In French, mountaineering is said ‘Alpinisme’ overall. The word ‘Pyrénéisme’ was framed in order to depict a two-century old use of this range, whose specificity lies in the very shape of its mountains and the specific spirit of those climbing over them. This paper is grounded on these points, and yet aims at going beyond the traditional analyzes concluding that ‘Pyrénéisme’ has only to do with distinction. We shall demonstrate that those involved in it in fact create a special relation with both themselves and the range. We shall use various accounts, since such stories play a key role in the move, notably to show how they can be read as some archetype of possibilism, that is a relation with the environment that is both a choice and a construction.