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domingo, 28 de febrero de 2016

Hiking incidents and foolishness in the Natural Park of Grazalema

[Haz click aquí para la versión en castellano]

[If you think translation has mistakes please feel free to contact to me.]

This post had it been pending since January this year. I will provide a list of incidents that have managed to form after searching "grazalema rescue" on the Internet.  Many incidents have involved clueless or misguided foreigners.

On the 24th January climbed again on top of Simancón mountain with a friend and what I saw, although it was not the first time, let me again amazed.

Mountain Rescue Department of CBPC -Ubrique-
That day all "tourist routes" ( speaking sarcastically ) of the Sierra del Endrinal ( highlands close to Grazalema ) were overflowed with walkers and unwary fans whose lack of foresight, lack of training and sanity are sowing accidents. In fact there was a triple rescue by emergency groups. The mountain rescue team deserves an acknowledgment for his invaluable work.

I will highlight one of the many situations that caught my attention and corcerned to me that day. When my colleague and I arrived at the top, well equipped and with rigor care when stepping limestones rocks, we found a child of 5 years old with his somewhat older sister and his parents. The only thing that occurred to me is to congratulate for that "feat" ... really I had wish to say a few "special words" to parents.

While we were having a lunch some guys asked me if I knew the descent of Simancón towards the feet of "Reloj mountain", and this guys told this while they was pointing to the family that we had crossed before. The fear was terrible, I keep remembering that little boy near the edge of the brutal decline in the east face of Simancon mountain. I begged them they didnt do that with the children, and fortunately mother joined quickly to my request.


Anyway, as I said before, is not the only story that I can tell, each more bizarre and curiuos. They all have a common denominator, ignorance about walk in mountains, techniques and orienteering material, lack of foresight or imprudence. Also , the lack of understanding what dangerous is a simple slip close to limestone rocks around.

When no luck and the accident happens then have to act rescue groups. If you reads article about radiocommunications for hiking  you'll understand that even access to emergency services can be complicated.
Mountain Rescue Department of CBPC -Ubrique-

IMPORTANT NOTE - THE FOLLOWING TABLE IS ONLY FOR PREVENTIVE MEASURES . THIS TABLE HAS BEEN MADE READING ARTICLES IN INTERNET.


Date num. Rescues Amateurs Foreigners Incidents Injured Deceased Complicated Childrens
Involved
lost Prevision lack
Negligence
2016/1/24 3 YES NO YES YES NO
YES YES YES
2015/12/26 1 YES NO YES YES NO
NO NO NO
2015/11/12 1 YES NO YES YES NO
NO NO
2015/9/11 1 YES NO NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2015/5/15 1 YES NO YES YES NO
YES NO NO
2015/4/20 1 YES NO NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2015/3/29 1 YES YES YES YES NO YES NO YES YES
2015/3/23 1 YES NO NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2015/3/16 2 YES YES NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2015/3/1 1 YES YES YES YES NO YES NO NO
2015/2/22 1 YES NO YES YES NO
NO NO
2015/2/18 1 YES NO YES YES NO NO YES NO YES
2015/2/1 1 YES NO YES YES NO NO NO NO
2014/10/10 1 YES NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES
2014/9/25 1 YES NO YES YES NO
NO NO YES
2014/5/18 1 YES YES NO NO NO NO NO YES YES
2014/5/1 1 YES NO YES YES NO YES NO NO
2014/5/15 1 YES YES NO NO NO NO NO YES YES
2014/4/12 1 YES NO YES YES NO NO NO NO
2014/3/23 1 YES NO YES YES NO YES YES NO YES
2014/3/1 1 YES NO NO NO NO
NO YES YES
2013/11/4 1 YES NO NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2013/10/5 1 YES NO NO YES NO
NO

2013/9/28 1 YES YES NO NO NO YES NO YES YES
2013/6/8 1 YES NO YES YES
YES NO NO YES
2013/4/6 2 YES NO NO NO NO NO NO YES YES
2013/3/1 1 YES NO YES NO NO YES NO
YES
2013/1/13 1 YES NO YES YES NO YES NO
YES
2012/12/16 1 YES
YES YES NO
NO NO
2012/12/6 1 YES NO NO YES NO
NO NO
2012/11/28 1 YES NO NO YES NO
NO NO
2012/11/22 1 YES NO YES YES NO YES YES NO
2012/11/19 1 YES NO NO NO NO
NO YES YES
2012/10/13 1 YES NO YES YES NO
NO
YES


All the news which I have read I have seen the ease of falls with legs or arms or head severely hit and the lack of foresight when drops night with inadequate equipment, clothes and shelter.

I missing fingers to count the times I have come across people without even backpack or extra clothes, nobody think he or she is going to trip and hit severely any body part in an inaccessible area without mobile coverage (or battery). So hypothermia, dehydration, disorientation, nervourness and fear are characteristic symptoms of the rescued.
Mountain Rescue Department of CBPC -Ubrique-

I still do not understand how people walk into the mountains the same way as they will take coffee in the next village.

The Mountain Rescue Department of the Provincial Fire Consortium Cadiz Province kindly sent me recently updated statistics :

Rescues 185
Rescued people 312
Injured 98
Unharmed196
Deceased 18

Activity carried out :

Hiking      97
Speleology      5
Paragliding        28
Climbing          19
Urban          18


In publication of the consortium is stated that there were 15 interventions in 2013 and 22 interventions in 2014.

If we assume that these numbers may be near and above the average for the period 2000-2012 we might think that in recent years there is a boom of hiking activities.

We can think without surprise that the supply of sports equipment at large commercial centers such as Decathlon, and the vast amount of information in blogs or official forums tourism and the amount of existing geographic resources has triggered the possibility of practicing this outdoors activities.

The bad thing is that the training trend about hiking activities has not been increased as this boom of trendy of hiking.

This leads me to believe that the number of incidents will grow and may be some day some idiot politician will come up with any foolishness as billing of the rescue act.

Currently there are administrations that are billing the rescue acts, I think it's scandalous. Sometimes I think at Spain we love make new laws, to ban and to fine.

I would like that this article warns to you, you must be worried about the upper table because you can become the next.

Please, you must study about mountains, orienteering or become a member of a club or contact with experienced professionals.

If you dont live in Spain and you want to visit the natural park of Grazalema you can contact to me for any advice.

See you in the mountains.

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