Epic Pre-Race Week: The Pyrenees are On Fire!
While we are busy behind the scenes preparing the 7th edition of the X-Pyr , Mother Nature decided to give us a legendary preview of what these mountains can offer.
This past week has been nothing short of epic. We’ve seen a window of stable, high-pressure systems and perfect thermal conditions that have turned the Pyrenees into a playground for our pilots. From the low peaks near Hondarribia to the Mediterranean breeze of El Port de la Selva, the skies have been filled with wings.
Our local “Hike & Fly” specialists (that’s us!) have been reporting incredible cloud bases and smooth lines across the main divide.
The action started in the West and swept across the range with some truly standout performances. Mattin Íñiguez took off directly from our starting point in Hondarribia and, despite an initially rainy day, managed to push through the weather so effectively that just four days later he was almost closing in on the goal. It was a masterclass in efficiency, and you can read and watch the full, mind-blowing details of his journey in our dedicated blog post.
Not far away, Romain Larripa launched from his home turf near our first turnpoint, Larun, and completed a fantastic FAI triangle, while further south in the famous Arangoiti area, several pilots smashed the 100 km mark in style.
The central and eastern Pyrenees were just as active. In the Val d’Azun, a key location from our 2024 edition, Pierre Remy showcased his local knowledge by flying two back-to-back out-and-returns of over 200 km—absolutely impressive!
Meanwhile, Antonio Ramos and Aner Bueno have been on a scouting mission of their own, investigating various hidden corners of the Pyrenees and covering massive distances to refine the best lines for the competition.
Even near the end of the race route in Catalonia, the famous Ogassa and Berga areas saw multiple FAI triangles reaching up to 165 km, with pilots successfully navigating the tricky crossing of the Puigcerdà valley both ways. Manel Gras, Guillermo Monroset and Francesca Mugianesi were there to enjoy that fantastic weather.
All of this incredible flying happened while the Pyrenees watched on, still draped in an unusual amount of snow for this time of year. As we prepare for the start on June 21st, 2026 , with our 50 participants ready to tackle the challenge, these conditions fill us with optimism. If we get weather even half as good as this during the race, which usually lasts between 4 and 6 days , we are going to witness a historically fast crossing from coast to coast. But… who knows!
We also want to add a quick note to acknowledge that it’s not just the Pyrenees that are booming. We are closely following many of our X-Pyr pilots (and their incredible assistants) who are also crushing it over in the Alps during this fantastic week of weather. It seems the whole continent is ready for some serious flying!
Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook for raw footage of these pre-season flights. Our multimedia team is already warming up the cameras to bring you the best Live Tracking and documentary coverage.
Be Gorgeous, Be Pyrenees.
