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

[Bonus]

Last week we were invited to the local movie theater in Boltaña to see the premier of a movie that was made locally with financial help from several local councils and "Crowd Funding".

 

The film was called "Ara Salvaje" which translates into "the wild river Ara" and it's a story about a local man, Martin Campoy, who wanted to ride, document and promote the last remaining wild river in this area, the river Ara.

 

The film was in Spanish but we got the general idea of what was going on. More importantly we got to see some fantastic footage, including shots taken from a drone, of the river Ara that passes through Boltaña and Ainsa on it's way from the top of the mountains down into the Mediano Dam.

 

We cross this river every time we go pretty much anywhere from our house and we swim in it in the Summer. Rivers are important here and this movie did a good job of showing that.

 

Watch this Promo clip that was made when the rider and his wife were originally fundraising and get a taste of where it is that we live . . . .  :-)

 

 

https://youtu.be/AuVRiPQCSLw

[Bonus]

2018 is just around the corner and with it a new season of the Enduro World Series - which returns to Zone Zero, Ainsa in Spain next September . . .

 

Can't wait! :-)

 

https://youtu.be/X_A-DczMxj0

Edited December 8, 2017 by Bonus

[Bonus]

"Rutas Carretera de Zona Zero" (The Road Routes of Zona Zero)

 

Zona Zero has released details of the "Road Bike Cycling Routes" that I talked about on here a little while ago.

 

There are 13 Routes in all - 10 are in Spain and 3 are in France, in the district that adjoins Zona Zero to the north and with which Zona Zero is collaborating for this special project.

 

On the website "https://bttpirineo.com/es/road" each route has a description summary, a map, a hill profile and guide notes.

 

The routes are all circuits and you are able to join them at any point and "do a lap". You can also combine routes to make routes to suit yourself.

 

The shortest route, ZR-06, is 45km long with 1300m of climbing.

The longest route is a variation of route ZR-01 which is 189km long and has 3900m of climbing.

 

I'm looking forward to going out and testing them all in Spring!

[Bonus]

Every year at Christmas time, Angel from Zona Zero and his dogs unveil a new route that he's put together as a Gift to everyone.

 

This year the Route is ZZ046 which starts and finishes in Tierrantona and goes up to the Muro de Roda church. It's in the same area as ZZ04 Light but takes some different paths.

 

In Angels own words (via Google Translate!) . . .

 

"Merry Christmas. Papa Noël has left us all a gift - a new route! It will be called ZZ046 and it is the first route of the new future for Zona Zero.

 

It is totally signed with arrows from Tierrantona, although you can leave from Charo or Aluján too and complete the circle. 23 km long, 875 m Climbing and 60% is on the trail"

 

[Bonus]

I must say, Golfo, Lolita and Lily don't look too impressed with the "Christmas Antlers"!

[Bonus]

Back in November I did a couple of rides with some new friends we made who were over from Scotland.

 

These pics were taken at the top of Zona Zero Route 4 Light - The Muro de Roda (The Wall of Roda).

 

The views are fantastic, the climb is not too hard and the descent is very enjoyable.

 

Here's me and my friend Mark (or "The Large Child" as I tend to refer to him)

Edited January 11, 2018 by Bonus

[Bonus]

We're having some spectacular clear sunny days here at Zona Zero and around Guaso generally. There can occasionally be a sharp wind but nothing like the weather a north west Spain is currently suffering!

 

Apparently next week will be colder, but they often say that and it doesn't materialize. We will see I guess :-)

[Bonus]

One of the things we'd like to be able to do once our B&B is up and running (See our Hub-Thread  "Bonus & Wendy's Big Adventure"!), is help our cycling guests to find their way around the trails, roads and caminos of the area and of Zona Zero in particular, safely and competently.

 

We'd like people visiting here to make the most of their time, on and off the bike. There is so much to see and do.

 

With that in mind I'm looking at getting myself a Guiding Certification with European approval.

 

Will post my progress through the in's and out's of Spanish bureaucracy and red tape as I go . . . . .

 

Wish me luck :-)

[Bonus]

I'm was so happy to see my friend Angel Cheliz receive an award this weekend. He has been one of the main driving forces responsible for creating from scratch the hundreds of km's long collection of MTB/Enduro trails that we now know as "Zona Zero".

 

 

"On Sunday February 4 in Boltaña, Ángel Chéliz received the "Cruz de Sobrarbe" (The Sobrabe Cross).

 

For us, the prize awarded to Angel Cheliz is very special. A visionary, a child in an adults body that never stops dreaming, to see beyond what the...ir eyes reach. Surely we are not the only ones to be grateful to him and his "comrades in battle" at the Pyrenees MTB Center, Zone Zero. For the passion he has instilled in much of this territory and its future. THANK YOU.

 

There goes our little tribute."

 

 

 

[Bonus]

Guiding in Spain - the basic requirements:

 

I mentioned before that I was looking into getting myself a Guiding Certificate so that we could show visitors around "Safely & Legally". This Is what I've found out so far:

 

1) You need a Guiding Qualification with "European Approval".

2) You need a current "Outdoor First Aid Certificate"

3) You need Public Liability Insurance.

 

I'll be posting about what each of these involves over the next few mornings :-) 

[Bonus]

My son is over from the UK for a few days and thankfully the snow and rain we had last week have gone away.

 

Today we walked some of the trails I'm busy building on Ramon the Farmers land. Did a bit of cleaning up and cleared some of my drainage ditches. It's looking ok, despite the fact that I haven't given it much attention since we started building our garden walls and terracing our sloping back garden.

 

It's good news for me that I can ignore my trails for weeks or even months if necessary and they don't fall apart while my back is turned!

[Bonus]

Had a nice afternoon clearing out the rainwater drainage ditches that I dug last year.

 

After Fridays heavy rain I was able to see where the ditches were working and where they weren't. Thankfully I had got it mostly right first time around last year, so only a bit of adjustment to do.

 

Once the channels into the new ditches are in the right place, they pretty much keep themselves clean after heavy rainfall!

 

Working drains means dry trails! :-)

Edited March 12, 2018 by Bonus

[svm3000]

Hi I want to plan a ride from east to west across the Pyrenees I do believe there is a MTB trail does anyone know where I can get the GPX file to download to the Garmin

[Bonus]

Hi I want to plan a ride from east to west across the Pyrenees I do believe there is a MTB trail does anyone know where I can get the GPX file to download to the Garmin

That might be the Trans Pirenean (give or take a bit) I'll see what I can find out.

[svm3000]

Correct Bonus I am keen to ride that , if you can find me a GPX route that will be awesome

What is the weather like normally end May 1st week June

[Bonus]

Correct Bonus I am keen to ride that , if you can find me a GPX route that will be awesome

What is the weather like normally end May 1st week June

Where we are, last year it was really nice in May and in June the Summer arrived early.

I'll see if any of my buddies have a Trans GPX.