Altriman

When the mountain looks you in the eyes (and laughs a little)! 😬

Somewhere in the Pyrenees, between Aude, Ariège and Pyrénées-Orientales, there exists a race not meant for the cautious 😅. It’s called the Altriman, now in its 18th edition, and it follows a simple rule: take a classic triathlon and drop it high in the mountains at altitude, with 5,000 meters of positive elevation just on the bike? Sounds like a great idea, right? 🤔

It all starts at 5:30 AM by Lake Matemale, a lake perched at 1,600 meters altitude in the Capcir 🏞️, where the water is chilly, the air is pure, and the clouds are nowhere to be seen ☀️. The Full competitors dive for 3,800 meters in mass start. That’s the DNA of triathlon, an almost crazy energy that pushes otherwise-normal people to swim in the dark before sunrise 🌅. Then comes the bike. And here, beware: 193 km with nearly 5,000 meters of positive elevation across three departments. Competitors cross cols, valleys, sleepy villages, and landscapes that could ring postcards 🖼️. To give you an idea: 5,000 mD+, it’s the height from sea level to the summit of Mont Blanc ⬆️, except you’re doing it by bike after already swimming almost 4 km 🫠. We don’t say it’s crazy, but it kinda is 🚴. And since it wouldn’t be much fun otherwise, once the bike is done, there’s a marathon left: 42 km with almost 1,300 meters of elevation, between roads and trails, around the Capcir plateau 🤩. The official final time to complete the adventure? 1:30 AM. Yes, in the morning 😳. The Altriman also offers four formats from Sprint (the “I’ll try before going crazy” option) to Olympic, and even Half! Yes, you don’t have to want to spend the night there to participate in this triathlon! 😜

A fact worth highlighting: in 2021, only 52% of participants finished the race. In 2024, 75%. In 2025, the record: 89% of finishers 🤯. It’s safe to say that even the toughest don’t come out unscathed from this adventure 🗺️. And that’s precisely what makes the beauty of it here—nothing is guaranteed, nothing is polished for social media 🤳. A lake at dawn, silence at altitude, and volunteers taking great care: a nature-inspired event, painted in the Pyrenees 🏔️..

Ya'ltri let’s get started, hurry up! 😉