Robs - Rock Walk 3 - Apes Den Upper Rock vía Referendum Steps and Charles V steps. Douglas Path, Med Steps and Inglis Way

A great hike with fabulous scenery and a little bit of a workout thrown in although in essence there’s no rush so enjoy.

A little bit of history about the route to get you going:

The Charles V Wall is a 16th-century defensive curtain wall that forms part of the fortifications of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. It was built in 1540 and strengthened in 1552 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. The wall remains largely intact and extends from South Bastion, which was once at the water's edge in the harbour, to the top ridge of the Rock of Gibraltar.

At the time the Charles V Wall was built, the Barbary pirates posed the main threat to the city. In September 1540 Gibraltar was attacked by a corsair force led by Piali Hamet, one of Barbarossa's captains. The town was plundered and many of the leading citizens were taken captive.
The wall, originally called the Muralla de San Benito (English: St. Benedict's Wall), was built in 1540 to help defend The Rock against further attacks from the south.

Douglas Path is a path that connects a series of military installations at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. It leads from the top of Charles V Wall to Mount Misery, one of the peaks of the Rock, before proceeding southwards to end at Douglas Cave. The first section of the path climbs a steep set of steps before running along a knife-edge ridge. It has views over both sides of the Rock of Gibraltar. The sheer east face of the Rock and the Great Gibraltar Sand Dune, which covers a large part of the eastern slope, can readily be seen. The vista provides sweeping views over the Bay of Gibraltar to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the east.
The path was cut by convict labour to facilitate troop movements on the Upper Rock.
Shortly after setting off from the north end of the path, an old circular stone building is reached. Its construction has traditionally been attributed to the period of the Moorish occupation of Gibraltar (between 711–1462). In fact, it is much more likely to be an early British structure which appears to have been built using stone recycled from an earlier building. It is nonetheless one of the oldest surviving structures at the top of the Rock. A short distance past the old observation post is a World War II structure, the Fortress Commander's Command Post. The path then descends to meet O'Hara's Road, which leads to O'Hara's Battery.

The Mediterranean Steps though not for those who are out of shape or a fear of heights offer you the chance to combine a good long hike, with incredible views along with a bit of a thrill.
They were created back in the 18th century by the British military as part of a system of communication for soldiers to allow access to the various defence posts at the southern end of the Rock. These included Levant, Martin’s, O’Hara’s and Lord Airey’s Batteries, as well as several other gun emplacements and ancillary buildings dating back to World War II.

The walk starts at Jews’ Gate at the entrance to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve opposite the Pillars of Hercules. Setting off at roughly 180 metres above sea level, the hike up the Mediterranean Steps will take you on an incredibly scenic journey running mainly along the eastern side of the Rock, ending up at O’Hara’s and Lord Airey’s Batteries about 421 metres above sea level, right at its highest summit.

Although primarily made up of steep cliffs and low Mediterranean scrub, the 1,800 metre trek actually sets out (if walking UP the steps from Jews Gate and not down) heading south through some quite dense but very beautiful bushy vegetation. You almost feel like you are walking through a garden tunnel at times. Then almost very suddenly the thick vegetation opens out to reveal a breathtaking view of North Africa 14 miles or so across the Strait.

Keep your eyes open as you walk and you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the very rare Barbary Partridge running across your path. If not, don’t be dismayed, enjoy taking in the multiple types of wildflowers that will be blooming, and washing the landscape with their amazing colours.
The limestone of Gibraltar, surrounded by the sandstone means that the flora of Gibraltar has influences from other areas, such as North Africa, but is also home to some very unique and unusual plant life, such as may grow nowhere else in Europe, or in some cases even the world. More than 500 different species of plants are hosted by just 2 and a half square miles of Gibraltar, which is an enormous ecosystem for such a small area. Native to the Rock of Gibraltar are plants such as the Gibraltar Candytuft, Gibraltar Thyme, Gibraltar Sea Lavender and the very rare and critically endangered Gibraltar Campion.

The pathway (Martin’s Path) gradually bends northward clinging to the edge of the rocky cliffs. The views up and down from this point are absolutely fabulous. You will also notice a definite increase of bird life from this point on. Yellow-legged Seagulls will be swooping all over the show, and if you are fortunate enough, you may get to see a pair of Peregrine Falcons that nest here every year. Depending on the time of the year, the Eurasian Black Vulture, the Short-toed Eagle, the European Shag that often breed on the cliffs of Gibraltar, the Golden Eagle, the Griffon Vulture, the Blue Rock Thrush, and the Egyptian Vulture are to name but a very few of the incredible species that can be witnessed on the Rock.

Martin’s path in reality actually continues on to Martin’s Cave. Unfortunately though, due to past vandalism, the entrance to the cave is now closed off and NOT open to public. This however is where the rare Schreiber’s bat breed, spending most of their day snoozing in the very back dark recesses of the cave. The area surrounding Martin’s Cave is also where the Gibraltar Sea Lavender grows, the only place on the Upper Rock Nature Reserve that this plant can be found.
Continued accent of the steps will lead you to the Goat’s Hair Twin Caves found directly on the left of the pathway. The two caves actually give evidence of prehistoric human habitation. During the 1970’s a number of artifacts were excavated from one of the caves indicating that prehistoric man had once inhabited them.
The view from here as you sit and refuel is absolutely breathtaking.

Interesting Fact
It’s amazing to think that both Martin’s Cave and the Goat’s Hair Twin Caves were all at some point in history, lying at sea level, now and incredible 210 metres below!

Continuing the climb to the top of the first flight of steps, you will come across a building built by the military during World War II. You then continue through a small tunnel, after which further World War II fortifications are found. This is where you will reach a viewing platform that will give you an amazing view of the eastern side of the Rock. From this point on the path begins to steepen, and you can actually see the stairway ahead zigzagging its way up the side of the cliff face. After a couple more World War II fortifications you will find yourself at the base of the cliff.
From here the path puts you to a final test of endurance, ascending the summit up a dizzying flight of lime cut stairs. This is where if you are not a fan for heights, its best to keep looking up and not back down again! After a relatively strenuous effort you will reach the summit. And what an amazing feeling of achievement it is. The incredible views that await you across the Bay of Gibraltar and the Strait are beyond words. Here is where the Mediterranean Steps walk ends. Very close toward the south, you will see Lord Airey’s and O’Hara’s Batteries.

Inglis Way is a footpath with a length of around 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) that traverses the middle section of the Upper Rock,linking various disused observation posts and emplacements.
The origins of its name are uncertain; it may have been named after a person named Inglis, or it may have derived from an old Spanish name, el Camino del ingles, "the Englishman's Path". It is the second longest path in the nature reserve after the Mediterranean Steps.

The path starts at Queen's Gate in the Charles V Wall – one of Gibraltar's oldest surviving fortifications, constructed in 1540. After proceeding through a breach in the Moorish Wall, the main section of the path passes under the cables of the Gibraltar Cable Car before passing a series of abandoned World War II observation posts and searchlight emplacements.
A section of the path that proceeds through a firebreak at Bruce's Farm has views over the northern end of Gibraltar and across the Bay towards Algeciras.