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The Pyrenees - Road, MTB & Enduro Riding, Trail Building, Iconic GT Climbs & Nearby Attractions....


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Sometimes it's funny how you meet fellow riders and make new friends . . . .

 

After last weeks snowfall, followed by 36 odd hrs of steady rain, the middle of the normally grassy public carpark behind our rented flat had turned into a bit of a quagmire. From our lounge window we could look down and see a little white Peugot 306 halfway across the carpark - spinning its wheels in the mud.

 

After a couple of minutes the driver got out, gave the mud "a good looking at" and then got back in a tried again, to no avail. I put on my wellies and went down to help him. Between him driving and me pushing we managed to get the car onto firmer ground and then over to the entrance of the carpark, which is tarred.

 

He got out and thanked me and wanted to buy me a coffee - there's a coffee shop next door to us - but my dinner was on the table so I declined. Then I noticed a bike roof-rack on his car and said in Spanish "you ride?". His face lit up and we chatted for 10 minutes about cycling. He rides road & MTB, same as me.

 

We friended each other on FB, swapped phone numbers and "promised to ride together soon". Then he thanked me again, looked up at the sky and said "You're an Angel". I laughed then he said "I should know, I'm the Priest of Boltaña church!"

 

 

Tomorrow we're doing a road ride together....

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Sometimes it's funny how you meet fellow riders and make new friends . . . .

 

After last weeks snowfall, followed by 36 odd hrs of steady rain, the middle of the normally grassy public carpark behind our rented flat had turned into a bit of a quagmire. From our lounge window we could look down and see a little white Peugot 306 halfway across the carpark - spinning its wheels in the mud.

 

After a couple of minutes the driver got out, gave the mud "a good looking at" and then got back in a tried again, to no avail. I put on my wellies and went down to help him. Between him driving and me pushing we managed to get the car onto firmer ground and then over to the entrance of the carpark, which is tarred.

 

He got out and thanked me and wanted to buy me a coffee - there's a coffee shop next door to us - but my dinner was on the table so I declined. Then I noticed a bike roof-rack on his car and said in Spanish "you ride?". His face lit up and we chatted for 10 minutes about cycling. He rides road & MTB, same as me.

 

We friended each other on FB, swapped phone numbers and "promised to ride together soon". Then he thanked me again, looked up at the sky and said "You're an Angel". I laughed then he said "I should know, I'm the Priest of Boltaña church!"

 

 

Tomorrow we're doing a road ride together....

He just got a bonus ;)

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Some pics from yesterdays Road Ride.

 

Jose (the Priest from Boltaña church) and I started together in Boltaña, rode through to Ainsa, where we were joined by his friend Rafael (the Priest from Ainsa church!), carried on out to the "Collado de Foradada" which sits at 1020m, then back again. 55km in all.

 

Climbed around 700m, almost all of it during the "there" part of the ride, making the "and back" part easy!

 

It was a great ride. Sunny, but we still needed to wrap up. It is January after all....

 

I've never been on a ride before where I was out-numbered by Priests!

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Edited by Bonus
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  • 3 weeks later...

From last year - starting the descent from the "Muro de Roda" (The Wall of Roda) castle in La Fueva, 20 mins outside Ainsa, on Route ZL-04 - on a sunny day with the Mediano Dam in the background.....

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Another Road Ride today with Jose.

 

From Boltaña to Graus Plaza - 53km with 900m of climbing. Open roads, sunshine, no traffic, some climbing..... and some descending. We saw Vultures and a pet Jabalíe (Wild Boar), we met friends and had lunch. It was a great day out :-)

 

Some amazing views today . . .

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Yesterdays blast on the MTB . . . . stopped up in the Old Town to grab some water from the "Fuente" and a couple of pics.....

 

My bike with the Peña Montañesa behind it and the Rio Cinca looking south towards the Mediano Dam.

 

It was a beautiful day and good to be out :-)

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

With the Alto-Pyrenees to the North and the Lakes to the south, there are enough big landmarks around here that although you might take a little wrong turn occasionally, no one should ever really get lost.......

 

Zona Zero have taken care of the sign posting and done a great job.....

 

Happy trails . . . . . 

 

:-)

 

  

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Did a road ride with "Jose the Priest" and "Fermin the Sculptor" on Saturday afternoon. Beautiful day for it and the views are always worth the climb!

 

Fermin is 76 years old and climbed the first 7km - which rises 500 odd meters - without any problems. If I can ride like that at 76 I'll be a happy man!

 

 

From FB:

 

A "Colombiano", an "Ingles" and an "Español" riding together on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.
At one point Fermin (he's a Sculptor who also sings Opera) and I were singing "El Mondo"..........
 
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Did another road ride with "Jose the Priest" and "Fermin the Sculptor" on Saturday afternoon.

 

Boltaña to Campo and back. 70km, with over 1000m of climbing. Worked the legs, caught some sun and Fermin, who sings Opera, sang to us a little on the climbs!

 

A great day out.

 

 

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Taking a breather on the way to the abandoned village of Muro de Bellos.....

 

 

(no idea why the picture is posting sideways!)

 

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Edited by Bonus
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