On a ledge hidden by dry brush lay a metal first-aid kit, rusted but deliberately placed. Inside were bandages, bits of medication… and a carefully folded note sealed in plastic.
Morel opened it. The shaky handwriting was unmistakably Julián’s:
“If anyone finds this, help her. It wasn’t her fault. He came back, but he wasn’t the same. We couldn’t get down. We tried calling out. If Clara is alive… please take care of her.”
“He came back.”
Who?
The family drew their own conclusion. Prior to the disappearance, Julián had clashed with a former expedition partner – Aitor – who had publicly accused him of stealing a joint photography project. Their breakup had been bitter and public.
Investigators uncovered that Aitor had been in the Pyrenees the same week Julián vanished – something he never disclosed.
Meanwhile, teams uncovered a narrow exit at the upper end of the crevice, leading into a remote wooded zone. Hidden under leaves, they found a crude old campsite: a fire pit, a rust-stained knife, scattered food wrappers.
And among them, the most heartbreaking find yet: A small shoe. Clara’s. Along with scraps of her clothing.
But no bones.
She hadn’t di:ed there.
“This changes everything,” Morel said. “They made it out. With help—or under someone’s control.”
The investigation ultimately revealed that shepherds had indeed seen Aitor in the area. One scenario grew stronger: that he encountered Julián and Clara after the accident, confronted Julián about their personal feud, and escalated the situation until the adults were separated—leaving Clara exposed and terrified.
Aitor was detained but denied everything. He insisted he’d tried to bring help, only to return and find them gone.
Yet the most agonizing question remains:
Where is Clara now?
Search teams combed the mountains for weeks. Scattered traces surfaced but never a body. Authorities now believe Clara might have been taken in by someone in an isolated village… or tried to walk on her own toward safety.
Five years later, the case remains open.
The mountain has revealed many secrets but not the one that matters most.
Clara could still be alive.
