We arrived at the place near Caminito Del Ray where the bus drops people off. There is a tunnel in the background, but that route adds an additional 1 km to the walk so we didn’t go that way.
Instead, we took this tunnel. It was back up the road about a quarter mile or so. It was small, you couldn’t stand straight up. But the main feature was that it was dark. Bats like this tunnel and they don’t want to disturb them so there is very little lighting. We all turned on the flashlights in our cameras to light the way through the tunnel.
Here we are coming out of that first tunnel.
After a few minutes of walk, we came to another tunnel. Shorter and much larger.
We’re walking along a reservoir now and there are some interesting patterns in the sandstone on the other side of the water. Charlotte and I both commented that it reminded us a lot of the rocks at Aluru in the center of Australia.
We’ve made it to the beginning of the boardwalk trail. Hats issued. Do’s and Don’t talk given. Here we go!
Here is the dam that created the reservoir we had been walking beside. I have no idea what those weird domes are for.
The gorge is deep and narrow. We’re pleasantly surprised that the walkway feels so solid. Sometimes you actually forget that you are hanging off a totally vertical cliff hundreds of meters in the air!
Here is a look at the struts that are holding up the walkway. We are showing a lot of confidence in that small group of workmen that build this thing.
We can see the walkway stretching out way further down the canyon. This entire walk is going to be nearly 8 kilometers. It took us about 11,000 steps.
On the other side of the canyon there are tunnels and bridges and tresses for the high-speed train that runs through here. We saw one zipping along.
This walkway to the other side of the canyon is no longer in use. Hard to say if it is even safe. A bit of an odd design.
A look straight down. Hard to get a sense of how deep this is unless you are actually there. Let’s just say it is deep enough that you would have time for a short prayer as you fell.
This is the serious bat cave that has been boarded up to protect the bats as some of the species are endangered. There is an opening at the top for the bats to come and go.
A River Runs Through It. Train tunnel in the background. Here we are just finishing a walk through a gap between the extreme canyons.
The walkway had gotten in pretty bad disrepair and got closed for three years after some young men plunged to their death. It was reopened in 2015. Some of the old walkway, full of holes and missing sections was often just below the new walkway.
Looking down at a section of the old walkway. Seriously had to watch each step on that old path!
An exciting little place on the walk where you can step off the path and onto some glass where there is just a very long drop under you. I think the Grand Canyon now has a place like this too.
Some of the beautiful sandstone cliff surface. I’ll post some videos later as that is the better way to fully appreciate this spectacular scenery.
Coming closer now to the hanging swinging bridge crossing over to the other canyon wall.
Over on the other canyon wall there is a tiny section where the train route comes out of a tunnel, across a very short bridge and then back into another tunnel.
Closeup of that short railway bridge between tunnels.
A good look at the new walkway a few feet above the old walkway.
The old walkway went a bit deeper into this crevice and has a challenging large section missing.
The walkway here goes deep into a crevice and here we are coming back out on the other side.
We’re getting near the end of the journey here. We have crossed over to the other side of the canyon and you can see the walkway going over a tunnel for the high speed train.
Another view of the last section of boardwalk as we walk further away from it.
Now we’ll take a look of the same trek from Charlotte’s Nikon. This is that sandstone formation along the reservoir before we go to the start of the canyons.
Hard hat in place and ready to go.
Nice section of the old pathway, but it may be missing something on both ends.
Here’s a place where there are some steps leading down into the canyon. That route was closed to us mere mortal pedestrians.
Watch out for your head. A ‘protrusive’ rock.
That bridge between canyon walls that is blocked off. Maybe for a good reason.
The new boardwalk and an old section of concrete pathway below it.
Good look at the path hanging from the canyon wall.
The only structure we saw along the way. Hasn’t been used in quite a while. That flat area in front of the building is now used as a helicopter landing area for emergency removal of injured.
Part of the trek went through the old viaduct.
Another good view of the boardwalk construction.
The old path a few feet below the new path.
Amazing that we felt so safe walking along the side of these cliffs!
A good look at the difference between the two paths. Even though the older one was made of concrete. When you would come a cross holes in it, it made you wonder if the concrete was going to give way the next place you stepped.
Yup. Watch your step!
Just a thin layer of glass between our feet and the bottom of the canyon floor.
You’ll have to wait for the video to get a sense of how vast this canyon wall is.
Beautiful rock formations.
When is the holy path not the right choice? When there is a higher one.
The lower part of a very tall part of the canyon.
Crossing the hanging bridge. It swayed a bunch. The guy in front of me jumped a little and the bridge responded with a wave. That little pouch I was carrying had water and energy bars in it.
The downward view from the hanging bridge.
We’re about to come out of the canyon.
A railway arch bridge seen from the river floor.
There were a lot of grand eucalyptus trees along the river. I enjoyed the fragrance. It reminded me of Australia and southern California.

 

On the bus trip back to the coast, having left the mountains and about to get to the fertile valleys. The valleys were full of orchard groves – oranges, lemons, almonds, avocados and more.

 

 

The last section of the boardwalk had a lot of steps and was on the sheerest of cliffs.