Miguel de la Rosa has been practicing motocross for 30 years and has been in the Enduro discipline for about six years. He got on a machine with 5 to take over from his father, the pilot Pablo de la Rosa, with more than four decades of experience. Remember that “to compete we must do so in limited places, as well as submit an environmental impact study and meet other requirements.”
De la Rosa values that «with a single circuit, that of San Miguel, it is very difficult to develop this hobby with thousands of practitioners. We are doing one in La Medida (Güímar) and there are multiple requests to use it ».
«We like nature as much as motorcycles and that is why we respect it to the fullest»
Value that «He has taken the Mota Table from us, in La Laguna, because some unscrupulous have taken advantage of the fans of others and we do not see good to pay just for sinners ». This pilot also warns that “of the 2,000 kilometers of tracks and natural spaces on the Island, only 200 are enabled. It is necessary to request a permit from the Cabildo and there is a maximum capacity for 150 people in a day, although it is not usual to reach that amount ”. He summarizes: “We are controlled a lot, perhaps too much.” On the other side of the scale, he puts the fact that “we enduro like nature very much, in equal parts with the motorcycle, and that is why we respect it”. He recalls the work of his father and other colleagues during the great fire in Tenerife in 1995 when “they played an important role. From carrying snacks to participating in rescues. He says that “as a father one goes out every Saturday without failing to the mountain. My mother already has it very accepted ».
The main meeting point for motoring enthusiasts in the nature of the Island «is Las Lagunetas on a Saturday morning. Walkers, horses, bicycles or motorcycles gather there ”.
De la Rosa is clear that “there are always those who do not comply with the rules, in this group and in everyone. It makes me very angry that with their attitude they harm us all, as shown by what happened with the Mesa Mota ». In this regard, he points out: “The endurance drivers have noise correctors and tires, although they are more expensive, that respect the terrain.”
The driver considers that almost all of us are over 35 years of age and with exceptions with furnished heads united by the illusion of reaching where the car does not. We do not like or allow illegal actions in the mountains and if we see them we denounce them ».
Migue remembers the main routes of the insular Enduro: “The one from the north to Mount Teide, the one from the south and the one that, along the El Rayo track, leads from Las Lagunetas to La Matanza.” He adds that only in the Enduro in an organized way there are about 50, but in total there can be more than 300 habitual practitioners on the Island ».
De la Rosa concludes: “We try to be respectful on the road and always go to the right. Perhaps for the quads it is more difficult because of their width but I see that, in general, they also respect the rules.
He insists that “you have to remember that fire in 1995 and the attitude of the people of Endurance because it is our philosophy that they count on us and that before prohibiting they dedicate themselves to regulating. And that they remember that we are older people who advise the younger ones not to do what they should not do on the road.
«There are those who go out to the mountains to enjoy themselves and those who go out to play the fool between spinning tops»
Between quads and roads
Miriam Gutiérrez Palmés is 30 years old. It’s only been four years since she has seen her dream come true as a child: having a quad bike. Together with other colleagues and friends with whom he shares a passion andIt is a regular in the mountains of the Island. He knows that the hurricane is in the eye for the alleged attacks on the environment. It does not deny them but it does deny that it is something generalized. In this regard, he points out: «We are not criminals. We pay the registration and insurance, we pass the ITV, pollution or noise controls. And he adds: “When we meet someone we slow down and stop to help a cyclist, a hiker or whoever needs it. It is our way of acting.
La Vica, El Rayo, Cuatro Caminos, Las Lagunetas, Las Goteras, Barranco Hondo … They are some of the few forest tracks on which quads are allowed.. Miriam estimates that on special occasions a hundred fans can gather at the same time. It rejects the stigma because “it is not fair. They say we kick up dust, but just like any other vehicle when the ground is dry. No more no less. But there are those who do not go to the mountains to enjoy a walk but to play dumb with the tops. I can make mistakes but it’s not fair to blame us for everything. He concludes: «How can I not respect nature if my father works in the Environment. I have not other”.
“The mountain belongs to everyone”
In the open debate this week on the use of natural spaces after the plenary agreement of the Cabildo there are other opinions among the regulars of the island nature. These sources affirm that “the mountain, the beach or the mountain belong to everyone.” And they wonder: «Can you imagine that only the residents of that place could circulate in a specific place? No right Well, it’s the same ». They conclude that “as we continue to want to regulate-prohibit everything, we will be left with a society from another era which, precisely, is the one they want to erase.” From this perspective, they understand that “this debate, which we do not want to feed, is only of interest to urbanites.” They consider it “tiresome” and value that “so many people think.” They argue that these groups “generate a lot of economic movement in the towns. What is generated any discomfort? Well, hold on ». A way of seeing it as valid as any other.
