A Tale of Madness and Mountains
Welcome to our humble corner of chaos and camaraderie, where gravity is merely a suggestion and sanity is optional! It all began in 2022, when a motley crew of Erasmus adventurers and ESN San Sebastián volunteers decided that the fine art of nearly plummeting to our doom in the Basque mountains was too good not to share. Spoiler alert: people loved it.
What started as a small group of slightly unhinged explorers has blossomed into a full-blown hiking circus. Each semester, we welcome a fresh batch of fearless souls—willing to swap their cozy Netflix marathons for adrenaline-packed sagas of rivers, caves, and wild animals that no one quite remembers inviting.
What We Do (Besides Survive)
Every hike is a new chapter in our book of What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Here’s a taste:
- Crossing rivers with the grace of a newborn deer (and promptly falling in).
- Wandering into the night without flashlights because adventure loves darkness.
- Discovering caves and accidentally starring in our own survival horror movie.
- Encountering Basque wildlife that isn’t thrilled about sharing the trail.
- Battling the cold atop frozen peaks because, naturally, we forgot gloves.
- Sampling “authentic” Basque delicacies—raw meat and sagardoa (vinegar disguised as cider)—and praying for our stomachs.
- Let’s not forget the time we tried to “sleep” on a snowy summit under a bivouac, while our fingers contemplated resigning from service.
- And, for reasons beyond our understanding, walking in the dark. Every. Single. Time.
No matter how meticulously we plan (or pretend to plan), the mountains seem to conspire against us, ensuring that most of our hikes end under the stars. From forgotten flashlights to “detours” that stretch well past sunset, we’ve become masters of the moonlit march. Pro tip: bring a headlamp, because we definitely won’t have extras.
Where the Magic Happens
Our HQ? Oh, it’s nothing fancy—just a cave near Aizkorri’s peak, where legends are born, plans are hatched, and stories are retold (usually with slightly more heroics each time). Here, surrounded by the raw beauty of the Basque Country, we dream up hikes crazier than the last and toast to the bravery—or recklessness—of anyone willing to join us.
Why Join Us?
Because life’s too short to stay on flat ground. Whether you’re here for the views, the thrill, or the bragging rights of not getting eaten by a wild boar, we promise you one thing: no two hikes are the same, and every step will become a story worth telling.
So, lace up your boots, grab a headlamp (seriously, bring one), and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime. Because in our world, the trail is always unmarked, the journey is always unpredictable, and the memories are guaranteed to last longer than your fear of heights.
Welcome to the madness. Welcome to Aizkorri Hikes!