Registered: 08/16/10
Posts: 1590
Loc: San Diego CA
There is no steel IN the concrete...no wonder the thing is falling apart. Supposedly, it is closed now and they are in the process of restoring the walkway.
Kind of reminds me of the line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where they're about to jump off the cliff. One says, "I can't swim." The other says, "That's OK - the fall will probably kill us."
Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
Originally Posted By Glenn
Maybe the guy wire isn't all that solid?
A very likely possibility. Still, even a marginal tether would be better than nothing at all. I have placed a lot of protection that probably wasn't all that great, but that might have worked if I just slipped a bit. Something is better than nothing, especially when you are desperate.
It is an interesting route. Sometimes you are cruising up flawlessly formed steps and then you are instantly thrust into situations where roping up is a really good idea.
Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
Wow, cool beans. I really like Spain anyway, so one more incentive to go back; I hope the very strained Spanish economy allows them to follow-through on repairing and reopening this.
As in Alpine climbing, they may have felt that using protection would slow them down too much to get to their destination on time. Its a long trail. From a climbers point of view it ain't nothin - I've been in a LOT worse places without a tether. Your body does get used to the exposure and stops puckering on its own. After while there is no body fear left - just careful movement.
Not that the movie isn't awesome, but its a walkway afterall, maybe a deteriorated one, but its no polished granite slab. Jim
_________________________
These are my own opinions based on wisdom earned through many wrong decisions. Your mileage may vary.
Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
I don't think I would literally rope up to pass the exposed bits, but you would lose an insignificant amount of time to clip in to the available cable. Note that the videographer is no longer with us, evidently after taking one chance too many on a crevassed glacier. Being a desert rat, glacier travel is definitely not something I have experienced extensively, but I understand it is a good idea to always rope up on a glacier.
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Yeah, I'm not taking that walk. Way too much pucker factor there for me.
The camera work is great though, and I was surprised to see so many others wandering around there.
Sorry to hear about him getting in the accident. He was definitely a risk taker. Way to far out there for me to follow, but he must of had nerves of steel.
The Caminito del Rey is famous for some hair raising parts, crumbling cement and rusted handrails (I didn't try...)I encountered a number of passages on smooth rock face above the sea or void I didn't enjoy at all. I had a different scary moment on my last hike in the Vosges area, where the trail crosses a main road at the top of a pass. Come out of the woods after a steep way down, cross the road dodging traffic, the other side is a big concrete abutment (?) wall, with a vertical metal scale. Go up the scale slippery in the pouring rain, with trucks and cars rushing, full speed, two feet behind your butt...Vanish into the woods again with a relieved sigh.
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