Emergency rescue and environmental services meet in Masca to try to reduce accident rate

[Janet]

[attachimg=1]

Various emergency rescue and insular environmental services gathered in the Masca Barranco this morning to study how it might be possible to reduce the number of accidents suffered by walkers. The meeting is opportune given that two visitors have died in the past three weeks while hiking in the barranco: a German man died yesterday, and a Norwegian at the end of September. Some of the solutions being considered include restricting access to routes down the barranco, and perhaps a permit scheme. Hopefully whatever ideas they come up with will help to reduce the considerable number of accidents which walkers suffer, sometimes with fatal consequences.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

1)  Outlaw selfies on walks.  Particularly on rocks. 

2)  Introduce a permit scheme with guided walks; charge for it. 

3)  Inspect hikers' gear, footwear in particular.  If it does not pass muster, they don't go.

4)  Prohibit clearly unfit people from walking. 

[Perikles]

1)  Outlaw selfies on walks.  Particularly on rocks. 

2)  Introduce a permit scheme with guided walks; charge for it. 

3)  Inspect hikers' gear, footwear in particular.  If it does not pass muster, they don't go.

4)  Prohibit clearly unfit people from walking.

Sorry Jack, I disagree with these.

1) I very much doubt that the kind of person to walk Masca takes selfies. Anyway, you can't forbid people from being stupid

2) If you had a permit scheme with guides, the guides would be responsible for accidents.

3) Impractical to inspect gear, and expensive.

4) You would have to have some kind of medical check to determine that somebody is unfit - again totally impractical.

Ultimately, the only recourse is to have very large notices at the start of the walk telling people of the danger in German and Norwegian. (Forget the French - who cares?)

At present, there is no notice giving a warning that it's bloody dangerous, and it's the most dangerous walk I have ever been on. In addition, it's worth pointing out that the several hours of steep downhill is really unsuitable for those not used to pressure on the knees. Near the bottom of the valley I thought mine were going to give way, and it's there that it is most dangerous. And an absolute no go when wet.

[Michael]

Do what someone has done at the rock pool in Los Gigantes and paint a big white cross for every person who has died at the start of the walk. That might make some think twice.