1

THE BIDASOA (BASQUE COUNTRY) FREEDOM TRAILS ASSOCIATION

COMMEMORATIVE TRAIL FROM URRUNA TO DONOSTIA/SAN SEBASTIAN 19-20 AUGUST 2016

The Bidasoa (Basque country) Freedom Trails Association (BFTA) is a voluntary organisation with international membership, which is dedicated to the members, helpers and evaders/escapers of the WW2 Escape Lines over the Basque and who assisted (amongst others) Allied escapers and evaders to flee from Nazi-occupied Europe.

During WW2 the crossings of the Pyrenees in the Basque country were a major link in the escape line routes. There were various safe-houses on either side of the border, many of the mountain guides were Basques, and the role of the city of San Sebastian, on the Spanish side, was pivotal in the logistics of the escape networks. It is important that the people of the Basque country - on either side of the frontier - are never forgotten for their brave and selfless actions during WW2 knowing that, if caught, they would be tortured, shot, or sent to concentration camps.

Thus, the aims of BFTA are to disseminate knowledge of these escape lines along the Basque Pyrenees from occupied Europe during WWII, to pay tribute to the veterans of that war against Nazism and to all those mountain guides, couriers and safe-house keepers, from both sides of the border, who aided the fugitives and evaders, and to materialise these tributes through commemorative walks across the frontier and through drawing up educational material for complementary use in secondary education.

The city of Donostia/San Sebastián has been chosen as the European Capital of Culture 2016, (dss2016.eu) and the proposal by the Bidasoa (Basque country) Freedom Trails Association (BFTA) for a commemorative trail over the lower western Pyrenees in August 2016, commemorating the escape routes over the Basque Pyrenees to San Sebastián in during WWII, has been accepted by the dss2016.eu organisers within its "Waves of Energy" programme as an official event, as announced on their web page (http://dss2016.eu/es/waves-of-energy/selected-projects).

The commemorative trail, with experienced guides, will involve a day-long walk and a night-time walk: The first leg of the day walk starts* on Friday 19 August, 2016 from the foot of Calvaire hill in Urruna in the French (continental) Basque country. Transport will be laid on from the Olarain hotel at 08:00 in Donostia/San Sebastián to this point. The ascent is 300 metres to Xoldokogaina, then down through undulating open, wooded ground and along worn stony paths to the frontier at the river Bidasoa. Safety and weather permitting, we then wade across the shallowest part of the river to San Miguel (at its lowest level in August). This first leg takes between 2 and 3 hours. Then, after a rest and sustenance, the second leg from San Miguel (where there will be a tribute to Maritxu Anatol and others from Irún who aided in the escape lines) to one of the safe houses in Oiartzun takes about 4 hours walking. The coach will collect us and take us back to the hotel. The trail is classified as moderate. On Friday night 19 August, this escape route* will be retraced under darkness, as escapers and evaders did in WW2, crossing the river Bidasoa in the early hours of the morning, and reaching San Sebastian by daybreak. The estimated walking time is seven hours. It is not expected that members attending will complete both a day and night time route. Please indicate your preference on the attendance form below.

On Saturday 20 August* the coach will take us to nearby Oiartzun and a tribute to the guides and safe- house keepers there. Then a short cycle ride from Oiartzun to Renteria by a few “fugitives” plus guide, thus emulating the escape route 75 years ago (the rest following on the coach), and a similar tribute there. The train will then take us the short ride into the city of Donostia/San Sebastián, also mirroring the escape route 75 years ago which used the then-existing tramway. Here there will be a tribute at the Aracama driving school in San Sebastían where, 75 years ago, Bernardo Aracama was head of logistics in the area for the escapee/evader routes. Finally the coach will take us to nearby Hernani and a final tribute at the Loidi monument to the four local mountain guides during WWII. A meal will be laid on as a final event in a local cider house. In the evening a gastronomic tour (“pintxo-pote”) of the Sebastían Old Town is proposed.

*Exact times of all events will be posted nearer to the date. 2 Application to join

THE BIDASOA-BASQUE COUNTRY FREEDOM TRAIL: URRUNA – DONOSTIA/SAN SEBASTIAN 19-20 AUGUST 2016

PERSONAL DETAILS

Name and surname (printed) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Address (printed) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Age ……………………..

PARTICIPATION OPTIONS I am a (mark with a cross): Day walker (1st leg) Day walker (2nd leg)

(The 1st leg takes between 2.5 and 3 hours, the second between 4 and 4.5 hours) OR Night walker (1st leg) Night walker (2nd leg)

Non-walking Participant (Friday 19th August 08:00 – 17:00; accompanying walk in coach or car)

Saturday four tributes (Oiartzun, Rentería, San Sebastián and Hernani) by coach (09:00-17:00) 20 August

If you are attending as a family or other group, please give details of names (all participants are required to be fully insured). The name of the group leader should be as at the top of this registration form:

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. .

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The information above, as with all other information on this inscription form, is needed to plan for numbers attending any organised group meal or event. All information will be treated in strict confidence.

YOUR INSURANCE DETAILS BFTA/dss2016.eu accepts no responsibility for accidents or theft or for loss or damage to participants’ property. Participants must have their own full insurance. Please enter your insurance details below. All persons attending these events do so at their own risk, and under their own insurance arrangements. The Bidasoa - Basque Country Freedom Trail Association (BFTA) and local organisers of the event do not cover insurance for persons attending their events.

Insurance company (or Federated Mountain Club with policy) ………………………………………………Policy number …………………………………...

Emergency contact number ……………………………………………………………

Participants may be required to forward relevant details of their insurance policy document to the organisers in advance of the event (not the complete document) – e.g. details of repatriation if necessary, casevac, etc.

MEDICAL/HEALTH DETAILS

If you have any special medical needs (e.g. asthma), you should take professional advice (insurance, medical, etc.) on the appropriateness of participating as a walker. In any case, please state any special needs (e.g. medication) that you might need:

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Emergency contact (name and number to call) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(address) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. We strongly recommend you carry the following details on the walk in a single, easily identifiable and accessible pack (ID, ICE details on mobile phone, blood group, European Health Insurance Card, insurance details).

3 Registration fee and accommodation

PAYMENT DETAILS

I agree to pay the Administration Fee of 100€ (euro) per participant to cover administration, transport, packed meal for walk, the Friday evening meal and Saturday lunchtime meal, cycle hire, back up logistics, the Saturday commemorative events, etc.

Name (print) ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Signed…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The Administration Fee of 100€ (euro) per participant (accommodation payment is separate – see below) has to be made to the BFTA Spanish bank account number 2095 5041 11 9115772811; IBAN ES80 2095 5041 1191 1577 2811; BIC (Swift) BASKES2B, specifying the name(s) of the participant(s). The bank name and address is: Kutxabank, Kardaberaz kalea, 41, 20120 Hernani, , Spain.

Please state if you have any special dietary requirements (non-gluten, non-nuts diet, etcetera) ………………………………………………………

Please return this completed and signed application form to: Joe Linehan, BFTA Secretary, Antxista Etxea, Latsunbe Auzoa, 30, 1, 20120 Hernani, Gipuzkoa, Spain. Also send a duplicate by email to [email protected]

ACCOMMODATION and ARRIVAL All participants are required to make their own accommodation arrangements.

Recommended accommodation is available at the Olarain Hotel in San Sebastian, which is the pick-up and drop-off point for all events. Participants are requested to make any bookings for accommodation to the Olarain Residence, Paseo Ondarreta 24, 20018 Donostia/San Sebastian, directly to the Director, Mr Javier Marín ([email protected]), clearly stating their requirements regarding dates and single or 2 person (double or twin bed-) rooms. There are a limited number of single rooms; single occupancy of a double room being charged at the double room price.

Remember that the day walk starts early on Friday 19 August (coach pick-up at this hotel) so participants will have to begin their stay at Olarain on Thursday the 18th at the latest.

Prices 68€ (euro) single room per night; 112€ (euro) double or twin room per night. Breakfast can be paid for at the restaurant for 3.50€ continental and 7.00€ full. Single occupancy of a double room is charged at the double room price.

Payments for ACCOMMODATION have to made to the Olarain Residence Spanish bank account number 2095 5206 04 1061940028; IBAN ES50 2095 5206 0410 6194 0028; BIC (Swift) BASKES2B, in the name(s) of the guest(s)-participant(s), ensuring that you mention “BFTA” on the bank transfer form.

If you are making alternative arrangements for accommodation, please state where and which nights. This is for our information only. The pick-up point is at the Olarain hotel.

Where? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Which nights? ……...……………………………………

ARRIVAL (for our information only) I will be arriving at/in (place, station, airport or other)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… on (date) …………………………………………………. at (time) ………………………….

Bidasoa (Basque country) Freedom Trails Association (BFTA)

email: [email protected] mobile phone: 34 674 993 173

Correspondence to Joe Linehan at above email address or to Antxista Etxea, Latsunbe Auzoa, 30,

20120 Hernani, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Basque Government General Registry of Associations number AS/G/19762/2016