Slippery climb
- Written by Elder Leyva
- Published in Photo story
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Ability, intelligence and resistance are qualities required for those who decide to participate in the Palo Ensebado competition. It is not easy to climb to the end. In the first moments the climb becomes difficult because of the slippery of the climb and the height of the beam. 
The competition consists of climbing up a beam of 5 to 6 meters and about 20 centimeters in diameter, stuck in the ground and smeared with grease. The fun lies in climbing and sliding, again and again, until one of the participants reaches the top and wins the prize.Palo Ensebado is also known as the cucaña, and in Naples, Italy, it was very common during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries in popular festivities, when in the middle of a public square a small artificial mountain was formed, symbolizing Vesuvius and the crater of that false volcano erupted delicacies, which people rushed to grab. In addition, it is used as religious ritual in some countries.
Another type of “Palo Ensebado " is the tree of May, as it is known in some towns of Spain. During the month of May, this is adorned with ribbons and fruits, and young girls and boys attend to have fun with dances around it. This dance of the ribbons is known throughout America, although with different names. It is performed around a stick whose upper part is hung with long ribbons, which the dancers braid while dancing and singing to their surroundings.
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean have it as fun inherited from the Spaniards. In our country, in every popular festival that takes place in the mountainous communities, the peasants enjoy this "slippery competition", which makes them enjoy and at the same time win some prizes.
