BarcelonaMaking history is an increasingly volatile and achievable milestone. Many highlights are described as historical, the result of a grandiose language that seeks to attract attention. In this sea of exaggeration, there is a danger that really important events, such as the centenary of the Club Excursionista de Gràcia (CEG), will be overshadowed. The association, founded in 1922, is celebrating its centenary this year and this Sunday, 15 May, is organizing one of the many commemorative events: the first edition of La Directa in Tibidabo. Popular activity will connect the heart of the city with the mountain that guards it. Throughout history, the hiking center has not only stood out for its mountain successes, but also has as its mainstay the defense of Catalanism.
“One hundred years is a long time,” explains José Lloret, the current president, with a smile. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the CEG began the first excursions with the aim of discovering the territory of the country, although over the years some of the hikers have internationalized the activities to the point of crowning the peaks of the ‘Everest and Annapurna. He is one of the undisputed references in the Catalan hiking world and has always grown up and lived hand in hand with the country’s culture. In addition, it has been the organizer for fifty years of the oldest resistance crossing in Europe, the Matagalls-Montserrat.
L’entitat va néixer amb el nom de Mai Enrera, però la dictadura de Miguel Primo de Rivera va obligar a canviar-lo pel nom actual, que sonava igual en català que en castellà. The CEG has always gone beyond the mountain. Durant aquesta dècada de llibertats privades, els seus membres presentaven la revista de l’organització en castellà per esquivar la censura, però el contingut l’escrivien en català. Personalities such as the poet Salvador Espriu took part. “We had a section of scholars, which continued during the Civil War. We gave all those documents to the Historical Archive of Gràcia so that they would be available to everyone,” says Lloret. In addition, the CEG is also the promoter and guardian of the Flame of the Catalan Language, a vindictive event, in homage to Pompeu Fabra, which is held annually and which demonstrates the will to keep Catalan alive. “Right now we have to defend ourselves more than ever,” he added.
Against the Winter Games
The Club Excursionista de Gràcia is one of the organizations that has positioned itself against the Winter Olympics that Catalonia could organize in 2030. “Our generation is appreciating a huge deterioration of the mountain and these infrastructures and socio-economic approaches are little sustainable “, argues Lloret. The entity opts for “enriching activities for the territory, but with less environmental impact.” “We need deep reflection, we are seeing brutal setbacks in the glaciers of the Pyrenees. It is the legacy we will leave to our children and we want to give them a living legacy. We cannot burden ourselves with the place where we enjoy.”
La Directa al Tibidabo will be one of the celebrations of the centenary. It will be five kilometers long and 450 meters high, and participants will be divided into the under-15, under-20 and absolute categories. “La Directa represents the union of Barcelona with the mountains. It is a popular and peculiar race, because it leaves the heart of the city and ends in the heart of the Collserola Park”, says Lloret, who emphasizes the gesture of “not giving the ‘back to nature’ with urban initiatives like this. In total, almost 200 girls, boys, men and women of different ages will take part. Registration closed this week.
