Guillaume Néry: A TRAVERSE ACROSS THE PYRENEES

Guillaume Néry: A Traverse Across the Pyrenees

It’s now a well-established ritual that, each summer, I set off on a trip with good friends who are up for accompanying me. Two years ago, my friend Fouad and I set off from Nice and trekked across the Southern French Alps on foot.

Last year, we were spurred on by Audrey to do another trip to the Alps, this time by bike. This year, we tackled the Pyrenees and Audrey was, of course, part of the journey. I really could take on any journey with these two by my side.

We head out with the sole objective of arriving. With no electronics or digital maps, we’re going old school. Armed only with a paper map and an itinerary that we’ll just feel out day to day, the idea is to do between 70 and 90 km per day with 1500/2000m elevation gain and complete the crossing from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean in the time (our goal is around two weeks).

Our bikes aren’t the most modern, but they work and they climb if we pedal hard, and that’s all we’re asking of them. We’re more fortunate this year in terms of clothing because the Café sorted us out. We’ve quickly discovered how practical it is to have a jersey with pockets in the back.

We really should have them on all our everyday clothes – I think it’s a trend that will hit the fashion market, and quickly. How come no one has thought of this before?

Another concept I’m thinking about really looking into on the journey home: Birkenstocks with automatic pedal clips. Audrey is completing this expedition in sandals – she hasn’t brought anything else – but we agreed that at least with clips they’d be more efficient.

We take on these adventures with minimal gear, our lives are contained in two saddlebags for several days. To get hold of a reserve of drinking water is a daily challenge. This minimalism makes us appreciate the comforts.

If Fouad were sent to a desert island, I now know that he would bring his tin cup, his Italian coffee maker and his camping stove, seeing as coffee is key to his survival. Audrey, on the other hand, wouldn’t survive without a river to clean herself in at the end of each day.

We’re also carrying things which we didn’t foresee taking when we set off. In the train from Nice to Perpignan, our paths crossed with a Ukrainian man who was kind enough to share with us a little piece of his culture, a speciality, absolutely amazing– thick pork rind covered with grilled pork skin. The dish leaves a very special sensation in your mouth, and it’s a brand new taste for me. We decided to enjoy it in moderation and make it last our entire trip. We won’t forget to take pictures with it in the most impressive places we travel through.

Tonight, after a long journey in the saddle, we will lie down in the grass. We will get out what we’ve bought to eat and drink en route and simply enjoy the magic of the moment. We’ll tell each other that life here is really beautiful. We’ll lift our eyes up to the sky and hope it stays mild.

If not, we’ll find a makeshift shelter, we’ll huddle together under the tarp we’ve got with us, and we’ll have an unforgettable experience. Then, we will set off again to attack more climbs, meet new people and make unforgettable memories. Life as I like it, existence as I see it.

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