El Chorro Rock Climbing
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Elevation: | 718 ft | 219 m |
GPS: |
36.9085, -4.7603 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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Page Views: | 244,914 total · 1,362/month | |
Shared By: | jaysquared on Jul 10, 2010 | |
Admins: | Jason Halladay, David Riley |
Description
Located approximately 45 minutes from Málaga, El Chorro is one of the largest and most popular climbing destinations in Andalucía. Sport climbing tends to be the most popular, although long, multipitch, traditional lines exist. El Chorro is also home to the very popular el Camino del Rey which is used to access some of the climbing areas. youtube.com/watch?v=ZmDhRvv…
The rock is very pocketed limestone that is not always of the most confidence-inspiring quality. That is to say, most routes are well-traveled and quite clean, although one is bound to knock on a few hollow flakes. The limestone faces are typically vertical to off-vertical, but very steep routes do exist at a few of the crags. Like much of Spain, bolts are abundant and routes rarely feel runout.
Camping is possible, but hostels and bed & breakfasts are nearly the same price. There are a variety of options in the village of El Chorro, and other accommodations very near to the town. For more info about lodging check out the classifieds on UK Climbing .
There is a small grocery store in El Chorro, but if you need to stock up drive to Álora or buy before you leave Málaga.
El Chorro is a great Fall/Winter/Spring destination, as summers are very hot and shade is often difficult to find. Climbing in summer is doable, but expect temperatures to be in the 90's or greater and bring suntan lotion.
There are two quality guidebooks for the area. The first is "Málaga Rock Climbs - El Chorro", a spiral bound book that is written by a local climber. It is pretty good and available at the gear shop in El Chorro, but it would be helpful to know some Spanish. The other is from RockFax and is available from both their website and at the gear shop. However, take each with a grain of salt, as they both contain errors or a lack of information.
The rock is very pocketed limestone that is not always of the most confidence-inspiring quality. That is to say, most routes are well-traveled and quite clean, although one is bound to knock on a few hollow flakes. The limestone faces are typically vertical to off-vertical, but very steep routes do exist at a few of the crags. Like much of Spain, bolts are abundant and routes rarely feel runout.
Camping is possible, but hostels and bed & breakfasts are nearly the same price. There are a variety of options in the village of El Chorro, and other accommodations very near to the town. For more info about lodging check out the classifieds on UK Climbing .
There is a small grocery store in El Chorro, but if you need to stock up drive to Álora or buy before you leave Málaga.
El Chorro is a great Fall/Winter/Spring destination, as summers are very hot and shade is often difficult to find. Climbing in summer is doable, but expect temperatures to be in the 90's or greater and bring suntan lotion.
There are two quality guidebooks for the area. The first is "Málaga Rock Climbs - El Chorro", a spiral bound book that is written by a local climber. It is pretty good and available at the gear shop in El Chorro, but it would be helpful to know some Spanish. The other is from RockFax and is available from both their website and at the gear shop. However, take each with a grain of salt, as they both contain errors or a lack of information.
Getting There
El Chorro is probably the best climbing destination if you don't want to rent a car. There are many options for getting here. To get to Málaga either: Fly into Madrid and take an AVE train (~77 euro) from the Renfe Atocha station to Málaga Maria Zambrano OR fly into Málaga. From Málaga, you can rent a car (probably your best bet) or take a train to Álora or El Chorro from Maria Zambrano (~4 euro). Trains frequently run to Álora, and about once a day to El Chorro, so plan ahead. If you take a train to Álora, you can hire a taxi or take a bus.
Once in El Chorro, you can walk to many (though not all) of the crags or carpool with other climbers. If you want to get the most out of your stay rent a car so that you can climb anywhere, buy groceries, and drive to nearby towns on rest days.
Once in El Chorro, you can walk to many (though not all) of the crags or carpool with other climbers. If you want to get the most out of your stay rent a car so that you can climb anywhere, buy groceries, and drive to nearby towns on rest days.
Classic Climbing Routes at El Chorro
Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
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