SURVIVING A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS... Without internet connection or phone signal!

Dear intrepid explorers,

After unexpectedly being invited to join this long-standing annual expedition, the first thought on my mind was survival! Where do I get all the necessary equipment needed and how would a city dweller like myself avoid the dangers I could face in the Pyrenees. Thankfully the Lion times has proven a real treasure trove of information ahead of the trip.  

As a rookie explorer I have decided to build on some of the survival pieces that were added to the Lion Times in 2013 and 2014 by going into a bit more detail on surviving an unplanned night in the mountains. I have scoured the internet for help and will try to succinctly outline some of the key ingredients in making it through cold, rain and darkness. In order of importance: shelter, fire, and finally water. I think all of us should be able to survive one night without food!

1. Shelter: For shelter dig deep snow pit, of around 5 feet. Skis, branches and hiking poles are useful to create scaffolding for the roof. Large leaves and foliage as well as small branches are then stacked on top of the scaffolding to complete the roof. Inside the shelter, snow benches covered in branches are best to allow all members of the team to sit and huddle up together in the shelter to preserve warmth. Positive communication, teamwork and keeping the mind busy with tasks will go a long way in preventing everyone from getting caught up in negative thoughts. Please look at the diagrams below for both snow and forest shelters.
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2. Fire: Fire provides an endless list of functions from light, to warmth to purifying water and grilling meat, as well as to signal for help. A fire, however, must be planned, prepared, coaxed, laboured, fed and watched. The ability to make fire in varied conditions with varied tools is a critical survival skill and one that involves practice, trial, error, failure and patience. From natural materials to modern tools, it is wise to be knowledgeable in a variety of fire starting methods. Hopefully there will be a smoker amongst us which would save us a lot of hassle in having to do this.

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3. Water Sources:

• Clear flowing water ideally not originating from a polluting source. If you come across a spring or stream while outdoors, take advantage of it and top off your water bottles. Lakes, ponds and rivers are less ideal. The first two are stagnant, which may mean increased levels of bacteria and other gross things, while large rivers are typically full of pollution.
• Snow and ice can provide a good, readily available source of clean water in the winter. Never eat snow or ice, doing so will lower your body temperature while not doing as much for hydration as melted water will. To melt snow, put it in a container with a little water in the bottom and bring that up to temperature, adding more as the snow melts.
• Never drink seawater or urine, but if they're all you've got, you can boil them and collect the steam with a plastic sheet or bag. A solar still works similarly, but much, much, much slower.
• Wrap branches in plastic and, over time, condensation will form and small amounts of water will collect at low points in the plastic. Never do this with a poisonous plant.

By Patrick Fietje

The Town of Barbastro and the Crusades in Aragon

By Emilio Estrada

emilio.estrada.v@gmail.com

 The crusades were military campaigns sanctioned by the Pope. In 1095, the Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade with the goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem.

Many historians give equal weight to other papal sanctioned military campaigns as the Albigerian Crusade or the Reconquista. 

The Barbastro Crusade in year 1063, was one of the first international expeditions to fight against Islam. It was sanctioned by Pope Alexander II, who died 1073, to conquer the city of Barbastro. A large army composed by most European nations was gathered. The battle was part of the Reconquista effort, but its international composition anticipated the big crusades that followed during the next two centuries. 

Alexander II preached for the first time that the Reconquista was a Christian Emergency. Pope’s words were heard and followed in France, Italy and Spain. The army was built up with French, papal forces from Italy and Normandy, Barcelona's, Urgel's and Aragon's nobles. The forces met by the city of Graus and marched together directly to Barbastro. 

The city was taken by the Christian forces and put under the supervision of Ermengol III de Urgel. It did not take too much time for the Muslim army to take back the city in year 1065. 

The Comet Line: Smuggling Allied Soldiers over Pyrenees during World War II

By Alexander Turcan

Alexander.Turcan@TurcanLaw.md

The COMET line, a famous resistance network which operated between 1941 and 1944 during World War II, helped grounded allied pilots and officers reach safety. It has been well documented: pieced together with the help of diaries written by the soldiers and the help of the families of the Basque smugglers (mugalari) who worked as guides over the Pyrenees. 

However, at times the COMET line used a lesser-known route, crossing the French border east of URDAX along a route which led the pilots southwards through the mountains into the BAZTAN VALLEY and ERRATZU. From ERRATZU they then made their way by bicycle to SAN SEBASTIAN. Just like the Lions.  

The COMET network was the initiative of Andree de Jongh (known as Dédée)  – a 24 year-old Belgian woman, and nurse, who came into contact with wounded allies hiding in safe houses throughout Belgium. Together with the help of family and friends she started the network which escorted displaced allies through France into the ‘neutral’ Spain. 

The reasons why Dédée chose the Basque Pyrenees as the best crossing point for the COMET line are manifold.  Not only did she have contacts in the area, but geographically, with exception of the mountain passes in Catalonia, these mountains offer the lowest crossing points into Spain and far milder winters than the snowy peaks of the higher Pyrenees to the east. However, this is still very complex terrain to navigate – with an intricate network of steep ravines and stream gullies, dense woods and mountain mists, so the help of expert guides was essential.

This job was the natural domain of the Basque smugglers who had perfected the art of moving goods, animals and people silently over these borders on dark moonless nights, avoiding border guards and Guardia Civil alike. Their isolated farms and homesteads on the slopes of the Pyrenees made ideal ‘safe houses’ and resting points and on both sides of the border they shared a common, indecipherable language and a deep mistrust of Nazi regimes.

Stopping at numerous ‘safe’ (and not so ‘safe’) houses en route run by local families, the allied pilots (and soldiers) were slowly moved down through France towards SAINT JUAN DE LUZ in south west France from where they walked to one of three isolated farmsteads on the outskirts of URRUGNE. Here they spent their final night on the French side of the border. They were given a warm bowl of milk, chord-roped espadrilles, walking sticks and kitted out in blue workman’s clothing before being led by Basque mugalari  (such as Manuel Irurroiz, Florentino Goikoetxea, Tomas Anabitarte, Donato Errasti and others) on a tortuous route through the mountains to ENDARLATSA, over the BIDASOA river and into Spain. Once in Spain they now swapped one enemy for another. This time the enemy was now Franco’s Guardia Civil, who would either turn them over or imprison them, often taking them to a small concentration camp south of Pamplona in Miranda del Ebro.

The final stretch of the COMET line would lead the pilots over the mountains towards the final ‘safe house’ on the outskirts of OIARTZUN before they were moved on to PASAIAS, SAN SEBASTIAN and BILBAO. From here British Intelligence M19 would send an official escort to take them to MADRID or GIBRALTAR and then back home. Over 800 allies escaped from occupied territory along the COMET line, many of them escorted all the way by Dédée herself. Over 1200 people worked within the COMET Line, and some 280 people were killed because of their involvement.

In an interview in a Basque magazine in March 2015, two Basque brothers recall having people in the house when they were children: they remember them as frightened – (they had not only to escape the Nazi Regime but  Franco’s Guardia Civil as well) – but despite extremely courteous and respectful. For their family, who had worked all their lives smuggling goods and livestock over the border, harboring a handful of allied pilots were all part of the trade!

Stories of the “Camino de Santiago” at Roncesvalles

By Dan Rusu

de_rusu@yahoo.com

The Camino de Santiago (also known as St. James's Way or Route of Santiago de Compostela) is the name of any of the pilgrimage routes (most commonly the Camino Francés or French route) to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. 

The Way of St. James was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages, together with Rome and Jerusalem, and a pilgrimage route on which a plenary indulgence could be earned.

Legend holds that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where he was buried on what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela. (The name Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctu Iacobu, "Saint James").

 The scallop shell, often found on the shores in Galicia, has long been the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. As the symbol of the Camino de Santiago, the shell is seen very frequently along the trails. The shell is seen on posts and signs along the Camino in order to guide pilgrims along the way. The shell is even more commonly seen on the pilgrims themselves. Wearing a shell denotes that one is a traveler on the Camino de Santiago. Most pilgrims receive a shell at the beginning of their journey and either attach it to them. 

The scallop shell also served practical purposes for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago. The shell was the right size for gathering water to drink or for eating out of as a makeshift bowl. 

Today, tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims and many others set out each year from their front doorsteps or from popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey. In addition to those undertaking a religious pilgrimage, many are hikers who walk the route for other reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. Also, many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life. It serves as a retreat for many modern "pilgrims", somewhat similar to that of the Lions.

 Compostela

The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. In practice, for walkers, the closest convenient point to start is Sarria, as it has good bus and rail connections to other places in Spain. Pilgrims arriving in Santiago de Compostela who have walked at least the last 100 km, or cycled 200 km to get there, and who state that their motivation was at least partially religious are eligible for the compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago. At the Pilgrim's Office the credencial is examined for stamps and dates, and the pilgrim is asked to state whether the motivation in traveling the Camino was "religious", "religious and other", or "other". In the case of "religious" or "religious and other" a compostela is available; in the case of "other" there is a simpler certificate in Spanish.

The Pilgrim's Office gives more than 100,000 compostelas each year to pilgrims from more than 100 different countries.

INTRO Antonio 2015

Dear brave Lions,

Time flies and here we are again, in less than a month’s time we will be climbing up the mountains once again The simple thought of the Annual Lions Expedition to the Pyrenees makes a smile come to my face when things get a little tough at work.

The format remains the same as in previous years, in what we have called the “Lions triathlon of the Pyrenees” (cycling, trekking and canyoning); sometimes in the past we have added to that rafting, but this year this will not be the case. Although our base camp is as every year in El Poblado (El Grado), we will nevertheless go up to the high Pyrenees for trekking, to the Guara mountains for Canyoning and to the lower Pyrenees for the mountain biking excursion. We hope as always walk on snow or ice and therefore to use either crampons or snowshoes (no need to bring those as I will hire them for all). . Depending snow and weather conditions we may even cross into France in the trekking expedition. But remember we will take no risks. It is important for this that we all train regularly from now on, preferably twice a week. We can do this with our families, as it is intended to be a family event. As you know a veteran Lion, Tim Dauncey, has just returned from “Marathon des Sables”, no need to emulate him, I want all of you fit, not exhausted!

The camaraderie of all the members of the expedi­tion is one of the attractive things of the Expedition and in a way it is guaranteed. I promise to all of you that, like the Marines, you will return. We will give thanks to God for many things and be­ing a few days away from our families and normal occupations we will return refreshed and with new energies which will be noticed in our families and work places.

The contributions by each Lions, in the form of specific jobs before, during or after the Expedition, is appreciated. Some of you will be making photographs, a video, others driving or cooking, others will act as sherpas, guides, etc. It is this mutual help, that makes the experience very enjoyable.

Forward men to the top!

Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant!

Sir Anthony Irastorza(Editor)

Lion of the Pyrenees