El Polvorin (the gunpowder magazine) is named after the small hut on that presumably housed the explosives used to excavate the railway tunnels.

This tall vertical wall is hidden up river from the lower gorge and provides a unique and peaceful atmosphere while the exposure of some of the routes and the rushing river below keep it a bit wild. The climbing here is technical and sustained and the grades feel a bit more legit than some of the softer areas in El Chorro. Perfect for the 5.11 climber looking for high value face climbing. The wall gets shade until mid-afternoon, and a lot of sun later in the day. Plan your climbing accordingly.

To access this crag you must get through the gorge in one way or another. You can either walk through the tunnels along the railway, or take the famous Camino del Ray. Because of the shade/sun situation, you will probably only climb here for half of the day which makes this a perfect crag to combine with a walk on the Camino. We took the railway tunnels in the morning (which is illegal), then climbed until it got to hot and escaped to the Camino inside the cool lower gorge in the afternoon.

The railway takes about 30 minutes and you should leave 2 to 4 hours for the Camino since you'll want to stop and take pictures and stuff. You'll also need to cross the river to combine this crag w/ the Camino so check the water levels first.