This thirty-something is accustomed to traveling this way, to constantly adapting. “It all started when, as a student in Grenoble, I went on a bike trip with a friend to reach Turkey. I then realized that it wasn’t as complicated as it seemed and it even showed me that this mode of transportation offered a fabulous potential to fully enjoy the trip,” smiled the young woman.
“Saturdays, it’s bike skiing”
Accustomed to hiking since childhood…
This thirty-something is accustomed to traveling this way, to constantly adapting. “It all started when, as a student in Grenoble, I went on a bike trip with a friend to reach Turkey. I then realized that it wasn’t as complicated as it seemed and it even showed me that this mode of transportation offered a fabulous potential to fully enjoy the trip,” smiled the young woman.
“Saturdays, it’s bike skiing”
Accustomed to hiking since childhood, this Annecy native who later moved to Grenoble makes it her way of life, without constraints. The same goes when she pursued her studies as an osteopath in Toulouse, she took advantage of a train that accepts bikes to go to Lourdes and then ski in the Gavarnie valley.
And for her, there is no question of giving in to the trend of overspending. “My bike is not worth much, and a simple shoelace allowed us to tie our skis to it.” From Toulouse, she also regularly travels to Ariège. “With friends, we even formed a group called ‘On Saturdays, it’s bike skiing’, friendly and accessible meetups,” she said.
A more limited offer than in the Alps
This drive led her to become a co-leader of Mountain Wilderness, a mountain protection association that seeks to defend natural spaces and encourage respectful practices. Among other goals, it aims to “reduce the use of cars in mountain sports and leisure activities.”
By settling in Béarn to join her partner, she continues her mission, even though she acknowledges that the offer here is much more limited. “All possibilities for moving in eco-friendly ways should be accessible in open data. However, in the Southwest, when planning a trip, the tabs for trains and buses are not always updated, even if the service exists,” she notes.
“When I pedal, I take great pleasure in exploring the landscapes as a whole.”
So she adapts again, with simplicity. “Ultimately, do we need to conquer peaks to enjoy the mountains?” she questions, without hiding that she also occasionally drives her car. “This lifestyle should not be seen as something sad, just as a different way of enjoying. When I pedal, I take great pleasure in exploring the landscapes as a whole, rediscovering the entire environment.”
Instead of going faster and farther, she prefers to discover the riches around her on a daily basis, walking in the forest. She reserves longer destinations for daylight hours, giving them meaning: an adventure to experience, an experience… Ideal for shifting from a consumption mindset to a true discovery, from the plains to the summit.
Advocating for better transport reliability
For her, the goal is to encourage more people, also through her association Soft Mobilities in Upper Béarn and with the support of the Mountain House in Pau, which organized a meeting in this regard this winter. Faced with inadequate transport options, she can also rely on Cédric Faivre-Rampant, head of the Pau Tourism Office, and also a reference for Mountain Wilderness in departments 64 and 65.
Their joint efforts should help shed light on underutilized train or bus lines, potentially leading to the discontinuation of these services in the medium or long term. It’s also a way to highlight how comfortable it is to be driven and fully enjoy a getaway.
These advocates also push for better service reliability. “Before the price of a trip, it’s mainly this inconvenience that hinders the choice of this mode of transportation,” notes Denise Bonneville. Transport providers should offer online reservations, which is not always the case for ski buses, and highlight possible discounts.
Meanwhile, she fully enjoys her new home at the foot of the Pyrenees, “more wild, more preserved, and rich in many raptors,” she savors, rarely with her head down.
Lifeline
Born on July 11, 1997 in Annecy. She grew up in Grenoble, then moved to Lyon and Toulouse. Settled in Oloron two years ago with her partner. Profession: osteopath. Associations: Mountain Wilderness and Soft Mobilities in Upper Béarn. Recommendations: velogrimpe.fr for climbing sites.
Some outing examples
- Arriu Mage (Pau – Bielle Post Office, in July/August thanks to regional buses on line 524, 4.5 km ascent/descent)
- The dolmen circuit (Pau – Buzy in Béarn, thanks to TER NA trains on line 55, 11 km loop – 50% off with Carte + TERNA)
- Stone circles from Bilhères (Pau – Bielle Post Office, in July/August thanks to regional buses on line 524, 4.5 km ascent/descent)
- Lake Anglas (Pau – Gourette, starting in May if conditions allow, thanks to regional buses on line 524, 4.5 km ascent/descent)
- No. 14 Aspe – Chemin des Jaupins (Bedous) | Official site of the Béarn Pyrenees (Pau – Bedous, thanks to TER NA trains on line 55, 28 km loop – 50% off with Carte + TERNA)
- Not to mention the many spots in the high Ossau valley connected in summer by regional buses on line 525 connecting to Laruns on line 524, and those in the Aspe valley connected by regional buses on line 550 to Bedous on TER
