Tourist Info > Festivals, events and traditions
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 Carnival Time in France Youpi, (...)
 Fete de l’Ours et carnaval de Prats de (...)
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 LA CASTANYADA 1st November Here in (...)
 Pancake Day in France 2nd February (...)
 La Fête des Rois (Three Kings Day) The (...)
 La Toussaint (All Saints Day) - Festival of (...)
 La Trobada La Trobada du Canigou A (...)
 Lundi de Pentecôte (Whit Monday) in France (...)
 		Midsummer Madness - Els Focs de la Sant Jean (...)
 Pessebres vivants .... real people acting (...)
 International dog team racing The (...)
 November 25th La Sainte Catherine (...)
 December The AFM Telethon (l’Association
 The Canigou race - Vernet-les-Bains At (...)


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The Canigou race - Vernet-les-Bains

At the beginning of the twentieth century, well before the introduction of fridges and freezers into the region, inhabitants of Vernet les Bains used to climb high into the mountain, and cut blocks of ice from the hillside which they loaded onto their backs in order to run back down to the village and sell. The fastest runners had the greatest chance of selling their ice.

In 1905, a race was proposed by the local branch of the Alpine Club of France to honour the intrepid ice carriers. This race was to be from Vernet to the summit of the Canigou and back, and competitors would have to carry a load on their back.

In 1980, this mountain race was revived, and each year since then, the event has been held on the first Sunday of August. The event is open to both walkers and runners and follows a circular route over a distance of 30km, with 2,100 metres (nearly 7,000 feet) of ascent. Competitors set off from Vernet-les-Bains, pass close to the Mariailles refuge, head for the summit of the mountain, then descend to Vernet down the north slope of Canigou, past the Cortalets chalet.