The climbing in El Chorro is excellent and offers a full range of climbing styles such as slabs, faces, multi-pitch, tufa pipes, overhanging walls and caves with around 2000 routes and counting. There are an ever increasing number of easier routes, a huge selection of superb mid-range routes and and lots of harder routes with some of the top hard routes in the world. This and the variety and volume of climbing and the near perfect winter weather combine to give a great winter destination for all climbers.
Climbers have been here since the 1980's, when the gorge was one of the first european sport climbing locations. It became really popular in the mid 90's and the bolts spread out to cover all the cliffs nearby as well. Since then the spread has continued and there are high quality crags in the area surrounding El Chorro and easily accesible by car.
The area around El Chorro has a huge amount of climbing and it is very easy to climb here without a car. The huge wall of Frontales and Escalera Arabe provides lots of great varied climbing, plenty of great routes and day long sunshine. There is Las Encantadas, which is only 10 minutes from La Finca and has a good selection of routes across the grades. The gorge itself offers a very exposed experience with the climbing on big walls and the belay ledge "The Kings Walk" slowly falling apart. For those who fancy walking futher afield there is El Polverin with a solid selection of mid grade routes and the seriously impressive cliffs of Makinodromo where the hard climbers could spend a whole season playing on the tufa walls.
If you come with a car, or hire transport during your stay here, then you will have access to other top crags such as Desplomilandia, Archidona and Loja and is well worth doing.
Climbing here is possible all year round, although in the summer the selection is limited as most of the crags are south facing. The best time is between mid Oct and the end of April when the temperature drops and the variety of crags means that there is always somewhere nice to climb.
Most of the routes here are fully bolted. You will need somewhere between 12-18 quickdraws. A 60 metre rope is essential although a 70 metre would be great because lots of routes here are over 30 metres, with some of 40 metres. There are also some trad routes in the area for those that way inclined.
