Expedition Report
This was a solo, self-supported, long-distance longboarding, (a type of skateboard), expedition touring the Basque Country and Pyrenees of Spain and France. The objectives were to successfully travel from Bilbao in northern Spain to Céret in France near the Mediterranean coast by skateboard, and to be self-supported for the entire trip. Through this challenging venture the aim was also to promote the sport of long distance skateboarding.
The 1st year undergraduate student travelled in July 2017 and did not initially have a planned fixed route to cover the 1,000km, but intended to allow conditions and circumstances dictate where and when a trail would be undertaken. The eventual journey spanned 16 days, 14 of which were spent travelling by longboard, with the longest distance covered in one day being 120km, and a highest elevation of 1,600m.
The route from Bilboa covered Lekeito, San Sebastian, Saint Jean de Luz, Saint Jean de Pied Port, Oloron Saint Mary, Lourdes, Col du Tourmalet, Saint Lary-Soulon, Cadéac, Saint Girons, Montsegur, and Perpignan, before the final stage to Céret.
The endeavour involved negotiating roads busy with heavy traffic, routes through mountainous terrain with climbs and descents, enduring 30oC plus daytime temperatures as well as some cold nights camping, skateboarding through fog and rain, and having to resort to walking along gravel paths or through strong headwinds. The student did endure one fall, ruined a pair of shoes, was able to couch surf for some nights of the journal, and enjoyed some great scenery.
