Saint Jean has become the standard starting place for the Camino Frances so the first day is a hard hike over the Pyrenees. There are two routes from Saint Jean to Roncesvalles, Spain. The preferred one is the Napoleon route which ascends early to the ridge line and goes along the ridge and then a steep down to Roncesvalles. It does not open until April 1 because there is usually a lot of snow. This route has, they say, wonderful views.
The winter route is through Valcarlos, basically going up the valley beside the ridge line. It goes along a road and there is almost no chance of dying in a snowstorm.
Oh, did I forget to mention that a number of pilgrims have died on the Napoleon route over the years. Usually foolish people who go even though it is closed. And many have had to be rescued at considerable cost which might be billed to the rescuees.
In 2013 we started in Roncesvalles but we heard about some pilgrims who had died on the Napoleon route. A week or so later we ran into a Russian couple from St. Petersburg who had been on the pass at the same time. No problem, they said, you just need the right equipment. I guess people from St. Petersburg know a lot about snow.
Anyway we were planning and worried about the snow so we made a reservation at Valcarlos, the lower route. When we checked in at Saint Jean our host was very concerned about this. He said the weather was beautiful and it was crazy to go the Valcarlos route. He was insistent and suggested a plan: stay in Valcarlos and then take a taxi up to the midpoint of the Napoleon route. Perfect: we avoid the steep climb to the ridge, the taxi takes us to a place 7-8 miles from Roncesvalles and we get the spectacular views. Done!
We met a woman from the Netherlands just outside of Saint Jean. She had the same story, a reservation in Valcarlos to be safe. We decided to share a taxi the next day.
We all know “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley”. They did. See the next post.
Good to hear you made it to your starting point. I’ll look forward (!) to your trek over the Pyrenees. Yikes. This does remind me though of the book “Call of the Camino” by Suzanne Redfearn. Fiction. In which a young woman must flee from her small Andorran town and makes her way through the Pyrenes in winter to the Camino where she meets an interesting cast of characters including a young journalist taking the same Camino trek her beloved father had decades prior.
I need to find that book! Sure wish we had made that trek over the top to have a better story to tell.
I hope your sore throat didn’t turn into a full blown bug! You’ll just have to come back next year and do that over the top trek
Thanks, Ella. It hasn’t been very bad. A mild cold, I think. I woke up pretty congested this morning but it never got worse.
I read that book too.