Stunning image of sacred mountain

Above a stunning aerial photograph of La Gomera's sacred mountain La Fortaleza, taken and published by ''The Piper Pilot'' on his Facebook page, where he showcases the beauty of the Canary Islands with shots taken from his aircraft. Below is an image I took some time ago. More about La Fortaleza can be found HERE...

The sacred mountain La Fortaleza

La Fortaleza, La Gomera's sacred table mountain just south of national park's forest near the island's former capital of Chipude, was once an important ritual site and later served as one of the last strongholds of the indigenous Gomerans against the Spanish conquerors. Seen here from the east (Mirador de Igualero) at sunset when mists often drift across the top. The Spanish word la fortaleza means strength, toughness or fortitude, but also translates as fort or fortress.

A similar view of La Fortaleza photographed in daytime. The mountain rises to 1.231 metres asl (over 4.000 ft) and the remote hamlets of Erque and Erquito lie in the deep valley below.

The ancient stone alignments and original religious sites on top were mostly destroyed by the Spanish conquistadores and what remained was further severely disturbed in the 1980's by a group of German esotericists who rearranged the stones and rocks they found to create spirals and other formations according to their own convictions. This happened before the site had been properly investigated and documented by archaeologists and consequently it could not be brought back to its original state. So there's no need to revere what you find there as it's not authentic, bar the rocks themselves, and there's also the addition of a modern Christian cross.

Above is a view of La Fortaleza taken from the western side about a kilometre from Chipude, with the village of Pavon, on the road to La Dama, at its foot. From there the table mountain top can be accessed via a slowly ascending winding path (signposted). However, the final ascent is demanding and not suitable for those suffering from vertigo. Bear in mind that you'll also have to climb down the same route as there is no other path back. In the past years some steps were hewn into the rock face that made the clamber up a bit easier, but you'll still need both hands and feet to do it. The spectacular views from the top are the reward for those who make the climb. As the late Tim Hart wrote in his excellent 'La Gomera - A Guide...' (ISBN 0-9547989-0-2): ''...to the top, where you feel as if you are on a giant altar to the god of the sky, as did the Guanches, and they called him Arahan''.

There's a petrol station and also the Bar Los Camioneros close by on the road to La Dama should you need to refuel, or indeed pre-fuel to muster courage and 'fortaleza' for the ascent.

British walker rescued after fall on treacherous path

Mountain rescue (Archive image)

A 70-year-old British woman had to be rescued by helicopter on Saturday afternoon after falling while walking in the Las Lecheras, El Guro, area of Valle Gran Rey. Emergency services say that they were called out at around 4pm after reports that the woman had lower leg injuries, and she was airlifted to San Sebastián and then taken by ambulance to the island’s Hospital Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe where her condition is said not to be serious.

The Las Lecheras path is one of the most treacherous in La Gomera and is officially closed as erosion and rockfalls have made it almost impassable and hard to find in places. There are some misleading goat paths in the area which add to the danger. This path and the dangerous path up (or down) the Argaga ravine are the two paths which are definitely best avoided and and often the cause for complicated rescue operations.

Another death in Argaga ravine

With the help of mountain rescue teams, volunteers and two helicopters the body of a 75-year-old German tourist was recovered in the treacherous Argaga ravine this morning. The man had been reported missing yesterday when he failed to return to his accommodation after a planned hike through the most dangerous gorge on the island. Apparently he didn't bring a mobile phone, but there is no reception in parts of the ravine anyway. A post-mortem is being carried out to establish the exact cause of his death, but it is believed he suffered a fall. The area where his body was recovered is infamous for its dangers such as very frequent rockfalls, very steep unstable mountainsides, misleading goat tracks and eroded or collapsed parts of the former path leading through it. Officially the track has been closed for years, but it still features in many older guide books and despite all the warnings many tourists still attempt hiking there, not only risking their own lives but potentially the lives of their rescuers, too. Several people have lost their lives over the years in what for me is the least attractive area of the whole island. It has an eerie, spooky feel to it and you often you hear rocks crashing down in and around the ravine. Every time locals hear the rescue helicopter approaching Valle Gran Rey they shrug and say: ''Ah, probably Argaga again''. Even the most experienced hiker can get into trouble there, so please do stay away from it. There are lots of safer but spectacular tracks and paths to choose from if you need a challenge.