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View Full Version : Archived: Caminito Del Rey, Andalusia Spain, May 2011



SCBill
16-08-2011, 08:25 PM
So, this is a report, but it's not an urbex report. I wasn't sure whether to post it but badbatz & beady suggested it'd be ok in the non urbex section.

Visited in May 2011 with a couple of non urbex, climber mates.

History from Wikipedia.
In 1901 it became apparent that workers at the hydroelectric power plants at Chorro Falls andGaitanejo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide for transport of materials, and for the inspection and maintenance of the channel. Construction of the walkway took four years and it was finished in 1905.

In 1921 King Alfonso XIII crossed the walkway for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce and it became known by its present name.

The walkway is one meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and rises over 100 meters (350 feet) above the river below. Constructed of concrete resting on steel rails supported by stanchions at around 45 degrees into the rock face, it is currently in a highly deteriorated state and there are numerous sections where part or all of the concrete top has collapsed. The result is large open air gaps that are bridged only by narrow steel beams or other support fixtures. Very few of the original handrails exist but a safety-wire runs the length of the path. Several people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years and after two fatal accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed both entrances.

A few notes.



It's not that dangerous. It's protected by a cable that runs most, not all, as Wikipedia says, of the way round it. You can clip a harness to it. Unlike similar protection in France and Italy though, it isn't fat 10mm cable securely bolted to the rock, its for the most part rusty 4mm cable attached to the rock, often loosely, by rusted bolts. It'd probably take a fall, probably not a heavy fall. Wouldn't want to try it anyway.

Access was cut off by the government. They basically removed the last 30 meters or so of the walkway, severing it from the cliff top access, and leaving it stopping abruptly about 25 meters above the ground. To get onto the walkway you have to step out along some big rusty iron pegs and do an easy (for a rock climb) route up to the walkway.

My camera. Sorry, I shot it on a crappy Canon point & shoot. I was too worried about dropping or breaking my SLR while climbing and wanted to be able to clip it to my harness and take shots one handed. So they're not great.

Once you get to the end of it, having just shat yourself for 30 mins, you come out in a huge valley with nobody around for miles as theres no other access to it. Then you remember that since there's no other access to it you have to turn round and do the whole thing again to get back. When you get used to it its fine though and there are loads of good climbs you can do up off the walkway or by abseiling down below.

Anyway, hope you like the pics, as I said, its not really urbex, but it is playing about on some old abandoned stuff that the general public don't have access to, so I thought some of you might be interesed.

1.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5105/5754943671_c16db62050_z.jpg

2.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5301/5754945031_10eed13f99_z.jpg

3.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2778/5755491570_5b0a3b1a9a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755491570/)

4.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2650/5754965029_77b11ee69a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5754965029/)

5.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5229/5754978129_0f92a3031e_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5754978129/)

6. There are lots broken bits like this, you just have to walk along the rail like its a balancing beam.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/5755527486_738594a6e4_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755527486/)

7.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3147/5755531672_ff77e14c71_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755531672/)

8.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/5754997687_18d404e1ca_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5754997687/)

9.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5267/5754997107_ca2667f719_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5754997107/)

10.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/5755551056_a429fdfe00_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755551056/)

11.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2635/5755029133_38a7b81d39_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755029133/)

12.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5142/5755031065_edfbbcc6cc_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbeesley/5755031065/)

Hope you liked them, and hope its not too out of place on an urbex board. Theres about 120 more pics on the flickr set if you click on one of the pics.