A health failure amid the promotion to the morrogacho would have caused the death of the walker of Algeria, Valle. The difficult access delayed the rescue.
News Colombia.
Arles Galeano Giraldo, known by many as “Arlecho”, was a passionate walker born in Algeria, Valle del Cauca, a municipality nestled in the mountains of the Western mountain range. His life revolved around nature: the paths, the rivers and the mountains were their usual scenario.
On July 31, he undertook a walk on the Morrogacho hill, in the municipality of Salento, Quindío, without imagining that it would be his last journey.
The Morrogacho hill rises to 3,450 meters above sea level and is considered one of the most demanding points of the Cocora Valley, east of Salento.
Its route, several kilometers, crosses pastures, private areas and fog forests until reaching a summit from which the snowy of Tolima, the Páramo de Romerales and much of the coffee landscape are appreciated.
That day, Arles was part of a group of approximately ten hikers from Risaralda.
In the middle of the tour, he began to feel bad and presented what, according to the authorities, could have been a heart failure or a seizure.
The walking guide immediately activated the emergency protocol, but the place where the emergency occurred – a steep and remote area of the hill – hindered the timely arrival of the lifeguards.
Difficult rescue of Arles
The Salento Risk Management Office, together with volunteer firefighters and other relief agencies, undertook the rescue mission at dawn on August 1.
After a long walk, they managed to locate the lifeless body of Arles, which was descended and transferred to the urban area.
From there, he was referred to La Morgue de Calarcá, where he had the necropsy to clarify the cause of his death.
The investigation is now in the hands of the Sijin, which collects testimonies and documentation on the health status of the hiker and the conditions in which the event occurred.
Arles was widely known in the circles of walkers of the Colombian Southwest. His social networks were full of cascades, hills and rural roads, where he used to share phrases of reflection and his love for nature. For him, walking was a way of life.
Friends and family describe him as a cheerful, supportive and deeply connected person with his environment. His death has caused a wave of pain in Algeria and among the walkers who knew him on different routes.
Fáber Mosquera, director of Risk Management of Quindío, insisted that these types of activities should be carried out with extreme caution: “Although the group had guidance and organization, it is necessary to evaluate the physical condition of each person, maintain good nutrition and hydration, and be attentive to any alert sign in difficult access areas.”
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