Cross the Cantabrian Cordillera on foot, do you like it?
Photo credit: Eric Lascar
Eric Lascar has done much more than that: he is on the verge of completing an incredible journey on foot that has been on for almost two years now. He set himself a big challenge: to cross the most beautiful mountains in Western Europe, in complete autonomy over the 4 seasons, whether it is windy, rainy or snowing.
At only 27 years old, after four years spent doing his thesis in environmental sciences, he decided to go on an adventure on June 16, 2019, from his home in Strasbourg to connect the south of Portugal, either well, 5,000 km of walk with a cumulative positive elevation of over 200,000 meters.
This trip is the fulfillment of a childhood dream that had been trotting in his head for a long time. Eric is a researcher-explorer at heart, a great lover and defender of nature. Although he has decided to set off on his own in pursuit of his dreams, above all, he enjoys meeting people, discussing with them on different subjects. Before taking the plunge towards new horizons, he waited patiently for the end of his studies, just to reset the counters to zero and to take stock of his future professional orientation.
Photo credit: Eric Lascar
For now, he has chosen to experiment and orient his life towards travel. Throughout his adventures, he immerses us in his universe, in the middle of the great mountainous spaces. He shares with us his unique bivouac experience. Eric offers us total immersion thanks to his drone which allows breathtaking views of the sky. At his side, we fly in turn, the Vosges, the Jura, the French Alps to Nice, the Verdon gorges, the creeks of Marseille, the blue coast, the Black Mountain, the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian cordillera in Spain or the Serra Da Estrala in Portugal ...
Beyond the magnificent landscapes covered, he gives us his personal reflections and his states of mind that we discover throughout the episodes of his web-series: "ciel mon bivouac". He tells us about his nomadic life, its advantages and disadvantages.
During our discussion, Eric told me a little more about his approach: "living with your house on your back necessarily involves inconvenience, little things that sometimes make us regret the comfort of a hot shower, of a kitchen. fully equipped to share a good meal with friends ... That's for sure! But it also implies a certain return to simplicity! During the episodes of my web-series, I try to describe my feelings, my fears, my joys, by trying to convey through the camera all this palette of feelings. "
Eric's first intention is to show us the way. He wants to give courage to those who would still hesitate to pursue their dreams ... It's true, Eric does not go all the way when he thinks about a route of roaming: he lets himself be carried by his desires and his current intuition, as he explained to me during our discussion: “the world is vast, there are many adventure grounds. Too many to explore them all ... So we have to make choices. Seeing this map, I say to myself, there is a desert here, it could be nice to cross it ... Yes, but if I go there, I will miss this superb mountain range which is further north, this would still be a shame. If not, can I also detour 200 km and do both? Yes but hey… and why not? In these European countries, far from homes, the mountain is relatively virgin land. It is a fairly anarchic place, where the laws enacted by men lose all their meaning and leave us completely free to move around. It is up to us, then, to enact new rules of conduct, necessary for our well-being, our morale, our security and sometimes even our survival. Yes, but here it is, once these have been asked, it's a whole other world that unfolds under our feet. For example, the notion of property, so dear to our society, no longer has any importance. No one is going to look for you because you decide to pitch your tent here or there. For me it is a great joy to live these moments of pure freedom! The mountain is also where nature remains the most unspoiled, except of course the ski resorts and other ecological aberrations. It is also in these places that one feels the strength and power of the elements. The climatic conditions that we meet there are often harsh and push us to our limits. They bring us back to what we really are, that is to say an animal species among many others, sensitive and attentive to our environment. There is nothing better than being stuck at an altitude of 2,500 m, in pouring rain of 3 ° C, to realize the precariousness of our existence. To note that we are so small in front of our beautiful and large planet, but that nothing can unfortunately upset its fragile balance. This is why I decided to organize this long walk around the main mountain ranges of Western Europe, to be free at all times, to live fully in the heart of nature. ”
Photo credit: Eric Lascar
Today Eric Lascar has practically taken up his challenge: after crossing France and Spain, he has been in Lisbon for a few days for a short stopover before joining the Costa Vicentina in southern Portugal to complete the last leg of his trip. journey to Cape Sao Vicente in the Algarve. I must say that I stumbled upon his videos on YouTube a bit by chance, because I also plan one day, to travel (more wisely, it's true) a part of the Cantabrian mountain range on my way back, once one day I will have reached Santiago de Compostela. Like him, my "logic" is to think outside the box and to trace my own path, sometimes allowing myself detours and going through the mountains as much as possible.
Why make it simple when you can make it complicated ? Is that the first question I want to ask him? Eric answers me tit for tat: “after the Pyrenees, we enter Spain directly, with all the idea of going west to reach Galicia. The most logical path to take in this case would be one of the most popular Santiago routes: either the Camino Norte or the Camino Francès that everyone knows. Yes but no !!! These two paths already pass by too many roads, which is not the primary goal of my expedition, but above all they bypass an immense and magnificent mountain range: it is the Cantabrian Cordillera. The altitude level is lower compared to the route de la Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne (HRP) that I followed from June to August 2020, but the problem is that we are in a permanently lost hole. There, we totally forget about mass tourism and it feels good! There, of course, there are the unmissable ones, the famous Picos de Europa culminating at over 2,700m. These are steep mountains, very particular, where the approach must be relatively meticulous, because you never really know where you are stepping and what you will fall on. These are mountains with totally rugged relief! Throughout this crossing, we must therefore forget the marked trails. On the other hand, we enjoy a diversity of incredible landscapes, between the sea and the Basque Country, between the desert and cold areas of Burgos, the relatively steep ridges of the province of Castile and Leon, the Asturian pastoral areas also offering very beautiful green landscapes, then finally Galicia, "Spanish Brittany", with its cliffs and small mountains ... It would take much more time to describe to you the beauty of this Trans'Cantabrique, that's the name I give to this route that I have entirely traced with my hands. I will be very proud if one day other motivated people wish to follow this new path and make it last over time as an official mountain variant of the Santiago de Compostela routes, that would give me great pleasure. This is why I made all the useful information available free of charge on my website https://www.cielmonbivouac.com/itineraire.php It should be remembered that this track is nearly 1,200 km long , that's a hell of a bite to swallow. So you have to be well prepared to venture there. ”
a new road to Santiago traced in red by Eric Lascar
Eric then describes to me in more detail the itinerary of this Trans'Cantabrique variant: "the first stage is the crossing of the Basque Country, mainly at the beginning of the Camino Norte, then you have to follow my homemade route so as not to miss the visit. of the most authentic villages on the end of the coast at the entrance to the land. We then follow one end of the GR1 Historico trail, but to arrive in the Burgos region we follow small shepherd tracks, we venture on two very wild ridges, before arriving on the Picos de Europa. I loved hiking these mountains despite the relatively difficult weather conditions I encountered. You have to be really careful, you should not take these mountains lightly! The other part of the Trans'Cantabrique route catches up with the GR1 trail. It is quieter in this area and not very technical. There are also small villages regularly, which facilitates restocking. Then we finally leave the GR for off-trail or small paths to reach Galicia, but unfortunately because of the COVID I was not able to cover this last part of the route: the GPS track is therefore still very theoretical, but I think it can be a good base to create a really nice hike. I have no assurance where this could lead! In any case, to embark on this type of roaming, you must have a solid knowledge of guidance. You have to be able to plan and adjust the route according to the weather and your own level, with suitable software which I also talk about on my website. "
Eric adds: “the mountains of the Province of Leon are the last peaks of the Cantabrian Cordillera. Located just before the border with Portugal, further south. I tried to cross them in the middle of winter, after a long confinement carried out in Vigo during the second wave of Covid-19. Even if these peaks are not very high, we can still find ourselves on ridges close to 2000 m. Here again, no GR trail exists to cross this massif, so you have to be relatively inventive to weave your way through this rugged landscape. Many off-trail sections will represent a certain challenge, especially as the province of Leon is particularly cold in winter with good amounts of snow on the peaks. "
Having watched practically all his videos on Youtube, I noticed that Eric Lascar never presented himself under the pilgrim's hat and yet I feel so close to his approach. Is it useful to remember that there are no real or false pilgrims. There are several paths, but also different ways to travel them and therefore as many corresponding walker profiles. But for me, being a pilgrim means not really knowing where you are going and ultimately not really having the intention of arriving. Once we have set out towards ourselves and others, this path is infinite, this is also what Eric seems to say to me during our interview: “when I made the choice to place this project, it was not only with the idea of taking a break for a while, but to build a future for myself, closer to my convictions and my passions. Once the extreme south of Portugal is reached, I don't intend to stop there. If the current project is perpetuated, that I can live off this passion over the longer term, then why the hell stop me in Portugal, and not want to go further? Morocco would then be just a stone's throw away! In this case, why not take the southern route? Join the Canaries by hitchhiking, then try to reach South America, by a transatlantic? Why not cross this beautiful continent? This idea is just one of many! Difficult to sort through all these projects, each one as exciting as the next! Anyway, I wholeheartedly wish to continue producing this web-series, it won't stop at the first season ... One thing is certain, all this would not be possible without the financial support of patrons and new sponsors. Their help will be invaluable and will allow me to continue to bring this project to life in line with my values. So, I would like to take advantage of your article to renew my call for contributions: if you like my videos and want them to continue, do not hesitate to become a sponsor of the Ciel mon bivouac project! "
Photo credit: Eric Lascar
Eric's project could never have worked so well without the help of the people who hosted him to allow him to edit his videos between each big step of his trip. During this adventure, he spends nearly a third of his time with locals: sometimes for two days, sometimes for three weeks! It is for him the opportunity to forge real friendly links with the people who host him, to get to know their way of life better, but these stops also allow him to be able to keep in touch with the people who follow him on the networks. social. Eric explains to me his numerous technical constraints for the production of the web-series: “the editing of an episode alone takes about a week of work to produce it. During this time, I cannot be 100% self-sufficient in energy and I need to get out of my mountains and be in a fixed place. It is also an opportunity for me to spend some time in "the city" and take the opportunity to discover them. The people who host me have a professional life and obligations. People are often not available during the day. So most of the time they let me stay at their place. I take the opportunity to lock myself up with my computer to work, before waiting for their return in the evening, to take advantage of this meeting again. I succeeded in my bet to reduce paid accommodation as much as possible on my trip. Sometimes it's good to let chance and luck take care of the meetings. ”
Eric Lascar set up this itinerant hike project based on a certain ethic and on values that are dear to him: first of all , allow himself time for meetings . He recognizes that many people allow his project to come to life, by the generosity they show, by the richness of the exchanges that he can have with them. It is a wonderful, above all human experience to live. To be alone, to arrive in a village and without any planning, to know that incredible women and men are surely just around the corner ready to welcome you. This is also the goal of his web-series: to show that by taking the time to meet, you are never really alone! It shows that extraordinary friendships are always possible, when you make yourself available.
Its second priority is also to limit as much as possible the negative effects of its movements on the environment . At the end of our discussion, he told me more about his vision of ecology, a subject that is so close to his heart: “not to use any carbon-based means of transport, that is one of my first objectives! All of my trips are made on foot, or, in the event of a problem, by hitchhiking! We need to be able to collectively question our way of getting around! We should also be able to invent a new way of living, not only to be closer to our personal convictions and also to move away from little music which imposes a certain model of success on us, at all costs! We must therefore review our priorities for each of us and assume them. This is the direction I have taken now for over a year. To manage to live with only 25 kg of material for several months, it is a sacred challenge while trying to limit as much as possible the change of material, by trying to increase its durability. For example, I have on several occasions repaired the canvas of my tent torn by the storm myself. To save nature, we need to consume less! It is obvious, but ecology cannot be limited only to small individual gestures, aimed at reducing our global footprint. By remaining in the current system, we are brought to a standstill. If we do not quickly change our way of living, of producing, the consequences on living things will be dramatic, they already are! Once we have made this observation, we have already come halfway. It remains to anchor it in reality and to embark on concrete actions! Ecology must be political! Politics in the common sense, in the sense of making society together! For this, we need to collectively reinvent new consumption models and change behavior. Ecology should not be punitive, but allow us to find new ways of living together, by totally redefining our social standards more in line with our most precious common good: the Earth and all of the life it shelters. ! More than just a question related to hiking, I would say my approach is much broader. Throughout my adventure, I wish to raise existential questions: how do we manage to live in accordance with our ideals? How can we build up a daily life that is livable on an individual scale, which is also sustainable for others? How can you contribute to society, make a contribution to the building, without renouncing your individual freedom? These are sacred questions, aren't they? If my web series already gives some people the courage they need to take the plunge and follow their dreams, then that will be the best goal I could have achieved on this trip ”.
Eric Lascar has therefore chosen to make us aware of the protection of nature through wonder , this is the general idea that I retain from our interview. He wants to show us that a sumptuous nature is within our reach, no need to go to the other side of the world for that ...
For more information :
In addition to this, you need to know more about it.
You can see all the episodes of the web-series "ciel mon bivouac" on his YouTube channel by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKqPzYt3_gqMaQ9s_yEDkSg
On his website, you will find all his other adventures. Eric also offers tutorials to help budding hikers lead their own way and choose their equipment: https://www.cielmonbivouac.com/
You will finally find Eric on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cielmonbivouac/
or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cielmonbivouac/
Who is Eric Lascar?
Before being an explorer, Eric is a researcher. He defended his doctoral thesis in Earth Sciences, in Geochemistry on April 30, 2019 on the behavior of radium and its radioactive ascendants in soles and transfer in terrestrial plants. (to consult here for the more curious).
A fervent defender of nature, he is also passionate about music, guitar, diving and of course hiking since he has been walking since the age of 18. His walker's CV is well filled: Stevenson path, Kerry Way in Ireland, Appalachian Trail, crossing of the Spanish Canary Islands, Lanzarote, Tenerife, GR20, GR5, not to mention the many treks in the Vosges ... etc .. .etc ...
The stages of the "ciel mon bivouac" project (season 1)
approximately 5000 km from June 2019 to June 2021 :
June-July 2019: Vosges 432 km,
July-September 2019: Jura 352 km,
September 2019: Tournette Beaufortin 192 km,
October 2019: Vanoise 89 km,
October 2019: Thabor 102 km,
October-November 2019: Queyras Mercantour 155 km,
November-December 2019: Verdon 548 km,
January-February 2020: Camargue 190 km,
February-April 2020: Caroux 172 km,
May-June 2020: Corbières Pyrénées Orientales 217 km,
June-August 2020: Pyrenees (HRP) 706 km,
August-November 2020: Trans'Cantabrique 611 km,
October 2020: Picos de Europa 53 km,
January-March 2021: Montes de Léon 429 km,
May-June 2021: Portugal Algarve to Cabo de
Sao Vicente remains about 500 km
Season 2 planned :
Southern Portugal,
Southern Spain with the Sierra Nevada,
Passage to Morocco and crossing of the Moroccan Atlas,
Crossing of the Canary Islands.
Season 3 in reflection:
TransAltlantic from the Canaries to Brazil,
Descent to Ushuaia by bike via the east coast,
Crossing South America by the Andes on foot,
Photo credit: Eric Lascar
In conclusion, Eric Lascar's beautiful approach inspires me this sentence: "do we need a five-star hotel, when we can sleep under the stars and see five billion in the sky."
Good bivouac :-)
Lionel of Compostela
You will find on the following pages, all my long distance hikes with descriptions of the stages and photos. Coming soon... so, subscribe to the site here or on my Youtube channel. Buen camino!!! Lionel of Compostela
