Spanish outfitter

> I've been drooling over the prices on ascenders, harnesses, shoes, etc.....and plan to go shopping here very soon... > If you have gear to buy - this place has got really great prices! The shipping is > about the same cost you would spend for any other us based online > outfitter........
http://www.barrabes.com/

Randi, if you make it to the Pyrenees in summer better leave your wallet at home - Barrabes is in the next valley from where I live...

Barrabes' strong point are not the prices actually (on the higher end in Spain), but the sheer amount of technical gear they stock. If you've been looking for something for years, chances are they'll have about 50 at hand... if the website makes you drool, better steer clear of the shop itself then

If you wonder what an outfitter of that size does in a remote corner of a backward region, it's at the foot of the Aneto (highest mountain in the Pyrenees) and the Posets (2nd highest), in the Spanish version of Chamonix (smaller ), complete with the official mountaineering school. Plenty of ice climbing, canyons and caves too (quite big ones).

Koen

Randi, if you make it to the Pyrenees in summer better leave your wallet at home - Barrabes is in the next valley from where I live...

YOU LIVE IN A VALLEY? LUCKY! I live in the city

If you wonder what an outfitter of that size does in a remote corner of a backward region, it's at the foot of the Aneto (highest mountain in the Pyrenees) and the Posets (2nd highest), in the Spanish version of Chamonix (smaller ), complete with the official mountaineering school. Plenty of ice climbing, canyons and caves too (quite big ones).

Koen



Hi Koen, So where exactly in France/Spain do you live?

Are you in or close to Andorra?

If I have my way, I am coming to take you up on your offer of a Pyrenees canyon trip ...but who knows (?). It’s a big “if” because of the company I’m traveling with. My friend neither caves nor canyons, and will be on her own for the time I’m caving. She wants to go to Monte Carlo (which I’m not all that interested in, but it may be a good bargaining chip). Maybe I can bribe her by visiting Monoco “if” she comes with me to your neck of the woods. I’m actually trying to talk her into coming to the ACA rendezvous in April, but I’m not betting on it. As far as that Spanish outfitter (the US dollar goes a long way in Spain)…… And as far a drooling goes - my gosh - it sounds like I'd droll over the location!!!! How can anyone stay in the building when surrounded by that kind of visual luxury?

This trip in July, I’ll be seeing the sights more than anything else, but I sure would love to plan an adventure trip in the future – Come over & do a Canyon/Cave/Climbing/Mountain Biking adventure!!! Who knows? Geez, I don’t even know how long I’ll hold out (physically) to this kind of stuff.... I’m not ready for the armchair yet-----but I need to keep up the exercise (by visiting as many caves & canyons as I can ; )……..the gym is so boring!!!!

Does the TGV (French Bullet Train) run from Grenoble to where you are? If you’re a day away (via car) from there – how long would the train take? Questions – questions – questions…. I need to get busy on my French lessons too – so I don’t get spit in the eye for expecting everyone over there to speak English!!! J

Talk to you soon! -Randi

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> YOU LIVE IN A VALLEY? LUCKY! I live in the city

Randi, I posted a picture on the Photos file taken 100 yards from our front door in Spain. Beats Monaco, no matter what Julien says . But he's right, quite nice canyons in that neighbourhood too.

> Hi Koen, So where exactly in France/Spain do you live?
Are you in or close to Andorra?

We live about 20 miles from the Spanish/French border, right on the edge of the National Park of Ordesa & Monte Perdido - if you can find that on a map. Half a days drive west from hell-hole Andorra, don't go there unless you want to get disgusted by commerce & dirty tourism !

From Grenoble, count a full day travel to get here. Probably a combination of TGV, normal train, bus and car (no busses go over "our" border crossing).

Don't bother to learn French if you come to Spain, nobody understands that gibberish over here Funny how the "big" languages like English, French or Spanish all have the same argument not to learn any other language ("we're spoken all over the world")... that's right unless you get stuck on each others turf ;-). For me that's easy, if I go 80 miles in any direction they either don' understand me in my Flemish mothertongue (France, Luxemburg or Germany) or make fun of me (Holland). I don't mind because we make fun of them Dutch as well

Koen