The name El Piri is short for L’esperit del Pirineus, which is Catalan for ‘the spirit of the Pyrenees’. The event logo is inspired by James Haydens(founder and director of El Piri and legendary ultra cyclist) family dog, Piri, who is a Catalan sheep dog.
El Piri caught my eye back in late 2024. A gravel adventure, not a race, in the high Pyrenean mountains. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have a pretty full itinerary, but there was something very alluring about this event. With a potential seven days to complete the course, the time frame seemed achievable, the amount of climbing was eye wateringly massive, particularly to a 92kg heavy weight, but for some reason it didn’t deter my inquisitiveness.
I decided to run my thoughts past my wife, and sow the seed of another potential trip away on the bike. Fingers crossed. Marie-Louise has a solid history of taking on the toughest events. She is committed, she is competitive and she is definitely not a quitter. It should have come as no surprise to me then, that as soon as she read about El Piri, she agreed that I should do it…. but with her, as a pair.!
The dynamics took a sudden shift off the page. I’m a lone wolf with limited bike packing experience, but I can look after myself, and my bike. Marie-Louise has never done any bike packing, she has never done an ultra distance event and her discomfort threshold untested, over these distances.
As far as bike maintenance goes, her knowledge is limited. The prospect of riding as a pair suddenly changed everything for me.I would be responsible for both of us, for our safety, for our navigation, for our accommodation and for our bikes, and that worried me slightly. But there was one major overriding factor that made the decision to enter this event as a pair, very easy. We were doing it together. This would be an adventure that we could share for the rest of our lives. We booked the flights to Girona.
Training in the early part of the year went well. A two month block in southern Spain got some solid miles in the legs, in warmer weather. We, or I, rode with a partially loaded bike whenever I could, and the back to back days in the saddle really helped. Replicating the sort of climbing we would do in El Piri was difficult and quite frankly not that appealing, but we didn’t shy away from the hills, and by the time we returned to the UK our base level of fitness was pretty good.
A couple of pre-entered gravel events in the Spring only bolstered our fitness levels, a UCI World Gravel qualification spot for Marie-Louise was the confidence booster she needed. Our final training block was a gravel route from Morzine in the Alps back to Durham. Similar distance, similar time frame , much reduced elevation. It was the final test, and cracks in our preparation were beginning to appear. Back to back hundred mile days, on a loaded bike took its toll on both of us mentally and physically.
Cold night time temperatures, in a tent , meant we got little sleep, and we struggled to plan our food stops, sometimes finding ourselves turning in for the night on an empty stomach. This was just a test, but these were mistakes we could ill afford to make in the high Pyrenees, when the stakes would be much higher. I spent the next few weeks studying the route map of El Piri, identifying water points, resupply opportunities and camping spots, trying to formulate a plan that would get us to the finish line. Whichever way I looked at it, the challenge was massive.
My aim was for 6 days, with a day in hand for anything unexpected. In very simple terms, that meant six, back to back Fred Witton’s, off road with a fully loaded bike.! There was some information Marie-Louise didn’t need to know. We flew to Girona.
After what has been an untypical wet Spring in Spain, they were now in the clutches of an equally untypical heat wave in early June. Arriving in Girona a few days before the start of El Piri, it didn’t take long to realise that the heat was going to play a major part in our journey over the next week or so. We began to question our choice of kit, and more importantly our nutrition strategy for the duration of the event.
Ensuring that we were taking on enough carbs was one thing, but maintaining the electrolyte levels as well was going to be crucial to avoid cramp and stomach problems. With our limited experience we made a tactical decision to ditch the sleeping bags, replace them with cotton liners, and use the space to carry more VOOM Fusion Fuel carb sachets and VOOM single serve Hydrate sachets. Any spare space was packed with VOOM Pocket Rockets. I think I ended up with about 1800g of carbs on board!
Our aim was to consume about 60g of carbs per hour and supplement that with real food whenever the opportunity arose. We also carried additional salt tablets. A couple of short test rides to loosen the legs and check the bikes, race briefing done. 7am the next morning we begin our journey.
El Piri is not a race, but the start line, in the middle of Girona, as the sun started to rise, had a distinctly race feel about it. Quiet mumbling amongst the athletes and discreet glances at each other’s rigs only fuelled the nerves. Some like us were clearly in for the long haul, while others, with minimalistic set ups, obviously not planning to be in the mountains for long at all. We had our game plan and were pretty unfazed by those around us.
The route heads out West from Girona, and we entered ESPAI NATURAL DE LES GUILLERIES which meanders through wild low mountain forests and the quiet waters of the Sau Reservoir. The startling effects of the permanent drought Catalunya is under, was very evident, with the exceptionally low reservoir levels.
From here, we head Northwest towards the SERRA DEL CATLLARÀS, an area of natural interest that features impenetrable pine, oak, and beech forests. The gravel roads hewn from stunning rock faces. Crossing through this section we got our first views of the Pyrenees.
Located at the top of one of the steepest and toughest gravel climbs in the route, the REFUGI LA CLUSA,was a very welcome sight for tired legs. With over a hundred miles done and nearly 4000mts of climbing, we were ready to stop. Day 1 had been a brutal introduction. With limited offerings at the refuge, we found a camp spot, deciding to make an early start the next day, before sunrise, to find food and refill our water supplies.
Travelling further West, we arrive at the CADÍ-MOIXERÓ where the iconic twin peaks of Pedraforca stand, visible for hundreds of kilometres as the route approaches and circles in its shadows. The southern side of the Cadi has softer pine forests and is very lush due to the greater levels of precipitation.
The route moves out of the Pedraforca shadow and down one of the most amazing descents into the paragliding mecca of Organya. A welcome opportunity to resupply, before the route then heads deep into the hills of SERRA BOUMORT. Crazy switchbacks, endless climbs, seering heat, climbing to well over 2000mts above sea level. This area was stunning and vast. Herds of cows and horses, grazed the rich pastures, eagles and buzzards flew over head, and nimble dear effortlessly bounded around the hillside.
Day 3 and the route passes in and out of Pobla de Segur on the lake, and now heads North into the largest national parc in Catalunya - PARC NATURAL DE L’ALT PIRINEU, the real wild mountains. News was coming back to us that the fast riders were already finishing. Our target the checkpoint at the half way point. We were fuelling well on VOOM Pocket Rockets and Fusion Carb mix, and despite the temperatures in the mid 40’s, using streams and water fountains ,we managed to stay pretty well hydrated.
Day 4 and from Esterri d’Àneu, the half way point, the route climbs out of the Parc Natural de l’alt Pirineu through the beautiful Catalan mountain villages of Tírvia and Os de Civis and over, briefly into Andorra. We resupplied late in the afternoon. Next up, a brutal 14 mile climb back up into the mountains. As the clouds thickened and rumbles of thunder rolled in, we decided to stop short of our intended destination. We camped next to a locked refugi , an absolutely stunning location with views for miles. The decision to leave the sleeping bags back at base turned out to be a mistake. A very cold sleepless night, left us very tired, very hungry and a lot to do the next day if we were to stay on target.
The route then follows the gravel roads used for summer herd grazing in the PARC NATURAL DE CAPÇALERES DEL TER I DEL FRESER, an absolutely stunning, panoramic bowl, bounded by the French border to the north, before beginning the very gradual descent back towards Girona. Day 5 in the bag, it was beginning to feel like we were actually going to make it. A good refuel on Pizza and potatoes in Ribes de Fresser, an early night, and an even earlier start the following morning. Only 80 miles to go, but another 10,000 ft of climbing between us and the finish line. Saddle sores, numb toes and bruised palms were beginning to play on our minds. The miles were clicking by slower and slower as the day wore on.
We rolled into Girona at around 4.30pm on Day 6. The finish line, a biking café in the middle of town, filled with earlier finishers, friends and family gave us a rapturous applause as we crossed the line. Not only were we the only married couple to take part, we were also up there with the oldest of competitors. Floods of emotions came over us, El Piri had delivered on so many levels. It was a journey that had pushed us to our limits, it had tested us both physically and mentally, beyond what we both thought we were capable of.
James Hayden said in the race briefing, that El Piri, and bikepacking in general, would help you learn about yourself, you would be a better person for it. And even if you didn’t realise it today or tomorrow, you definitely would in the future. Now that the dust has settled, I think I can whole heartedly agree with him. Looking back on El Piri, it was the greatest bike packing adventure I have ever done, in one of the most stunning locations.
And if you’re wondering if I would ever go on an ultra distance, ultra hard bike packing journey with my wife again……..absolutely 100%, she was the perfect partner.
