Also: Brinco Canario or Salto Canario
What is The Shepherds Leap?
The Canary Islands pre-hispanic practice of the “Salto del Pastor” or The Shepherds Leap in English, is an ancient tradition unique to the Canary Islands which uses long wooden poles (known as lanza or garrote), fitted with a sharp metal point, called a regatón.
These long spears are used to overcome the deep ravines and steep cliffs of the islands. By using a garrote, between 2.5-4 metres long, practitioners of the folk sport manage to travel across the Canary Island’s rugged terrains, exploring cliffs, ravines and hard to access areas. The techniques used with the Garrote make travel look almost effortless.
Screenshots from @kevinvideomaker video on the Salto del Pastor, Instagram
Each island has a name for the stick, I use the terms from Gran Canaria as that is where my father is from – El Garrote.
La Palma – Lanza,
El Hierro – Astia,
La Gomera – Asta,
Tenerife – Lanza, Palo or Regatón
Gran Canaria – Garrote
Fuerteventura and Lanzarote – Lata
By developing a wide range of techniques in partnership with the garrote, the original shepherds and now folk sport practitioners, can facilitate quick and agile movement across extremely difficult and dangerous terrain. There are many techniques which can be used, depending on the nature of the obstacle to be cleared and if descending or ascending terrain.
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