El Chorro, Spain – Rock Climbing

El Chorro is a popular rock climbing destination located in the province of Málaga in southern Spain. It is known for its limestone cliffs and sunny weather, although it is a bit colder in the winter and chances of precipitation are higher.  The area has over 1,500 climbing routes (mostly sport) ranging from beginner to advanced, and the scenery is stunning.

Escalera Arabe  

On our first day here, we headed to a crag called Escalera Arabe.  Unfortunately, we had not yet purchased the El Chorro Climbing Guide. (affiliate link) 

While the online tools like The Crag are useful, we did not find them sufficient for navigating all the winding roads and sectors in El Chorro in general.  We could not identify the best place to park or the exact routes we were searching for so we ended up climbing a 5+ route that some nearby climbers recommended.  It ended up being a great route!  We also climbed a nearby easier route that was almost more of a scramble.  The next day, we purchased the guidebook to make our lives a bit easier.  It has great route maps and bar codes that automatically pull up the google maps location for the ideal parking location near the approach path.  We found it immensely helpful.  Below are some photos from the 5+ climb we led.  The views were fantastic, especially at sunset.  

Corral East (Sector)

The second day, our friend, Amanda, came to climb with us and we decided to climb at a sector called Corral East.   Having the guidebook made finding parking and the sector fairly easy.  However, the sky was overcast and we hoped it would only sprinkle but it ended up raining most of the day.  The approach was a pleasant, albeit muddy, 35 minute hike past Rocabella and through some pine forests to the base of Corral East.  Amanda led the 6a route Desperado in the rain but the conditions made it quite slippery (see if you can spot her in the photo below on the Blue rope).  Given the rain, I decided to top rope the route.  It’s a great climb but I was glad to be on top rope since the holds felt slippery and even a bit slimy in some cases.  

Escalera Arabe – McClaud (Sector)

On the third day, we headed back to Escalera Arabe to a sector called McClaud.  See photo below:

Escalera Arabe – McClaud

We climbed El clan de los McClaud (5c), Nube gris (6a), and El amigo lion (6a+).  I also top-roped Caminito a la escalara arabe (6b+) which Amanda had lead.  Amanda lead Fisura flagoneti (6c) and another 6c I cannot recall now.  Bi lead Anacieto y sofilee (6a) but it was getting dark by then so I skipped that one and we hiked back down for the day.  

Photos of Escalera Arabe and the McClaud sector and climbs are above.    

Desplomilandia – La Vida Misma (Sector)

On the fourth day, we drove a bit further to a crag called Desplomilandia and climbed in a sector called La Vida Misma.   The approach starts from the road by a lake and then you hike up a narrow dirt path to the base of the cliff.  I think it took us around 30 minutes or so.  The crag is in the shade for most of the day so it can get a bit chilly, especially between climbs when you are belaying.  

Hiking down from the crag

View from the top looking down – not sure which route

Sydney surveying the scene from the base of the crag

We climbed Kuki (6a) which had a tough couple clips over a bulging rock area, WiFi (6a+) which is rated one of the top 50 climbs in the area and was a lot of fun, Facilonga (6a) which was interesting, and Paton (6a) which has an airy roof section that was challenging and overhanging.  

Cocina Caliente – (Crag/Sector)

On the final day, we went to a nearby crag/sector called Cocina Caliente.   As you might guess, this area gets direct sunlight for most of the day so the wall can get fairly hot.  Even in January, it was fairly warm so I can imagine how hot it might be in the summer.  The approach starts from the road about 50 meters from a large roadside boulder.  The narrow dirt path rises at an angle to the base of the cliff and only takes about 15 minutes or less.    

Bi on Toast (6b)

We started out on Odio los esparragos (5a), and then moved on to El nazareno (6a) which we both sent, Soy Caliente (6a+), Toast (6b), and Autovia de las cabras (6a+).  I found Toast challenging but was able to send it (send = climbing the route without resting on the rope at any point).  Autovia de las cabras (6a+) which we both sent was probably the most interesting of them all since it included some slab, crack, stem, and slightly overhanging sections.  

Crag Dog