UKC

Hi All,

Last week, three people sadly lost their lives on Illiniza Sur (three out of a group of 6, including the guide - http://www.elcomercio.com/pais/excursionistas-fallecidos-rescatados_0_79672... - according to the reports one person fell and pulled the other two off).

As a result of this, the on-line version of El Comercio reports that
"A partir de ahora quien quiera escalar una montaña a más de 5 000 metros de altitud deberá ir acompañado de un guía especializado con licencia."

http://www.elcomercio.com/pais/Excursionistas-Illinizas-montanismo_0_797320...

- which means that "As of now, whoever wants to climb a mountain more than 5000-m high must be accompanied by a specialised guide with a licence", quoting the ministry of the environment.

I don't know if it's true, but something you may want to check if planning one of the bigger peaks there.

Jonathan

In reply to jonathan_smoker:

"deberá" can also be translated as should so it would translate better as "From now on anyone who wants to climb a mountain over 5000 meters should be accompanied by a licensed specialist guide" Which makes more sense and is good advice for most people.

In reply to Philip de-Beger: Dont follow me in my travels.

A few years ago, I went up the Twin towers in NY.
A few weeks later, September 11 "happened".

In 2007, two days after I'd left Islamabad, an Italian resteraunt we had frequented in the city, got blown up. Carnage ensued, several dead.

Earlier this year, for my partners birthday, we went to Marakesh for a week of winter sun. An ice cream parlour/cafe we used in the "market square", had a "terrorist attack" four days after we left the city. Two dead from memory.

Ten days ago, I was on Illiniza South.

Good job im not paranoid then !!!

Condolences to those involved.

In reply to Newbuild100:

Care to publish those travels so we can stay in front?

On the guide issue, you need one for Cordillera Blanca, the Americans get a letter from the AAC saying that they are a guide. The Brits usually use their BMC insurance card as proof that they are a guide. Same approach could be used here depending on the outcome of the statement.

In reply to jonnie3430: Care to publish those travels so we can stay in front?



Yes, maybe I ought to.

If I get chance of a trip and it gets delayed for a week, I think I will cancel !!

In reply to jonathan_smoker:

Great logic there: Mountaineering with a guide has proven fatal, therefore we'll make sure all mountaineers use a guide!

In reply to john arran:
Good point!! This seems to happen quite often. After a group with a local guide died on Aconcagua they decided it was essential to have a local guide!

In reply to jonathan_smoker:

Can confirm that you now need a guide to climb almost anything significant in Ecuador at the moment- Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, both illiniza sur and norte- the latter being a straightforward rocky scramble. Sounds like a knee jerk reaction from the government after these unfortunate deaths; hopefully the guides association in Ecuador can negotiate a more reasonable arrangement in the near future.