Line 2, The Review - Crossing the Pyrenees on Ski Touring

48 days, 736 kilometers, and 45,772 meters of elevation gain. These are the figures for an extraordinary adventure: the crossing of the Pyrenees on ski touring, undertaken by three members of the Lagoped Family, Lucas, Paul, and Luc. Setting off in the middle of winter, this trio of mountaineers braved extreme weather conditions, savored unforgettable descents, and discovered a land where nature reigns supreme. After their return, they share their raw account, full of emotion and lasting memories.

Lucas, Paul, and Luc's adventure began in a climate of great solitude. From the very first stages, the Pyrenean mountains revealed themselves to be wilder than they had imagined. Unlike the Alps, where parking lots at the foot of the valleys are often full, the vast expanses of the Pyrenees offered total isolation. Their route took them to Les Encantats, a true ski touring paradise, where they were able to ski through open valleys and steep couloirs under a brilliant sun. But, on the horizon, a change of scenery was already looming: the Aneto was covered in threatening clouds.

Les Encantats, a ski touring paradise, at the gateway to the Aneto. The terrain is ideal, with wide valleys and steep couloirs, and everyone had raved about its merits. With the alpine instinct, we imagined the parking lots completely full at the start of the valleys. But we still had a lot to learn about the Pyrenees: with no trace of anything on the horizon, solitude invaded us even more. The wild Encantats opened their doors to us under a magnificent sun. But, we knew, the hardest part was yet to come: in the distance, the Aneto massif was already beginning to adorn itself with gray clouds, announcing the return of cold and snow.

Then came eight days of bad weather, wind, and snow. So, eight more tense days. The main characteristic of a traverse is to be in the mountains every day, for better or for worse. When the snow falls and the wind blows, the snow risk increases: he still has to move forward. So we moved forward tentatively, abandoning the ascent of Aneto, adapting our itinerary, and sometimes playing our luck to get through mandatory passes laden with fresh, windblown snow. But despite everything, we avoided the avalanches and reached the Piau Engaly resort where we met up with three friends, Adélie, Corentin, and Lilian.

With them, we rediscovered the sun and warmth. It was in a springtime atmosphere that we crossed the Hautes-Pyrénées, a stage crowned by the ascent of the highest French peak in the Pyrenees, the Vignemale. This nine-day sequence for six people will remain as one of the most beautiful stages of our crossing, under the sign of sun, laughter, and carefreeness. The presence of our friends was for the three of us a breath of fresh air, taking us out of our routine, and even after their departure, our motivation was increased tenfold.

Adélie, Corentin, and Lilian then left us at the Col du Somport, and the three of us set off on our last days of skiing. Three days of varied landscapes, between the red rocks of Pic d'Arlet and the Lapiaz of La Pierre Saint-Martin. It was there that we made our last turns of the expedition, not without nostalgia. But above all, we were happy, feeling that the hardest part was behind us and that all that remained was to walk, skis on our bags, to the ocean.

Savoring the last days of our trip, we discovered the Basque Country, its cuisine, its welcoming inhabitants, and its equally welcoming Pottocks. These last few days also provided the opportunity for many encounters, enhanced by our comical appearance with our skis on our backs, several days' walk from the first snowfall.

Then, finally, on Thursday, March 6, we set foot on the sands of Hendaye and went for a swim, not far from the surfers amazed by the shape of our boards. These few strokes were a great joy for us, proof that we had reached the end of our adventure, and that all we had left to do was rest and reconnect with our loved ones.

It's still too early to tell, but we're certain this adventure will remain etched in our memories and we won't forget the Pyrenees. This trip offered us splendid panoramas, good skiing moments (and some not-so-good ones), great joys and long periods of doubt, profound isolation and powerful encounters. But above all, it created bonds between the three of us, as only great adventures can.

And for those who would like to relive their epic adventure, a film of their expedition is in preparation. Join us next winter to discover this incredible ski touring crossing of the Pyrenees in pictures!

This isn't the first expedition for the La Ligne team. In 2022, the friends took on a similar challenge: crossing the French Alps on ski touring and on foot from the Mediterranean Sea to Lake Geneva. A film retraces the 518 km, 36,000 m of elevation gain, and the story of their friendship.