Mountain hikes

Spain raises the incentives for recreationists;

Faced with growing numbers of casual day-trippers who end up stranded on a mountain, several regional governments have announced that they will charge for the work involved in getting people home safe. Besides Asturias, the Basque Country, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Navarre, the Canary Islands and Cantabria have also set hourly fees that range from €30 for a 4x4 vehicle to around €2,000 for a fully equipped medical helicopter. And then there is the price of the manpower: between €30 and €40 per officer sent out to help.

Though their hearts aren't in it;

But the truth is these fees are rarely charged because they are meant more as a deterrent than as a way to collect money, notes José Luis Villaverde, director general of the Asturian justice and home affairs department. What’s more, it is very hard to prove that negligence was involved. Castilla y León has yet to charge anyone. Navarre and the Basque Country have been more aggressive, and have collected the fees 10 times each.

 Now, about the running of the bulls...