Open Vall Fosca has come back in the best way it could. The day started a bit cold and snowing, but moments before the start it stopped, and the sun even came out. The fifty participating teams enjoyed a great race. The couple formed by Marc Pinsach and Nil Cardona, with a time of 2 hours and 3 minutes, won the 16th edition of the Open Vall Fosca International Ski-Mountaineering race, organized on March 1 by the La Pobla de Segur Ski Club and the Torre de Capdella City Council. In second place were Adrià Duarri and Martí Lázaro, with a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes, and in third place, Albert Ballús and Jordi Bolet, with a time of 2 hours and 9 minutes.
In the women’s category, the winners were Maria Butxaca Brau and the Slovak Nikola Matkova, with a time of 3 hours. In second place were Laura Orgué and Queralt Riba, with a time of 3 hours 11 minutes, and in third place, Aida Pintó and Sílvia Puigarnau, with a time of 3 hours 13 minutes.
As for the mixed teams, the winners were Celia Guasch and Axel Arilla from the La Pobla de Segur Ski Club with a time of 3 hours 4 minutes. In second place, Adrià Canimas and Anna Güell, with a time of 3 hours 14 minutes, and finally, the team formed by Monica Guilera and Albert Vilardell, with a time of 3 hours 26 minutes.
A race to enjoy
The organization was able to work the days before the race to design the safest itinerary, taking into account that, especially in the first hours, the snow was hard and a very good technique would be decisive for the participants this year. As for the route, 16.5 km and a positive slope of 1,890 m, they began with a demanding climb of almost 1,000 meters and passed through three canals during the entire route. They have had to combine sections with skis and sections without skis and with crampons.
Video of the race
