El Camino del Rey

Another Dangerous Hiking Trail:  El Camino del Rey Walkway

El Camino del Rey is the name of a very dangerous walkway that winds its way along the steep walls of a narrow gorge known as El Chorro.  The bridge in the picture on the right is part of El Camino del Rey.

The El Chorro gorge is located in Spain near Alora, a village close to Malaga.  As you can see from the map, El Chorro is very close to the Mediterranean Sea. 

According to Wikipedia, El Chorro is a limestone gorge in Andalusia (a province in southern Spain), through which passes the Guadalhorce River.  This river was dammed in 1921, forming three reservoirs which are flanked by thick pine forests.  Rivers, lakes, canyons, and trees are the trademark of the Makinodromo, an area renowned as being one of the best rock climbing areas in Europe, but is also very popular for mountain biking, hiking, and camping.

The El Chorro gorge sits next to the 700m high Desfiladero de los Gaitanes Pass (see picture. If you look closely, you will see the walkway on the side of the mountain). 

This pass is famous for a very dangerous path called El Caminito del Rey (The King's little path).  The path was constructed back in 1901.  It got its name because the path was officially opened by Alfonso XIII of Spain.

People have traversed the path for many years now, but the path has fallen into serious disrepair.  Official access to the path was removed in 2000 after a tourist died trying to cross it. 

However that doesn't seem to have stopped many people.  El Camino del Rey remains a popular climb even today thanks to a very unusual Internet video.

Here is a passage that describes Camino Del Rey:

El Chorro is one of the strangest places that I have ever climbed. The Camino del Rey is a walkway constructed on the gorge wall.  It travels the full length of the gorge and sits a hundred meters above the canyon base is an unusual feature. Walking out on this 80 year-old suspended sidewalk had me shaking in fear from the sudden exposure. The walkway is no longer in the best shape, with sections of concrete broken away. Even though parts of the walkway have fallen, walking the full length is still possible. It is said that the walkway was built so that the King could observe the engineering work taking place in the gorge. Instead of Royalty, the walkway now carries climbers to their chosen climb. Climbs are positioned above and below the walkway. Access to other climbs can be attained by walking through the train tunnels and following the train tracks, preferably between trains.

Rick Archer's Note: As you can see from the picture on the left, El Caminito del Rey (El Camino del Rey for short) is a frightening mountain walkway indeed!

The El Camino del Rey walkway was built in 1901.  This narrow, gut-wrenching path is only 3 feet wide!  The path is held to the mountainside by pins driven into the stone. If you fall, it is nearly 700 feet the river below.  How would you like to trust the building technology of a century ago? 

It was built to allow local workers the ability cross between two nearby waterfalls, Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls.  It served as a shortcut so the workers would not have to climb down the mountain on one side and climb back up on the other.  Now a century later, the walkway has fallen into a state of serious disrepair.  Many parts of the walkway have completely collapsed, leaving nothing but a metal beam and a wire between you and 700 feet of nothing.  As you walk the narrow path, whatever you do, don't look down!

The danger doesn't seem to stop people from climbing it.  This walkway serves as time-saving approach to Makinodromo, the name of a famous climbing sector of El Chorro.  Since the walkway is just as much a shortcut today as it was one hundred years ago, people risk their lives on a daily basis despite its illegal status.

Several years ago El Camino del Rey became famous thanks to an amazing 6-minute video.  Although I was unable to learn who actually filmed it, I watched the incredible footage with my mouth wide open.  The video is so riveting you feel like you are the one risking your life (the horror movie Cloverleaf was filmed in a very similar style).  Some intrepid climber videotaped the entire route himself.  He shot footage with one hand while barely keeping his balance with the other hand.  Watching the gaps in the path plus all the insane people he had to pass along the way made me queasy.  I could barely stand it! I was convinced he would fall at any minute.    I actually developed a bad case of vertigo even though I was sitting in complete safety at my computer screen. 

Thanks to this infamous video, El Camino del Rey has acquired a bizarre status. Today El Camino del Rey serves as a death-dying climbing dare for adventurous people. 

Rick Archer's Note:  Now you need to go watch this incredible famous video.  The El Camino del Rey video is posted in many places on the Internet.  For your convenience, I have listed two places to view the video.  Take your pick; it's the same video.  If one of the links stops working, please let me know and I will find a new one.