again gave the best of himself and gave everyone a nice experience. We (Tess and I) pushed our boundaries a bit during this Via Ferrata. For the adventurers among you, without fear of heights and some strength, Go for it!
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