Mountain sports have become one of the most followed activities in recent years. A new way to know nature and we come into contact with it at a time when most people live far from the forests. However, among these practices, there are also types of entertainment that create controversy and have a direct impact in the region. This is the case for example helicopter.

It is simple to explain what this sport consists of. A helicopter takes several cyclists to a high mountain area, where they take off along trails and descend at full speed through these scenic landscapes. Beyond the entertainment of cyclists, it is a sporting activity that directly affects the environment.

Therefore, the practice in Aragon helicopter It is concentrated in Punta Suelza, in the town of Bielsa. It was the first area where this activity was recorded, which many neighbors feared would spread to permanent areas. To this day, except for specific cases such as Benasque, the lineages of these bikers are concentrated in this town. Of course, there was already an intense citizen response, with mobilizations leading up to Punta Suelza to prevent a repeat of an activity that “shows no empathy with the natural environment.”

But are the Aragonese Mountains the only place to see cyclists flying along their scenic routes? Yes, it is something that has been seen in the Aragonese Pyrenees in recent years, according to Altitude Rides, a company in Spain dedicated to this activity. The website offers routes via the aforementioned Punta Suelza, the Cotiella massif and the Sierra Negra.

The situation is similar outside national borders, and social protests in defense of natural areas are constantly repeating themselves. While mountains in France and Germany are protected from this practice, citizens in Italy are struggling to reduce this use of bicycles. Yes, it is more common in New Zealand, where the sport is more common than in the European countries mentioned above. In the heart of the continent, Switzerland, cycling is giving way to another trend, heliskiing, which combines ascending by helicopter and descending on skis.

Effect and distribution helicopter It reaches the region in Aragon through many different ways. The first is that there are endangered species such as bearded vulture, capercaillie or capercaillie in the area where it is applied. Programs for the protection and rescue of this last animal are being carried out in the Pyrenees. The arrival of helicopters, especially from June onwards and in the summer months, disrupts the breeding season of these birds and causes areas with great natural riches, which have become a strong tourist focus, to become even more crowded.

Secondly, soil and vegetation also suffer as roads have to be prepared for the powerful descents made by cyclists, avoiding irregularities and eroding the terrain. Therefore, the lands of the Pyrenees are experiencing a constant process of renewal after these intervention missions on the roads.

political issue

problem in the past weeks helicopter It reached community politics in the Aragonese Pyrenees. The Aragonese Government’s filing of a file against the nature conservation officer mobilized some of the opposition.

Both Izquierda Unida and Chunta Aragonesista strengthened their positions by expressing solidarity with the APN file and demanding that the regional administration close the file and archive the case. Something that hasn’t happened yet and the case continues its course.. The UGT union also stated that it rejected the file on the agent of nature and warned that a “precedent” would be set for this institution, which is being investigated for allegedly “doing its duty” according to the union organization.

IU referred various questions to the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Manuel Blasco, regarding the course of action for the next plenary session in the Cortes of Aragon, the development of a procedure and how this sport is handled.