Sarastarri-Aralar: Free as Wild Pigs
September 2024, a new generation of Aizkorri lovers arrived one month ago. Last year we struggled to convince a few sheep… Erasmus to join our adventure. This semester, our success is beyond every crazy expectation. People signed the devilish Aizkorri Berri contract without any kalimotxo influence, neither any idea of what the contract said nor what “Aizkorri Berri” means.
Aizkorri: Idealista Best Flat Cave Trip
It began with the Ulia Hike, an official ESN event that saw over 50 participants. Coordinating such a large group with just two people was a challenge, but the smiles on everyone’s faces made it worthwhile. Hugo and I carried our oversized backpacks, a prelude to the adventure awaiting us. It became a running joke among the hikers, who speculated if we were homeless wanderers with our “homes” strapped to our backs.
Artzanburu: A Hike Full of Surprises
The day started early after a long night of partying—a less-than-ideal prelude for an intense mountain adventure. Our group gathered in Brinkola, a quaint Basque village, as the starting point. Some arrived by train from Donostia, while I drove in from my nearby town. Once assembled, we packed our backpacks, including baguettes—a humorous moment for our French companions, who were visibly pained by how we treated their sacred bread.
Aizkorri through the “Vulture Way”
In February 2023, Zdravko and I finally convinced 4 people to hike and sleep with us in Aizkorri. We took advantage of the pintxopote happiness and avoided some details in the description of the excursion (people usually like surprises). Our challenge was to arrive before night at the refuge — a performance never achieved before. Aizkorri is a game field for challenges: a famous marathon crosses the mountain, and local people apparently climb the top carrying gas cylinders on their backs (otherwise they consider it a walk in the park, I guess).
Selva de Irati: La noche para los de la noche
El dicho vasco dice ‘eguna egunekoentzat, gaua gauekoentzat’: el día para los del día, la noche para los de la noche. Con esta filosofía como guía, nuestro grupo se adentró en la selva de Irati, un bosque legendario en el corazón de Euskal Herria. Desde los contratiempos en la carretera hasta una noche de aventuras bajo la niebla, cruzando ríos y enfrentando barrancos, vivimos una experiencia que nos dejó marcas tanto en la piel como en el alma. Porque en Irati, la luna guía y las leyendas despiertan, recordándonos que la naturaleza esconde historias que valen cada esfuerzo por descubrirlas.