But the biggest surprise came three hours later.
On a natural ledge, half-hidden among dry bushes, they found a metal first aid kit, rusted at the edges but clearly placed there on purpose. Inside were bandages, remnants of medicine… and a note carefully folded in a plastic bag.
Morel opened the note. The shaky handwriting left no doubt:
“If anyone finds this message, please help her. It wasn’t her fault. He came back, but he wasn’t the same. We couldn’t get down. We tried to call for help. If Clara is alive… please take care of her.”
Signature: JH
The message sowed confusion. “He came back”? Who was this “he”?
The family clarified a chilling detail: weeks before disappearing, Julián had had a disagreement with a man named Aitor, a former expedition companion who had publicly accused him of stealing a shared photography project. The end of their friendship had been abrupt and bitter.
The gendarmerie reopened a parallel investigation into Aitor. It was discovered that he had been in the Pyrenees during the days of the disappearance… but had never confessed.
Meanwhile, the teams found a natural exit at the top of the crevice, a narrow passage leading to a wooded area far from the main path. There, under layers of leaves, they found traces of a rudimentary camp, apparently used years earlier: remains of a campfire, a rusty knife, and several food wrappers.
Among the objects found was something shocking: a small shoe, identified as belonging to Clara, along with remnants of her clothing. No bones were found, meaning the girl could have left that place alive.
“This changes everything,” Morel said. “They were here, but they moved. And not alone.”
The final investigation revealed that Aitor had been seen in the area by some local shepherds. One of the most widely accepted theories suggested that she encountered Julián and Clara after the accident. Instead of immediately providing assistance, she attempted to resolve her personal conflict with Julián, demanding explanations at a critical moment. The argument may have escalated, leading to a forced separation between the two adults and leaving Clara completely defenseless.
Aitor was temporarily detained, although he insisted on his innocence. He claimed to have seen Julián, but that when he returned with help, they were gone.
The most painful question that remains unanswered is: what happened to Clara?
Search teams expanded for weeks. Isolated traces were found, but never a body. Authorities now believe that Clara may have been taken in, or held captive, by someone in one of the remote villages, or that she attempted to set out alone to seek help.
The case, reopened five years later, remains open. And though the mountain has revealed much of its secret, it still holds its most important truth.
The girl may still be alive.
