Barranco del Infierno to reopen in three months

[Janet]

The barranco del Infierno has been closed, officially anyway, to walkers since 2009 when a walker died in a rockfall. Since then, questions and rumours about when, or even whether, it would reopen have been plentiful. Now, however, Adeje Ayuntamiento has finally approved the administrative contract for the service of information and public use of the hiking trail; it was published yesterday in the Boletín Oficial de Canarias. Concejal de Obras y Servicios, Gonzalo Delgado, said that barring unforeseen problems the barranco should be reopened in three months. For conservation and security reasons, a limit of 300 walkers per day will be imposed. JA

[Janet]

 Just a month or so away from opening now, but people still treat it as though it were open already. In Tenerife, when the authorities say something is closed, they mean "officially" closed. In the UK, it appears, we're used to things being made inaccessible when they're closed, roped off, made impossible for us to hurt ourselves. It's a cultural difference that might cost someone dearly because an emergency rescue is currently underway this afternoon to help walkers who have got into difficulties in the barranco. Charges are now made for such rescues if those needing rescue have been reckless, or ignored official warnings and signs. In this instance, at least three official rescue teams were involved. JA

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Oh goody - can't wait to hear the details.  German, English or Russian?  I can't decide which to bet on. 

[Janet]

god I hope they charge them, whatever nationality. The number of times I've been mocked for saying it's "closed" when it's clearly "open" ... just because it's not barricaded off. I hope they charge them A LOT!

[Michael]

god I hope they charge them, whatever nationality. The number of times I've been mocked for saying it's "closed" when it's clearly "open" ... just because it's not barricaded off. I hope they charge them A LOT!

Are there signs or anything to let people know it's closed?

[Janet]

not sure about on site because I haven't been up there, but it's on the official notice sources (like Cabildo and Adeje websites), been absolutely all over the press and repeatedly so for some time, my site ...

if anyone was able to research enough to find out about the walk they would have come across plenty of information that it was actually closed. In fact, I've had people gloating at me that it might be closed but it's easy to get into ...

People know. And there might yet be a sign on site, but as I say, I've not actually been up there to see for myself.

edit: I've just been told "There are signs up in various languages too clearly stating that its Closed & Dangerous aswell as the main through Gate is locked."

[Janet]

Despite promises that the barranco would reopen this summer, it is now apparent that it won't even be open again to the public this year. The conservation, management, signage and control of visitors of the 1,843 hectare protected natural space is organized by Adeje Ayuntamiento under a joint 20-year agreement with the Cabildo, signed last year, and it is the Cabildo's environment department which is drawing up a viability study that could see the barranco reopen safe from rockfalls, and with the partly-ruined path repaired after being washed away during last December's rains.

But it won't be this year. Meanwhile, posters and signs are ignored by ramblers, as is the fence that was put up to stop people going in in defiance of the signs. No doubt because of expected forthcoming summer activities, council and Cabildo alike say that the barranco is closed because someone died there, a German hiker in 2009, and that entry into any officially-closed space is one of the criteria used when decisions are made to impose charges for official rescue operations. JA