"I have always forbidden to go alone" : a pass in the Ariège became the theatre of many unexplained disappearances
Faouzi Asmoun
Published on 25/06/2025 at 06:16 , updated at 11:59
Three people, the same sector, no explanation. In six years, the Ussat valley, in Ariège, has been the scene of disappearances that are as worrying as they are unexplained.
Ariège is once again the scene of a mysterious disappearance. A tourist from Normandy, who went hiking on Wednesday 18 June in the morning, has not given any sign of life. The man, in his sixties, had left his accommodation around 8:30 a.m., without phone or water, for what was supposed to be a simple walk. Since then: radio silence. His partner, distraught, confided to La Dépêche du Midi: 'He used to walk this way. It was supposed to be a little ride.'
One more disappearance, in a corner of the mountains that seems to want to keep its secrets. And it's not the first.
Several similarities
In October 2019, Rémy, 65, and Dominique, 60, a couple of spa guests from Tours and Brittany, disappeared in equally enigmatic circumstances. In treatment at the spa resort of
Ornolac-Ussat-les-Bains, they leave for an afternoon in the direction of the Col d'Ussat... and never come back.
It was not until the next day that the curist's absence was noted: he had not honoured one of his appointments at the thermal centre. The gendarmes then discovered their vehicle parked near the path, with their papers inside. Since then: no trace. No body. No clue.
Three people engulfed by the mountain and many similarities. Three hikers in their sixties. No phone. All from the north-west of France. Same sector. Same silence. A resident of the village confides: 'Last year, gendarmes returned. It seems that they had resumed the search for the couple.'
But on the side of the prosecutor's office, no official confirmation. Questioned several times, the public prosecutor did not confirm either the resumption of the investigations or new operations to come.
A bad encounter?
Hypotheses are rife. Tragic accident in the crevasses of the mountain? Voluntary flight? Bad encounter? "Some people said at the time that he left to start a new life in Spain with a mistress," says a thirty-year-old from the area. Others lean towards a predator attack. "I'm not a naturalist, but the Slovenian bear can sometimes go down to the plains," says another, his eyes worried.
Here, the elders are wary of the massif. Irma (*), a long-time resident, remembers her grandparents' warnings: 'They always forbade me to ride alone. There are flaws, holes everywhere. An accident can happen quickly. Once I even got lost on the set on my way to the mushrooms'.
But beyond the steep terrain, Ariège has a more esoteric reputation. A land steeped in history... and beliefs.
Mysticism
Ariège, land of courage but also land of mystery. For a long time, the region has never ceased to attract lovers of mysticism in search of spirituality. 'Many hikers ask for the way to the Bethlehem Caves. It is said that they were used as places of initiation for the Cathars," explains a couple of local residents, who are busy renovating their house.
But other testimonies are more disturbing. Some mention the discreet, but very real, presence of a kind of cult in the area. 'They stay among themselves. We don't know what they are doing," whispers a neighbor. Laura (*) puts things into perspective: 'It's true that they're a bit apart, but we've never had a problem with them. They sometimes do shamanic dances, that's all'.
Long perceived as a sect, the Order of the Rosicrucian Order is now considered a simple movement of a religious nature. The esoteric society that often meets in the Ussat sector for spiritual retreats claims to be 'a spiritualist and humanist movement'.
While disappearances without explanation are piling up, certainties are rare. The search continues, discreetly.
In Ariège, the mountains keep their secrets — and people's minds continue to wonder.
(*) Names have been changed
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