CLIMBING truth drama STORIES 

     Last weekend, January 13 and 14, I did two different activities. On Saturday I climbed a classic north face in the Pyrenees. The next day, I tried Begi Puntuan, the 9a [5.14d] Patxi [Usobiaga] climbed a few weeks ago.

     Last winter, I started to practice winter alpinism (ice climbing). It's pretty curious, when I'm in those indoor training periods. I feel like those chained dogs always wondering when the hell I will be free at last. My "free at last" moment becomes each sixth day, and I call it my rest day. In winter time, I go to the mountains, ice climbing and mountaineering. It gives me freshness to keep on going, again, for the next five training days.

     So, the day before, I trained pretty hard. Some specific weighted series that shocked my forearms — and back muscles, too. This same night some friends and I arrived to Gavarnie and slept outside. Early in the morning, five friends and I arrived to the base of the north face of Taillon (3,144 meters). We had many climbers with the same intentions, so we needed to take care with the snow, ice, and rock falls from the parties that preceded us. It's a 700 meter, pensive route, just 55 degrees (and some 75 degree, too).

     When we were in the middle of the route, I heard a deep screaming coming from below. Nothing special. Half-an-hour later, a helicopter from the French Gendarmerie (we were in the French part of the Pyrenees) came around. In the Pyrenees, when a helicopter is flying around, it is because something has happend!!! We went down thinking about what evils had happened. Immediately, a Basque guy came and talked about the success.

     Three experienced Basque alpinists were climbing the same route as ours. They slipped and fell down 300 meters, with dramatic consequences. Even more, a very good friend of mine, the 8,000 meter mountaineer Edurne Pasaban, was pretty close to them but a little higher. Fortunately, nothing happened to her.

     Immediately, I had the impression of how small we are in the mountains. While reflecting, feelings of sadness came to my mind, on the way back home. So, with these little words, I would like to make a little homage to them and especially to their extraordinary wives and little boys that they left. I had the opportunity to stay with them during the multiple person funeral.