Riding from the Desert Coast into Cloud-Fog Pine Forests: Pico de las Nieves, the Canary Volcano Summit Where Pogacar Also Pilgrims

When Europe is still snowing, professional teams are already sunbathing and climbing here

Every winter, when the classic climbs of the Alps and the Pyrenees are successively closed off by heavy snow, most road cyclists across the European continent are forced to spend long winters on their indoor trainers. However, there is a group that does the opposite: they load up their bikes and fly to a volcanic island off the northwest coast of Africa that belongs to Spain—the Island of Gran Canaria. Here, the average winter temperature hovers around 20°C, yet within a single day, you can ride from the desert terrain by the sea all the way up through misty pine forests to the summit of a volcano nearly 2,000 meters high. This unique geographical condition of “crossing multiple climate zones in a single day” is the core reason why Gran Canaria has become a winter training paradise for professional cycling teams in recent two decades, and Pico de las Nieves (literally meaning “Snow Peak”) is the most iconic climbing landmark on this island.

In November 2025, the closing event of the “Gran Canaria Bike Week,” the “Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves,” attracted nearly 800 riders to the opening stage. According to local media reports, Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar also personally participated in this event. Additionally, cycling blogs recorded that in January 2024, during a trip to Gran Canaria, they also happened to encounter Thymen Arensman and Simon Yates of the INEOS team. These top riders chose to visit this island during the off-season of the season not by chance, but because the terrain and climate conditions here have long been the global professional cycling world’s tacit “secret weapon.”

For Taiwanese cyclists, the characteristic of Gran Canaria being “multiple terrains condensed into one island” might remind them of Taiwan—also an island, also able to ride from the coastline into the mountain mist belt in a short distance. The difference is that classic climbs like Wuling in Taiwan follow a route of “a single long climb straight up to the clouds,” while Pico de las Nieves is more like condensing the entire island’s landscape into one route: desert shrubs, volcanic rock terrain, Canary pine forests, layered and stacked, leading all the way to the island’s highest point.

Route Basic Information Table

Data Discipline Note: Pico de las Nieves has multiple ascent routes with different starting points, and the length and gradient numbers will vary significantly depending on the starting point. This article uses the Telde side route, which has the most complete data and is described by climbing databases as the “most challenging climb on the island,” as the primary calculation basis. If readers choose other starting points (such as Maspalomas, Guaya, etc.), the actual distance and gradient will differ considerably; please use the actual route trace you plan as the standard.

A Strange Fact Where Even the Summit Elevation is “Controversial”

Before delving into the introduction of the route, there is an interesting piece of trivia worth sharing: Pico de las Nieves has long been “traditionally regarded” by locals and tourism materials as the highest peak of Gran Canaria, but according to Wikipedia, after precise measurement, the nearby summit Morro de la Agujereada is actually the true highest point of the island (approximately 1,956 meters, slightly higher than Pico de las Nieves). This discrepancy between “traditional perception” and “precise measurement results” to some extent also reflects the character of this island: compared to precise numerical rankings, the people here seem to care more about the cultural significance of Pico de las Nieves as a symbolic landmark. After all, since ancient times, it has been the highest point of the entire island looked up to, and the military radar station and public observation deck on the summit remain the best location to overlook the entire island and even gaze at the nearby Teide volcano on Tenerife.

Segment Breakdown: A Journey Through Multiple Landscapes

Breaking down the Telde side climb into several stages reveals that the most charming aspect of this route is its constantly changing landscape layers.

First Stage: Desert Shrubs and Coastal Towns Warm-up

Starting from Telde (elevation approximately 175 meters), the road first crosses the drier low-altitude area on the eastern side of the island, with vegetation mainly consisting of drought-resistant desert shrubs. Typical Mediterranean dry landscapes are often seen on both sides of the road. The gradient of this section is relatively gentle, serving as a stage for the body to gradually enter the climbing rhythm, and also the starting point for experiencing the island’s “multiple climate zones” characteristics—it is hard to imagine that this slightly desolate dry terrain before the eyes will gradually transform into a completely different pine forest landscape.

Second Stage: Entering the Core of Volcanic Terrain

As the altitude rises, the road begins to enter a more obvious volcanic geological area, where exposed volcanic rock layers and geological structure traces can be seen around the road. According to the description of the climbing database, the gradient of this section is not evenly distributed, but rather alternates between steep sections of about 10% and relatively gentle recovery sections—not the classic climbing type of “steadily going up all the way,” but rather a medium-to-high intensity climb with rhythmic fluctuations. The climbing database specifically mentions that around the 18 km mark of the entire route, you will pass the Caldera Los Marteles viewpoint, where you can take a brief rest.

Third Stage: Canary Pine Forest Belt

Riding further up, the vegetation gradually transforms into the Canary pine (Pino Canario) forests unique to the Canary Islands. This is a drought-resistant pine tree variety adapted to volcanic geology, and also an important symbol of the Canary Islands’ ecosystem. The shading effect of the pine forest can slightly alleviate the scorching of midday sun, but the thinning air and temperature drop brought by the altitude rise will gradually change the riding sensation from “warm” to “cool and even slightly cold.”

Fourth Stage: Mist Belt and Final Sprint

This is the most dramatic section of the entire route. Due to the interaction between the terrain and the Atlantic trade winds, a stable mist belt often appears in the high-altitude central mountainous areas of Gran Canaria. Cycling friends have recorded descriptions that when riding into this area from the Telde direction, the originally clear sky may be covered by surging clouds within just a few kilometers, visibility drops sharply, and the temperature also changes abruptly. This visual experience of misty surroundings, combined with the exposed volcanic rock terrain around, creates an almost surreal atmosphere, forming a strong contrast with the sun-drenched desert coast at the foot of the mountain. The section just before the final climb to the summit sees the gradient rise again to the steepest interval of the entire route (around 12%), challenging riders to maintain output under low-temperature and low-visibility conditions.

Finish: Military Radar Station and Highest Point of the Island

Upon reaching the summit, riders are greeted by a military radar facility and a public observation platform. On clear days, from here, you can overlook the entire Gran Canaria, and even gaze at the nearby Tenerife and the Teide volcano—the highest peak in Spain introduced in this series of articles. This view of “standing on one volcano to gaze at another volcano” is the most unique geographical gift of Pico de las Nieves.

Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves: An Annual Event Even Pogačar Has Joined

The rising prestige of this climb in recent years is largely due to the annual Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves mass-participation challenge. This event serves as the grand finale of the “Gran Canaria Bike Week” series and is part of the TotalEnergies Gran Fondo series. According to local media reports, the 2025 edition marked the event’s 37th year, with the opening stage attracting approximately 800 riders, while subsequent stages saw about 200 participants each.

Most notably, reports of multi-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar appearing at the event have brought immense attention—a significant boost for what is essentially a regional amateur challenge. Meanwhile, cycling blogs have mentioned that in January 2024, riders encountered Team dsm-firmenich PostNL’s Thymen Arensman and Simon Yates on the island. To be clear, these “chance encounters” are personal observations and not details of officially confirmed training camp activities. Readers should interpret these as evidence that “top professional riders do indeed choose to visit this island during the off-season for personalized training,” rather than over-interpreting it as a specific team “holding an official annual training camp here.”

Generally speaking, Spain—and Gran Canaria in particular—has gradually replaced Italy and Calpe, Spain, as a popular choice for professional winter training camps since around 2008. The primary driver behind this trend is the combination of the aforementioned mild winter climate and diverse terrain for training.

Beyond Pico de las Nieves, the island features another renowned climb called “Serenity,” which was described by famous British climbing guide author Simon Warren as a “climber’s utopia.” He also described Gran Canaria as “Mallorca on steroids”—a comment that vividly captures the island’s position in the hearts of European cyclists: compared to Mallorca, which is already highly commercialized and densely packed with riders, Gran Canaria’s terrain is more raw, diverse, and offers more substantial climbing intensity. In recent years, it has gradually become the “next Mallorca” on the bucket lists of advanced cyclists and professional riders.

Fourteen Microclimates: An Island Climate Laboratory

To understand why one can experience a drastic transition from desert to cloud forest in a single ride, one must first understand Gran Canaria’s unique geographical conditions. According to climate data, the island is said to possess as many as fourteen distinct microclimate zones, ranging from the arid desert climate of the coastline to the cloud belt formed by Atlantic trade winds and orographic lift in the central mountains, and finally to the near-Mediterranean alpine climate at higher altitudes—all condensed into a circular island less than 60 kilometers in diameter.

The physical mechanism behind this phenomenon is similar to the formation of the cloud belt on the windward side of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range: moist ocean air is forced to rise when it encounters mountainous terrain, causing moisture to condense into clouds at specific altitudes and forming a stable cloud belt around the mountains. A cyclist’s ride log vividly described this process: while riding near Tejeda, the clear view vanished after just a few kilometers of climbing as clouds surged over the ridgeline like a tide, swallowing the entire road in thick fog. This sensory experience of “passing through the clouds” is a unique spectacle difficult to replicate in many inland European climbs, and it is one of the reasons why Gran Canaria attracts photography enthusiasts and content creators.

For cyclists preparing to challenge Pico de las Nieves, this climate characteristic has practical implications: even if the weather forecast shows “sunny” at the start, it does not mean the visibility and temperature will remain the same throughout the entire route. Be sure to prepare your gear flexibly rather than relying solely on data from a weather station at the foot of the mountain.

The Island’s Landmark Neighbor: Roque Nublo

On the way to Pico de las Nieves, cyclists also have the opportunity to view or pass by another famous landmark of Gran Canaria—Roque Nublo. This is a massive basaltic rock formation towering over the volcanic terrain and has long been one of the most iconic natural landmarks on the island. Like Pico de las Nieves, it belongs to the volcanic geological landscape group of the central mountains. Together with Mount Teide, which can be seen in the distance on the other side of the island, they form a unique geographical layout of “three landmarks facing each other,” making the view from the summit of Pico de las Nieves not just a panorama of the entire island, but rather like standing at the high point of an entire volcanic geopark, taking in the island’s most representative geological wonders all at once.

Power and Pacing Estimates: How Long Will It Take for Riders of Different Abilities?

Using physical formulas to calculate the climb turns the abstract “6.7% average gradient, 26.6 km” into concrete time concepts. The standard model is as follows:

P = (Fg + Fr + Fa) × v / drivetrain efficiency

Fg = m × g × sin(arctan(gradient))       Gravity component
Fr = m × g × cos(arctan(gradient)) × Crr  Rolling resistance
Fa = 0.5 × ρ × CdA × v²              Air resistance

The calculation uses the following assumed parameters:

• Total mass m = 70kg rider + 9kg bike and gear = 79kg
• Gravitational acceleration g = 9.81 m/s²
• Rolling resistance coefficient Crr ≈ 0.005 (road tires on asphalt)
• Drag area CdA ≈ 0.32 m² (climbing position)
• Air density ρ: Adjusted for an average altitude of approximately 1,050 meters
• Drivetrain efficiency ≈ 0.975
• Distance 26.6 km, elevation gain 1,785 m, average gradient 6.7%

After performing the calculation using a Python script, the results are as follows:

This table clearly illustrates the character of Pico de las Nieves—it is not a short, steep climb that can be conquered in a few minutes, but a long-term battle lasting anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours. The requirements for pacing and nutrition strategies are far higher than those for instantaneous explosive power. Looking at the local steep sections (approx. 10%~12%) mentioned in the route, using the same physical model for an instantaneous scenario: assuming a 10% gradient and a speed of 10 km/h, the required power is about 234W, which translates to a power-to-weight ratio of about 3.35 W/kg; if the gradient increases to 12% while maintaining 10 km/h, the required power increases to about 278W, or about 3.97 W/kg. This shows that while local steep sections exist on Pico de las Nieves, the intensity is far lower than extreme sections like the Angliru or Winnats Pass, which can momentarily approach 5 to 7 W/kg. Its true challenge lies in the endurance management of “maintaining medium-to-high intensity output for a long time,” rather than instantaneous explosive power.

The above is a physical model estimate and does not account for wind direction (the trade wind effect on Gran Canaria can be quite significant in the mountains), road surface quality, or the impact of sudden temperature drops in the cloud belt on perceived exertion and output efficiency. Actual riding times will vary.

Equipment Preparation: A Multi-Layered Strategy for Drastic Climate Changes

For a climb like this, where a single ride spans multiple climate zones, the core philosophy for equipment preparation should be “multi-layered and removable” rather than a single, fixed set of gear.

Clothing Layers: From the 20-plus degrees Celsius at the foot of the mountain to the sudden drop in temperature and humidity in the cloud forest near the summit, it is recommended to adopt an “onion-style” layering approach. Carry a lightweight windproof/waterproof jacket and put it on before entering the cloud forest to avoid the risk of hypothermia caused by a sudden drop in perceived temperature.

Gearing Configuration: Although the average gradient of 6.7% is not particularly extreme, considering the long 26.6 km distance and localized steep sections of 10%–12%, it is recommended to prepare a gear ratio capable of handling sustained medium-to-high intensity output. This will prevent you from being forced to slow down significantly in the latter stages due to leg fatigue combined with steep sections.

Nutrition Planning: For such a long-distance climb covering diverse terrain, a nutrition strategy is crucial. It is recommended to check for shops or supply points along the route before setting off and to carry sufficient water and energy food to cope with the consumption of a long ride, especially since the dry climate of the Canary Islands can accelerate fluid loss.

Perspective for Taiwanese Cyclists: Calibrating Your Ability

Placing Pico de las Nieves into the coordinate system of Taiwanese cyclists, the most direct comparison is Wuling—both involve climbing from a relatively low altitude to a high mountain near the 2,000-meter level, and both feature significant transitions in vegetation and climate zones. The western approach to Wuling (from Puli) has a longer total distance and greater elevation gain, but the average gradient is relatively moderate; the two are comparable in the category of “long-distance, high-intensity endurance climbing.”

If you have completed the Wuling challenge and remember the experience of “the temperature gradually dropping and the vegetation changing during the climb,” then Pico de las Nieves will feel familiar, albeit with an added layer of the Canary Islands’ unique volcanic geological landscape and cloud forest effects. Conversely, if your primary riding experience in Taiwan is limited to shorter climbs like Fengguizui or Beiyi, facing a 26.6 km, 90-minute-plus sustained climb like Pico de las Nieves requires building up more long-distance endurance climbing experience in Taiwan (such as challenging Wuling or Hehuanshan) before considering a trip to Gran Canaria.

Regarding the practicalities of traveling there to ride, Gran Canaria is a mature winter cycling training destination in Europe, with many commercial operators on the island providing bike rentals and training camp services. However, this article only discusses general principles and does not fabricate specific prices or schedules: it is recommended to visit in winter (approximately November to March) to avoid the potentially scorching heat of the low-altitude sections in summer. Please rely on official or local operator announcements for bike rentals and itinerary arrangements. Since the airport (Gran Canaria Airport, near Telde) is relatively close to the classic Telde starting route, the geography is quite friendly for arranging bike transport, though it is still recommended to confirm actual traffic routes in advance.

Safety Reminders

The changing weather in the mountainous areas of Gran Canaria is the risk factor that requires the most attention on this route. The aforementioned cloud forest effect means you may experience a sharp drop in visibility during your ride; it is recommended to carry reflective/warning gear, especially if your schedule involves riding during periods of poor visibility. The sudden drop in temperature is also worth noting—even if you start at the foot of the mountain wearing light summer cycling gear, the cloud forest near the summit and the nearly 2,000-meter altitude can still bring a noticeably cold sensation. The wind chill effect during the descent will further amplify the perceived cold, so be sure to prepare sufficient warm and windproof gear.

In addition, as the latter part of the route passes near military radar facilities, please pay attention to any restricted area signs and instructions from on-site personnel, and do not enter non-public areas without authorization. Long-distance climbing is a substantial test for the cardiovascular system and fluid-electrolyte balance. Especially in the dry climate of the Canary Islands, prolonged sun exposure combined with continuous output can easily lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. If you experience symptoms of heatstroke or dehydration such as abnormal fatigue, dizziness, or nausea, you should stop riding immediately and seek a shaded area to rest and hydrate. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease, poor blood pressure control, or are currently in poor physical condition, it is recommended to postpone such long-duration, high-intensity climbing trips and consult a medical professional before assessing whether you are suitable for the challenge. If you experience warning signs such as chest tightness, abnormal palpitations, blurred vision, or loss of consciousness, stop riding immediately and seek nearby assistance. The content of this article is for general advice only and cannot replace professional medical assessment.

Key Takeaways

• Pico de las Nieves is a volcanic landmark in the central mountains of Gran Canaria. The Telde route is approximately 26.6 km long with an elevation gain of about 1,785 meters and an average gradient of 6.7%–6.8%, listed by the PJAMM Cycling database as one of the top 100 cycling climbs in the world.
• The annual Gran Fondo Pico de las Nieves mass-participation challenge is a major driver of the route’s fame. In 2025, it attracted Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, and other cyclists have reported encountering top riders like Thymen Arensman and the Yates brothers on the island.
• The route’s greatest feature is the multiple landscape layers it traverses in a single ride, including desert shrubs, volcanic rock terrain, Canary pine forests, and cloud forests, which is the most fascinating part of the route beyond the physical data.
• Based on physical model estimates, an average enthusiast (2.5 W/kg) takes about 2 hours and 29 minutes to complete the route, while a professional level (5.0 W/kg) takes about 1 hour and 19 minutes. Compared to steep, short-burst climbs, this route tests endurance management through sustained medium-to-high intensity output.
• It is recommended to adopt a multi-layered clothing strategy to cope with drastic climate changes and ensure long-distance nutrition planning is in place.
• Gran Canaria has a mild winter climate and is a popular choice for European professional teams for winter training. It is recommended to avoid the hot summer period when planning your trip and to rely on the latest information announced by official or local operators.

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