Caminito del rey

[robinsachs24]

This is the day two of the vuelta's uphill finish. I looked it up on wikpedia. The path is one meter wide on a sheer cliff. Can this be the finish. How much vetrical gained and is this not a dangerous route?

 

[Netserk]

In the 'Vuelta 2015 rumours' thread:

The stage is announced as a hill top finish. Some sources wrote of a stage finish at Mesas de Villaverde, which is the hill on the west bank of the river just south of the gorge. I posted here a profil of the climb and link to a page with pictures and a map.

I guess they've chosen to use the name of Caminito del Rey to promote the hike path which is expected to open next summer after restoration works are completed.

Some details of the first stages hosted in Málaga will be made public today.

The towns hosting stage departures after the TT will be Alhaurín de la Torre, Mijas and Estepona. The 2nd and 3rd stages will finish in Antequera and the top of Mesas de Villaverde respectively. The 4th stage will finish in the province of Cádiz.

Details of Mesas de Villaverde:

http://www.laopiniondemalaga.es/tod...lla-alhaurin-torre-mijas-estepona/730226.html

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Who knows, maybe santa is an all year event thing.

 

[icefire]

You can see the area in google maps and in this topographic map. Unfortunately I don't know how to embed it reducing its size. The two lakes in the topographic map are water reservoirs; the river flows through the eastern reservoir and the gorge with the hike path is just at its north side. The race is expected to come from the east, follow the road along the west side of the river, turn west, then turn south and finally turn east to climb to the upper (western) lake on top of La Mesa de Villaverde.

My post with the profile quoted by Netserk has a link to a web page with pictures of the climb.

This picture from google maps shows La Mesa de Villaverde as seen from the Caminito del Rey.