Explorer Trip - Pyrenees - Flat Sucks: The Trail Gate

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During this year, while the DH World Cup circus was seeking split-second advantages on a brand-new track in the Spanish-French border area for the first time, we took a considerably slower but no less exciting approach on our Explorer Trip. The Innsbruck-based travel provider Flat Sucks took a colorful crew of Austrian riders, an Endura team rider, as well as a photographer and filmmaker on a journey of discovery.

Arturo, our local guide, devised a route for our "Explorer Trip" that definitely lives up to its name. With shuttle support, we circumnavigate the heart of the Pyrenees, the 3400m high glaciated Pico Aneto, in seven days. In a wild mix of former race enduro stages, uphill trails, technical alpine descents, freeride sections, and endless portage passages in the sweltering heat of the Spanish sun, we begin to hold this corner of the earth deep in our hearts. Oh, and we haven't even mentioned the extended hut evenings with local delicacies, Spanish wine, and tapas ecstasy... Cojonudo!

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Admittedly, during the 14-hour car journey from Innsbruck to Toulouse with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius in the French Languedoc, we wondered more than once if a biking destination in the Alps would have been the more sensible choice. At the airport, we pick up filmmaker Jens and US gravel and marathon specialist Ryan and load two more bikes onto the small shuttle trailer before heading to the Spanish border. Two hours later, we roll into the backyard of a small pension in Viehla, where Arturo warmly welcomes us with tapas and plenty of Cerveca, or beer. No one knows the mountains and trails in the area as well as the amiable Spaniard, and after all he tells us about his home and his bike adventures during dinner, we go to bed full of anticipation.


Our acclimatization tour the next morning starts near Baqueira, a ski resort that also regularly hosts the FWT, and it's a good taste of what awaits us in the next few days - sweaty ascents, breathtaking panoramas, and trails that make our hearts race. Like in a marble run, we follow Arturo through a labyrinth of sunken roads, berms, tight turns, and small jumps. Any doubts about whether the long journey to the Spanish mountains was worth it are dispelled after just one descent!

After a little refreshment, we're back in the shuttle bus and on our way to the Llauset reservoir, where we plan to hike up to the hut of the same name in the evening light. Quite literally, as the path along the lake over huge boulders and the steep trail to the hut are impassable even with e-bikes, so we carry our bikes through the beautiful valley for about two hours. Just in time for dinner, we reach the futuristic-looking hut at 2425m in the last daylight, which is usually only visited by hikers and climbers.

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"Damn! Jens?! Are you okay?!" The rocky path away from the hut requires full concentration in the morning, and a small mishap throws our filmmaker off balance, sending him tumbling down the slope. Fortunately, no major injuries, but with head and shoulder pain, he has to abandon the tour and accompany Livi, our shuttle driver, back to the car while we continue our way to Pico Llauset. The ascent is long, and the steep path forces us to shoulder the bikes again. Two steps forward, one step back. The loose gravel is unforgiving and walking is laborious, but we are rewarded. On the other side, the view opens up to an endless lunar landscape with rocks in all possible colors. The descent is part of the Trans Nomad, a multi-day enduro race, and forces us to focus our gaze from the landscape back to the trail. The loose gravel offers just enough grip to let the brakes loose and really let it run. In Cerles, we fuel up with coke and fries before Livi shuttles us up the next mountain. A few pedal strokes later, we find ourselves at the trailhead early in the evening. By now, Ryan has also put on the knee pads that Endura sent him just before the trip. Not a bad idea when you're on the enduro bike. "It's a little bit loose, some rocks, and watch out for the tight corners" is all Arturo gives us before disappearing into the forest. We follow with a broad grin on our faces. "Cojonudo!" That means something like "Oida, this is awesome!" By the way, it also goes well with the magnificent dinner with which we end the day in Benasque.




That Arturo likes to grab a shovel himself in his hometown and turn a forgotten path into a first-class trail, we get to experience the next day despite pessimistic weather forecasts, and stay dry. The cherry on top - a dreamy flow trail that leads us through a kind of jungle like in a tunnel.



In the afternoon, the weather really closes in, and in well-practiced teamwork, we load the bikes back onto the trailer and drive to the Refugio de Marradetas, located at 2000m. We are the only guests and are treated by the hut warden to a feast of local and traditional delicacies. Finest grilled meat, vegetables, soup, and a paella as a starter that would have already filled us all. We wind down the evening by the open fireplace with a bottle of wine. In the middle of the night, an incredible thunderstorm wakes us from our beds. Lightning strikes around the hut at a rate of seconds, it's pouring rain, and here and there, it drips through the rather sparsely sealed roof.




At breakfast, the innkeeper points to a hole in the brick wall, which was hastily bricked up again. A few weeks ago, lightning had struck the hut there. Good thing we only find out now...

The short and restless night is felt by all of us as we head towards Punta d'Armena. It's windy and cold, there's even a bit of fresh snow on the mountains, and the ascent, as it couldn't be otherwise, is steep and strenuous. For hours, we push and carry our bikes to the pass. Without our local guide, we would never have found the way, it's so poorly marked. At the pass, the wind almost forces us to our knees, we don't lose much time and follow a natural path into the next valley, passing wild horses and a picturesque lake.




For the afternoon, the weather plays tricks on us as Arturo has planned a trail to Bielsa, but it's not cooperating. In the end, we just go for it and get shuttled up to 2100m. Rain jacket on, hood up, it's pouring rain, and after a few meters of trail in the tall grass, we're soaking wet. But the trail is unmatched. Markus, founder of Flat Sucks, feels the trail just right and sets a brisk pace. Always along the steep slope, it's important to stay alert and not brake too much, a crash would be painful in some places. But despite the wetness, the trail offers enough grip in the forest, and we chase each other through the undergrowth until this, one could say perfect end but despite the wetness, the trail offers enough grip in the forest, and we chase each other through the undergrowth until this, one could say perfect enduro trail, spits us out in the picturesque village. First, we find a supermarket and replenish our empty energy stores with chips and Haribo. With the shuttle bus, we escape the bad weather to Ainsa, which is slightly lower and offers a welcome change to the rudimentary hut from the day before, with a lively old town and a dry bed in the hotel.



The area is known for its trails on grey earth, not least because the EWS has also made a stop here. For a change, we cover most of the altitude meters in the shuttle or at least in the saddle and can fully concentrate on the descents. The hard, grippy ground and the playful terrain with many small canyons and ridges are a lot of fun and invite for a few small freeride lines. A cortado, a Spanish coffee specialty with ice in the old town, is a must at the end of our round.



True to the motto "flat sucks", on the penultimate day of our journey, we tackle a steep forest road in first gear in the bus to a small mountain hut. The many kilometers on unpaved ground take their toll, and a few welds on the shuttle trailer break. With the last tie-down straps, we solve the problem while Markus is already on the phone with his trusted metalworker in the Wipptal, after all, the trailer should be on its way to Piedmont next week.


Even on this tour, we can't avoid shouldering the bikes to reach the summit of Comodoto in the Ordesa National Park. But even this time, the effort is worth it. The view over the border region to France is phenomenal, and the trail is not only another highlight in terms of landscape. The locals here just know how to build trails! In the end, we cover over 2500 meters of descent and end the day in the lovely little restaurant "Kanguro Truchero". Burgers, curry, and traditional Spanish dishes are on the menu. An absolute recommendation!


We start our last bike tour full of enthusiasm right at the border tunnel to France. While Jens drives to France with the bus and trailer in a few minutes, we push our bikes 700 meters up to the border ridge. A few local hikers give us questioning looks and wish us good luck with our endeavor. Once at the top, we unfortunately find ourselves in a cloud again, and drizzle greets us on the French side. In Aragnouet, we do a few laps on the local enduro trails, which come in every difficulty level and are still quite rideable even in wet conditions.



We finally find the crowning trail finale of our journey in Saint-Lary-Soulan. The moisture turns the black trail into a real test piece, but those who keep their cool and don't prematurely hit the brakes are rewarded with a rush of endorphins and adrenaline. Rock slabs, drops, berms, and technical passages alternate in a fairytale forest full of ferns and old conifers. High five! What a day! What a trip!



In eight days, we experienced a lot, laughed a lot, and above all, fell in love with the Pyrenees. The locals, the breathtaking landscape, the fantastic trails, and above all, our colorful crew made this Explorer Trip something very special. There's no question, the journey there and especially the way to the trailhead are not easy here, but we will definitely come back. The Pyrenees still have so many adventures in store...

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