The Pyrenees are not 19th-century California, when thousands of people from all over the world flocked there in search of fortune, nor are they South Africa. Even so, there were also gold mines there that the Romans exploited. This has been demonstrated, for the first time, by a study from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of A Coruña. "We know that the Guilleteras mines in All (Cerdanya) were exploited between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. We have indications that there must have been more mines in the Pyrenees, but that they must have been abandoned when they found more profitable ones elsewhere, such as Las Médulas (León), or in northern Portugal," the study explains.

On February 17, 1930, an avalanche in the Catalan Pyrenees claimed the life of Heinz Baldauf, a 21-year-old Italian skier. Baldauf was in La Molina to participate in a race of the Catalan Ski Championship, a competition in which he finished in eighth place. The following day, accompanied by Englishman Herbert Glaeser, he decided to climb Mount Alp. But 1930 was unlike any other year. The people of Cerdanya still remember it as "the year of the snow," as it snowed relentlessly for days, blocking roads and tearing off roofs. On that February 17, the two young men became lost in the Set Fonts valley area, and an avalanche struck. which would end the life of the South Tyrolean"It's an important date. For the first time, a person lost their life in a documented avalanche in the Pyrenees due to a recreational activity, in this case, a sport," explains Montse Bacardit, a technician at the Lauegi d'Aran Center, the public avalanche prediction service of the Conselh Generau d'Aran. The tragedy that ended Baldauf's life was most likely caused by the skiers themselves, overloading the slope and triggering the avalanche.

"Every year I feel a kind of sadness when these days approach," sighs hiker Biel Grau (Lliçà d'Amunt, 1948). Exactly 25 years ago, he lost two close friends buried by an avalanche while descending from the summit of Costabona, "a mountain of cows" at 2,465 meters in the Ripollès region. He survived for two days buried under the snow. It was the painful epilogue to the tragedy that had taken place three weeks earlier. Nine dead in the Balandrau area.

One person died on Sunday, buried by an avalanche while off-piste skiing in the Pyrenees. On Sunday night, a skier died after being rescued by the Pompièrs d'Aran (Aran Fire Brigade) at the Baqueira Beret ski resort, as confirmed to ARA by sources from the Aran General Council. The man was caught in an avalanche and was initially rescued alive by emergency services, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. In Catalonia, Civil Protection has activated the Allaucat plan for this weekend, in the pre-alert phase. The avalanche risk has been set at 4 out of 5 in the Ribagorçana-Vall Fosca area. The emergency services also warned that the danger in the rest of the mountain areas is at 3 out of 5. Second victim

However, the Aran Fire Brigade (Pompièrs de Aran) has ruled out the possibility that the ski found in the off-piste area of the Baqueira Beret resort belongs to a second skier trapped in the avalanche. Jordi López, head of the Aran Fire Brigade operation, explained that thanks to a tag on the ski, they were able to determine that it had been rented last year from a ski rental shop and subsequently reported lost. The Aran Fire Brigade, the Catalan Police (Mossos d'Esquadra), and firefighters from Aragon with dogs continue working in the area to ensure that no one is trapped under the avalanche, given the presence of recent ski tracks. The Catalan Police have not received any reports or notifications of missing persons, and the victim's car, the only one left in the resort's parking lot, contained only ski equipment and footwear belonging to one person. Therefore, they rule out the possibility that the ski found belonged to a second person and that the victim was accompanied at the time of the avalanche.

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"I remember entering the refuge and bursting into tears, thinking, 'Wow, we're saved. We won't die now,'" says Marta Valls (Barcelona, ​​1974). She is one of the survivors of the tragedy that, exactly 25 years ago, left nine dead in the eastern Pyrenees, in the Ripollès region, amidst the most extraordinary and fateful weather event ever recorded in the Catalan mountains. Barcelona.

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As meteorological winter approaches, ski resort managers and residents of the highest tourist towns in the Catalan Pyrenees are scanning the skies and the forecasts, and despite the November precipitation, they are praying for snow. This year, their longing grows stronger, as climate change has transformed the coveted white blanket into the unpredictable outcome of a dice game. Is this the end of an era?

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The Pyrenees and the ski sector are rubbing their hands together in anticipation of the long weekend for the Immaculate Conception, which promises to be the best in recent years. The recent snowfalls across the mountain range and the early arrival of winter's chill have left a blanket of snow that will allow all the resorts to open during this period, with varying degrees of slope availability. This is a stark contrast to the situation experienced in recent years, marked by drought and warm autumns. In fact, last year many resorts were unable to open until mid-December due to a lack of snow.

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The Pyrenees awoke to a blanket of white this Friday morning. The snowfall, which began overnight at all elevations, primarily affected the northern slopes, but the event spread to the southern slopes as well. Areas such as the Boí Valley, the Fosca Valley, Cerdanya, Alt Urgell, and Alt Ripollès saw snow reach even the valley floors. Snowflakes and some powdery flurries were also observed in lower-lying towns like La Seu d'Urgell and Ripollès.

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Rosa Talamàs, TV3's current correspondent in the Pyrenees (Terrassa, 1978), studied economics following the family tradition of her father and two of her brothers, but quickly realized her passion: "I'm good at getting information out of people, getting people to tell me stories and seeing what the problems are." She wanted to dedicate herself to that and, therefore, study journalism: "I thought I could dedicate myself to economic journalism, because it's what could most differentiate me from the rest, and that's why I did an internship in the economic media." Although her first job was at Caixa Catalunya during the summers, she took the plunge and began working for print and radio media. She did an internship at the program Added value from TV3 and has since worked for public television: "When 3/24 was created, they needed extreme hours, and I started working in the newsroom from four in the afternoon to one in the morning."

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More than half a year ago, specifically on December 7, 2024, A couple of Catalan hikers disappeared during an expedition to the French Pyrenees.Eren Txell Fusté, a 52-year-old woman from Manresa, and Esteve Carbonell, a 47-year-old man from Gironella. A large search operation was deployed involving five Andorran firefighters and a dozen French gendarmes, but they were unable to locate the couple. French gendarmerie in the ACN. According to the French emergency services, given the area where the body was found and the clothing he was wearing, they believe it could be the hiker Esteve Carbonell. The gendarmerie rescued him by helicopter. They are now awaiting an autopsy.

As explained by the ARA, a few days after the disappearance the family of the hikers was able to reconstruct the route they had taken, recovering the signal from their mobile phoness. According to the reconstruction, the signal from both hikers was lost near the scree of the Col des Calmettes, at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters. Therefore, they had not yet reached the summit. However, it was not entirely clear that this was the point where they disappeared, but rather the place where their mobile signal was lost and, therefore, where their trail was lost.

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March brought extraordinary rainfall to much of Catalonia, finally ending the historic drought that had dragged on for more than three years. This precipitation, which in the high altitudes of the Pyrenees fell in the form of snow, accumulated to such significant depths that it hadn't seen for some time. Beyond ensuring an excellent end to the season at the ski resorts, this snowfall makes the Pyrenees look truly white and is a great reserve for the thaw that is already underway.

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Optimism is mounting in the Catalan tourism sector for this Easter, with very favorable occupancy forecasts, averaging over 85% between Holy Thursday and Easter Monday, and in many cases approaching full capacity. After a rainy March, which left a green and flowery spring landscape, excellent snow depths in the Pyrenees, and lush rivers, guests are eager to get outdoors and enjoy nature. Despite the forecast for somewhat unstable weather during the holidays, with sun, clouds, and some rain, campsites, apartments, rural houses, hotels, and restaurants are confident that there will be no last-minute cancellations and are hoping for a more relaxed atmosphere. improve last year's data.

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We read in the ARA (Argentine National Archives) that the brown bear has now been fully reintroduced in the Catalan Pyrenees, as there are 47 of them. The Director General of Environmental Policies and the Natural Environment, Marc Vilahur, has already stated that it is necessary to "ensure the coexistence of this species with local communities" and that they will work with "pilot projects using smart collars."

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The brown bear is one of the last large Pleistocene mammals that has not become extinct, and it is also native to Catalonia. However, in 1973, the Spanish government had to consider it an endangered species, primarily due to poaching. This situation has completely changed: there are now 47 brown bears in the Catalan Pyrenees, leading the Director General of Environmental Policies and the Natural Environment, Marc Vilahur, to declare it an endangered species. says it is necessary to "ensure the coexistence of this species with local communities."

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In recent weeks, the Catalan Alliance has been forming its regional executive committees. The goal is to organize itself throughout the territory with an eye toward the upcoming municipal elections. The xenophobic party already has around twenty committees, most of them in the Barcelona district (12), but it also has four in Girona and Tarragona. In Lleida, however, it only has two: in Segrià and Pla d'Urgell. It is precisely in this district that the far-right party's first territorial crisis has erupted.

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Aymar Navarro has made history by achieving an almost impossible feat. freerider Aranese He managed to ski down the Tuc des Hemnes channel, an impressive slope that has become one of the most difficult mountains in the Vall d'Aran, both because of its altitude (2,359 metres) and because of the gradient and weather conditions, which make it one of the most difficult in the world.

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