José Barrabés, patriarch of a saga of businessmen who sells snow and mountain equipment to the whole world, dies

José Barrabés Barrabés

, patriarch of a family saga of businessmen, promoter of tourism and the development of the

Valley and founder of the empire of sports stores, has died this Sunday in that town in Huesca at the age of 90.

The family arrived in Benasque in the 1920s and, after various business experiences, they specialized in the online sale of snow and mountain equipment to countries around the world.

His jump to the Internet turned this family into an international reference in an experience led by José Barrabés until in recent years he gave prominence to his sons José Cristóbal, Carlos and Arturo.

His climb to the pinnacle of success includes all kinds of articles related to the mountain such as

, as well as an Internet consultancy.

The Barrabés have dressed and equipped hundreds of expeditions to the Himalayas, Aconcagua, the Alps and the Poles.

José Barrabés inherited the business that his family started in 1920.

His father opened the first store in Benasque, where he sold shoes for shepherds and smugglers.

After its destruction in the Civil War, they opened a bar and in 1969 they decided to return to their initial business with a bazaar, where they sold almost everything, including mountain equipment and tools.

At that time, skiing had not yet become popular and it would still take two years for the Cerler station to come into operation.

He remembered that on one occasion the station was going to close and the mayor of Benasque called a few neighbors to try to do something.

The whole town contributed something and in a short time they raised 50 million pesetas to save the winter resort.

versatile man

José Barrabés also worked as a taxi driver, as a hairdresser and even played the mandolin at parties.

In 1988 they transformed the souvenir shop into a mountain clothing and accessories store.

The innovative proposal on the Internet that

the driving physicist of the Benasque Science Center, made to José Barrabés himself, gave the family business another direction in the 1990s.

Its pioneering and efficient online management revolutionized the sector and catapulted

to the notorious boycott in 2000 by American businessmen in the sector who accused them of unfair competition.

Despite the boycott, the Barrabés did not give up and set up a show-room in San Francisco (United States).

Although in recent times José Barrabés delegated to his children to manage the company, he never disassociated himself from the business and until a few months ago he continued to go to his stores in Benasque, where he has been in charge of opening and closing for decades.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more