Call for caution after two hikers die in separate accidents at same pyrenees spot

BOTH WOMEN SLIPPED AND FELL OVER 300 METRES Two women died in separate accidents on January 1 at the same part of a well-known hiking trail in the Pyrenees mountains. They were part of

separate small groups following a trail around the pentes du Cagire (Haute-Garonne). Both died in similar circumstances at the same point of the trail. The groups - one of three people, the

other of two - were following a trail between the Col de Menté and the summit of the Cagire mountain (1912m above sea level).  The passage follows a narrow ridge along the mountainside.

Snowfall has left the ground slippery and both women slipped in the same part of the ridge and fell more than 300 metres down the mountainside. One group had been hiking before midday, with

the second following the path in the afternoon. Neither had been out in dangerous weather conditions. One of the women, aged 30, was reportedly a local to the area, the other a visitor

coming to hike.  Read more: British hiker's disappearance in France highlights importance of safety tech CAUTION URGED The same mountain rescue unit were called to both incidents and in

both cases pronounced the women dead on arrival. The mayor of the local Arguenos commune has temporarily restricted access to hiking paths around the Cagire mountain. Safety authorities

have urged anyone hiking in the Pyrenees to be extremely cautious due to the snow, which becomes hard and slippery after settling. Those who do choose to hike should have equipment such as

an ice pick or crampons. The deaths follow a number of accidents in the mountain range in 2024, including December when a 71 year-old was killed by falling rocks.  Read more: Hiker dies

after rockfall in Pyrénées mountains