La grande traversée

Today there was plenty of fanfare in the square for the start of La Grande Traversée race from Vernet to Argelès on the coast via the mountain paths, 111 kms with 5506 metres of ascent.  The real iron men and women started in Font Romeu and are doing 100 miles with over 7,500 metres of ascent.  A few of them passed through as we were waiting for the start of the shorter race.  The winner of the 100 miles did it in about 27 hours last year.