Reverse From Pamplona to Bayonne?

[lindam]

Just starting to make some plans for a lengthy Camino next spring. I am wondering if it is possible to walk the Baztan route in reverse from Pamplona to Bayonne? How easy or difficult would this be in terms of staying on track (i.e., finding way markings in reverse). I have walked from Muxia to Santiago where the way markings were scarce at times but it was doable. Thank you for any possible insights you may have.

 

[VNwalking]

It might be 'interesting,' @lindam, but certainly doable. It's a wonderful walk.
I don't remember waymarkings being superabundant anyway. Just enough. One thought would be to get a wikiloc track and follow that - either direction would be possible that way. I was using an app @NualaOC posted about here on the Forum and the map was super.

 

[timr]

Hello @lindam an interesting question. I walked from Bayonne to Pamplona a few years ago, and absolutely loved it. I am sure it is possible to walk backwards. I am not sure how easy it would be. It is not 'over waymarked' or wasn't then. I am pretty good at finding the way generally, but found this route a little challenging in terms of the odd wrong turn! Paradoxically it may not be a whole lot more difficult to find the backwards route! But it won't be a matter of just following yellow arrows - I think you will find you need to use a map and/or gpx tracks. I have some, though I cannot find them at the moment.
I am sure @NualaOC and @VNwalking will have useful comments.

 

[timr]

Ha! Hi @VNwalking we crossed!!

 

[Kiwi-family]

When I asked the same question I was advised against it and ended up going from Pamplona to St Jean in reverse (only tricky part was leaving Zubiri when no one was coming the other way yet)....then La Voie de la Nive to Bayonne (which is easy to walk in both directions.... and the Baztan conventionally. It was a fabulous loop. I wouldn’t have been confident going backwards in the forest where there was no clear path but if you had a map that would certainly help.

 

[timr]

@Kiwi-family Yes, I think you are right, the forest bits, and there are several IIRC, would be a quite difficult. That loop you did sounds brilliant!

 

[Thomas1962]

If you have a smartphone and feel okay with using a track, you can easily download a track. Look in the resource section, or the manual on top of this downloadpage of the Dutch confraternity will guide you through how to do it.
If you walk forward of backward or just want to know how to get lost, a gps track helps in any way.

 

[lindam]

Thank you for your reply. Thus far I have resisted the urge to buy a smartphone but it may, at some point, become necessary. Until then I will rely on maps and Camino markers!

 

[Jean françois]

Just want to say i did the Baztan in reverse this year, and I did need to use GPS findings a couple of time. The main issue i found is the Spanish side is now exceedingly marked, but with too many arrows. This is ideal going in proper direction, but in reverse it did not give sense of "Where would they be coming from for that arrow to make sense?" which is the main navigating reverse tool. A few place in the forest section it was like a funnel collecting you to one path.

That said it was a lovely walk, and a great way to bring me from the Aragones to the Coast.

 

[trecile]

Just want to say i did the Baztan in reverse this year, and I did need to use GPS findings a couple of time. The main issue i found is the Spanish side is now exceedingly marked, but with too many arrows. This is ideal going in proper direction, but in reverse it did not give sense of "Where would they be coming from for that arrow to make sense?" which is the main navigating reverse tool. A few place in the forest section it was like a funnel collecting you to one path.

That said it was a lovely walk, and a great way to bring me from the Aragones to the Coast.

I'm just home from this year's Camino, so of course I'm thinking of my next Camino. I know several people who are nervous about doing the Camino on their own, and might need a little assist to get started. So I was thinking about getting a group together and walking with them from SJPDP to Pamplona, then walking the Baztan up to Bayonne to do the Norte. How many days did it take you? It seems that there should be the possibility to divert to Irun?

 

[Jean françois]

I'm just home from this year's Camino, so of course I'm thinking of my next Camino. I know several people who are nervous about doing the Camino on their own, and might need a little assist to get started. So I was thinking about getting a group together and walking with them from SJPDP to Pamplona, then walking the Baztan up to Bayonne to do the Norte. How many days did it take you? It seems that there should be the possibility to divert to Irun?

Five days from Pamplona to Bayonne.

And yes you could divert before towards Irun.. Last year i had gone through Espelette on my connection from la voie du Puy and the Norte developed by the local association. You also cross the SJPdP-Hendaye connection, as well as the GR10.

and of Course the Coastal Camino can be done from Bayonne...

Note that the Espelette-Bayonne day is uneventful, and nothing really special, so turning from there to Hendaye/Irun you wouldn't miss much.... i do love Espelette

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

It seems that there should be the possibility to divert to Irun?

There is. I've been looking into this for my upcoming camino. I'm thinking of Pamplona to Elizondo in two days and then switching to the GR11 the next day with hopes to make Beria by night. Then on to Irun and San Sebastián.

 

[Former member 31048]

Hola, bonjour

I was happy to find this thread. We are interested in walking the Camino Baztán and never seem to get around to it. But it looks like we might have time to fit it in after our Via de la Plata in April 2022.

For various reasons, it would suit us to walk from Pamplona to Bayonne.
From what I’m reading sounds like we may need to use a GPS for the first time (on a Camino).

We will also take Gerard Kelly or other guide book, even though going in the other direction it could be helpful.

Any comments or tips, please chime in

Thank you

 

[peregrina2000]

Note that the Espelette-Bayonne day is uneventful, and nothing really special, so turning from there to Hendaye/Irun you wouldn't miss much.... i do love Espelette

I wouldn’t dismiss Espelette-Bayone as nothing really special. At least for someone who lives in flatland USA, it was gorgeous! Though I had to walk it in constant rain, the beauty was still very obvious. I know that it’s similar terrain to the rest of the Baztán, but skipping this stage also means skipping Bayonne, but maybe @Jenny@zen has already been there.

And I do remember that there is a very nice inn around the middle somewhere, where the totally soaked Baztán Five stopped for some hot soup.

 

[Former member 31048]

I wouldn’t dismiss Espelette-Bayone as nothing really special. At least for someone who lives in flatland USA, it was gorgeous! Though I had to walk it in constant rain, the beauty was still very obvious. I know that it’s similar terrain to the rest of the Baztán, but skipping this stage also means skipping Bayonne, but maybe @Jenny@zen has already been there.

And I do remember that there is a very nice inn around the middle somewhere, where the totally soaked Baztán Five stopped for some hot soup.

Gréât photos Laurie. We definitely don’t want to miss Bayonne. That’s our destination. And a lovely town. Depending on time available, we might walk the Baztan in reverse (5 days) or Voie de la Nive from SJPP (3 days). Love Basque countryside.

 

[naplesdon]

I have driven my car on that route and frankly there is so little traffic going either way that road walking would be safe.

 

[VNwalking]

we might walk the Baztan in reverse (5 days)

A very good option. We encountered someone doing just that.
(@peregrina2000's photos are gorgeous, they bring it right back! Gracias!)