'World's scariest walkway' in Spain set to reopen

It is definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Even the strong-willed may think twice before embarking on a journey aptly titled "world's scariest walkway".

At more than 3-km long, over 100m high above a river and never more than a metre wide, the Caminito del Rey (The King's Little Pathway) is a narrow wooden gangway pinned against the cliff face.

It was deemed too dangerous to use and closed in 2001 after five people fell to their deaths, independent.co.uk reported.

Fourteen years on, the walkway in Malaga, southern Spain, is set to open again.

Renovated at a cost of 2.5 million euros (S$3.7 million), paid for by the local government and the city of Malaga, the path has been reinforced and extra safety measures

put in place. The new boardwalk opens to the public on March 28, the International Business Times reported.

Entry will be free during the first six months, but crossings must be booked in advance.

More than 30,000 people have already reserved their walk, the report said.

Despite the latest safety measures, the fear factor is still strong.

The renovation work, which began just over a year ago, has tried to remain faithful to the original design of the Caminito.

Only in a few places, where walkways had become rotten, have new structures been built.

GLASS FLOOR

For vertigo sufferers, the new steel bolts drilled deep into the rock face might not be enough to overcome the occasional glass floor over the Gorge of Gaitanes.

The original path had no safety rails and in recent years, holes have appeared in the walkway itself.

A cable runs alongside the path, allowing walkers to clip a safety harness to it.

Adventure blogger Matthew Karsten, who completed the walk with the help of ropes and harnesses, wrote about his experience: "Large gaping holes in the concrete are common.

"Sometimes, whole sections of the treacherous walkway are completely missing, after they've crashed down to the bottom of the canyon 100m below. If you're afraid of heights, it's the stuff of nightmares."

This article was first published on March 19, 2015.
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