Makinodromo is the place for hard climbing in El Chorro. The main climbing style in Makinodromo is physical tufa wrestling, made famous by the 8a "Lourdes" that dominates the eponymous main sector.
Approach via "The Notch" in the hill above the El Chorro Gorge - a route that might be hard to on-sight. People also access the Makinodromo via the railroad, but this is discouraged as there is a fine for trespassing on the railroad.
Approach:
1) The Notch Approach: From the valley behind the Frontales face, make your way up towards the top of the scree slope, on its right side. Traverse over the scree slope to the left towards a notch in the ridgeline. From the Notch, a better path follows towards Makinodromo. Very pretty walk through the hills with amazing views. Most of the ascent is done at the beginning meaning you arrive at the crag feeling remarkably fresh.
2) Technically not allowed through the railway tunnels with a penalty of a fine.
SECTORS
1. El Invento
The lowest sector, the first one from the railway.
2. Los Bloques
A sector of huge blocks, with some short sport climbs and a few boulder routes.
3. Los Tigres
The tiger-striped wall on good rock and sustained climbing.
4. Aventura
A sector that is mainly seen as projects most of which have now been opened in the 2010s by Bernabe Fernandez.
5. Lourdes
The main sector of the crag - one of the most important and impressive sectors in El Chorro with long and hard routes.
6. Life is Sweet
A sector more vertical than Lourdes, but with many popular excellent routes.
7 Antimaki / Mega Flash
A small sector with short and hard routes.
Makinodromo was first developed in 1988, when Juanma García established Lourdes (8a). This was groundbreaking, marking a shift away from the slabby and powerful short climbs that had dominated the Spanish hard climbing, toward long, steep endurance climbing.
In 1989, Bernabé Fernández made the first ascent of the bolted boulder problem Tetas de Mari (8b+) in Los Bloques, adding another early testpiece.
During the early 1990s, several hard lines were bolted but remained unclimbed for many years. Among them were Al-Hakan (8c+/9a) and Samarkanda (8c), both equipped in 1993. Al-Hakan received its first ascent from Dani Andrada in 2006, followed by Fernández in 2007. Samarkanda was first climbed by Cristian Lupin in 2006, with Fernández adding the second ascent.
The hardest route currently at Makinodromo is Suspiro (9a), a 50-metre line equipped by Fernández in 2007 and first climbed in March 2020 by Rafa Fanega. The long-standing open project Ultimatum in Sector Aventura remains unclimbed and is expected to fall in the 9th grade once completed.
Further development continued in Sector Aventura, located just downhill from Lourdes, with several hard routes added in the 2010s, including:
- Muerte Blanca (8c | 52 m | FA 2013 | Fernández)
- Banana Pancake (8b+ | 40 m | FA 2013 | Fernández)
- Scirocco (8c/+ | 27 m | FA 2014 | Fernández)
- De la reunión al sillón (8b | 25 m | FA 2014 | Fernández)
- Ultimatum (project | 45 m | Equipped 2013 | Fernández)
In 2022, many of the older lines in Makinodromo were rebolted by the El Chorro Bolting Team as part of a crowdfunded initiative, ensuring the continued safety and accessibility of the area’s routes.
