After a bad fall on the mountain bike back in 2017, I completely stopped the sport. But this summer, I felt that the mountain bike was calling me again, so I decided to reconnect with what used to be my number one activity.
I wanted to do something local, I wanted to honor the mountains that saw me grow up. So my choice fell on the Pyrenees, more specifically the Ariège, that I had yet to discover.
The project was to cross the entire Ariège department in autonomy. A total of 240 km and 5000 m elevation gain in 4 days. With my bike and backpack loaded with equipment to wild camp, camera equipment and above all, 5 days of food to be self-sufficient.
Right from the start, a long climb of 1200 m was waiting with a blazing sun above me. But as a reward, the landscapes and mountains that surrounded me offered me a 360° magnificent view.
Once I reached the top, a long 20 km descent awaited. On the program of the day: technical single tracks, forest paths, a path in the middle of a canyon… It was paradise for a mountain biker. The paths were technical but so rewarding as I saw myself descending at full speed, flying over the obstacles and handling my bike as if I had never stopped biking.
Every day brought its share of surprises giving me some challenges, but I had a smile from ear to ear because I felt so fulfilled to be in the middle of nature, disconnected from everything else and without a phone.
The second day offered me a long 500 m climb in the middle of the jungle, without any marked path, where it was impossible to push the bike forward. The only solution was to carry the loaded bike on my shoulders and make my way through the vegetation, with grass taller than me at times. The humidity and temperatures approaching 30°C didn’t make it easier.
Unlike the first day when I had water accessible and drunk a total of 7 liters, I had a big lack of water on the last day. The terrible thirst went to the point of me having hallucinations. It’s in these moments that we realise the fundamental importance of water.
Every evening, I found a place to install my camp, I ate to refuel my body, and above all, I enjoyed the moment I had been waiting for all day: to slip into my hammock. But like the rest of the day, the night also brought its share of difficulties or dilemmas: sweating madly inside the sleeping bag, or sleeping without a sleeping bag but getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. I tried both options…
To summarise, this micro-adventure, on the doorstep of the house, was a technical and physical challenge that allowed me to seek out new resources within myself. This mountain bike adventure was definitely not the last!
