Rock Climbing at El Chorro - Logistics

Traveling to El Chorro
Getting to El Chorro from Europe is easy as there are many cheap flights to Malaga International Airport, with El Chorro being only 50Km away either via train or car. For those on a budget traveling by train to El Chorro from the airport is relatively straightforward. From the accommodation in El Chorro it is then possible to walk to all of the main crags such as the gorge, Las Encantadas, Los Cotoes, Makinodromo and Las Frontales. However if you are staying outside of El Chorro or wish to visit the other outlining crags it is essential to hire a car.

Accommodation for rock climbers in El Chorro
In the village of El Chorro there is a campsite and a couple of refuges that are popular with climbers. Alternatively Climb Europe has an El Chorro accommodation listings page, where climbers can choose from the many apartments and villas in this area. 20 minutes drive away is the village of Alora, which is much larger than El Chorro. Therefore it offers much more choice in accommodation and nightlife in terms of restaurants and bars.

Climbing gear required
The majority of the routes in El Chorro are single pitch sports routes, where it is advisable to use a 60m rope, as many routes are up to 30m long. As the routes are generally fully bolted it is possible to travel light and take only quickdraws (12-16), an abseil device, and a few long slings. However to tackle the multi-pitch routes it is advisable to take an additional 50m half rope (for the abseil descents) plus some of these routes require trad gear. Information on which routes do require trad gear is given in both of the guidebooks for the area.

When to visit El Chorro to go rock climbing
El Chorro has become a classic winter climbing venue and the ideal time to visit is from October to the end of April. However be warned it can get a little cold in the winter, especially in the gorge where you get very little sun and sometimes a cold wind. The summer is just too hot for climbing.

Andalucia Guidebook.

Published in September 2007 this is a comprehensive guidebook for the south part of Spain, called Andalucia. The guidebook features over 30 separate rock climbing areas, including El Chorro, and many crags around the cities of Malaga, Granada, Sevilla, Jaen, Cordoba, and Cadiz. In total there are over 3,600 routes described across a wide range of grades. With regards to El Chorro the guidebook details over 650 routes covering all of the crags available.
This guidebook is in Spanish and English text throughout and all routes are illustrated on topo diagrams with the French grades.