Pico de Malpaso
1,500 m
Spain
Also known as Malpaso, pic de MalpasoAlso known as
Malpaso · pic de Malpaso
- Elevation
- 1,500 m
- Prominence
- 1,500 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Mar–Jun
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The shortest walk to El Hierro's highest point: from the Cruz de los Reyes (1,360 m) on the HI-45 summit road, the waymarked GR 131 Camino de la Virgen follows the road briefly, then climbs steeply in zigzags over dark volcanic ground to the ridge and the survey pillar and radio mast on the edge of the El Golfo cliffs. About 150 m of ascent; often in cloud.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 1.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +143 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,502 m
- Time Up
- 43m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 36m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
The Cruz de los Reyes, a large cross and open flat area beside the HI-45 road across the island's summit plateau, is where islanders share a communal meal during the Bajada de la Virgen pilgrimage. From here the GR 131 Camino de la Virgen (waymarked) follows the road briefly west, then a steep path branches right and zigzags up through heath and over dark lava sand to the crest. The summit (1,501 m) carries a large concrete survey pillar, a radio mast and a measuring station, and is also reached by a service road. It stands right on the rim of the El Golfo escarpment, which drops more than 1,000 m to the north-west coast; keep back from the edge in wind and mist. On a clear day La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife are in view, but the ridge is often cloudy because the island's centre is a weather divide, and cloud tends to build during the day. Return the same way, or follow the Camino de la Virgen south-west along the ridge towards the Cruz de los Humilladeros and the Ermita de los Reyes. Longer approaches climb from the Hoya del Morcillo recreation area (about 1,000 m) through Canary pine forest via the Fuente de los Reyes, or follow the whole GR 131 from the coast (about 36 km).
Start
Cruz de los Reyes1,367 m
- No practical bus service to the Cruz de los Reyes; a car or taxi is needed.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cruz de los Reyes → Pico de Malpaso | 1.8 | 143 | 10 | 43m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Cruz de los Reyes1,367 m
- Summit: Pico de Malpaso1,500 m
Key Passages
- Steep zigzags from the road up to the ridge
- Summit on the rim of the El Golfo escarpment
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 60%Overview
The highest point of El Hierro, the smallest and westernmost of the main Canary Islands: a cinder summit with a survey pillar and radio mast on the rim of the El Golfo escarpment, reached by a short climb on the GR 131 pilgrims' way from the island's central plateau.
Malpaso (1,501 m) rises from the central plateau of El Hierro, on the boundary between the municipalities of Frontera and El Pinar, at the top of the great arc of cliffs above the El Golfo valley. To the south and east the land falls gently through Canary pine forest and volcanic cones; to the north-west it plunges more than 1,000 m to the coast. All of its height is prominence, which makes it one of Europe's ultras.
The summit is not a wild place: a service road leads to its survey pillar, radio mast and measuring station. Its appeal lies in the walk along the Camino de la Virgen, the pilgrims' route that crosses the island, and in the views of La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife when the cloud allows. The short ascent from the Cruz de los Reyes takes well under an hour; longer days start in the Hoya del Morcillo pine forest or follow the whole GR 131 from the coast.
The island's centre acts as a weather divide, and the ridge is frequently wrapped in cloud brought by the trade winds, with wind and drizzle even when the coast is sunny. The slopes hold heath and Canary juniper woodland, and the endangered El Hierro giant lizard lives on the island's cliffs.
Climbing Notes
Any walker can do the short route from the Cruz de los Reyes; allow about an hour for the round trip. Bring a windproof and waterproof layer even in summer, and go early for the best chance of clear views before cloud builds. Keep away from the cliff edge in wind or mist. For a full day, start at the Hoya del Morcillo recreation area (campsite) or walk the GR 131 Camino de la Virgen (about 36 km from Puerto de la Estaca to the Ermita de los Reyes, usually done in stages). There are no refreshment stops on the ridge; carry water. Every four years in early July the Bajada de la Virgen brings large crowds to the route.
History
The name means 'difficult step'. The summit lies on the Camino de la Virgen, the route of the Bajada de la Virgen de los Reyes: every four years, on the first Saturday in July, the statue of the island's patron saint is carried about 29 km from her sanctuary in La Dehesa to Valverde, past the Cruz de los Reyes, where pilgrims share a communal meal.
Season
Best Mar–Jun- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Best (best window)
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Good
- Jan
- Cool; frequent cloud and rain on the ridge
- Feb
- Cool; frequent cloud
- Jul
- Warm; trade-wind cloud; Bajada de la Virgen crowds every four years
- Aug
- Warm; wildfire-risk restrictions possible
- Nov
- Rain more likely
- Dec
- Cool; frequent cloud and rain
Access & Permits
- Getting There
Frontera; El Pinar (Taibique); Valverde
El Hierro (VDE)
- Ferry: Puerto de la Estaca from Los Cristianos (Tenerife)
- Car: from Valverde or Frontera via the HI-1 and the HI-45 across the summit plateau to the Cruz de los Reyes; Hoya del Morcillo is on the HI-40 from El Pinar
- Public transport: very limited on the summit plateau; a car or taxi is the practical option
Hazards
- Weather
- Exposure