The organisers of The FIS Freeride World Tour has confirmed that the 2025 tour will begin at Baqueira Beret in Spain this Friday After a few nervous days waiting for confirmation, the organisers of The FIS Freeride World Tour by Peak Performance has confirmed that the Baqueira Beret Pro by Movistar competition will take place this Friday The iconic Pyrenean venue is set to challenge the world’s top freeriders in an event that promises unforgettable performances The event will be staged on the stunning La Bamba area of the famous Spanish resort known for its dramatic and technical terrain Rising to a summit of 2541 meters and descending to a finish at 2069 meters La Bamba is a striking face within the Vielha e Mijaran County With an average slope of 40 degrees and sections reaching a staggering 53 degrees this Alaska-style mountain is a freeride paradise that commands attention its imposing beauty and freeride potential have long inspired locals Sadly snowfall in the Pyrenees has been below average so far this season but as the next best option to the renowned Baciver face La Bamba delivers a thrilling alternative with its diverse terrain and technical demands creating an ideal playground for freeriders to unleash their creativity will find La Bamba’s natural features the perfect stage to showcase their skills and imagination La Bamba perfectly embodies the spirit of freeride competition With its mix of steep pitches and challenging natural features it stands as an iconic venue for pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the Pyrenean mountains the region draws visitors to the scenic Artiga de Lin and serves as a base for excursions to peaks like Molieres Vielha itself is the vibrant hub of the Val d’Aran The town balances traditional Pyrenean charm with modern amenities making it a year-round destination for visitors the event will not be accessible to the public This decision was made to prioritize safety for both athletes and spectators fans can still catch all the action live via the official FWT broadcast or head to Pla de Beret in Baqueira Beret where the competition will be shown on a maxi screen for an immersive viewing experience there will be a screening of the replay of the competition on Saturday at 9:00 am at Pla de Beret The first rider drops at 10am CET on Friday with the dropping order: Snowboard Men The start of the 2025 Freeride World Tour is officially right around the corner. Scream it from the mountain tops, tell your pal on the chairlift and start spreading the word. It’s time to rumble in Spain! After Stop One at Baqueira Beret was canceled last year due to poor snow conditions throughout the area there’s no doubt that both riders and fans are itching to return to this ever-exciting freeride mecca While the event has been held on the legendary Baciver face in the past this year’s competition will take place on La Bamba thanks to snow safety concerns this will be a backcountry event with no designated public viewing access or watch zone at the face fans can gather at Pla de Beret in Baqueira Beret where the competition will be broadcast for all to see As the next best option to the renowned Baciver face Moving the competition away from the beloved Baciver face was not an easy decision “The last snowfall came with strong southwesterly winds which scraped much of the snow from the mountains,” explained FWT Commissioner Laurent Besse “While the venue could have worked with spring snow conditions the upcoming cold temperatures and high-pressure forecast have left the west-facing slopes unsafe for competition La Bamba provides an excellent alternative with its diverse terrain ensuring an exciting and safe start to the season.” Stop One will showcase the best from Snowboard Men with the individual fields dropping throughout the day in the order listed above In the Ski Men’s field, 2024 FWT World Champion Max Hitzig has suffered a season-ending injury. While this is a giant disappointment for all, it leaves the number one seat available in what might be the most competitive Men’s Ski roster we have ever seen. We wish all injured athlete’s a swift recovery and can’t wait to see them back in action soon. Live coverage from Stop One of the 2025 Freeride World Tour will kick off on Friday, January 17th at 9:30 AM CET, with the first rider dropping at 9:45 AM CET. Don't waste time seeking out the best skiing content; we'll send it all right to you. First published: December 8, 2024 12:25 PM The first major snowfalls of the winter arrived in northern Catalonia on Saturday night. A sudden drop in temperatures favored significant snow accumulation in various parts of the Pyrenees. Snowfall totals exceeded 20 centimeters across the region, especially in the western Pyrenees, including areas such as Vall d'Aran, Alta Ribagorça and Pallars Sobirà. Among the most significant measurements were 27 centimeters in Tavascan, 16 centimeters in Vielha and 13 centimeters in Puigcerdà, according to the Catalan Meteorological Service (MeteoCat). The 112 emergency number received around 60 calls related to the heavy snowstorm, mainly from second home hotspots such as Cerdanya, Vall d'Aran and Alt Urgell. Firefighters assisted two vehicles stranded in the snow, with all passengers unharmed. Two roads were closed due to snow: the C-28 at Port de la Bonaigua and the BV-4031 at Coll de la Creueta. In addition, chains are required on several other routes, including the N-230 at the Vielha tunnel and the N-141 at Bossòst.  Strong winds have also caused significant disruptions in Catalonia this weekend, with gusts reaching up to 120 km/h in several areas. Unusually, the Barcelona region was among the affected areas, typically not prone to such strong winds. The 112 emergency hotline received nearly 1,600 calls, with the majority coming from Barcelona, Tarragonès, and Baix Camp counties. Most calls were recorded on Saturday evening and night, prompting firefighters to respond to approximately 125 wind-related incidents just in the city of Barcelona.  The strong winds injured two people on Saturday. In Cornellà de Llobregat, near Barcelona, a woman sustained serious injuries after being struck by a falling tree and is now hospitalized in critical condition. In Balaguer, Lleida, a man suffered minor injuries caused by a falling Christmas decoration. The R3 Rodalies train line was disrupted between Ripoll and Puigcerdà from Saturday evening to Sunday midday due to the adverse weather conditions.  With the service now restored, the entire Rodalies network is operating normally. However, on Saturday afternoon, the southern region faced additional disruptions caused by fallen trees due to the strong winds. 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Catalonia’s adventure playgroundNature always takes centre stage in the Val d’Aran — whether in the raw the rich Celtic heritage of hillside medieval villages or the outstanding mountain food In the Val d’Aran — where the Pyrenees meet France in northwest Catalonia — things get pretty wild with snow-frosted granite mountains rising above fir-cloaked slopes glacier-carved valleys and piercing blue lakes towers above forests where brown bears roam and rivers flow ferociously all the way to the Atlantic snowshoe or stargaze — no matter the time of year Val d’Aran’s mountainous interior is also home to some of Spain’s most picturesque villages which provide an insight into the region’s rich history and Occitan heritage You'll hear snippets of the area's own official language as you weave between romanesque churches and flower-draped alleys stopping to dine at rustic restaurants that highlight seasonal ingredients reflective of the region From high-altitude adventures to culinary and cultural experiences here's how best to explore Val d'Aran Bring binoculars for a better chance of glimpsing wildlife including chamois bearded vultures and — if you’re very lucky — elusive brown bears embrace the silent magic of these mountains by heading out on a stargazing excursion slate-rooted houses and window boxes that are a riot of crimson geraniums in summer with its five-storey belfry and beautifully preserved frescoes river trout or standout dishes like òlha aranesa that’s perfect after a day in the mountains naturally fermented cider and locally harvested caviar are other must-trys This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. When Cachou the bear was killed, authorities and conservationists wanted answers – but the case wouldn’t be easy to solve, writes Laura Millan Lombrana I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Ivan Afonso checked his computer one last time before picking up the phone. It was April 2020, and like most of Spain, Afonso was stuck at home under a strict Covid lockdown. But his mind was in the mountains The task had been a nightmare from the start. Cachou was young and fiery, and – to the dismay of conservationists and farmers – prone to wreaking havoc. Like most bears, Cachou had a sweet tooth. He’d started with assaulting bee farms, but by 2019, he’d learned to hunt horses many times his size. Eventually, authorities put a tracker on him, but even that didn’t work. At one point, he was blamed for four attacks within two weeks. Cachou had given Afonso and horse breeders in the valley some rest during the winter. But the tracker showed the bear had come out of hibernation earlier than usual. He’d been in France in March, but a more recent ping put him somewhere in the mountains above Les, a tiny village of fewer than 1,000 people. After that, he’d ventured deeper into the forest, close to a trail – and then stopped. The next 24 pings were all in the same spot. Afonso couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. “Either the tracker had dropped, or he was dead,” he thought. In light of the vast extinction event currently underway on Earth, the death of a single bear might seem less than significant. And yet, on the morning of 9 April 2020, Afonso decided it was time to do something. He called the head of Aran Valley’s government first, then dialled the valley’s ranger corps and requested two trustworthy agents who could discreetly hike to the place the pings were coming from. It pained Afonso not to be able to go out into the mountains to find Cachou, but he had reason to believe that the rangers would be walking into a crime scene The Aran Valley community is so tight, Servent’s rangers hadn’t been able to groom informants in the area, so she hoped their car would go unnoticed as she and her teammate neared Les. They headed up the mountain trail, climbed through the steep forest, and reached Cachou’s body at roughly the same time as the local rangers. The bear was lying belly up at the bottom of a 40-metre rocky cliff, a single canine sticking out of his half-open mouth. There were signs he’d been there for a long time, but that the death was quite recent, indicating that he could have lay there suffering, which happens sometimes in poisoning cases. Servent speaks in a low voice and a calm tone as she details their inspection of the body and the surrounding area, but her face is serious behind a blue surgical mask. “We didn’t see any signs of poisoning initially,” she says. That made them even more restless. Before they left, Afonso had told them: “If you don’t find an obvious cause of death, look for antifreeze.” Ivan Afonso likes to think of himself as a man between two worlds. He was born of the Pyrenees, but not of the Aran Valley, and completed his university degree in cosmopolitan Barcelona. At 47 years old, he still feels more at ease in the mountains looking for endangered birds or scouring remote ponds for rare frogs than he does in his small office in the Aran government’s headquarters. “I didn’t pay attention to him at that time. Maybe it was a mistake, but I was sceptical,” Afonso says. “There are rumours about killing bears all the time. People boast about having killed a bear and the next day we see it appear on a surveillance camera.” He goes on: “Even if I had paid attention, what could I have done? Everyone in the valley has antifreeze. I’ve got two bottles at home.” Antifreeze is a ranger’s worst nightmare. Used to prevent car engines from freezing and, therefore, widely available in shops and petrol stations, it goes undetected in common post-mortem tests and vanishes from corpses within days, if not hours. It can only be found if the body is fresh and if pathologists are specifically looking for it. During Cachou’s necropsy, Velarde spoke in the same patient, explanatory tone she uses with her students. The body had no bullet wounds, no broken bones, cuts, or major signs of violence. Some superficial teeth marks on the side of his head suggested that an animal, most likely another bear, had bitten him, but that was ruled out as the cause of death. As she opened him up, she also ruled out death by common poisons, as most cause massive internal bleeding. Velarde spent four hours cutting, weighing, measuring, gathering samples, and taking pictures, but she found nothing. It wasn’t until after all that that Servent’s investigator, who attended the necropsy, told Velarde about Afonso’s antifreeze suspicion. Back in her office, Velarde processed samples of urine and brain tissue. Three days later, the university’s head of wildlife eco-pathology confirmed that the samples contained crystals of calcium oxalate, which are consistent with the presence of ethylene glycol, the chemical that comprises between 90 and 95 per cent of antifreeze. About 12 hours after ingesting the antifreeze, Cachou’s neurological system would have started to malfunction. He would have felt severe stomach irritation and possibly slipped into a coma. His lungs and heart would have started to shut down within hours, but he could have stayed alive for as long as nine days later, until his kidneys finally failed. Bears were something imposed from Europe, paid with European funds that someone was very happy to collect “Cachou the bear suffered a slow and very painful agony that went on for days – until he died,” Velarde concluded in her report, according to court documents. That, combined with the signals from the tracking device, meant Cachou was poisoned on or around 26 March. With no reliable sources in the area, Servent knew her team’s usual methods wouldn’t work, so she put in a call to the Catalan police, also known as Mossos d’Esquadra. Deputy inspector Cesar Jou tried to hide his surprise as the voice on the other side of the line told him about his next case. After 25 years as a policeman, most of them on the Mossos’ crime unit in the Pyrenees, he was used to homicides, drug trafficking, and organised violence. But Cachou was his first bear victim. “I was surprised when they asked me to investigate the death of a bear, but we treated it as if it was a homicide. It was a challenge,” he says. Jou’s first move was to go to Les with his agents and ask locals if they’d seen anything strange in the days around when Cachou was poisoned. In places where everyone knows each other, crime is often seen as an attack on the community as a whole, Jou says. With the country on a strict lockdown, surely someone would have noticed something, he thought. He was wrong. “No one knew anything, no one had seen anything,” Jou says. Cachou’s killer was perceived as the saviour of the village. “There was a sense of angst among the ranchers.” Anti-bear sentiment in the region goes back generations. “Living with the bear is an obligation, something we haven’t decided,” says Frances Bruna, the current head of the Land Department in the Aran Valley government. A horse-breeder himself, Bruna talks dearly about his mares and explains that he, too, has suffered bear attacks in the past. “They’ll give us subsidies, aid, they’ll pay back whenever there are attacks. But inside us, there will always be that feeling.” “Bears were something imposed from Europe, paid with European funds that, I guess, someone was very happy to collect,” says Marc Cuny, the president of the Association of the Pyrenees Catalan Horse in the Aran Valley. “No one asked for our opinion, they just told us it would be the panacea – and it wasn’t.” It isn’t a matter of money, says Cuny. Standing in his field next to Ines, Monica and Nera, three of his 16 mares, he keeps a close eye on a filly born just hours ago that his young daughter has named Peppa Pig. Horses are an important part of the valley’s traditions, and breeders’ bond with them is emotional, he says. “Poisoning the bear was a mistake, and whoever did it wasn’t thinking about the consequences,” Cuny says. “But when a beast kills 12 or 13 horses and is not removed from the mountain, you can understand that someone decided to do it themselves.” Jou’s agents had already begun tapping the phones of the suspects they’d identified, but the Anti-Bear Platform gave them the key they needed to begin deciphering how the group operated. In the latter half of 2020, however, the investigation took an unexpected turn. The taps showed a network of people who were changing phone numbers frequently, working in tight shifts in a house in the valley. Some of them had Colombian accents. “We thought it was Cachou’s way of saying ‘thank you’ for having investigated his death,” says Jou jokingly before getting serious again. “It’s been the most important cocaine operation for Mossos d’Esquadra in the Aran Valley for several years.” More than a year after Cachou’s murder, the investigation is almost complete. Finally, in early June, police arrested the ranger who’d disclosed the existence of the anti-bear chat. His statements to the police were full of contradictions, and in tapped phone conversations with the other arrested ranger, he’d discussed deleting possibly incriminating messages. He also refused to give a statement and was freed on the same day. The inquiry into Cachou’s death is the first criminal investigation into the death of a wild animal in Spain, and possibly anywhere else in Europe, environmental groups say. But it’s unlikely to be the last. The EU has made the conservation and restoration of natural habitats, including increasing biodiversity and expanding forests, an essential part of its fight against climate change, wildfires and disease outbreaks. Wolves, lynx and bears play a key role in that plan. These super-predators are known as umbrella species; because they’re at the top of the food chain, they can only thrive if every other animal and plant below them is healthy too. Their success or failure is, therefore, seen as a proxy for the state of conservation and biodiversity efforts, on which the bloc plans to spend €20 billion a year over the next decade. The trial could also bring further scrutiny to how European conservation funds are spent. In addition to the former land official who was once in charge of administering this money in the Aran Valley, the ranger who allegedly leaked Cachou’s location was paid entirely by EU conservation funding. “Aid must come with conditions,” says Joan Vazquez, the founder of conservation organisation Ipcena, which will appear as an individual prosecutor in the trial. “States are not watching how that money is spent, they just send reports to the EU saying everything’s going perfect. And the EU believes it unless there are cases like Cachou’s proving the contrary.” This is not an isolated case of dubious oversight. A recent report by European nonprofit Bankwatch Network documented biodiversity plans by several Eastern European countries. Analysts found that some, including Bulgaria and Poland, directly infringe current laws, while others engage in greenwashing or other deceptive practices, all while receiving EU funding and applying for more. Back in Les, locals await the start of the trial with a mix of uneasiness and indifference. On a foggy morning in April, a few of them read the paper and eat breakfast at an old cafe, casually chatting about whether the end of the lockdown would bring French tourists back. On the wall hang black and white pictures of dead bears and smiling hunters. “I remember old people in the villages telling us stories about bears,” says Bruna, the current head of the Land Department. “Whoever arrived to the village with a dead bear was hailed as a hero and everyone wanted to be in the picture with them.” The investigation of Cachou’s murder has done nothing to erase those decades-old lines, Afonso says. Locals who either sympathised with the bears or who didn’t care either way have since turned against them after being summoned to testify, realising their phones were tapped or seeing friends and relatives written about as suspects in the local press. If anything, it’s made the community even warier of strangers. At base, the case is a clash between two ways of seeing the environment, Afonso says: the Araneses’ pragmatic view of nature as a profitable resource, and the outsider’s more romanticised view of humanity’s duty to protect and preserve. As for Cachou’s killer, there are different views of who did it. The police and rangers think it was someone from the area who had access to Cachou’s confidential positioning data “The most extreme examples of these two worlds are represented in this case,” Afonso says. “Very zealous justice and police systems that acted as if a person had been killed, and a wise guy who decided to take matters into his own hands.” Servent thinks it will be a turning point in how authorities treat wildlife deaths. About 40 bears have died since 1996, some in circumstances that have never been properly investigated, according to Ipcena. Mysterious bear deaths include that of Cachou’s father, Balou, who according to reports by French authorities was hit by lightning and fell off a cliff. “Everyone who has participated in this has taken it very seriously so it wouldn’t end in nothing,” Servent says. “Everyone has seen that the death of a bear can’t go unnoticed.” As for Cachou’s killer, there are different views of who did it. The police and rangers think it was someone from the area who had access to Cachou’s confidential positioning data, knows the forests well and knows how to use poison. The perpetrator has also likely suffered bear attacks, they say, possibly at the teeth and paws of Cachou himself. Afonso has a different guess. He suspects someone has been killing bears for a while, but that Cachou wasn’t necessarily the target. The area where his body was found is a route frequently used by bears, and at a time when sightings are increasing everywhere on the Pyrenees, they’re falling precisely in that place. “If I was the poisoner, I wouldn’t kill the only bear that’s wearing a tracking device,” he says. “That person was unlucky that Cachou passed by. I’m quite sure of that.” Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/in_tech/in_main/image/gallery_mpu_sb","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"spain-16ce4dda-e00c-11eb-b507-697762d090dd.jpg","description":"Ivan Alfonso, environmental scientist, by a river bed in Vielha, Spain, on April 21, 2021. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Angel Garcia.","caption":"Ivan Afonso, an environmental scientist, by a river bed in Vielha, Spain Ivan Afonso, an environmental scientist, by a river bed in Vielha, Spain or he was dead’: The curious case of Cachou the bear","description":"When Cachou the bear was killed authorities and conservationists wanted answers – but the case wouldn’t be easy to solve Spain's Val d'Aran should be part of France Borders are supposed to be simple in the Pyrenees On the southern side of the mountain range and geopolitics takes a more complicated turn Val d'Aran is on the wrong side of the mountains this small mountain valley with its population of 10,000 people should be in France But Val d'Aran is the only community within Spain's contiguous borders that's located on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees Val d'Aran is within the administrative boundaries of Catalonia but despite being caught between larger kingdoms and nation-states for centuries Val d'Aran has never surrendered its local identity Key to that local identity is the Aranese language is officially recognised as the third language of Catalonia "We are Aranese because we speak Aranese," said Jusèp Loís Sans Socasau passionately It was early December and there was an ever-thickening layer of snow as the valley prepared for ski season "Aranese is the language of our valley," Sans Socasau added "And it's the language of our culture." Sans Socasau is the president of the Institut d'Estudis Aranese (Institute of Aranese Studies) and his office was stacked with historical manuscripts and Aranese dictionaries and novels "Aranese is a Romance-based language," he explained but it's evolved very differently to Spanish and French." Aranese is a distinct dialect of the Occitan language "This was the territory of the Occitan language," Sans Socasau said proudly "And it was the territory of the Troubadours." • Europe's strange border anomaly • Switzerland's mysterious fourth language • The tiny 'country' between England and Scotland In Val d'Aran, the Occitan language survived as Aranese, and government figures suggest that around 4,000 Val d'Aran residents – about 40% of the population – can read Despite being suppressed most recently during the Francisco Franco regime which lasted until the dictator's death in 1975 Aranese received official recognition when Val d'Aran was granted autonomy by the Catalonian government in 1991 Aranese was proclaimed to be co-official alongside Spanish and Catalan School children in Val d'Aran study in Aranese; there's a wealth of Aranese literature and articles; and radio shows and news programmes are broadcast in the language whose daughter tours across Europe singing and songwriting solely in the Aranese language "And this is the only place where the language is protected Since Val d'Aran is separated from the rest of Spain by the Pyrenees my six-hour winter bus ride from Barcelona was only possible thanks to a 5km-long tunnel through the mountains that opened in 1948 snow capped the mountain tops that surround Vielha were distinctly different from the flat roofs of Catalonia's capital "remote" seemed like a good descriptor this remoteness was a cause for the survival of the Aranese language Val d'Aran has always been a place of trade. It's a valley of communication, not of isolationCarla del Valle, an expert in medieval studies and director of the Musèu dera Val d'Aran it's said that Val d'Aran is an isolated place and that's why we've preserved our unique culture," she said because Val d'Aran has always been a place of trade "of the valley" – explained how Aranese has survived despite the influence of other languages of which there are many in Val d'Aran She joked how she spoke four and a half languages: Aranese information boards were written in three languages the similarities and differences between the three Romance languages became more apparent The most obvious difference was in the prepositions the phrase "Artistic Legacy" was written in Spanish as "El Legado Artistico" this became "El Llegat Artistic" Del Valle explained that before the tunnel connecting Val d'Aran to Spain was built the Aranese always looked to France for trade Val d'Aran was also religiously administered by bishops from the Diocese of Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges in France Val d'Aran has for centuries been aligned with Spanish kingdoms who were always looking to conquer the gateway to Catalonia Val d'Aran played larger kingdoms against each other and always pledged its allegiance to the ruler that allowed the valley the most privileges a Magna-Carta like document that granted the valley semi-independence when Val d'Aran was again re-granted its historical right to self-rule after being integrated into Catalonia in the 19th Century "It's all very game of thrones," said del Valle with a laugh "The history of Val d'Aran can be simplified to fighting and then negotiating But we weren't quite as successful as Andorra And they now pay less taxes than us!" The Aranese flag was flying proudly outside the offices of the Conselh Generau d'Aran He explained how geography has not only shaped Val d'Aran's history but has shaped what it means to be Aranese it's all about the mountains and snow," Morell said Val d'Aran has an Atlantic climate rather than a Mediterranean climate a result of the River Garona flowing through the valley on its long journey to Bordeaux where it eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean "Val d'Aran is the only Atlantic facing valley in all of Catalonia," he added To experience the region's mountain culture firsthand who works in Vielha's tourist information office recommended visiting the village of Bagergue "Get off the bus in Salardu," she told me "Then take the walking trail to Bagergue and at the top you can try the cheese!" the hiking trail was snowed under when I jumped off the bus I took the 2km-long tarmacked road instead Churches rise high above every village in Val d'Aran and there was one standing tall at the entrance to Bagergue Constructed in a local Romanesque style that was popular in the Middle Ages Val d'Aran's churches were built not only as places of worship watchtowers and fortifications designed to guard the frontier Bagergue is home to the highest-altitude cheese shop in Catalonia where local producers have revived a traditional mountain recipe that's regained its popularity throughout Val d'Aran; while testament to the weather and the alpine-esque culture the villages I'd walked past to reach Bagergue – Salardu and Unha – had a museum dedicated to Pyrenean exploration and a museum solely dedicated to snow Morell said that as much as 92% of the valley's economy relies on tourism: hiking mountain biking and rafting in the summer; and snow sports in the winter Despite its official status and legal protections Sans Socasau had mentioned that increasing tourism and immigration in Val d'Aran was resulting in Aranese being slowly being pushed out by larger languages like Spanish "Not enough people speak Aranese," Sans Socasau said "Only around 20% of people in Val d'Aran speak the language regularly Even if she speaks Spanish or Catalan as a way to communicate with tourists or newcomers and she knows the second generation of migrant families settling in Val d'Aran all learn and are taught in Aranese at school the government estimates that around 80% of people who live in the valley understand Aranese "If you talk to the president of the Aranese language society," del Valle told me "he will say that Aranese is about to die But Aranese is an official language in all of Catalonia and even though we might speak Catalan or Spanish in the valley to understand each other Places That Don’t Belong is a BBC Travel series that delves into the playful side of geography taking you through the history and identity of geo-political anomalies and places along the way Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". 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As tensions between the US and Canada rise, a tiny puffin-filled island has become emblematic of a larger conflict about where one nation ends and another begins. With up to three billion people expected to be displaced by climate change by 2100, does there need to be a shift in the way we think about national borders, asks Gaia Vince? Despite having a population of just 2,400, Vevčani has attempted to declare independence from two different countries over the last five decades. Pheasant Island, located between France and Spain, bizarrely changes countries twice a year. But why? Perhaps the world's most complicated boundary, a narrow bike trail offers a window into a region that has been the battleground of Europe and is where culture and geography intersect. By Benjamin Kemper and sautéing sofrito for Manchegan caldereta (wine-braised lamb) I’m in my slippers boiling pig blood and chopping chocolate for one of Iberia’s most peculiar—and tastiest—stews: Catalan civet but there are some key differences between civet and your standard winey braise “A Google search turns up hundreds of recipes for civets made from beef, chicken, pork—you name it, someone’s probably civet-ed it. Across the French border in Languedoc its sauce enriched with syrupy Banyuls wine and the crustacean’s coral and blood.” That’s what I learned a couple of months ago at Era Coquèla in Vielha the kind of come-one-come-all mountain tavern where off-duty forest rangers rub elbows with bejeweled señoras My partner Marcos and I had spent the day slogging up boulder-strewn trails in Aigüestortes National Park something stodgy and nourishing was in order “Have you ever tried civet?” our waiter asked pegging us as out-of-towners from the jump we exchanged uneasy glances: Before us lay brown gloppy mounds with nary a fleck of parsley in sight and some mysterious earthy spice tickled my nostrils mahogany sauce which cloaked every savory bite Yet as I squeegeed the plate clean with bread I still couldn’t shake the question: What was that spice “The secret ingredient is chocolate,” he said.  Chocolate? in a traditional stew? deep in the remote Pyrenees? His answer sent me down a civet rabbit hole of recipes and lore from which I have yet to emerge. See: slippers; pig blood.To get the skinny on civets, I first dialed up Jaume Fàbrega, Catalan food scholar and author of 50-some culinary history books including La cuina del Pirineu català but people have been making wine-based stews in Spain since at least ancient Roman times “Marinating meat in wine makes it softer and more flavorful and extends its shelf life,” he said adding that nearly every Mediterranean culture has its own wine-based stew Civet is hearty and nourishing after a hike in Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park.In the Catalan Pyrenees where wild game meats like roe deer and boar are a dietary mainstay the technique was particularly handy: An overnight bath in wine helped mitigate tough textures and sharp odors we’re talking bear and badger and whatever else was scurrying around and hare still cooked in civets today.”  “It’s one of our most popular dishes,” he said its sauce enriched with syrupy Banyuls wine and the crustacean’s coral and blood Blood is probably what gave lobster civet its name Historical recipes for civet almost always call for animal blood (pigs’ blood was most common) which was added at the end of cooking for its deep brown color and saline richness—and The albumen in blood is a natural thickening agent and lends a luxurious glossiness to hot soups Fàbrega notes that blood would have been absent from civet’s medieval precursors due to religious taboos and that it was likely added to the dish in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Catholic Monarchs defeated the Moors and expelled the Jews Spain’s cuisine came to mirror the anti-Jewish sentiment of the era which suddenly made it a desirable ingredient which is in part why Spanish food is so pork-heavy and why traditionally Sephardic-Jewish dishes like adafina (a chickpea-and-lamb stew) morphed into the treif-heavy cocido madrileño with its half-dozen pork products it was only natural that chocolate would be swapped in “It’s been a pantry staple here for centuries only in Catalonia and Mexico do you find chocolate so frequently in savory dishes,” he said Salvador Dalí (who was born in Catalonia) was known to lust after fava beans stewed with marjoram and chocolate As Marcos and I dug in with smiles stretched across our faces, I recalled a quote by the Catalan journalist Josep Pla, who wrote that the cuisine of a place is essentially its landscape tossed into a pot. And how marvelous it was, to be able to travel back to that wild, pristine mountain landscape, spoonful by nostalgic spoonful. Vielha, a well-preserved mountain town in Catalonia’s Val d’Aran, is civet central. A rich Catalan game stew, simmered in fruity red wine and fresh herbs. Get the recipe >ADVERTISEMENTADADHaving learned this history it was time to put my civet savoir-faire to the test I tossed a Bambi’s worth of venison and a pile of chopped veggies into my biggest bowl and let it all hang out in the fridge for a couple of days you never know.) Next came the searing and stewing which filled my Madrid apartment with an aroma so autumnal that a neighbor knocked on my door to ask what I was making I blitzed the sauce and whisked in a splash of pig blood (supplied by my plucky butcher; see if yours can track it down) and a few shards of bittersweet chocolate and watched excitedly as the sauce turned thick and sheeny.  As Marcos and I dug in with smiles stretched across our faces I recalled a quote by the Catalan journalist Josep Pla who wrote that the cuisine of a place is essentially its landscape tossed into a pot ADVERTISEMENTADADWant more SAVEUR?Get our favorite recipes Articles may contain affiliate links, which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use. Be one of the first to try our new activity feed Canyons 100-mile winner Alyssa Clark is preparing to toe the line in the rugged Pyrenees The UTMB World Series heads to Spain for a European favorite: Val d’Aran Taking place in the beautiful and mostly remote areas of the Pyrenees mountains along the borders of France and Andorra runners will experience a lot of vert and panoramic views More than 3,700 runners participated in the 2022 making it one of the biggest races of the UTMB World Series Val d’Aran should have thousands more running the Spanish trails The event offers five distinct distances—163K and 15K—that traverse the wild mountain ranges of northeast Spain while also exploring old mines and historic towns during this UTMB World Series event There are a lot of big names taking on the 100-mile course in Spain At the top of the watch list is Alyssa Clark of the U.S and the 100-miler at the Canyons Endurance Run in April She’ll try to extend her winning streak against a big European field who took second at the Istria 100 in April who took third at the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB 50K in May and third at the Arc of Attrition 50 Miler in January Portugal’s Miguel Arsenio brings the strongest résumé He took second at Transgrancanaria 128K in February and has two victories in 2023 at the Estrela Grande Trail 50K and MaXi-Race du lac d’Annecy 100K Jostling at the front should be Ecuadorian Joaguin Lopez who took second at the 144K TDS by UTMB in 2022 and sixth at Transgrancanaria in February who took sixth at the Black Canyons 100K in February and second at the Speedgoat 50K last July RELATED: For 95 Straight Days, Alyssa Clark Ran A Marathon, Setting A New Record Beautiful scenery and elevation go head-to-head for the three biggest Spanish races: Torn dera Val d’Aran (VDA – 101.2 miles) Camins d’Hèr (CDH – 68.3 miles) and Peades d’Aigua (PDA – 34.1 miles) each with 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) of elevation gain where CDH starts and joins the same path that VDA follows The entire route boasts massive elevation again to the tune of over 10,000 meters for the 100-miler it has two-thirds of the 100-miler’s elevation gain (over 6,400 meters or 20,997 feet) which has over half of the elevation gain (3,300 meters or 10,836 feet) of CDH and also follows the same route as the 100-mile course There will be welcome distractions along the way runners will be in wild mountains and old villages dispersed in the Aranese Mountains The race will then shift to the area’s mining history which included running through the mining tunnels in Liat and passing by the abandoned mines of Urets with panoramic views of Lac de Montoliu and a mountain chain of the Pyrenees The races then finish on a circuit of lakes around Colomers and also climbing and descending some of the largest peaks of the race before finishing in Vielha There are also two other events during race weekend: Experiencia d’Aran (a 32K that runs a loop through the mountains around Vielha) and the Baqueira Beret (a 15K mountain race for ages 16 and up) RELATED: 10 International Trail Races Worth Traveling to in 2023 The best place for runners to stay is in the town of Vielha which has many hotels and other accommodations surrounded by shops and sites Not only is Vielha the capital of the Aran Valley it is basically the headquarters for race weekend All races cross the same finish line in town but only the VDA 163K and the EXP 32K start there as well The CDH 110K starts in the town of Les about 12 miles away and the PDA 55K starts in the town of Salardú about six miles away Runners and their crews in these races are provided buses from Vielha to their respective start lines There are also accommodations throughout the Aran Valley This region in Spain is filled with countless cultural and natural sites and traditions there are seemingly endless opportunities for hiking RELATED: 8 Essential Tips for Trail-Running Travel Find out what happened when this six-year run streaker and HOKA Global Athlete Ambassador took on an iconic ultramarathon in California's Sierra Nevada I’ve done many bike-packing trips here and there, but for my first XPDTN3 trip I wanted to do something special I decided to go to the place where I feel the most alive: the Pyrenees the biggest high mountain ecosystem in the Iberian Peninsula The mountains where I put on my first skis when I was 4 years old The mountains where I did my first 3000m summit The mountains that I crossed with a bike from coast to coast completely self-sufficiently thirsty and suffer a whole roller coaster of emotions And they are still the mountains where I enjoy most of my adventures I particularly like watching sunrises and sunsets from their peaks and I really love watching the stars from my sleeping bag with that feeling of a cold nose but a warm heart: the pleas of my soul to experience life authentically and through vulnerability The Pyrenees are huge, but one of the most iconic places is Aigüestortes National Park located in the northwestern part of the province of Lleida we did a 3-day loop which circles around this amazing Park starting and finishing in Vielha we drove there (Vielha) to check into the hotel pack everything and get our bikes ready for the adventure As we had some time left before dinner (it doesn’t happen often) and we had spent most of the day sitting and driving we took a stroll on one of the most emblematic waterfalls of the Aran Valley to relax our legs; the Saut deth Pish The falls are located at an elevation of 1,553m above the sea level (12kms from Vielha) besides enjoying the spectacular waterfall itself you can also see on the other side of the valley the Posets-Maladeta Nature Reserve with its majestic highest peak the Aneto at 3404m… a place to feel free and get lost After a huge breakfast in the hotel (one of those that leave you without energy and you ask yourself “Why did I eat so much?”) we drove to the initial point which is right after crossing the Tunnel of Vielha in the south part where we would park and start the route there were two options depending on whether we wished to ease our way to the next village (Vilaller) Both routes go in parallel down the vibrant green landscape of the Barrabés valley but it was just a matter of time or kms that we decided to take the tarmac to get down to Vilaller Once in Vilaller we took a gravel route to climb the col the Serreres An easy and short one compared to the ones that were about to come and that helped us to cross the mountain and change the valley In Llesp a steep single track (Cami de l’aigua) very beautiful but very narrow (perfect for hiking) awaited us; …we carried the bike in our backs the whole time there’s a parallel road to be taken in Llesp that will join the next climb where the rocky single-track transforms into a path we rolled up towards the Ermita de Sant Salvador de Irgo (the top of this climb) with amazing views We stopped to contemplate the views and we took our time to imagine how cool it would be to fly from there And sometimes we have nonsense conversations like how cool it would be to put wings to our bikes and this kind of random –or not so much- stuff a well-deserved one that would take us to Gotarta where we filled our water bottles there is an intersection where you can go to the capital of the county town with less inhabitants of Catalonia (Pont de Suert) or to another road towards Malpas (an even smaller village) which is the one that we took We gently rolled down until this village (Malpas) where there was no one nor any place to eat We already had 50 km in our legs and we were hungry We checked on the GPS where we could find a restaurant and apparently in the next small village (Castellàs) there was one bike-friendly restaurant The problem was that they closed at 15:30h and we arrived there at 15:40h Imagine the emptiness we (and our stomachs felt) and there were no other places around to eat anything or to buy any kind of food as the route still held a demanding section up to its sleeve a 12km climb with a short break at km 9 for a short descend crossing 2 villages with no inhabitants (Erta and Sas) and then 3 more km up to the mountains The emptiness of our stomachs was filled with stunning views we could enjoy the views of Vall de Manyanet I let myself die in the grass and had a short rest Gotta say that I hit the wall… luckily the rest of the route was a downhill towards Sentís and Les Esglèsies where we had planned to sleep In that descent we were imagining what one could eat in an extreme situation… like eating each other and all this We filled up our poor stomachs with all they gave us for that late (8pm) lunch Things with full stomachs looked different…like brighter Then a relaxing shower and some nice time in the balcony while waiting for dinner made things look beautiful We closed the day with a generous dinner 2 hours later and a shot of the most typical liquor of this valley -Cassis- while discussing with the owners about the (great) taste of it We woke up tired after yesterday’s mountain stage but when we got our breakfast served with a big coffee we recharged all batteries The last kilometer was the toughest as it was averaging almost 25%: it was a pure hike-a-bike section but we immediately saw that the descent was a very narrow single track it was another hike-a-bike section during 3 km until Aguiró beautiful empty village typical from the Pyrenees From there a gentle descent would take us down the valley the route continued on a false flat towards the villages of La Torre de Cabdella We knew that Espui was the last village before the biggest climb of this adventure we decided to stop wherever to eat and drink as much as possible to avoid the (non-existent) nutrition of the day before Three facts that made us stay there longer than expected At 2pm (not the best time of the day!) with 30ºC we decided to tackle THE CLIMB (Coll del Triador): a mountain pass at an elevation of 2,108m (6,916ft) above the sea level The Pista del Triador is 12 km long and the gradient averages 7.5% It is a great trail for experienced wheelers We could see the huge “snake” that we just climbed and enjoy the fresh air and views I remember looking at the valley and telling Oriol “That is what life is all about” The following 20 crested km had one of the most impressive views in the Pyrenees With Montsent de Pallars on our left and the exceptional panoramic views of the territory in our right we enjoyed that trail like kids that see the Pyrenees for the first time Avoid riding in this area if mountain roads aren’t your strong point and if you are scared of heights We were there completely alone when suddenly a bunch of horses crossed our path to greet us I could feel their inner peace and I guess they could feel mine They came to us and I hugged one of them and I could feel her head on my back the following descent towards Espot Ski resort was a gift for any downhiller (not me) where you better have your brakes in good shape In Espot we had a delicious late lunch (6pm) and a small break But the hotel we were looking forward to sleeping in was for sale then descended 400 meters (for 5 km) towards Valencia d’Àneu where both (and only) hotels were closed We descended an extra 130 meters (5 km more) to the next village (Esterri d’Àneu) We knew that these 530 extra meters of elevation were going to be our breakfast for the following day as we ate and slept in Hotel/Restaurant Bruna but the woman in charge of it was super gentle with us Maybe the breaks we took during the day were too long Riding at this time of the day allowed us to enjoy the golden hour We woke up at 6am in order to leave early as the rain was in the forecast for the afternoon We had a huge and delicious breakfast and when we finished and we were about to jump to our bikes a nice storm welcomed us We went back to the hotel room and had a 60 minutes nap until the rain stopped a little bit 6km of a paved road towards the small village of Son was in the menu But this time we did not arrive there as we saw an alternative route towards Gerdar Forest (our first objective of the day) This alternative path was an 8km steep climb at 6% but as we were still fresh we did it quite fast (I got a QOM!) The Gerdar Forest is the largest spruce forest in the area on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees It is unique in forming an unbroken body of forest and despite centuries of exploitation It is a magical place where we thought that an Ewok from Star Wars could appear at any moment It was as well the place where we mastered the art of carrying our bikes a long and gradual drop took us to what would be our last break before a long and grueling climb of almost 35 kilometers that would take us to Baqueira the highest point of the day with its 1880m knowing that we would not find any other place to eat/drink in kilometers and that we would be left in the wilderness again The first part of the climb was a paved road following the valley but the road turned into a wild trail very soon where the cows and horses were our only company Montgarri is a picturesque abandoned town where a mountain refuge (where we had lunch) has been habilitated in the old town rectory to it there is the church “Mare de Deu de Montgarri” from the XVI century built on an old Romanic chapel from the XII century We can hardly find any remains of the old town in the surrounding area anymore After a quick lunch (the expected storm was on its way) we continued climbing towards Pla de Beret The gradients from now on were not as gentle as before but the scenery was exceptional towards the top making it really enjoyable despite the fatigue The last part of the ride was a long descent towards Vielha with amazing views and some rain that made us take some paved roads instead of unpaved ones to exercise precaution Use our GPS tracks on Komoot to start planning your own trip! What’s Komoot? Read this story Like this story? See more and bigger photos on the 3T blog Tyler Benedict is the Founder of Bikerumor.com where he’s been writing about the latest bikes and cycling technology for almost two decades Tyler launched and built multiple sports nutrition brands and consumer goods companies mostly as an excuse to travel and ride in new places Based in North Carolina, Tyler also loves the Vanlife & family adventure travel and is always on the lookout for the next shiny new part and off-grid adventure Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed Sometimes I look at people on gravel bikes with 2.1″ tires and I can’t help but think that such a ride would actually be more enjoyable on a hardtail with a suspension fork and the same tire width Maybe that’s just my age showing though but I use it more like a road bike generally 35c Hutchinson Overide tires tubeless at 60 psi is great for general road riding where I live where the roads are far from smooth most of the time I just feel like riding off road on a drop bar setup is less than ideal 90% of the time Definitely if I was on a ride where the transitions were between road and gravel and dirt for the entire ride I could see wanting to focus on the drop bar cockpit but for purely off road trails I will stick with flat bar Great pics – now added to the bucket list In response to Seraph and Endorfin C.: try and get a test ride on a Lauf suspension fork if you can it really is a game changer in that regard but enough travel to rip mellow xc single track here in AZ (and eat washboards for lunch I used to do a lot of touring with a hard tail and medium tyres and had a great time However I started gravel riding a couple of years ago and… it’s transformed my experience I find the handling better both on and off road but don’t want to deal with solvents Simpyfast claims their Lube Cube is the easiest way Peak Performance expands on their MTB specific clothing with new pants Apparently that’s an option when you’re designing products for the GOAT We spotted Cofidis racing an all-new prototype wireless 13-speed Campagnolo Super Record 13 WRL SC road groupset Canyon Bicycles is now selling select models directly through Amazon.com Want wireless shifting but don’t want to have to buy a whole new drivetrain Be protected from the sun with the new UV Hooded Trail Shirt… OrNot The new Van Nicholas Astraeus is a beautiful titanium road bike that’s limited to just 50 frames Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Become a member here We use cookies to improve your browsing experience This land on the border between Spain and France is one of the cradles of adventure sports This article was produced in association with Tourisme Val d'Aran This is perhaps one of the best kept secrets of Pyrenean cyclotourism the words snow and alpine skiing probably spring to mind when the temperatures rise and the snow melts this land reveals a magnificent high mountain environment that has been winning over trail runners and cyclists for years they may not have told you about it because it’s been kept in a bit of a secret The Val d’Aran is a very special enclave in the Atlantic Pyrenees. It has been the backdrop to many battles in the Tour de France thanks to high mountain passes such as the Portillon which has been climbed 20 times in the Grand Boucle Being a cross-border pass between Spain and France having been climbed both from Bossòst and on the French side from Bagnères-de-Luchon in the world’s biggest bike race On the last occasion it appeared on the Tour route the venue was the Aranese slope and Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez made it first to the top But beyond the great stories of pro cycling the land of Aran has always been a special one the only way to access this area was through France or via the long Bonaigua pass which rises to 2,072m and is often closed during the winter due to snow It was in 1948 that the Aran was opened up to the mainland through the tunnel that connects Vielha with the national road to Lleida together with the fact that it is a mountainous border area with France The region has its own government institutions Aranese – that comes from Occitan – and even a unique climate Its orography features many mountain passes that were once used for smuggling as well as hiding places and nooks and crannies that were once used by the resistance during the Spanish Civil War Visiting the Val d’Aran also means being under the influence of two seas: it is still a Mediterranean area but it is also not far from the Atlantic This means that its vegetation is greener and more lush than the rest of the Catalan Pyrenees and its fauna is wilder and more elusive: brown bears This sense of being unreachable and untamable is one the things I like most about the Val d’Aran together with the feeling that in every valley or a typical village with a Romanesque church the best thing about this place is the feeling of total immersion as if the mountain were constantly embracing you Val d’Aran means valley of valleys in Aranese and in those valleys only 10,000 people live in 620 square kilometres which means that you have many chances to feel that the mountain only has eyes for you I had ridden in the Val d’Aran on a road bike before but this was my first time on a gravel bike and all the good memories I already had from road riding were amplified the sensation of riding between stone giants could be dizzying but being able to get into the mountains thanks to gravel took the experience to another level I started riding a gravel bike a couple of years ago as another way to enjoy routes of this type a plateau at the foot of the ski slopes of the Baqueira-Beret ski resort but this time I was going into a more rugged area in the interior of this infinite valley Riding into a more rugged area was a personal choice to get more a sense of adventure from my visit to Val d’Aran plus a way to say goodbye to the Catalonian landscape for a few months before heading to Canada first and then Germany for work My profession is actually very tied to the outdoors and sports and my PhD project – which I am currently halfway through – was motivated by cycling and the effort required on high passes I am a neuroscientist and have a Masters in sports psychology and my research focuses on ways to measure fatigue and stress It was mostly through riding passes in the Dolomites and Andorra since the early days of my cycling life that made me understand the power of the mind in sports and the importance of physical and mental health to enjoy being active and able to go further in performance Back in the early days I wasn’t physically fit at all but I was so impressed and overwhelmed by the environment that I always ended up climbing all the passes I learned about Heart Rate Variability (HRV) HRV converges my interest in neuroscience and psychology HRV can be a measure of your autonomic nervous system It is a very useful metric to tailor training to each body how stressed your body is and adjust the training load and rest I will be getting more in depth into biological data analysis which I think will be a big step in my PhD research every time I have the chance to ride among high mountains I have butterflies in my belly as they remind me of being in the Dolomites and the challenge was to crown the Salient a pass that rises to 2,148m over 24km of continuous ascent along a path called Camin de la Coma d’Auran It is not a very common route in the world of gravel but we are in the high mountains and we have to accept the rules of the game: a winding track full of curves in its first kilometres and some mini ambushes typical of an almost wild environment I was set for a special day in a special place The track had some technical sections and some considerable ramps that forced me to put my foot down and push the bike since I was on a quest for adventure and the unexpected These are the kind of details that can turn your gravel ride into something more I always think that these breaks allow you to keep in touch with the environment and look around —maybe there’s a chance to see a grizzly bear During the ascent I only came across one hiker and another mountain biker with whom I exchanged friendly glances enjoying the scenery that opened up before my eyes at every turn Carla rode the new MMR X-Tour for this gravel route in Val d'Aran the forests became less dense and at the almost bare summit the immensity of the mountain became obvious A small lake after 18km on  a gentle descent was the prelude to the summit a few kilometres later and the great reward: huge meadows where the mares graze dotted with many wild flowers on summer days and views of the Maladeta glacier in the background was the only vestige of human life at over 2,000m the track narrows and continues onwards with a technical descent via a path that winds its way down the mountainside it is advisable to return to the same track where we had climbed up The descent also required me to test my technical skills I took the path to the right instead of continuing to Vielha to connect with  another track that allowed me to enjoy another of the charms of Aran: its picturesque  towns and the Garonne river basin one of the arteries that mark this region and the only one in the Catalan Pyrenees that flows into the Atlantic watershed Riding on firmer tracks and some tarmac sections I passed through the small villages of Mont and have houses with black slate stone roofs while descending through the valley curving as if I was imitating the fall of a feather in the air The return to Vielha after 55 km of hard gravel adventure was a shock after spending hours surrounded by lush nature in which there was hardly a soul But I know that the memory of riding at over 2,000m of altitude on a gravel bike in the Val d’Aran and letting myself be pushed and embraced by those magic mountains will put a smile on my face for a long time To know more about Val d'Aran and its cycling resources, please visit Visitvaldaran.com Rouleur takes a look at the contenders to win the Maglia Rosa in Italy this month Alexander Vinokourov's team are making the impossible rather quite possible All the essential information about the first Grand Tour of the year While the former Olympic and World champion is relishing new ventures in retirement she is keen to ensure more support is in place for those.. From SD Worx-Protime's continued success to Canyon-SRAM's disappointment Rouleur takes a look at how each squad performed at the Spring Classics Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines Join today for exclusive content from independent journalists This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page You can read this article in 1 minuteTrans.INFO the French authorities are introducing further restrictions The prefect of the Hautes-Pyrénées region (High Pyrenees) decided to close the border with Spain according to a decree issued by the prefect of the Hautes-Pyréées region crossing the Franco-Spanish border through the d’Aragnouet -Biels tunnel will not be allowed This tunnel is the meeting point of the Spanish A-138 road and the French D173 Vehicles and pedestrians will have to use border crossings in neighbouring regions (e.g the Somport tunnel or the Vielha-Saint-Béat tunnel) The decree does not provide for a tunnel opening date The decision will depend on the course of the pandemic in both Spain and France Pölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Agnieszka Kulikowska - Wielgus Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 Sabina Koll Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 GXO to manage Northern Italy transport operations for PRG retail groupPölös Zsófia Journalist Trans.info | 5.05.2025 A 42-year-old Duttch tourist died in a fall in the Spanish Pyrenees. The man fell 100 meters while climbing the Malh des Pois, the Spanish authorities said on Instagram. Rescue workers have recovered his body. Mahl des Pois’ summit is at 2,881 meters. It is unclear how high up the Dutch tourist was when he fell. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pompièrs Emergéncies (@pompiers_emergencies) The man’s traveling companion called the emergency services at around 11:00 a.m the companion led rescue workers to where the Dutchman fell The victim’s traveling companion was unhurt Rescue workers took them to a hospital in Vielha for a checkup This is the second Dutch tourist to die in Spain this week. On Tuesday, a 21-year-old Dutchman died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the vacation home he rented on Mallorca Please sign in with your Snow-Forecast account details below Create a free account to receive instant Snow-Alerts and save your favourite resorts on your personal MySnow page Baqueira/Beret Weather (Next 3 days): The snow forecast for Baqueira/Beret is: Mild with light rain (total 4.0mm) on Thu afternoon Becoming colder with a light covering of snow Freeze-thaw conditions (max 3°C on Thu afternoon Baqueira/Beret Weather (Days 4-6): Heavy rain (total 24.0mm) Mild temperatures (max 7°C on Sat afternoon Several North American ski areas that are still open plan to celebrate the unofficial Star Wars Day tomorrow Use our Baqueira/Beret ski hire interactive map to find exclusive snow-forecast discount codes Get the best value ski and gear hire in Baqueira/Beret The above table gives the weather forecast for Baqueira/Beret at the specific elevation of 2074 m. Our sophisticated weather models allow us to provide snow forecasts for the top, middle and bottom ski stations of Baqueira/Beret. To access the weather forecasts for the other elevations, use the tab navigation above the table. For a wider view of the weather, check out the Weather Map of Spain Click here to read further information on freezing levels and how we forecast our temperatures Overall 4.2 Based on 135 votes and 54 reviews Overall: 4.2 Based on 135 votes and 53 reviews Read 53 more reviews of Baqueira/Beret or submit your own View detailed snow forecast for Baqueira/Beret at:snow-forecast.com Minor disruptions as authorities issue alert for severe weather ACN | Barcelona The snow covered some northern parts of Catalonia on Wednesday The authorities issued an alarm for snow for Wednesday in the counties closer to the Pyrenees while another alert for high winds has also been issued in the south some 23 minor roads mostly near the Pyrenees have been affected by the weather conditions with some restrictions for lorries and obligation to use snow chains Some 500 students were unable to reach school in central Catalonia because school buses could not drive them Yet there were no major disruptions in the areas with several weather conditions and the snow did not reach Barcelona's metro area registered 28cm of snow until noon on Wednesday Other county capitals also got some snowfalls XFASTINDEX homes and forest trails in many urban areas were affected by the heavy rain that led to flooding throughout the entire Aran Valley (Lleida) in the North of Spain and the overflowing of the Garona river on its way through the town of Vielha The emergency situation was dealt with quickly and the water had barely begun to receed when the first Case equipment turned up onsite in an attempt to help the thousands of affected inhabitants return to normal Case equipment could be seen over the whole area CX350C and CX370C excavators and the CX31 compact were fully operational in the area together with the 430 mini-loader and the WX185 and WX210 wheeled excavators Earlier in June, Case has also been supporting efforts in the floods seen in south east of Germany. The Case dealership in Erlangen, sent an excavator and loader as swiftly as possible to the Bavarian town of Deggendorf one of the areas worst affected by the floods Case donated €5000 to one of the affected families in this town passed over a cheque to a representative of the Red Cross in Bavaria.  From left to right: Markus Meyer (CNH Business Director D-A-CH) Peter Straßer (Store Manager Case Erlangen) Norbert Hartmann (Representative of Bavarian Red Cross in Erlangen) Marei Winter (Marketing & Communciations Manager D-A-CH) Steffen Thierfelder (Store Director D-A-CH) 5 days Suffolk contractor on the rise with growing plant fleet 5 days Volvo describes its new wheeled loaders as “a significant leap forward in technology and design”. 17 Apr Komatsu has unveiled what it calls ‘the most technologically advanced excavators ever’. 10 Apr Finning has completed a comprehensive remanufacture and rebuild of a Cat 320E excavator for Kevin Woods Plant Hire, giving the machine a second life. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments. © 2025 The Construction Index [Company No A light magnitude 2.8 earthquake hit 11.4 km (7 mi) away from Vielha e Mijaran, Catalonia,  Spain The quake had a very shallow depth of 5 km (3.1 mi) and was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.