Road trip guide: Conquering Pico El Morrón
Spain, europe
5.3 km
1,593 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Let's talk about Pico El Morrón, a seriously cool peak chilling at 1,593 meters (that's 5,226 feet!) in Granada, Andalusia, down in southern Spain.
Hidden within the Sierra de Parapanda, part of the Subbética range, getting to the top is a proper challenge. You'll kick things off from the paved GR-3407, but soon you'll be bouncing along mostly unpaved tracks (though there are some paved sections at the start). Seriously, a 4x4 is your best friend here.
You'll find this gem near Loja. Up top, you're greeted by TV antennas (Repetidor TV Parapanda, if you wanna get technical) and a fire guardhouse. The views? Epic! You can see a huge chunk of Andalusia from up there. The road's usually open year-round, but winter weather can sometimes throw a wrench in the plans.
Before you reach the summit, keep an eye out for an old, abandoned quarry where they used to dig out marble and "false agate." The climb is a real leg-burner! From the GR-3407, it's about 5.3 km (3.29 miles) to the top, gaining 408 meters in elevation. Expect an average gradient of 7.69%, but be warned – some sections crank up to a whopping 16.8%! Get ready for some serious uphill action.
Road Details
- Country
- Spain
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 5.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,593 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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