Escape! This Summer With Pyrenees Mountain Adventure

During August this year Escape! with Pyrenees Mountain Adventure. 
Pyrenees Mountain Adventure offers you the chance to follow in the footsteps of allied airmen escaping from Nazi occupied territory during World War 2 by trekking the Freedom Trail (le Chemin de la Liberté in French.) 
This is a tough trek in the beautiful, wild mountains of the Pyrenees.

There are 3 itineraries on offer to match the time you have available.

Price includes:

All guiding with qualified, British trek leader (International Mountain Leader - IML) with very good experience of leading groups on the trek.

Private transfer back to Hotel Eychenne, St Girons from the end of the trek in Spain.

Full board (hot evening meal, breakfast and packed lunch) in mountain refuge and/or gite (depending on the length of trek chosen.)

Hot showers and dormitory style accommodation. For 4 and 5 day trek - one night in shelter without warden. Minimal facilities. No food.

Price does not include accommodation before and after the trek.

2 Day Freedom Trail 250 euros per person.

18th and 19th July

8th and 9th August

22nd and 23rd August

12th and 13th September

4 Day Freedom Trail 390 euros per person

2nd August – 5th August

28 th – 31st August

5 Day Freedom Trail 500 euros per person.

15th – 19th August

The trek is strenuous (6 to 8 hours of trekking per day) over sometimes rough terrain. You will enjoy it more if you have had some previous experience of mountain walking.

Meeting point: 8.30 am Hotel Eychenne, St Girons. 
Dispersal point: 8 pm Hotel Eychenne, St Girons.

For more information or to suggest other dates that work for you, contact Paul 06 52 06 12 50 pyreneesmountainadventure@hotmail.com

Looking Ahead - What Does This Summer Have in Store?

Spring has arrived and with the rising temperatures, the snow on the summits and high cols in the Pyrenees has begun to melt. With the first bookings of the year being taken for summer treks I find myself looking forward in anticipation. What does this summer have in store? If it is like any other summer in the Pyrenees with Pyrenees Mountain Adventure........

Chemin de la Liberté/Freedom Trail -Top 10 Magic Mountain Moments (Summer 2013)

Yesterday it was grey and overcast and the rain did not stop. I found myself thinking back to the Pyrenees Mountain Adventure treks this summer along the Chemin de la Liberté/Freedom Trail. Four groups attempted to cross the Pyrenees mountains and everyone who started made it into Spain.

Here are my top 10 favourite magic mountain moments from the four treks. They are in no particular order:

1. The Border Crossing. Starting from St Girons, the border is crossed on day 4. After much effort, hardship and determination we are at the border and can pass from France into Spain. A great moment for everyone who made the crossing.

2. Polly Bagging. Sliding down a safe snow slope using a large plastic bag as a tobogan. This was great fun and an ideal way to release the tension that had built up descending the steep snow slope directly below the border.

3. Louis Barrau Memorial. Killed by the Nazis aged 18, a memorial has been erected by the barn where he was shot. Someone picked wild flowers from the meadow next to the barn and placed them on the memorial. They had a son of similar age. A beautiful gesture in a beautiful setting.

4. The Scenery. It is not just the spectacular scenery of which there is plenty.......

.........it is the group finding the time to stop, look up and enjoy the views. To soak up the scenery they were immersed in.

5. The Silence. Ten minutes silence at the border. No wind, no words. Time too reflect. 'Find beauty; be still.' We had. We were.

6. The Shadows. Griffon vultures flying above us, close enough to cast shadows that raced across the ground where we were.


7. The Summit. Only one group chose the optional extra day at Refuge Estagnous to ascend Mont Valier which dominates day 3 and 4 of the trek. The weather was grey and overcast. Visibility was poor and it was cold. Having reached the summit, the clouds parted and for a short time we were rewarded with tremendous views.

A similar thing happened with the same group the day before. Starting out in poor weather, we eventually find ourselves above the cloud and out of trouble.

8. The Support. The Chemin de la Liberté/Freedom Trail  is tough. It was great to see the shared hardship brings people together. I saw new friendships form and old friendships strengthened. I saw kindness and care. People helping each other through difficult times - whether a difficult section of path, a drop in morale or fatigue.

9. The Storm. At Refruge Estagnous, which is spectacularly located in the high mountains, the sunsets can be unforgettable. What was more memorable for me happened after most people had returned inside after the sun had set. In the fading light, far in the distance, dark storm clouds were being illuminated from inside by lightning but because of the distance the thunder could not be heard.

10. The Omelette. At the Gite de Rouze I had an omelette with wild, girolle mushrooms picked from the local forest. I know that at the end of a hard days walking any food tastes good but the best omelette ever!

Thanks to everyone who trekked with Pyrenees Mountain Adventure along the Chemin de la Liberté/Freedom Trail in 2013. It was a pleasure to share the journey with you.

Double Boost For Green Travel This Winter

Pyrenees Mountain Adventure holidays are either based in Planès or start and finish there.  Planès is on the Perpignan - Latour de Carol bus route. It is also on the Little Yellow Train 'tourist' railway  route that connects with the Villfranche - Perpignan main line at Villfranche.

Train Line from Perpignan to Latour de Carol

Perpignan to Mont Louis is about 80km. Here are the amounts of CO2 produced by different travel methods based on figures from Tansport Direct. It is assumed that only 2 people are travelling in the cars. Visit the site to play around with the number of occupants in the car to see how the CO2 emmisions per person change.

Transport	CO2 Emissions
Small Car	5.1 kg  of CO2 per passenger with 2  occupant(s)
Large Car	10.3 kg  of CO2 per passenger with 2  occupant(s)
Train	4.3 kg  of CO2 per passenger
Coach	2.4 kg  of CO2 per passenger

From the figures, public transport is a  more environmentally friendly way of travelling than by car.

One of the arguments that people use to justify staying in their cars and not using public transport is that public transport is too expensive? 'If only it were cheaper'. The Pyrenees-Orientales département (county) has just announced that all train journeys on the regular SNCF state run network in the département are now 1 euro. This follows the move in 2008 to make all bus journeys 1 euro.

Other good news is that during the winter season (11th December to 18th March) the price of using the Little Yellow Train 'tourist' railway has also been reduced. You can travel to any station along the line, from any  other SNCF station in the Pyrenees-Orientales for 10 euros. Free bus transfers are available from certain stations to nearby ski resorts.

If you have booked a Pyrenees Mountain Adventure winter snowshoeing holiday then you can make the journey from Perpignan on public transport for as little as 1 euro on the bus or 10 euros on the train. You would only need a short taxi ride from Mont Louis to Planès to complete your journey.

In the summer, the cheapest way to arrive for a Pyrenees Mountain Adventure holiday would be by bus for 1 euro. However I would recommend a bus to Villfranche and then picking up the Little Yellow Train from there to Mont Louis.

As well as saving money by making the Perpignan - Mont Louis transfer by public transport, you have also reduced the carbon footprint of your holiday.

The Pyrenees Mountain Adventure team are happy to help you plan and make the transfer by public transport and will even accompany you on your transfer (at no additional cost) to make sure that everything runs smoothly.

Green Ski Resorts

If you are planning to ski this winter and want help choosing a greener ski resort, there are several helpful sources of information available.

  

British Ski Club Guide to Greener Resorts

 Mountain Riders Eco Guide to Mountain Resorts

 

Still want to enjoy the mountains in winter but not happy with the environmental impact of the skiing industry? Try a snow shoeing holiday! As well as making less of an impact than skiing, snowshoeing is cheaper and easier. Snowshoeing away from the resorts and prepared runs is also less crowded and more peaceful. See a different side to the mountains in winter. Come and join a Pyrenees Mountain Adventure snowshoeing week and make your own fresh  tracks in the snow. 

 

 

 

All Things Snow and Avalanche

Today was spent in the Meteo France lecture theatre in Toulouse for my annual refresher on all things snow and avalanche. A great way to prepare for the coming winter season.

Hosted by ANENA (National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanches), FFME (The French Mountaineering and Climbing Federation) and The French Alpine Club, the 2011 training day was packed with useful, practical information to remind me about and reinforce previously learnt knowledge.

There were particularly good sessions on route choice and the new Meteo France avalanche bulletin  which will appear from December 12th this year. Another good talk was given by a member of Mountain Rescue on avalanche rescue.

Breathing Before Bleeding Before Bones.........

There are many advantages of hiring an International Mountain Leader (IML) when walking abroad. They can choose a suitable area based on your interests and plan a route based on your fitness level. Knowing the area well, the IML will be able to shorten or lengthen the route based on how you feel during the day. You will not have to worry about route finding and map reading and can relax and enjoy the scenery. The IML will also look after you and keep you safe. If there is an accident, all IML's are first aid trained. They can give first aid on the spot and will have the language skills to organise a helicopter rescue if necessary.

Helicopter of the Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne (PGHM)

First Aid certificates must be renewed every 3 years. I spent a  hot, sunny weekend  in London earlier this month renewing my First Aid certificate. The course was run by Muir - Walker Medics and based at the Holland Park Youth Hostel. It was a wilderness first aid course with an emphasis on outdoor emergencey care for remote locations -  ideal for walkers, climbers or paddlers.

The course was well run and good fun, with lots of relevant scenarios and 'hands on' practice of skills.Thanks to all those present who helped make it so enjoyable. I still have fond memories of having my neck and head immobolised and the emergencey stretcher evacuation race which happily did not lead to a real first aid incident!




Helicopter Photo: http://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2010/02/06/771261-Aston-Le-patissier-retrouve-mort-en-montagne.html 

Muir - Walker Medics Coop: Wilderness First Aid Courses

Price Reductions

Pyrenees Mountain Adventure offers guided summer walking and winter snowshoeing holidays in the Catalan Pyrenees Regional Nature Park. The price for the 7 night Summer Walking holiday, which is based at en eco-friendly trailside lodge and has guided walks on 5 of the 6 full days, has been reduced to £600.

Follow the link for more information about the summer walking holiday run by Pyrenees Mountain Adventure.

Come and explore the sun kissed Eastern Pyrenees with me this summer.

Stunning Scenery

Fun and Friendship

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.- Paul Dudley White

Holiday Dates 2011

Pyrenees Mountain Adventure has published the dates for the Summer Walking Holidays it will offer in 2011. The dates are:

July 13 – 20
July 27 - August 3                               
August 10 - 17                                     
August 24 - 31                                     
September 28 - October 5


For more information about the holidays and how to book: www.pyreneesmountainadventure.com

Other Dates For Your Diary:

9th January. National Snowshoe Day.
2nd February.  Festival of the Bear, Prats de Mollo.
April 15th – 23rd. Religious Music Festival, Perpignan.
June. Transhumance Festival, Pyrenees wide. Cows, sheep and horses take to the roads and tracks to climb to the high summer pastures.
23rd June Midsummer Day/Feast of St John. Fire lit on the summit of Pic Canigou.
Last Sunday in June. Smugglers walk Osséja.
Penultimate Sunday in July. Sheep dog trails in Osséja.
31st July - 7th August. Vernet Les Bains Festival. Includes the Vernet - Canigou summit - Vernet walk (6th August) and race (7th August). 34km, +4268m height gain.
3rd week in August. Merens Horse Fair, Bouan, Ariege.
15/16th October. Grape Harvest Festival, Banyuls sur Mer.
5th November. Horse Fair, Puigcerda.

“Modern travelling is not travelling at all; it is merely being sent to a place, and very little different from becoming a parcel.” John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2011

Paul

'Find beauty; be still' W H Murray (1913 - 1996)

PMA Website Is Live

The Pyrenes Mountain Adventure website went live last week. The site showcases the environmentally friendly holidays that PMA offers and highlights PMA's commitment to sustainability.

The environmentally friendly holidays that PMA offers take place in the sunny Catalan Pyrenees Regional Nature Park in the Eastern Pyrenees. Why are the holidays environmentally friendly?

• The summer walking or winter snowshoeing holidays involve no motorised transport, unless there is a vehicle transfer at the start and end of the walk.
• As several of the walks during the week start from the accommodation, vehicle transfers are reduced.
• If there is a vehicle transfer it is by public transport or local taxi firm.
• The accommodation is a trailside eco lodge with solar water heating, photo voltaic panels to generate electricity, underfloor heating, recycling, organic and/or locally produced food etc
• The owners of the lodge, have a strong commitment to sustainable practices.
• The accommodation has won awards for its environmentally friendly initiatives.
• Minimum Impact Trekking guidelines are followed when walking.
• A £100 Greener Travel Cashback is paid to those clients that travel to the Eastern Pyrenees using a method of transport that creates half or less of the CO2 emmisions a plane would creat making the equivalent journey.
• PMA's commitment to reducing its environmental footprint is a core principal. Whenever there is a choice  to be made (clothing, banking, printing, office hardware, business travel, publicity etc) it is the option that minimises the environmental footprint of the business most that is chosen. Always!

Take a look at the site here.

Enjoy your visit. I look forward to seeing you in the mountains!

Avalanche Risk

The first snow has fallen on the Pyrenees and it will not be long before the winter season starts.

I like to attend this annual training day on avalanche risk. The event put on in Toulouse, is at the start of November and I find the day a great way to prepare before the start of the winter season proper. This year, the day was hosted by the FFME, the French Mountain and Climbing Federation, in Toulouse. Last year the event was also in Toulouse but hosted by Meteo France.

The main speaker was Francois Sivardière, technical consultant on avalanches to the FFME and a former director of ANENA, Association National pour l'Etude de la Neige et des Avalanche (1994 - 2007).

The talks, including some more practical sessions about route choice, covered skills and knowledge familiar to me from my training as an International Mountain Leader, but were a valuable refresher about a subject which is crucial when looking after groups in the winter environment.

Other venues for this traing day: Chambéry/Aix les Bains (20 November), Paris (4 December) and Munster (11 December 2010). Further details here.

ANENA also run Avalanche Risk Training days. Grenoble (4 December) and Paris (11 December). Further details here.

1% for the Planet

This week Pyrenees Mountain Adventure became a proud member of 1% for the Planet.

This not for profit organistion was started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder and Managing Director of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies. It is a growing, global movement of companies that donate 1% of their sales to environmental organizations worldwide.

By 2009 the 1% for the Planet community numbered 1200 members in 38 countries. In total, over $50 million of critically needed funds has been given to non – profit environmental groups.

Members contribute one percent of revenues directly to any of the approved non-profit environmental organisations in 1%’s network. Non-profits are chosen based on referrals, track record and environmental focus. Over 1,600 non-profits worldwide are included in the 1% program.

“The shared belief that you can do well as a business by doing the right thing with respect to the environment is clearly apparent.” Terry Kellogg, Managing Director, 1% for the Planet.

To learn more about 1% for the Planet visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org

"The idea of wilderness needs no defence, it only needs defenders" Edward Abbey

"Do something for wild places and wild creatures" John Muir