Los Arriero’s: The Original Mountainmen Of México p.22

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NorCal’s Finest Beaches p.4

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Arrieros as a Culture Equipped with a burro, canteens filled with water, huevos for the road, and a torch, my grandfather would trot into the darkness of the Jaliscan wilder-ness. This was the way of the arrieros, men who transported merchan-dise from one place to another by mule. Farm-ers would trust them to export their sugar, rice, clothes, and other goods to far-away towns for trade. Other times, townspeople would ask them to bring medi-cine to sick relatives. In the isolated pueblos of Jalisco, arrieros were the link to the world beyond their adobe walls. My grandfather, Apolinar Garcia Vil-lavicencio was born in Ejutla, Jalisco in 1912. He was five years old when his father taught him how to properly load a burro. He would accompany him on mis-sions with herds of up to 5 mules, each loaded with 125lbs of merchan-dise in their packs. When he was older his light skin and blue eyes earned him the nickname El Huero,

a slang term for white man. People trusted him with their personal errands. After all, El Huero knew the ins and outs of the Jaliscan Mountains; he could lead you to Guadalajara, the state’s biggest city and cultural epicenter, solely guided by the night sky. When the sun de-scended into the Pacific blue of Mexico, he would tie the mules to a tree, build a makeshift bed out of nearby branches, and turn in for the night. The darkness was home to the biggest threats to arrieros in Jalisco: pumas, venomous scor-pions, rattlesnakes, jaguars, and mountain lions were often encoun-tered in the backcountry. The arrieros’ respect for nature is what set him apart from all other types of explorers of the time. They knew they were at the mercy of the natural world. The natural world however, wasn’t the only thing that deprived the arrieros of sleep. Thieves would also know the trails the ar-rieros would travel. They would kill the mountain men and steal their bur-

ros. Mexican arrieros were sustained by their faith. They would pray to Saint Peter who was considered the guard-ian of all travelers. The prayer, “La Sombra De San Pedro” (The Shad-ow of Saint Peter), asks Saint Peter to protect them from any assault they may encounter on the trail. When an arri-

ero didn’t return home, however, people could only speculate what be-came of him. The Cristero War When Plutarco Elías Calles was elected president in 1924, his atheist views influenced an anti-clerical senti-ment that escalated into a bloody war. The Cris-

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teros were a group of clergymen who took up arms against the Calles government to achieve religious freedom. Calles, an atheist, had placed many restrictions on the Roman Catho-lic Church and priests and other leaders of the cause rebelled against his government. In 1927, the war

The original

Mountainmen

Of MéxicoBy Tonatiuh García

“Arriero” Photo By Tonatiuh García

began. Fighting on lim-ited supplies, the rebels would raid trains and towns for money and weapons. Many civil-ians died in the crossfire. The soldiers often raped women when they came through town. It was during this time that my grandfather, and the other arrieros in war-stricken states became the village watchmen. My grandfather would hike into the wilderness, spy on the rebels and warn the people of his

town when they were heading their way. What were once trade routes placed by arrieros be-came places of ambush for the Cristeros’ guer-rilla tactics against the government army. The Church and government eventually came to a compromise and slowly, the rebel-lion died. The war had claimed the lives of al-most 100,000 people. The arriero trails were once again open for business after the war.

A Dying Culture

Equipped with a backpack, CamelBak, granola bars, and a zero-degree sleeping bag, I hike into the forests of California. I rely on the freedom that the woods give me like a bird trusts the direction of the wind. As an aspiring journalist studying at California Polytechnic Univer-sity San Luis Obispo, I am involved in extra-curricular activities that include being a guide for

our outdoor adventure club Poly Escapes. What was once a means of sur-vival and income for my grandfather has become a pastime activity that brings me relaxation and self-realization. Today, there is an entire industry built on the outdoor lifestyle. Companies cater to the needs of mountaineers, rock-climbers, mountain bikers, and hikers like me who live for the next view. Torches are re-placed with headlamps;

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Mules would carry sugar,coffee, corn, agavee, and otheritems for trade and sale.

Burros drink less water and can go longer withoutit than horses.

Burros were brought to America by the SpanishSettlers in the 1500s

Burros can live to the ripeage of 60, although a 40-year-old is considered elderly

our outdoor adventure club Poly Escapes. What was once a means of sur-vival and income for my grandfather has become a pastime activity that brings me relaxation and self-realization. Today, there is an entire industry built on the outdoor lifestyle. Companies cater to the needs of mountaineers, rock-climbers, mountain bikers, and hikers like me who live for the next view. Torches are re-placed with headlamps;

makeshift shelters are now insulated tents; ad-venture stories are now captured by the cam-era lens and not solely handed down through word-of-mouth. With the ad-vancement of technol-ogy and the creation of roads, arrieros are a dying breed. The culture surrounding this group of men is slowly being drowned out by the use of Global Positioning Systems and satellite phones. One thing that lives on however is their respect for nature. The same sights that took the breath of so many ar-rieros in Jalisco continue to inspire a love for the outdoors. Trails that the arrieros built are still traveled in some parts of Mexico. Whether it’s

the diverse wildlife, or a glimpse of Tzapoté-petl, the volcano that separates Jalisco from Colima, my home state, the outdoors have a way of bringing people back to their most primitive state of admiration and joy. I never met my grandfather; he died of cancer in 1985. He eventually married my grandmother, who he met on one of his excur-sions to the west side of Jalisco. He had 13 children one of which is my mother. He always recited the sayings he learned as an arriero until his last breath; this is a habit that transpired into my mother’s philos-ophy on life. The sayings eventually became the mantras I use when I’m

leading a group into the arms of nature. The culture of the arrieros will be buried by the past. Technol-ogy, and new forms of outdoor exploration will bring new types of culture to the world. By learning the virtues expressed by these men however, we can contin-ue to appreciate nature as they did regardless of the technologies that now protect us from some of the dangers of the natural world. As an arriero saying states, “Es mejor volver atrás, que perderse en el camino.” It’s better to turn back, than get lost on the trail. Their teachings of the past, can guide nature-loving individuals into the future.

25“Tzapotépetl” Photo By Tonatiuh García

Burros drink less water and can go longer withoutit than horses.