I have already mentioned Basques do like mountaineering. There is an alpinist who also likes rural sports and specially axemanship, let's talk a bit about Alex Txikon.
Who is him? Here you have what he says about him in his website,
http://alextxikon.com/en/my-life/
"Born in Lemoa (Bizkaia, Basque Country), on 12th of December 1981, Alex Txikon is the youngest of 13 brothers and sisters. When he was no more than 3 years old, his brother Javi, the one who taught him to love mountaineering, took Alex to the top of Gorbea mountain, one of the most emblematic peaks in Basque Country. He joined Ganzabal Mountain Club at teenage and could try himslelf in Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Alps for the first time. In his 17 travelled to Pamir Mountains and he was just 21 when reached the summit of his first +8.000m mountain: Broad Peak (8.051m) in Pakistan.
Alex Txikons taken part in more than 30 expeditions so far, has climed up to the summit of 10 of the 14 highest mountains and, chiefly, has lived the most incredible experiences in wonderfull places all over the world and with the most amazing people he could never had imagined.
The first important step in his career came in 2005 when joining Al Filo De Lo Imposible spanish TV programme, working as a high altitude cameraman also for Edurne Pasabans 14×8.000 project.
But, in 2011, although having recieved the invitation from Pasabans team for Everest, Alex Txikon felt having completed a stage and needed to start a new one looking for different ways of practicing mountaineering. Thats how he began to lead winter expeditions for which he is specially wellknown nowadays. These last years he has opted for projects that probably are less successfull but much more valuables in terms of technicality, difficulty and commitment. North faces, new routes, alpine style, big walls
its a risky but immensely satisfying choice.
As well as alpinism, Alex Txikon practices rock climbing, BASE jumping and basque rural sport such as wood cutting; hes an insatiable adventureman, loves exploring, travelling and meeting new friends, something which must be part of any project or goal that he faces."
This winter he has tried a new goal, something nobody has never done yet and something some people has told him he is crazy, to climb the Everest in winter without the aid of oxigen.
But after reaching 800 meters from the top they cancelled the expedition due to very hard and dangerous winds and snowfalls. They have suffered -28ºC inside the tents, while there was a thermal sensation of -70ºC outside due to the winds.
Don't worry, he didn't told goobye to mount Everest but till the next time. He is a hard man and I'm sure he will try it again, he has already done a simmilar expedition. They climbed the Nanga Parbat in winter without oxigen, and they have been the first.