New cycling-focused guest house Escape To The Pyrenees is today excited to open its doors for the first time and announce its fantastic options for gravel riders. Visit www.escapetothepyrenees.com
Located in the heart of the mountain range, Escape To The Pyrenees is the perfect base to discover this area’s incredible trails. Cyclists are invited to stay for self-guided holidays or to join a guided and supported group tour for the ultimate experience. Either way, you will enjoy fantastic home cooking, including homemade ride snacks and post-ride cakes.
The gravel riding is the hidden gem of the Pyrenees, taking you to even more spectacular places, often much higher than any of the roads. The trails run uninterrupted for hours and feature some of the toughest climbing you will find anywhere. The region may be famous for the roads of the Tour de France but it arguably offers even more once away from the tarmac. Can you imagine what a Nordic ski area is like without the snow? It’s gravel paradise!
The group tour is called Peak Gravel and the first one takes place on 14-21 September 2019. It will be guided and supported, with a vehicle meeting the group at various points on the route. The tour includes six days of riding, airport transfers, free sports massage, and all your food on and off the bike, for a price of €1450 (sharing a twin room).
Self-guided stays include transfers from Lourdes airport, use of the garage and tools, mechanical support at the house, route sharing, all food, and the option to add guiding when you want it, for €110 per person per night (sharing a twin room).
Escape To The Pyrenees was founded and is run by gravel fans Kitt Blackman and Jamie Wilkins, originally from Wiltshire, UK. In November 2018, after a year’s planning, they took the leap, left their families and jobs, and moved to France to chase a dream.
Kitt: “We want your stay with us to be truly wonderful, so we have aimed to get the details right and include as much as possible. After a day’s gravel riding in the mountains, what could be better than a free sports massage, a freshly baked cake, and gourmet coffee or beer?”
Jamie: “During my 10 years as a cycling journalist I was lucky enough to ride all over the world. When I first came to the Pyrenees, I knew that this was the place I wanted to live and to share with others. The gravel riding here is astonishing.”
In winter, Escape To The Pyrenees offers half-board accommodation for snow sports holidays. The Cauterets ski station is 15 minutes away and holds the record for snowfall in France; the Grand Tourmalet ski area is 30 minutes away and is the biggest in the Pyrenees. Road cycling tours are also offered in the summer.
A separate, but very important, aspect of the business is autism-friendly holidays. Kitt’s brother is severely autistic so we’re only too aware how few holidays are suitable. We aim to create a calm and private haven in a beautiful location, with the benefit of full-board catering to ensure the whole family can enjoy a break. Complete details are on the website, or contact us for more information.
Media Enquiries
Free stays for media are possible. Should you wish to visit for the purposes of content production please get in touch with what you would like to do and how we can help.
Contact Information
+44 77 20 29 56 66
About Escape To The Pyrenees
Escape To The Pyrenees is an independent, catered guest house in Villelongue, near Lourdes, in the High Pyrenees of France, offering guided and supported cycling tours as well as self-guided holidays. Escape To The Pyrenees also offers half-board accommodation for anyone wanting to enjoy the many other attractions in the mountains, including snow sports through winter.
Escape To The Pyrenees also offers tailored autism-friendly holidays, creating a calm and private haven in a beautiful location, with the benefit of full-board catering to ensure the whole family can enjoy a break.
Escape To The Pyrenees was founded and is run by Kitt Blackman and Jamie Wilkins from the UK. Both are passionate cyclists and skiers.
