Roque Nublo

Roque Nublo from the southeast, in the background of the Teide ( Tenerife )

The Roque Nublo (Spanish clouds Rock ) is a mountain on the Canary island of Gran Canaria (Spain). His eponymous summit area, and a striking basalt rock, achieved in 1803 msnm making it one of the highest points of Gran Canaria. He is considered a symbol of the island.

Location

The Roque Nublo is located in the center of Gran Canaria in the municipality of Tejeda, the border of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana runs only about a kilometer southeast. He is surrounded by the eponymous nature reserve Monumento natural roque del nublo that with an area of ​​451.8 hectares, the entire mountain and is part of the 263 -acre natural park Parque Rural del Nublo. About four miles to the east is the 1949 meter high Pico de las Nieves, the highest mountain of the island. The nearest villages are Ayacata, about two kilometers south, and La Culata, about two kilometers to the northeast.

The summit rock Roque Nublo rises about 65 feet above its surroundings, a relatively flat summit level. 500 meters southeast of the Roque Nublo the 1737 m high Roque de San José is upstream, another prominent rock tower is the El Fraile ( The Monk ). Immediately adjacent to the Roque Nublo is the significantly lower Roque rana ( frog rocks ).

Geology

The Roque Nublo is the remnant of a once much higher stratovolcano. The emergence of this volcano began about 4.2 to 4.6 mya with thick mafic lava flows that overlay the eroded remains of a former volcano from the Miocene and penetrated up to 20 km to the coast. The outbreaks lasted about 1.5 million years, which changed increasingly promoted the rock in front of about 3.9 mya to trachyte and phonolite. The now more explosive eruptions in the summit area now produced brecciated Ignimbritablagerungen until the outbreaks ended phonolithischer Schlotpfropfen about 3 mya by the intrusion. Overall, the volume of the volcano complex is estimated at 200 km ³, the height of the volcano is likely to at least 2500 m, have but may also be significantly above 3000 m. Since that time, subject to the volcano a strong erosion, sediments that huge landslides are found up to a distance of 25 km. The summit rocks of Roque Nublo, a former graft of a volcano chimney, was defeated by his harder Basaltbrekzie the erosion to a lesser extent than the softer surrounding rock and remained so as Härtling receive.

Flora and Fauna

On the flanks of the mountain, the vegetation is dominated by vast pine forests, in addition, can also be found only sparingly vegetated rocky areas especially on the summit plateau. In addition, here are sage, silver celosia, broom, euphorbia and feverfew to find. Several types occurring here, including the genera snake heads, vetches (Vicia ) and Aeonium are endemic to Gran Canaria.

The bird fauna can boast rare subspecies of Linnet, Southern Grey Shrike, Grey wagtail and blue tit. The Reptiles are represented by Walzenskinken.

Tourism

The plateau of Roque Nublo is a popular hiking destination and is easily accessible via a good hiking trails. From the south-east on the mountain pass leading road that leads here to an altitude of 1581 m, the climb to the Roque Nublo takes about half an hour. From the summit plateau, the view extends to the Teide on Tenerife.

The summit rocks of Roque Nublo is climbers reserved. He's opened up as the oldest climbing area of the island by about ten routes, even at Roque rana are about ten routes to find. The difficulties range from 4a to 7b ( French scale).

History

The Roque Nublo was at the time of the Guanches as the Holy Mountain of importance. They had built here a place of worship on which the sun god was sacrificed. In folk songs such as the Sombra del Nublo ( shadow of the clouds rock ) of rocks is of great importance today.

The first ascent of the rock succeeded on 20 June 1932 German engineers Ranschert, Long Bacher and Wolff Schmitt on the route Alemana (V A0) in the southeast. They had come to Gran Canaria in order to participate in the expansion of the port of Las Palmas. According to them, today is also the most difficult route, Via del Alemán ( the German way, 7b ), named by the south-eastern flank.