The King’s Walkway – World’s Most Dangerous Walkway

Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The King’s Walkway can be touted as one of the deadliest and the most dangerous walkways in the world, situated at El Chorro, near Alora in Malaga, Spain. It is simply not for those who have alto-phobia. The construction of the walkway was incepted in the year 1901 and it took four years for the completion of the project.
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It is naturally pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge, built to serve as a link between Chorro Falls and the Gaitanejo Falls mainly for the transportation of the materials, for inspection and the maintenance of the channel.
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The main reason for its construction was the hydroelectric power plants situated there which required a walkway for the workers to cross between the falls. It was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1921, who crossed the walkway then, thus the walkway got its name “The King’s Walkway”.
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The Walkway is 1 meter (3 feet and 3 inches) in width, and is over 300 meters (984 feet) above the river. It is in a state of disrepair without handrails for the support and with the concrete flooring having become brittle. The government had closed the walkway for the public, as many people had lost their lives while crossing it, more especially in 1999 and 2000 when 4 people lost their lives. The walkers latch onto the steel beam, which supported the concrete flooring earlier.
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However, the government has taken up the task of restoring the historical walkway in the recent years, as the adventurers still find their way onto the walkway, to explore it.

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