El Chorro
It was a cold evening in December that the idea for a trip to El Chorro came to life. Mich and I were pondering about dark winter evenings, grey weather, and the need for winter sunshine. She came up with the idea of a half-term climbing holiday. One quick look at my calendar told me I was free too. Just like that, we booked our flights and accommodation. We were off to El Chorro!
After a month of crash training at Big Depot with Mich, and enrolling Caro into our adventure, our trio of Chorro’s Angels landed safely at Málaga airport, ready to get acquainted with all the limestone loveliness of our destination. Our Spanish fluency was immediately tested at the car hire desk, and so was our driving proficiency at the busy dual carriageway out of the airport. An hour drive through the Andalucian hills led us to The Olive Branch, our hostel in El Chorro.
The Olive Branch is a backpacking hub for climbers from all over the world, with Germany, Netherlands, UK, Canada and Brazil strongly represented. Evenings were spent talking about the day’s adventures around profuse amounts of homemade food and local wine; discussing routes, mishaps and achievements; making plans and finding climbing partners for the next day.
Mich, Caro and I shared a room for three – they chose the creaky bunk beds while I got the very comfortable double bed. Should I have given it up? No one asked!
Day 1: Cocina Caliente
We didn’t waste time on arrival. As soon as we got to our room, bags were unpacked and climbing gear was retrieved ready for the first climb of the holiday. We headed off to Cocina Caliente, the closest crag just across the road from the hostel. The first route was a bit of a wake-up call as it was quite polished and not as straightforward as it may have first looked. After a bit of readjustment, we quickly got onto other routes with a great sense of achievement by the end of the evening! It was clear that Mich would be the leading super-star of the week. Caro was determined to work on her leading head game (with great success!), and I opted for the role of a trusted seconder. Day 1 routes: Shake your Money Maker (5c), He’s got the Jaén (6a), Mongi (6a+).
Day 2: Valle de los Abdalajís and Corral East
After a sociable evening chatting with the international community of The Olive Branch, we enrolled a solo traveller, Elita, who had arrived from Bath on a tour of European climbing destinations. After a trip to the local town for shopping supplies, the two climbing pairs headed off to Valle de los Abdalajís where we proceeded to climb quarried rock in the scorching February sun, surrounded with vultures looking for their next prey. We quickly called it a day and re-directed our efforts to the much more temperature-friendly, beautifully natural rock of Corral East. Mich led what she thought was La Caberna 6a+ but realised her error when, part way up, she saw the route to the left. Thankfully she was able to lower off rather than keep going on a 50m route with our 80m rope. Elita and I did Desperado 6a after ditching Kuku 5c and its seeping tufa. Lots of pockets and great character made it a tough but rewarding climb that I thoroughly enjoyed seconding.
Day 3: El Corralito and Three-Sixty multi-pitch at Corral East
After a morning cragging at El Corralito and a leisurely picnic lunch, we walked back to Corral East for the epic multi-pitch of Three-Sixty, made up of five 4b pitches finishing with a direct 6a pitch. This was quite an adventure, magnificently led by Mich, with breathtaking views and cosy vantage points. The last pitch tested our resilience, and we were rewarded with stunning views from the summit. There was no time to rejoice as nightfall was upon us. After a summit scramble, 30m abseil and retrieving the bags we had tucked away, we got benighted, which turned the pleasant approach path into a ‘dark abyss’ that took our best navigation and scrambling skills to get out of safely.
Day 4: El Chorro Via Ferrata
A Google search calls it “a thrilling K3-rated, 650-metre climbing route featuring a 35-metre zip line, Tibetan bridges, and high exposure with panoramic views of the Caminito del Rey area.” And thrilling it was! Caro opted out of the via ferrata and went for a relaxing hike to a viewpoint of El Chorro itself. Mich and Nat enjoyed both the via ferrata and subsequent ice cream after a day well spent.
Day 5: return to Malaga via Pinares de San Antón
On our way back to Málaga airport, we took a detour to popular local crag Pinares de San Antón. Caro led a short route, but it was too hot to climb on the polished rock. So, we went to find the beach and opted for a cold beer and seaside walk instead.
Nathalie Lacroix
