Néou Muga, a snowy border.
This adventure is made by 2 French and 3 Spaniards united by the passion of Pyrenean skiing and sharing a bicultural experience. A 13 days story featuring skiers in the footsteps of the cross-border history of their mountain. In an approach with the lowest carbon emissions and using their gravel bikes and their skis, they will go in search of anecdotes and stories on the exchanges and links of their two countries in the high border valleys.
It will be a question of combining the passion for mountain skiing in an atmosphere steeped in history and in the conditions of our ancestors, without motorized means.
Along the paths, roads and tracks taken, we can tell the prowess of these smugglers, families or herds who crossed these mountains. It is a major challenge that has awaits us in this 13-day adventure that we have decided to start at the Lizara refuge in the east and which will take us to Catalonia in the small resort of Tavascan. This route will pass through France from Piau Engaly (65) to the Col du Portillon (31).
This crossing of nearly 550 km and will be the scene of memories and unforgettable moments. It will allow us to appreciate what a good number of people may have suffered during the passages of this line which only has meaning for politics and the economy. Despite everything, it will also be interesting to feel the effect of this zone of peace for the border inhabitants. They who live in osmosis with their symmetrical counterparts and on whom the piedmont has little influence.
The theme is set: The convergence of the adventure of our riders and the history of those who have passed here. One mountain range, two countries, one border, one link: THE PYRENEES
TEAM
We were 3 skiers (Marcos, Mike & Romain) and two cameramen (Dani & Jesus). The idea was planned by Mike, who already knew everyone on the team, but the interesting thing was that some of them just knew each other from two- or three-days skiing together, not more. It was part of the challenge. Mixing a French – Spaniard team, who most of them do not speak the language of each other and go on an adventure between the border of two countries where everyone will be able to show part of the history and spots of his country. An exchange of values and moments between all of us apart all that we lived and learned on the trip itself.
“Mike speaking”: I remember when I called everyone on the team, especially Marcos and Romain to tell them the idea of crossing all the central Pyrenees by our own, just by bike and ski. They told me that I was crazy, there is no way we can do it, it’s a 13–15-day trip nonstop combining everyday two activities of skiing and cycling. 10h of physical activity every day “¡¿Do you realize the training we need?!
I told them that they had two months to train hard, because the first sponsors: ORBEA and MAJESTY are in and there is no way back. We are going to make it and enjoy it.
They started laughing and told me “Okay, let’s make it!” That how it’s started…
THE APPROACH
We decided to take more alternative approach and make all the trip only by ourselves, without motorized ways, minimizing the carbon emission. It is why Orbea gave us 3 gravel bicycles where we carried all our equipment during these 13 days. For the cameramen they didn’t have more options that taking a van for all the trip because it was impossible for them to do the same with all the media & video stuff (Cameras, drones, batteries...) We also wanted to visit iconic areas that are marked in the history, the Pyrenees have delivered a lot of exchanges between French and Spain during a lot of years and difficult situations. Now that is a land of peace we went after our ancestors footsteps mixing our passions to try to understand the best what happened in every place we will stay and ski.
The Pyrenees has captured the imagination for thousands of years. With its rugged, breathtaking landscape it is difficult not to see where myth and mystery abound in its snowy peaks. In fact, some of the most well known myths of the Pyrenees actually revolves around the creation of the mountains themselves.In one version of the tale: “Pyrene was the daughter of King Bebrycius, and lover of the Greek hero Hercules. She gave birth to a serpent like monster and was so terrified she fled into the woods where she died. Stricken by grief, Heracles built a tomb by piling rocks on top of one another, and this became the Pyrenees mountains, named after his love.” « The Pyrenees were the first mountains that man faced. The legend says that Roldán, a knight of Carlo Magno in the Middle Ages, was persecuted in France so he fled. In Marboré, seeing that the mountains blocked the road, he used his sword Durandal to make a huge cut in the mountain, now called “Roldán Gap. »
OUR HOME
Another part of the approach was the fact to know more about the fantastic garden that we have near our houses. Most of the time we are looking at the snow forecast, Instagram and other medias to see where there is snow. Spending most of the time planning trips abroad running after powder. There is something you can’t control, forecast. Why do we not explore what we have at home instead of always going far? Why we do not adapt the activities playing with the weather conditions? It was another thing we wanted to do. Discover new places but not necessary far, no matter what the snow will be, we are going to have different options to ski and enjoy the landscape. Maybe we will discover amazing places where we will be able to come back with more snow, or less and do the lines we have in mind.
One week before starting the trip the amount of snow in the Pyrenees was going down really fast and was not good, we didn’t know if we will be even able to ski some spring lines. But as we said before, you can’t control the forecast and the sky listen to us I guess. Between 30cm to 1 meter fall down in 3 days and during the night before of our departure at 5 a.m. Whouawwww what a surprise, suddenly 10 days of insanely cold were coming, can we get more lucky than that ? I don’t know.. but we will take it for sure.
I remember saying to my friends “we should buy a lotto ticket, we never know ahahha” That’s part of the Pyrenees, you can’t plan with a lot of time what is gona be, you may have 4 seasons in one day. But when the things are all in you can have the best time of your life.
DIFICULTIES & DOUBTS
In our challenge there was more than one. A lot of doubts where on our minds: How are we going to face this deeply snow fall in high peaks, avalanches, safety? How are we gone face the cold, they were predicting the coldest days of the winter with -25 degrees in some parts. How will we ride bikes on icy and snowy roads with heavy equipment and skis on it? We will have to cross a ridge skiing with the bikes on our back, almost 30kg during 6/7h?
How we are going to film all that, it is not like when you are planning to film one line, you check it before, you can even try it one month ago and then go for the show the best day with good weather and snow and have the shoot. We are going to improvise everyday depending on weather, snow, lines, body conditions.. during 13 to 15 days.
If we are honest, we didn’t know if it would be possible, but we made our best to do it and motivate each other. We are a strong team and more important, we knew each other the strong and weak points of each other which is important to make a good team. Well, if you want to know how we faced all that and succeed, have a look at the video ;).
THE JOURNEY - RESUME
We started in the city of Jaca in the Aragón region at 5 a.m and went first cycle to the Lizara refuge and ski de North-Ouest face of the Bisaurin.
Day 2: was a bike day from the Bisaurin to Astun ski resort (a long and hard one).
Day 3: we were not able to ski the couloir that we wanted because of the weather and we did some forest riding which was more safe for the team.
Day 4: it’s one to remember! Some epic scenarios will appear on the video, the day that 3 crazy guays crossed the Canal Roya ridge skiing with the bikes on our bag-pack from the Astun ski resort to the Pourtalet port (another valley). People were looking at us like “they are lost..” “why they are bringing the bikes up the mountain” well, it was hard and crazy but we made it!
Day 5: 1600 vertical slope and 28km skiing to try to ski the Retona couloir in the Tena Valley. Well, the views were spectaculars but the snow was really really hard to ski, but it is part of the game, we cannot always win. We took our bike on the afternoon to pedal 5h until Fiscal.
Day 6: bike only from Fiscal to Bielsa. “Only” it was no joke..
Day 7: we tried to ski the Comodoto in the valley of Pineta, once again the views of monte Perdido and all the valley were incredible but the wind took all the good snow away and was very icy.
Day 8: we cross the border to France, just 25km from Pineta and then … powder paradise !!! 25cm of fresh and cold powder how we like it. WHAT A DAY, we couldn’t stop of looking at all the mountains, we wanted to ski all day long but it wasn’t possible. We had to take our gravel bikes and go up to Val Louron for next day.
Day 9: another dream day of powder and blue sky, vive la france we said, sun in france is not so common during 3/4 days in a raw ahah.
Day 10: bike day drom Luchon to Vielha. We stoped in a church where the priest blessed our bikes and adventure, we couldn’t stop laughing. He was such a nice guy ! Amen
Day 11: we rode our bikes from Vielha to la Bonaigua (highest road of the ski resort of Baqueria) and we skied the Ares Pic. 3 nice couloirs with a rappel to finish the way out and go back to the bikes.
Day 12: Bonaigua to Tavascan, a long day on the bike too and we where really smocked.. our body was suffering the last days.. but week keep going, the rain was catching us!
Day 13: Tavascan Nous Voilaaaa, very happy to arrive and put the bikes in a corner ahaha. Just one day to ski and finitooo! The snow was not good there but anyway we were happy to have a beer and sit on a couch for the rest of the night.
JUST LIKE AN EASY RIDE
After two weeks we made it, we looked to each other like “did we really finish it?”. We were so stocked and happy, a lot of emotions went through this adventure. Our bodies were to the limit and we just wanted to rest few days now. We had too much good souvenirs in our minds that we didn’t know how to organize them. Imagine 13 days of magic landscapes, good snow, dreaming lines, meeting inspiring people, knowing more about the culture of both countries and leering a lot about the past generations that worked hard on those mountains. It has been an intense trip in which we learned a lot. Of course we are already looking for the next one and we have some good ideas for it, bakery is on ;). Let’s make some tasty cookies!
MAJESTY products used during the trip
The Force Spherical Black Pearl
€ 179.00
The Force Spherical XENON HD Red Garnet
€ 179.00
Pro Tour sunglasses Ultraviolet
€ 79.90
Pro Tour sunglasses Red Ruby
€ 79.90
