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2 Commenti a “GORGS 2007 in Spain:1’st International Canyoneering Congress”

1. laura samso scrive:
   18 Giugno 2007 alle 08:42

   GORGS 2007, a shared success for the FEEC and the FCE

   The IV International Canyoning Meeting, GORGS 2007, took place from 1st to 3rd June in Tremp (Lleida). For the first time, this event was organised jointly by the Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya (FEEC) and the Federació Catalana d’Espeleologia (FCE) . About 340 canyoners came to explore the region’s canyons and take part in the programmed activities, including the 1st International Canyoning Congress.

   We had perfect canyoning weather for the entire three days, with lots of sun and just the right amount of water, thanks to the recent rainfall. Participants came from all over Catalonia, Madrid, Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Andalusia, France, Germany and Brazil and the most popular canyons were Viu de Llevata, les Espones, Sant Genís and el Diablo, Llenguadera, Moró, Serradell, l’Infern, Sant Pere and Gurb.

   Information on these canyons is given in the guide prepared and written specially for the event by the FEEC and the FCE, and sponsored by Petzl, Kordas, Canyoning Club Punto Límite and the Consell Comarcal del Pallars Jussà . This guide is a compilation of previously published information and the authors kindly gave us permission to re-use it for Gorgs 2007.

   The nerve centre of the event was the Museu de les Ciències Naturals de Tremp , where films were shown and the 1st International Gorge walking and Canyoning Conference took place. The stands were set up just outside the museum, where Kordas, Resurgence, Petzl and Roc Roi displayed the latest in canyoning equipment. The Librería Central de Tremp also had a stand dedicated to books and leaflets on mountaineering, and the FEEC set up a climbing pyramid so that youngsters could try their hand at rock climbing, supervised by instructors.

   The organisation team were extremely positive about this 5th edition of Gorgs. Joan Lluís Haro, spokesman for the Comité Català de Descenso de Barrancos and the driving force behind the event together with Laura Samsó, and Xavier Arregui, Head of the Departamento de Descenso de Cañones y Barrancos de la FCE , emphasised the new record number of participants and really took on board the way forward for the association: “This year, we have really seen what canyoners hope to find at Gorgs, and we are going to continue to work on this next year. What they are seeking is to come here, go canyoning, eat with friends, meet people from other places who share the same passion, see the films and exchange experiences and techniques”.

   At the opening ceremony on Friday 1st June, both the President of the FCE, Hilari Moreno, and the President of the FEEC, Anton Fontdevila, expressed their satisfaction to see the two associations working together – a collaboration consolidated 27 years after the creation of the associations, thanks to the good relations between them and to the agreement signed in November 2006. Jordi Castells, Sports director for Tremp Town Council, also extended a warm welcome to all participants and invited them to discover the region and its canyons, and to return to Tremp in the future.

   1st International Gorge walking and Canyoning Conference

   The Museo de las Ciencias Naturales de Tremp also hosted the 1st International Gorge walking and Canyoning Conference, which included a number of round table discussions. For Joan Lluís Haro, Xavier Arregui and Laura Samsó, “in terms of the very fruitful private round table discussions with guest organisations, the Conference was a real success. However, the round tables and conferences open to the public were less productive, and we would like to see more active involvement from participants in the future”.

   Another step towards harmonising the technical classification of canyons and gorges

   One of the key moments of this edition of GORGS 2007 was during the round table discussion dedicated to the technical classification of canyons and gorges, attended by Joan Lluís Haro, on behalf of the Comitè Català de Descens de Barrancs de la FEEC, Xavier Arregui, Responsable del Departamento de Descenso de Cañones y Barrancos de la FCE, Stephan Barragué, representative from the Comité Sportif Canyon Federation Française de la Montagne et de l’Escalade (FFME), Stefan Hofmann, President of the Comission International de Canyon (CIC), Laurent Poublan (Vice-President of the FFS) and François de Miguel (FFS), Rafael Britto from the Associaçao Brasileira Canonismo (AB Canyon), Antonio Monje, representative from the Escuela Española de Alta Montaña de la FEDME , Fernando Caro, Javier Moros and Mario Gisbert, the first two representing the Comisión de Barrancos and the Speleorescue coordinator from the Federación Aragonesa de Espeleología (FAE) , Carmelo Nateras, Director of the Canyoning section of the Federación Andaluza de Montaña (FAM) , Amparo Pérez y Pablo Gómez, coordinator of Monitors and Director of the Escuela de la Federación de Espeleología de la Comunidad Valenciana (FECV) and Núria Perramon, from the Escuela de Técnicos del Valle de Aran.

   In the first part of the meeting Joan Lluís Haro and Xavier Arregui announced the agreement between the FEEC and FCE to follow the French technical classification system for gorges and canyons, which is based on ratings of verticality, water (volume/current), risk (seriousness) and time or grade of the gorge or canyon.

   FEEC and FCE committed themselves to ensuring that the rest of the associations in Spain receive full documentation on this issue so that the agreement can be extended with a view to harmonising the technical classification system, and thereby manage the speedy development of this sports discipline. The different representatives spoke in turn to express their concerns and ask questions. Once they receive the documentation, new discussions will be held on the subject.

   Stefan Hofmann and the CIC

   GORGS 2007 was privileged to welcome the President of the International Canyoning Commission (CIC) Stefan Hofmann, who explored the Viu de Llevata canyon, among others.

   As well as enjoying the event’s films and programme of activities, Hofmann had a very clear objective in Tremp: to explain the working conditions of CIC canyoning guides in different European countries and the difficulties that they come up against. This discussion was attended by the same representatives who attended the technical classification meeting.

   Hofmann gave a brief recap of all the countries in which he has attempted to develop his training programme - accepted in some cases and rejected in others. The president of the CIC has already spent 12 years fighting a case notably for the situation in France concerning the French Ministry of Youth and Sports, which was finally brought before the court in Strasbourg.

   The Ministry of Youth and Sports, one of the departments of the French Ministry of Sports, has vetoed the guides belonging to the CIC, and asked this organisation to prove the effectiveness of its training system. In spite of this, it has systematically refused to respond to the requests of the CIC, which considers that even comparing the different training systems, the verdict will fall to their advantage.

   For Stefan Hofmann, the Ministry of Youth and Sports is playing for time, and for this reason, they may lose the case.

   The important point is that as of last year, the Strasbourg Court has five years to decide and issue a sentence that could set a precedent in this type of dispute, and which, furthermore, would smooth the way for other mountain sports disciplines, like the case of the High Mountain Guides.

   Special acknowledgements and closure of the event

   On the evening of Saturday 2nd June, after an intensive day of canyon scrambling, talks and films, the largest event in GORGS took place when over three hundred participants attended the dinner offered by the organisation.

   Before the meal, special prizes were awarded by Hilari Moreno, President of the FCE, Francesc Guillamón, Vice-President of the FEEC, Joan Lluís Haro and Laura Samsó, organisers and members of the Comitè Català de Descenso de Barrancos (Comite Canyon) de la FEEC, Xavi Pont, President of the Consell Comarcal del Pallars Jussà, Lourdes Cervera, Vice-President of the Consell Comarcal, and Romano Perotto, regional coordinator of the AIC (Associazione Italiana Canyoning) .

   The award ceremony began with special thanks to the children who have attended all the GORGS events with their parents. The rest of the prizes were awarded as follows:
   - For his work in promoting canyoning: Enrique Salamero
   - International Veteran 2007: Jacques Cohen
   - Club recognised for its training efforts: Espeleo Grup Anoia (EGAN)
   - Best Film: Waterforce, Juan Carlos Romera, for its quality.
   - Organisation that has made the largest contribution to promoting canyoning: Barrabés
   - To the regional institutions: Tremp Town Council and the Regional Council of Pallars Jussà.

   The evening ended with a live concert given by the group “The Next Club”.

   On Sunday 3rd June, members of the FEEC and FCE worked together to close down the event that they had organised, and at the doors of the museum, the personnel running the equipment stands shut up shop…until next year.

   Information provided by the Comitè Català de Descens de Barrancs

2. Laura Samsó scrive:
   20 Dicembre 2007 alle 15:57

   Gorgs08, Vth International Canyoneering Meeting and II International Canyoneering Congress

   The Comitè Canyon from FEEC (Federació d’ Entitats Excursionistes de Cataluña) and the FCE (Federació Catalana d’Espeleologia), have already began working in the organization of the Vth edition of Gorgs, that shall take place at the end of May, in the area of Ports, Tarragona (Spain). Gorgs is the International Canyoneering Meeting event that was born in 2004 with the target of knowing the canyoneers, professionals and beginners, no exclusions.

   Gorgs 2007 was a succes with 341 participants, it took place in Tremp (Lérida) and by the 1st time in Spain it was co organized with the FCE (Federació Catalana d’Espeleologia).

   In parallel it will take place the II International CAnyoneering Congress, with a good number of proposals including technical and scientific conferences.They will take place during 23,24 and 25 May.

   The dates to present proposals for projections, conferences, etc are already open.

   If you wish to participate, please write to: barrancs@feec.org.

   http://www.feec.org/Activitats/barrancs/gorgs.php?g_lang=en

   This year FEEC also co organizes the RIC of the Vercors 2008.

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