Deep in the mountains, Aran Valley resists Catalan independence "This isn't Catalonia": Nestled deep in the snowy Pyrenees mountains, the Aran Valley appears far removed from the secession crisis rocking the rest of the region. Speaking the Occitan language like some of their neighbours in southern France, with a distinct culture, many residents of this Catalan district have firmly resisted calls for independence. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES