El Caminito del Rey to re-open

© Andy Say

The £2.5 million refurbishment of El Caminito del Rey in El Chorro, Spain is nearing completion - with the walkway set to re-open on 29th March after a year of closure due to construction work.

The historic walkway is highly convenient for climbers accessing the El Chorro gorge for sport routes and was closed after a series of fatal accidents in 1999, only to re-open again shortly afterwards and fall into a state of further disrepair over the years.

It's a via ferrata, Steve, but not as we know it...  © Andy Say
It's a via ferrata, Steve, but not as we know it...
© Andy Say, Dec 2010

According to the official website of the walkway, entrance to the new pathway will be free, although users will be required to register beforehand to claim tickets and observe safety regulations put in place to minimise risk - such as wearing a helmet and clipping into a fixed safety wire. 

The original Caminito has been kept in place under the new boardwalk in the interest of architectural heritage, which was constructed in 1901 over 4 years to allow workers access between the two hydroelectric plants at Chorro and Gaitanejo Falls.

It is not yet known whether the re-opening will result in any restrictions on climbing in the gorge.

More information on the El Caminito website.
 

 


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14 Mar, 2015
Well that's the end of every route that starts on the Caminito. http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/5111/your-visit#http://www.caminitodelrey.info/?cod=5108
14 Mar, 2015
You will have to pay to get in at the other end -15 euros they say- then a bus picks you back up at chorro end and takes you back to the start- poor el chorro shops will see very little of the public as they are whisked off ... The locals are pissed at this! Access to most of the routes is gonna be allowed (apparently)but the routes that start on the actual pathway will be highly likely banned (that's what they have said) so most of it is still a go go for us tho :) I'm sure we can still get on the routes during the quite winter periods tho :)
14 Mar, 2015
So the way I read this, as long as I can show BMC insurance I can access the walkway for free?
14 Mar, 2015
From Here: http://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/5111/your-visit#http://www.caminitodelrey.info/?cod=5104 Compulsory Regulations - Entrance tickets to the path El Caminito del Rey will be available after its booking, and will be free for six months after the official opening. - Those who would like to go climbing will have free entrance to the path. For that purpose, they need to show their civil liability insurance at the access points, and to register and accept the regulations and conditions of the nature reserve in the case of this activity. - Climbing is allowed only on the walls that have been approved for that purpose by the responsible environmental consultancy. Nevertheless, in the gorge, only the part of the rock under the boardwalks will be in use. Any competitive climbing without previous authorization from the body responsible for the environment is forbidden. Moreover, climbers have to respect other regulations, obligations and prohibitions from this document, except those regarding rucksacks. It is banned to jump over the rails in order to access the climbing areas, or to anchor on the boardwalks. - Visitors, climbers and other people who come to El Caminito del Rey Path, and the nature reserve Desfiladero de los Gaitanes have to obey these norms as well as those established by the responsible environmental consultancy.
14 Mar, 2015
I understand the need for tourism to bring money to the area but I'm still sad about this. I've seen the new walkway. They've taken something special and made it incredibly boring.
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