In the various groups of trails, the most recurring complaint is about the bad stalls of time this summer. It is rain on rain, more rain and another rain yet. And yet we see, here and there, news of trees who need to be rescued from absurd situations in which they put themselves when defying the elements and sticking themselves in the bush. Only since the beginning of this year, according to the São Paulo State Fire Department, 20 redemption occurrences were attended by 23 victims. Last year there were 225 rescues in areas of nature, with 175 victims and, unfortunately, 11 deaths.
Do adventure activities pose such a big risk? Yes and no. Yes, because nature is full of surprises, meteorology, from failing, is almost moving from the exact sciences area to astrology, and for beings accustomed to walking through the paved streets of large cities, this business of walking on land Natural, with its clay, its inopportune branches, its insects and cousins venomous can reserve unwanted journeys.
But it is also worth the no. And it does not live in the prudence and common sense of every trail that seeks, first of all, to pay attention to what nature warns of it and that when you know the area you will go through, seek maximum prevention. So, like an accredited guide who knows how to warn you to the risks. Or a group that increases the chances of getting help if any accident happens.
Accidents, by the way, can be from a simple slip on a badly supported stone (my trail pants that say it, all have some tear to remember each experience …) to the surprise of a head of water that takes everything and everyone ahead. This, by the way, is the greatest source of problems in these times of torrential rainfall.
“We preach a lot that these outdoor adventure sports are always done with the support of local companies and guides, with the appropriate authorizations of the parks and the maximum information, which can be obtained today easily,” explains Captain André Elias, from the São Paulo State Military Police Fire Department.
In addition to good company, the captain emphasizes the importance of always going well equipped. “Depending on where I’m going, I have to have some specific equipment, shelter, shoes, I have to take water, food for the period I want to stay out and a safety plan involving a cell phone, people who know where I’m going When I intend to come back, finally, that they can issue an alert to the slightest sign that something is out of expected, “he adds.
But something that he makes a point of saying, at this time, is that it should not be limited to consulting the weather forecast the day before at the desired place. “Especially in places that have a waterfall or that are by rivers,” he says, “we have to know not only the weathering of the place, but from the areas where the springs of these rivers are, because the flood is always above the place and comes that large volume of water “.
In addition to consulting the time in the immediate vicinity, the captain warns of some signs that can foresee the trouble of the thickness: “You have to keep an eye on the color of water and your level,” he explains. “If you see that the level has increased by nothing, that the color has changed, which is more barrenly, with more debris, branches and even garbage brought from a higher place, it is a sign that a flood comes around.” That is: falls out soon to the highest point you identify. If you can’t take chicken soup to the trail, the caution that Mom recommended is never too much.
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