UKC

.....before it's ruined.
What do I need to know? what's the easiest way to get there? Where to stay? What easy proper climbing to do nearby? etc

In reply to DreadyCraig:

errm its in a quite well know Spanish climbing area - you can work the rest out yourself!

In reply to DreadyCraig: Fly to Malaga, stay at the Olive Branch, buy the Rockfax guidebook, have a great time.
Mark

In reply to DreadyCraig: There is no "proper climbing" it's all sport.

Al

In reply to A Mountain Journey:

Second that! The camino del rey is a nice little wander. Nothing serious about it, get it done and then get onto the climbing. If you get chance get on Amptrax or valentines day both around 6a or 6a+. Great multipitch routes, with nice moves!

In reply to Gaston Rubberpants:

Plenty of trad in/around the gorge...

In reply to willworkforfoodjnr: I know. I was just being contentious and amusing although obviously not amusing enough.

Al

In reply to leroybrown:

err - I think relying on crumbling ancient concrete above a large drop rather refutes that statement!

In reply to Gaston Rubberpants: I must have been having a low humor morning. Mid week blues perhaps!

In reply to DreadyCraig: The Camino del Rey after a few uses becomes nothing more than walking round the cat walk at malham, just a means to reach the climbing. Ive spent a good number of months over a few years climbing around el chorro, and am becoming increasingly worried by this over dramatisation of the walk way. I was a bit a taken back when i saw an article in the Mirror the other day about it. Access around el chorro works just, if not without a few problems with the trains at weekends. If the 'glamorisation' continues of the walkway continues.. and people start talking flights etc just to do it... its going to ruin the area. At the end of the day its a sh@te walkway, thats not really that exciting, the views you get you can see from the train/normal footpath... go on any via ferrata in an y mountain range and i assure you you'll have a better time...

In reply to Paul R:

Well it is dramatic for first-timers and folk who aren't used to this sort of thing and just because you're used to it doesn't mean it doesn't have exposure/good views etc. Maybe exploitation will 'ruin' it - but you think it's crap anyway. Or just maybe it will provide a welcome financial input to what I remember as being a rather depressed area

In reply to Bulls Crack:


If you think it is in any way serious all you have to do is clip the wire.

In reply to David Riley: just dont look to closely at the wire!

You can always take a rope, climb alpine style on the dodgy bits clipping passing bolts if you want.

If you enjoy the walkway experience, and insist on climbing trad in one of Europe's best sport areas(*), get on Africa, which has a few bolts in but you definitely want gear too! And it extends the whole indiana-jones-esque feel of the place with a crawl through a wet tunnel and an abseil down the waterfall from a pipe exit.

(*) clearly I did once. 2nd trip though, stuck to the sport. And the Olive Branch is great, stay there.

In reply to Paul R:
In terms of fatalities though isn't it
Catwalk - 0 : 3 - Caminito

?

Oh, on easiest way to get there - fly to Malaga. It's possible and very cheap to get a train to the village, and many crags are accessible on foot from there. However car hire allows an even wider range of crags and a bit more freedom - recommended as well.