Dublin men survive risky climb

RESCUE:Mad dogs and Irishmen go out in the noonday sun - in their beachwear, to climb a mountain, without adequate water or sun protection.

"A pretty stupid thing to do," was how rescuers in Marbella, Spain, described the potentially fatal risk taken by three Irish holidaymakers this week.

The three young men apparently decided to attempt to climb La Concha, a mountain overlooking Marbella, in 32-degree heat at midday. They got lost, ran out of water and began dehydrating. They used a mobile phone to contact friends in the resort, but then moved from the spot they had called from, causing rescuers to waste time searching the wrong co-ordinates. A friend of the men then decided to mount his own search effort, triggering a second rescue operation when he too got lost.

The entire rescue effort cost €25,000. It involved more than 40 rescuers, civil protection officers and police on foot, in cars and a helicopter.

The men, all from Dublin, set off from the Costa del Sol at noon on Tuesday to climb La Concha, which, at 1,215m, is the tallest mountain in the Sierra Blanca range.

Locals enjoy hiking up the mountain in cool weather, but avoid the mountain in summer, when temperatures can reach 40 degrees. La Concha, situated just north of Marbella, is what gives the resort its unique microclimate.