Firstly, apologies to the 3 or so regular readers of this fair blog. It's been a busy month, that has seen me depart Gran Canaria, and head to Torrevieja in southern Spain, and also accumulate a lot more freelance work. I can't complain about that, but it has meant that the blog has taken a bit of a hit. I hope it wasn't too hard for you missing out on this quality content. Now, on to the subject of this post, the breathtaking Roque Nublo, located, more or less in the centre of Gran Canaria. After being alone since Italy, I decided to hire a car, and find some likeminded travellers who wanted to join me, and discover more of what the island had to offer. Thanks to a wonderful Gran Canarian facebook group, where I put a post out, asking if anyone fancied some exploring, I heard from a French actress named Veronique, who was on holiday for a week or so.

If you're ever visiting Gran Canaria, or want some information on the island, I recommend joining the group. Alex and his team of admins do a great job, and you'll soon find your request or question answered. It certainly helped me! She dropped me a message, we agreed to split costs, and I booked the car. She was in a hostel in the capital Las Palmas, and told me that someone else from the hostel would come along. Day 1, we went to a couple of small towns and wonderful beaches, and day 2 we did a few things early on, before heading to Roque Nublo.

Navigating the windy roads of Gran Canaria was interesting to say the least, and Roque Nublo wasn't hard to spot. Over lunch, we agreed to pay a visit, and headed towards these two colossal slabs of volcanic rock. There is a carpark located a mile or so from the summit, and due to the current situation, there was plenty of space. Roque Nublo is the islands third highest peak, so you're already pretty high up by the time you reach it.

There is a van at the entrance to the trail selling a wide range of things which was handy, including food and drink if you needed some energy for the hike ahead.

The incline isn't too bad at the beginning, but does increase quite a bit as you get higher and higher. We ran into some French tourists on the way up, meaning Veronique and Tito (the other guy from the hostel, also French) got to chat away, leaving me twiddling my thumbs, but also thankful for the brief respite from the climb. I'd mentioned previously about a climb during my stay in Edinburgh, that I stupidly attempted without water, so I made sure I had some this time around.

Near the top is a wonderful cave, which we had to explore. Some other guys were at the entrance of it taking photos, so we shuffled past them, and headed further into it. Again, I was thankful for the rest, but it was wonderful to climb up into it, and appreciate the impressive spectacle.

We continued further up towards the summit, and it was soon becoming apparent just how high we were. Another signpost let us know in black and white, and we continued above the clouds, which was incredible.

Approaching the top, you climb on to a relatively flat surface, with Roque Nublo your reward. What you witness at this stage is something else, a Martian landscape the reward for your efforts making it this far. It's genuinely one of the most impressive things I've seen, and if I wasn't so worn out from the climb, it might have taken my breath away.

Unsurprisingly, it's a popular place for filming, with Netflix show 'The Witcher' shot on location here.

There's something special about being above the clouds, especially in a place like this. Roque Nublo translates to 'Clouded Rock,' or 'Rock in the Clouds,' and it's obvious why. It's about a ten minute walk when you reach summit level to the two rocks, and we were lucky enough to see some climbers scaling the sheer rock face.

I noticed at the top that the three of us all wandered off individually to soak it all in, which felt right. I love landscapes like this, and seeing what the destructive power of the planet can create (the Grand Canyon for example, is probably the most incredible thing I've seen). There was a bit of time for some pretentious arty photos to be taken, and we headed back down towards the car.

I'll share some more from my Gran Canaria adventures soon, but I implore you, if you ever make it to this wonderfully diverse island, make the effort to pay Roque Nublo a visit. A perfect spot for your own collection of trying-too-hard photos.