1985 TRANS PYRENEES

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1985 TRANS PYRENEES

Start date: January 1985
End date: March 1985
Start / end point: Hendaye-Portou
Total km: 600
Duration: 53 days
Challenges achieved: 4th winter crossing of the Pyrenees

PREPARATION

During the winter of 1985, between the months of January and March, Ramón Larramendi, aged 19, made his first major expedition: the first Crossing of the Pyrenees with skis from the Cantabrian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. During the adventure he was accompanied by two friends of the same age, Gabriel Cárdenas and José Bellido. In 53 days, they managed to cross the mountain range practically alone, with the risk of avalanches and snow storms.

The three expeditionary departed by foot from the beach of Hendaye, in France, loaded with about 30 kg of weight, including the skis. The expedition, as such, began eight days later, when they arrived nearby Isaba, an area with about 30 cm of accumulated snow which enabled them to follow the route with cross-country skis. At first it was not complicated, but as days passed, fatigue was taking its toll on the expedition. This was their first expedition adventure.

Los tres componentes de la expedición salieron caminando de la playa de Hendaya, en Francia, cargados con unos 30 kilos de peso, incluidos los esquís. La expedición como tal la empezaron ocho días después, cuando llegaron, cerca de Isaba, a la zona donde se acumulaban unos 30 cm de nieve y pudieron seguir ruta con esquís de travesía. Al principio el camino no fue complicado, pero a medida que pasaban las jornadas, el cansancio fue haciendo mella en los expedicionarios, para quienes ésta era su primera aventura como expedicionarios.

DIFFICULTIES ON ROUTE

From Candanchú onwards the greatest difficulties were encountered due to the continuous risk of avalanches. They continued, ascending and descending hundreds of meters of altitude, sometimes being trapped by strong storms in mountain huts abandoned in the winter by shepherds.

When they were around the middle stages of the crossing, at the Benasque station, they already had many signs of exhaustion, but decided to continue on their continuous ascent and descent of hills. Given the scarcity of shelters, more days were spent sleeping outside, bivouac style, than in shelter.

On their route they also passed through Mount Louis, where the deterioration of their skis forced them to continue walking to the Vallter 2000 station after 47 days of crossing. At that point, they sent part of the team to Madrid, their place of residence, and they continued by foot until they reached Portbou, right on the coastal border between Spain and France, in the Mediterranean.

Until then, nobody had performed the Trans Pyrenees route in winter and very few people have repeated it.

In 1986, Larramendi repeated the adventure in solo: he crossed from Campodrón (Girona) to Isaba (Navarre) in one month from November 16 to December 16.

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