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Vignemal summit, Pyrenees France
Sarah Ginty Vingrau Pyrenees France
Vingrau,
Pyrenees-Orientales
France
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Paul Cieslar
I have been walking in the mountains since I was small : as a child in the Tatras mountains in Poland, then in the Alps and Pyrenees. This is how I came to discover climbing, skiing and mountaineering. My passion for mountaineering has taken me around the world. I spent ten years climbing in the north faces : les Grandes Jorasses, les Droites, le Pic sans nom... Selected to join the French mountaineering Federation (FFME) selection of young mountaineers, I've roped up with some of the greatest names in the french climbing world.
I became a mountain guide to share the magic of mountaineering.
Today our planet has a hangover : the Dru mountain is crumbling, the glaciers are receeding ; our playground is in danger of disappearing. Nowadays mountain tourism rhymes with traffic jams on top of the Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. The world at its current speed, seems to be accelerating head on into a wall. Another world is possible far from the crowds: become a conquistador of the useless and discover classical alpinism where uncertainty is all part of the adventure.
  Sarah Ginty
I was born in Cardiff and grew up in the NorthWest of England. As a child I got my first taste for the outdoor life during summer holidays spent with my brothers in the Scotland highlands.
When I was 20 and travelling across the Alps, I held my breath at the sight of the suspended glaciers and peaks of the imposing Mont Blanc mountain range. I decided to extend my trip, take a year out to discover this fascinating new environment. Five exceptional years (1990-1995) were spent skiing and climbing and by this time it was impossible for me to give up the luxury of the vast mountain landscape and go back to England. So I stayed and continued my journey rich in experiences, studying for an MA in European tourism management. Then in 1995, I chose to settle in the eastern Pyrenees to concentrate on working in rural tourism development and mountain leading.
Vingrau
An exceptional setting for this small wine-making village of 500 inhabitants; its climate is distinctly Mediteranean and its culture very Catalan. Situated 30 minutes inland from the sea and 90 minutes from the nearest ski resort, Vingrau offers a superb reserve of climbing on very fine limestone : 300 routes on the village crag and 500 others within a 15 km radius.
For the last ten years, Vingrau has been our home base and source of inspiration for endless projects.
Vingrau, Pyrénées-Orientales
Access:
By plane - airports at Perpignan 20km (Air France, Flybe and BMIBabay) ; Gerona 100km (Ryanair and Transavia) ; Carcassonne 100km (Ryanair) ; Barcelona 180km (Easyjet and Ryanair).
- By train - rail stations at Perpignan 25 km and Rivesaltes 20km.
- By car - exit 41 Perpignan Nord on the A9, then follow D12 until Vingrau.
For more information:
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