The Alpinultras project is dedicated all year round to promoting  great mountain traverses and the territories who host them. The 2018 edition launch took place few days ago in the Regional Government of Huesca, providing many new features regarding the second edition. The event was attended by Marino Pérez as director of Desafio El Cainejo, Asier Uriarte from Nafarroa Xtrem and Alex Varela of Canfranc-Canfranc, along with the director of Alpinultras Sergio Garasa, with Deputy of Finance Fernando Sánchez as host.

For this 2018 the three pillars of the project are in line with previous years:

• The nutritional study to ensure optimum health among participants, carried out together with Nutriexper specialists.
• The racing series with three events held first at Navarra Pyrenees, then on to Picos de Europa and final leg at Aragón Pyrenees
•  The development of two permanent Alpinultras centers in mountain villages, both at Canfranc (Huesca province) and Zubiri (Navarra province).

Alpinultras races are, according to 2016-2017 data the most demanding mountain races series in Spain: Two aout of the three are acknowledged by ITRA amont the three “most tecnical” i the country, according to their mountain points criteria. Also, them being held in high mountains implies that organizers at Canfranc review everry entry application and allow to run only those whose previous background justifies it. Finally, it is necessary to complete the three races in a year year to go on and be crowned as “Alpino”. Around 200 veteran ultrarunners were accepted to enter each year. Only nine people got it in the inaugural edition. Only seven did it last year.

In 2018 the challenge involves overcoming at least 219 kilometers of trails through the mountains, climbing no less than 18,000 meters, the equivalent of a double ascent from the sea to the top of Mount Everest. This third edition offers an odissy that starts at Zubiri, among the green valleys and peaks of the Navarra Pyrenees, thn it goes on to visit the ferocious “Canales” of Cain at the Picos de Europa only to close the trip after a spectacular journey over the ridges among the Aragon Pyrenees that link the Formigal, Astún and Candanchu SKI stations, up to 3.000 meters high and where last year the pelotón endured 30cm of fresh snowfall in early september. 

The Alpinultras permanent Trail centers are the big long-term objective. Starting in the spring, special services will be started in Canfranc, and later Zubiri will arrive, both with the objective of operating throughout the year. Creation and beaconing of network of footpaths for walking and running; local information center to the runner and mountaineer; Non-competitive events during the year and guided excursions with the area’s grassroots are some of the services that will be offered to promote all year round the mountain regions that host Alpinultras.