Pyrenees Blows My Mind

It is in this context that Brice and Sylvain invited me on their annual trip with Laurent aka Lolo Brossard. Laurent and Brice, it's a long story of friendship. Since the time that Brice told me about their adventures on the crest of Barbet sleeping in the cold before tackling the 2000 meters of descent with the rising sun. Or Sylvain who shared with me their successful TransBiking trips in the Orientales Pyrénées or Ariégeoises.
So I had only one wish: Go on an adventure with them to experience mountain biking and all that goes with it, I speak obviously of the night in a refuge, blueberry digestives and putting the world to rights…..
Yes, the world is hot !

The mountain is good for us
After a wet night next to the Bonac lake (Alt 712m), the day’s plan concocted by Laurent had a long ascent to the Serre Araing pass (Alt 2222m). All four of us found ourselves in an Olympic form during this long climb. We followed a gravel road that leads to the old mining site of Bentaillou for over 15km with 1200m of ascending. I do not know if it was the previous night’s SpeakEasy or the bottle of Jajakistan natural wine brought back by Sylvain, but everyone had a smile on their face. The sumptuous landscape and gentle slope allowed everyone to find their rhythm in order to appreciate the beauty of the place. We enjoy the Ariège for what it is, a wild land inhabited by local people sheltered from all globalization. Phones do not pick up any 4G.
We know it, but we’ll say it again: the mountain is good for us !


Free ride is not dead
When Laurent shared the day’s plan and insisted on this old mining site perched at 1900 metres of altitude, I immediately imagined the scree on the slopes. A child's dream to be able to ride on a virgin slope covered with plenty of gravel small enough that you can literally surf the slope.
For the first time in my life I put the free rider cap on my bike. I say on my bike because in the end free riding is not a photo on a screen but rather a libertarian way of thinking and approaching life. Brice and Sylvain are free riders for example: Leave a comfortable job in the national education system and accept not to be paid for two years in order to create a brand, this is FREE RIDE.


Mountain biking also gives you that feeling of freedom, especially when you climb a human-scale summit with simply human capabilities.

Carrying the bike on the other half of the climb was a real exercise in meditation, putting the bike on your back and climbing the trails slowly step by step. At this slow speed, I feel all the muscles that make up my leg, through the force of the quadriceps or the balance of the ankle. Each step is in rhythm with my breath, the inspiration is regenerative. With my bike on the back, I often look at my feet but when I open my ribcage by raising my head, I see Brice far ahead already at the top of the col. I envy his SimpleTrack Titanium at less than 12kg, but I keep my motivation by telling myself that it’s not just because of his lightweight bike.
I'm also watching Sylvain who had not put a bike on his back for a few years, suffering is not the word that comes to my mind when I look at him. Thanks to the inner exploration he experienced during his previous BTR, or other Gravel adventures, Sylvain knows his body perfectly and decides to just let the group go when his body sends him signs of fatigue.




When I was at the top of this mountain, before attacking the slope, I had a thought for my friend PEF. The embodiment of free ride in France, the definition he gives to his chosen discipline speaks to everyone. Laurent was French Champion in XCO, Brice finished in the top 5 of the Transvésubienne, I won a Downhill French cup in Junior. All that to say that we all tried our hand in competition, but we came back to the simple pleasures of sharing days out on the bike, without any set plan, without competition, without pressure.


Human relations... What is more magical than a meeting between two people so different yet very much in synch with each other. We did not discuss suspension and geometry during our two evenings, but it would be presumptuous to say that we shared philosophical discussions. However we spoke from our hearts, without filter and without fear.

It must be said that my fellow adventurers have lived, I enjoy sharing with people from another generation. A wealth of different experiences and my friends know it. Our sharing of visions was intense. Thanks to my three favorite 40-somethings and let me know if you want to share another adventure. CHEERS.
In the end, the world is hot, but our mentalities evolve, we meet more and more people in this divine nature.

Enjoy it and respect it.
RIDE FREE

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