Afraid of Heights?

[Cheese]

Bring your barf bag on this hike!! Follow the entire video.


http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1438490562

El camino del Rey

A hike up El Chorro in Spain. Be prepared to feel a bit uneasy in some parts. Why? The concrete paths, once quite good, are now in serious disrepair. Yet the hiker moves on, from time to time, doing a balancing act as he places one foot in front of the other, navigating narrow railway-like ties, all that remain of some parts of the paths. And he makes a point of showing us the dizzying heights. One slip-up, and you would careen down thousands of metres, having time to think about your impending death. Apparently, El Chorro is one of the most famous rock climbing areas in Europe. With more than 650 bolted climbing routes in an area accessible on foot, El Chorro is an "El Dorado" for climbers (or a "Whipsaw" for off-roaders). Because of its location in southern Spain, rock climbing is possible throughout the winter, though it can sometimes be cold and the paths snow-covered. The routes are mostly hard climbs, which is why El Chorro attracts rock climbers from the whole world.

[Wookie]

Okay, that's freaking me out watching.

I also want to know the track being played, pretty catchy

[blankall]

Parts of that hike looked downright suicidal. He is walking across the iron suppport polls where teh cement used to be?

What happens if the cement you are on just happens to be the next to go?

[KevanGuy]

That is my absolute worst fear, right there. Just watching it is making me sick, I stopped 1:45 in when he gets to that metal bar. I would seriously rather kill myself than walk that path.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by blankall

Parts of that hike looked downright suicidal. He is walking across the iron suppport polls where teh cement used to be?

What happens if the cement you are on just happens to be the next to go?

No kidding. Especially because it looks like a hand-held camera, so instead of keeping himself balanced hes filming, thats insane.

Or when he walks around people? Insanity. Not a chance in hell I'd do that.

Count me out, I'll take no part in this climbing/treacherous precipice voodoo.

[the-rasta-masta]

Apparently people have died on that path in the past few years and the government actually shut it down to the public, but people still have been finding ways to get on it. They are also planning on restoring it this year I think. It's going to cost something like 7 or 8 million.

[BlackArcher101]

Dear lord... it's like those insane cliff paths you see in games like Half Life. You wouldn't see me near that thing, that's for sure.

[Kybosh]

If the approach is like that I wonder how sick the climbing routes are! I would totally go there if the path had some more maintenance.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by the-rasta-masta

Apparently people have died on that path in the past few years and the government actually shut it down to the public, but people still have been finding ways to get on it. They are also planning on restoring it this year I think. It's going to cost something like 7 or 8 million.

I just wikipediaed this path. Its in frickin Spain. I thought for sure it would have to be in a developing country based on law suit risk alone.

A country in Western Europe had a path like taht open to the public?

[Wookie]

Looks like a lot of the people were using the wires and clipping on to the side of the mountain. Making it a tiny bit less insane, but still totally insane and suicidal!!

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Wookie

Looks like a lot of the people were using the wires and clipping on to the side of the mountain. Making it a tiny bit less insane, but still totally insane and suicidal!!

I noticed that after getting further into the video. not quite as bad, but still out of control.

[LChoy]

ooo, sign me up. It looks fun!

[BlAcKNoVa]

Wow, that was pretty awesome.

Can anyone ID the song?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by lchoy

ooo, sign me up. It looks fun!

x2... I'd be all over that like stink on sh**. Looks like an absolute blast.

[Hemi-Cuda]

didn't seem to dangerous to me. all the bad parts of the path had a safety cable on the rock to clip on to, would be no more dangerous than rock climbing at that point i would think

[Burninator]

That looked fun until he got to the part where he was just walking on the steel bar. I can't believe how close we was walking to holes in the concrete. Forget that.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

That is awesome!

[QuadCityImages]

Despite being very afraid of heights, it didn't bother me much to watch it. I doubt I could do it though, even clipped in, which I definitely would be.

I wonder if the other people were looking at this guy like he was insane, or if its common for people to "free walk" the path.

[Hack&Lube]

That looked totally awesome, I would love to go there. I love the thrill of heights and exploration and finding ways of getting across or through obstacles. I just hate the feeling of falling (rollercoasters/bungee is out).

That doesn't look too bad, I've tried more dangerous stuffs on backcountry hikes, you just balance against the rock wall when you are going on the metal pole, you don't tight rope walk it. I'm sure his other hand was pushing against the cliff face.

[Torture]

That doesn't look too bad, I've tried more dangerous stuffs on backcountry hikes, you just balance against the rock wall when you are going on the metal pole, you don't tight rope walk it. I'm sure his other hand was pushing against the cliff face.

Yeah, I didn't think it looked too bad either. Was expecting a lot more since I read some of the comments here first.

Then again, I love climbing in the mountains so that may have affected my perception.