ORGANISATION

Travesía Pirenaica is an association focusing on the Pyrenees, mountains, adventure and travel, as well as major sea-to-sea routes across the Pyrenees mountain range, a meeting point and inspiration for the community of Pyrenees lovers.

CHALLENGE

To rethink the Travesía Pirenaica (Pyrenees Crossing) project by appreciating the natural resources of the GR11 as part of a sustainable mountain tourism economic activity.

IMPROBABLE COLLABORATOR

Marc Badal has a degree in Environmental Science and Master in Agroecology and Sustainable Rural Development and is involved in various self-managed recovery projects.

PROPOSAL

Marc Badal suggested following two lines of work focusing on building bridges between people passing through these mountain areas. On the one hand, to consider the mountains as a workspace for local populations and how hiking can contribute to rural development in the area and, on the other hand, focusing on farming villages as not only creators of landscape, but also part of the landscape.

RESULT

A project entitled “Territorios by people” was undertaken by emphasising the name of the organisation, Travesía Pirenaica (Pyrenees Crossing), comprising of a trip by van and on foot that began from the Itsasfest festival in San Sebastián until the Valle de Hecho in the Huesca Pyrenees, in other words, following the GR11 route.

The key agents found along the way on this route were identified, even in very complex valleys: community vegetable gardens, artist collectives, etc.

The idea is to continue the journey in order to connect the two seas: the Cantabrian and Mediterranean, just as the GR11 does. The aim has been to show the value of the Pyrenees beyond that of hiking.