Chemin de la liberté, The Freedom Trail, Pyrenees trek

Louis Barrau memorial The weekend before kickoff we have a strained knee and tonsillitis in the party and a possible call off till another time. As Rich and I move down from our reccy to Estagnous to check the snow levels we are feeling a little deflated and hope that the trip will go ahead. Lee, Craig and their lads however do arrive for a paired down programme - 1.5 easy walking days La Soumiere and several requests for mullti activity fun afterwards. In fine spirits we set off from the Chateau de Beauregarde in St Girons to begin the trek with a gentle 3 hour walk to Aunac - we play name the country going through the alphabet and Craig and Lee quizz us on old war films.   We left the team to have a meal with wildflowers and fresh local produce. We camped at Etang d'Eychelle the next night - a bad weather alternative to the Subera. Amelie braved it out well but there were a few squeals on the way down as the weather certainly had a stormy and wet feel. ...

Yas and team Rich and Julia Mama Les filles Nason Max and Charlotte

A mixture of the old and the commemerative Chemin de la Liberté We've www.spa-treks.com  just been running a trip for Discover Adventure, specialists in fundraising trekking, to raise some money with a great bunch of people who wanted to make the push from freedom over the Spanish border. Making their own escape to Spain was especially poignant for some who were doing it for a particular reason - whether it be a personal challenge or to raise money for a charity following a life changing event. But was it fun? YEEEESSSSSS! From the 11th of November 1942, the date on which the Germans occupied the free zone following the Allied invasion of North Africa on the 8th of November, the Nazi noose tightened and surveillance increased dramatically. Frontier guards, mainly Austrians, were posted along the whole length of the mountain chain and enemy patrols intensfied. A forbidden zone twenty kilometres deep was also set up along the Pyrenees into which access was only allowed with ...