Enriscados at 1,600 meters, with little food and without margin for error

Gloria Pomarada Poncebos (Cabrales).

«If we get to another night we don't know what would have happened.It was a bestial suffering, we looked at each other and we didn't talk.Already with our eyes we told ourselves, we saw it very raw.The helicopter passed and did not get close to where we were.Then I told Joseph and recognized it: just at night we didn't spend because we could die of hypothermia ».They have a poise that shudders the two mountaineers, who have been born again in the Picos de Europa, where they remained enriscados at 1.600 meters for 48 hours, near the Ría Canal.When that serene story ends and melt into hugs with family and friends who have come to the beginning of the Cares route to meet him is when the accumulation of feelings of these two days emerges, since the anguish in fear of a fatal unlearnessto the euphoria of the miracle that supposes having left unharmed.

The Cantabrians Ramón González and José Antonio García, 48 and 55 years old and neighbors of Los Corrales de Buelna, could not imagine even in the worst of their nightmares what their Sunday plans would end up holding them.First of that day they arrived in Poncebos, in Cabrales, with the intention of making a route through the central massif of Los Picos, passing through the water channel, the refuge of Jou de los Bastor, Amuesa, Bulnes and return to Poncebos , All in the same day.The situation was complicated at noon, when they were disoriented in the immediate vicinity of Jou de los Bastor, specifically "where the water and estuary channel bifurca".«We missed the fog, it was quite dense.We threw until we were eniscounted in a place where there was like a waterfall ».It was 14.30 hours on Sunday and at that time friends made a decision that, according to them they recognize, has saved their lives."We could have decided to throw down, but we decided not to move and that is what has saved us," they explained.

«I sometimes have a daring, but the partner who is more full stopped me to go down there.If we tried the same would have failed, ”said Ramón González, an expert mountain corridor champion of the 2019 edition of the Ultra Trail that starts from San Vicente de la Barquera and ascends to Espinama and winner of the Ultramarathon of El Soplao in 2013.On that small shelf of just two square meters in the middle of the central massif, the hours were spent without the possibility of alerting the situation, since there was no coverage.Thus fell the first of the two nights that passed outdoors in the peaks.«At seven in the afternoon we were already beginning to suffer because the night came and became eternal.It was a lot of cold and we couldn't sleep.Thoughts are tremendous at that time, ”confessed José Antonio García.

A friend of both was the one who gave notice of his absence on Sunday night.On Monday morning, the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Section (Sereim) of the Civil Guard of Cangas de Onís began a search on foot and by air, with the helicopter of the Helicopter Flight Unit (UHEL) ofThe Civil Guard in Asturias, relieved to shifts by the Emergency Service of the Principality of Asturias (SEPA).

Again and again, up to thirty, the Cantabrians saw how air inspections did not approach the place where they were, a channel of "thawing drain" that the rescuers themselves doubt that it has once been traveled.«There were times that morality collapsed.When the helicopter came and passed, we made signs, but did not respond.You come down, ”they said.Another of the added difficulties was the presence of rebecos, which with their movements caused rock detachments.«As we were in a kind of gorge, they threw stones us.Ramón hit a leg, ”explained his partner.Nor was hunger easy, but as good connoisseurs of the basic notions of survival, they chose to dose the food they had.«The little we had rationed it, we had pills with potassium and magnesium.Thus we went through as we could ».The question of water was more favorable, since the area ran a current that allowed them to drink.Of course, near the water they detected the presence of a dead rebel who added even more uncertainty to the nightmare.

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Another of the fundamental strategies they adopted was to generate noise from seven in the morning.One of them shouting and another with a whistle, persisted with the hope of being ears.And in that detail is a good part of the fortune of being healthy and saved, because yesterday morning mountaineers who were in the Aryan area received their signals and gave notice to the rescue troops.

Dos expertos montañeros

In this way, the Civil Guard helicopter was able to locate the two friends.«He had passed through two days, but then he came right.When we have seen them we have embraced and we have gone crazy with joy.We already gave everything for lost, ”they said.The Aircraft of the SEPSE commissioned to transfer them to Poncebos, where family and friends were waiting for them and where yesterday they remained during the afternoon waiting for all those who participated in their search Low of the mountains.Between applause they also fired the Greim agents who were bringing the descent of the route.

Homecoming

Ramón and José Antonio was not the only agony of these two long days, because as they themselves recognized they knew that they were well.His concern was in their families, aware of the suffering they would be going through.To all the uncertainty it was added that in the refuge of Jou de los Bastor they saw two mountaineers who seemed to be them between four and five in the afternoon.However, Ramón and José Antonio never arrived at the installation, so they assume that it was a confusion, since the mountaineers wear very similar clothes and dozens pass through that place a day.«We had a very bad time, we feared the worst.You spend a thousand things through your head, ”said Yanire Jara, cousin of José Antonio and spokesperson for the families.Around two o'clock yesterday, a phone call put an end to anguish: both were well and were going to be evacuated.The most exciting moment, Jara said, was when "the Civil Guard taught us a video of them hugging".The hug was repeated, with more force if possible, when they could narrow them in their arms, already in poncebos.

At eight o'clock in the afternoon yesterday they all arrived at Los Corrales de Buelna, where neighbors and companions of Ladeportiva Buelna were waiting for them to celebrate their return.

No margin for error

The first notice about the disappearance of José Antonio García and Ramón González arrived at the Cos of the Command of Gijón de la Guardia Civil at 21.30 hours on Sunday.An operation was thus launched that would last for 48 hours of searching against a clock on foot and by air.Early on Monday, the Mountain Rescue and Intervention Section (Sereim) of Cangas de Onís toured the Amuesa Canal.He had the Air Helicopter Flight Unit (UHEL) of Asturias for this.Also the emergency service helicopter of the Principality of Asturias (SEPA) participated in the search, giving relief to the Armed Institute.Despite the efforts, they failed to find the whereabouts of the disappeared.

Yesterday, again when it dawned, the work was resumed by land and air, complicated by the fog.The device was formed by five groups of mountain troops from the Civil Guard of Potes, Trives, Sabero, Mieres and Cangas de Onís.On foot they toured the Piedra Bellida, Channel de Sabugo, Channel de Estore, the area of Monte Lue and Salina Cabeza.At the same time, the Civil Guard helicopter, along with two members of Greim de Cangas de Onís, continued to fly over the Jou de Los Bastor refuge towards those channels to those channels.

It was at 13.40 hours when the two missing mountaineers located alive from the air.The final track about his whereabouts, said Lieutenant Pablo Villabille, head of the mountain section, gave him mountaineers who, from the Aryan area, heard the screams of the two Cantabrians.They were «in an area of very difficult access, which ends practically in a collapse.Unless you have strings and specific material, it is not possible to descend, ”he said.Once there, they left a Greim specialist who could establish communication with the mountaineers, but without being able to access the place where they were, being a completely vertical area.

The Civil Guard thus requested the collaboration of the Helicopter of the Emergency Service of the Principality of Asturias (SEPA) to "proceed safely and quickly to its extraction with the crane".This was done by the rescue group aboard the aircraft, which raised Ramón and José Antonio, not without difficulties.«The site was very complicated, we get the rocks touching.We have been lucky even in the rescue, ”recognized the Cantabrians.They were finally evacuated, unharmed, to Poncebos, where they both expressed their gratitude to their 'guardian angels'."You are phenomena," Ramón told the 'Greiman', including applause from his friends and families.