Le Chemin de la Liberte
Keith Davis recalls his experiences of the gruelling trek through the Pyrenees
The Freedom Trail is a four-day hike commemorating the guides, couriers and safe-house keepers who kept the escape route from France into Spain in WWII open for those fleeing the Nazi occupation and also Allied airmen who had been shot down. Approximately 2500 used this route. The escapees included French, Dutch, and Belgium nationals along with Jews and of course British, Canadian and Americans.
This year James my son in law and I joined The Royal British Legion’s party of nine hikers and were part of an additional group of 14. Some had attempted it last year but were pulled off the mountains due to terrible weather and therefore had not managed to finish. There was also a small group of Dutchmen and on the final two days an additional group of 29 local Frenchmen.
My objectives were to raise funds for the Legion, expose myself to some of the experiences that the escapees had endured and, of course, enjoy the company of James.
Preparation and training was critical, I walked many miles with a full 35lb on my back during the weeks running up to the start day. Selection of high energy food, the purchase and borrowing of many items to keep me warm, cool, awake, asleep etc with a single objective to keep the weight down. Fortunately I established at an early stage that James was the proud owner of a two-man tent along with the necessary cooking kit. So he agreed to carry them!
Our fellow hikers were a great group of people with a single bond, to get to Spain. John Howie an ex-HAC and full-time mountaineer led us, a charming, hard but realistic man who had huge experience in the area.
It would be rather tedious to read about every step we took. A summary by John Howie was that we had done the equivalent of two marathons in four days over mountains with 35lb on our backs. The demands of this took its toll with three people dropping out. However there were several amazing participants, including Dennis, who was 71 years young. When he was seven he fell off a bus, suffered very serious head injuries, in a coma for seven days, was in intensive care for a further 14 days. The result was that he was not able to read or write and was declared backward. He married and his wife then taught him to read and write. He then went into the building trade, was very successful and is still helping people. His kit for the hike must have weighed 40/45lb and included gaiters that he used when he was doing National Service. His kit was sorted out and started and finished the hike with a huge smile on his face. An inspiration to everyone.
Sleep was important but in short supply as we had to rise at 5.00 most mornings. Attempting to sleep in a gym with a man with a breathing disorder which made him snore horrendously. In a two-man tent on a slight incline which made you edge down the mountain gave me nightmares. Pitching the tent adjacent to three huge guys wedged like sausages in a vacuum pack who laughed, farted and snored all night was a mistake! The French idea of a breakfast was a bowl of coffee, a hunk of bread with jam and butter, not really enough on which to hike for 10 hours. The most successful food was our boil in the bag spag boll and the following morning spotted dick, custard and porridge. Amazing what keeps a desperate man alive.
The local French really appreciate the efforts made by the hikers and at four locations had short wreath laying ceremonies, all very poignant. Particularly one outside the mountain hut where the Germans tracked down a guide who had been betrayed. They set fire to the hut, he ran and was shot dead. A relative of his provided a very welcome buffet lunch after the ceremony.
Reflecting on the moments that really hurt: Climbing up a snow field feeling totally exhausted, clinging to ropes that saved you from a 500ft drop, stubbing your badly bruised toes on an unseen rock, clambering over massive boulders, slipping down steep scree with your toes banging constantly on the front of the boot. But Dennis made it and so did we all, an amazing experience. Just consider what it must have been like in a real situation, having got across the British and Americans were handed to their consulates, the majority of the others were handed back to the Germans by that man Franco.
