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When Julián Herrera and his nine-year-old daughter Clara set out for a hike in the French Pyrenees in 2020, no one could have imagined that their trip would become one of the region's longest-running mysteries. What was supposed to be a short trek on a marked trail turned into a five-year silence that neither helicopters, mountain rescuers, nor hundreds of volunteers could break. The official search was eventually called off, leaving behind only assumptions and grief.
However, in late August, five years after the disappearance, something happened that shocked the public. A couple from Catalonia, exploring a little-used path near the dramatic rock opening known as Roland’s Breach, noticed something unusual in a narrow gap in the stone. Using a phone light, they discovered a dusty backpack with a name stitched onto it—it was Julián’s.
Inside the backpack were ordinary items: a water bottle, some food, and a folded map. Yet, one item particularly moved the investigators—a small blue notebook that belonged to nine-year-old Clara. Captain Morel, who coordinated the original search, immediately noticed details that did not fit the 2020 accident theory. The map contained fresh pen markings that did not exist at the time of the disappearance, and the backpack was too well-preserved to have spent five years exposed to harsh mountain conditions.
Descending further into the crevice, rescuers found a piece of red fabric matching Julián’s jacket, but it appeared to have been placed intentionally. Even more startling was the discovery of a food wrapper with an expiration date two years after their disappearance, clearly indicating that someone had been at that location long after the search was called off.
In a hidden pocket of the rock, a makeshift shelter was found with a thermal blanket and a second notebook. Faded lines of text like “waiting,” “can’t climb,” and “we hear voices” testified to the father and daughter's efforts to stay calm. Scratches were found on the walls suggesting they had spent at least a month there, carefully tracking the days.
Investigators were baffled by the discovery of a modern rope that did not belong to the rescuers, indicating that someone else had visited the site. Nearby, Clara’s star-shaped pendant was found, as well as an old metal first-aid kit containing a note from Julián protected in plastic. The note contained disturbing details: Julián begged whoever found the kit to look after Clara if she managed to leave, noting that someone had returned to them and behaved in a way that made it impossible for them to travel together safely.
Suspicion fell on a former colleague of Julián’s with whom he had a public dispute, and who was revealed to have been in the region at the time of the disappearance. Although he claimed he only wanted to help, many questions remained unanswered. Not far away, in a dense forest, remnants of a second camp were found, including one of Clara’s shoes, but without any signs indicating a tragic outcome.
Today, five years later, the case is active once again. Investigators hope that Clara managed to reach one of the isolated villages in the Pyrenees where shepherds and locals often provide refuge to travelers without asking many questions. Although the mountains still keep their secrets, every new clue awakens hope that Clara might be living a new life somewhere, waiting for her story to reach its final chapter.
