LIVE from the Camino Warning around overgrown path on Camino del Norte

[unaharty]

I recently came across an overgrown impassable section of the Camino del Norte between Saint Jean de Luz and Irún. The signs directed me down this grassy path which I followed as far as I could and then it became so overgrown that I could not walk any further.

Despite the many warnings I had to take the road to join back up with the path which was really dangerous due to lack of hard shoulder and it being a windy busy road.

I saw other pilgrims headed the opposite direction seem also perplexed by this. It was the interior route.

Has anyone else experienced this? Should it be reported to the French authorities for maintenance?

The photos show the path which is overgrown and leads to another path which is impassable.

Thanks

 

[Vacajoe]

I’m confused by your second photo: is that a gate or fence blocking your route? We’re you forced into a detour route? Sadly, this route is not walked by a lot of people, so pathways can get a bit overgrown, especially alternative routes.

There is are no Camino “authorities” who maintain all the trails, though local groups and village councils often provide upkeep in their areas. Given it’s the Basque region, you may want to contact that confraternity as they manage several albergues there.

 

[unaharty]

I’m confused by your second photo: is that a gate or fence blocking your route? We’re you forced into a detour route?

Sorry for clarification- the photo of the gate shows where the route points to, just incase any future pilgrims notice this - to save them walking down the grassy path that leads to nothing.

 

[Paul-CH]

The second photo shows a funny sign it's upside down. As a french GR has only red and white and a GR de Pays uses red and yellow it seams you haven't been on the hiking on the CdN.

 

[hieudovan]

Re: second photo. I don't think this was a Camino direction sign. I've seen the Camino shells on houses and structures to show support for pilgrims. I have no idea what the symbol below the shell signifies. Thanks for thinking of other pilgrims. Buen Camino.

 

[roving_rufus]

The second photo shows a funny sign it's upside down. As a french GR has only red and white and a GR de Pays uses red and yellow it seams you haven't been on the hiking on the CdN.

This is the modern method of marking voie de Compostelle ie camino routes in France - it uses yellow and blue lines similar to the red/white GR. It's used on the section of route from Bayonne to Irun through France. (Plus on routes in Brittany and a few others too)

 

[Paul-CH]

it uses yellow and blue lines similar to the red/white GR

You are right, but it's still mounted upside down. So it's not clear for the direction to go.

 

[roving_rufus]

It is odd the sign is upside down.
That section of the Via Bayona/camino norte has been problematic with that roundabout and new fencing - I remember when I was looking at whether to do the interior route via Urrugne or the Voie Littoral a few years ago there was an issue there too.
But marking in France is often done by the local pilgrim association so it may be worth contacting them with a query as to the route and overgrown path

Compostelle.fr -

Accueil et information des pèlerins. Ouverture et signalisation des chemins en collaboration avec les instances officielles du département et de la Région

www.compostelle.fr

 

[Kathar1na]

Thank you, @roving_rufus, for the link to the Compostelle.fr website and for relevant information. This is news to me.

If I understand correctly, 55 local Jacobean associations are grouped together in a Compostelle-France Federation. They undertake the blue and yellow signposting but only when the trail for a "chemin de Saint-Jacques" deviates from a GR trail, and GR trails are created and maintained by the FFRP. At least that is how I understand the phrase "nous ne faisons pas de sur balisage" on the Compostelle.fr website.

And as you and @Paul-CH already pointed out, the blue and yellow directional sign is upside down in the photo, so there is obviously something wrong there.

 

[naplesdon]

If the first photo is what you describe as "overgrown" I have seen much worse on the Aragones. Many times an "upside down sign" is done in protest or as a warning not to enter. If this is on the correct route, it looks like some property owner is having a problem with pilgrims walking on his property.

 

[PelegrinNikolai]

I'm planning to walk that coastal way next year - I'll try and report what it looks like then. I really want to avoid that busy road!

 

[Vacajoe]

Exactly where was this? Lat/long or even pin a map

 

[Kathar1na]

Based on the photos and descriptions, was it here? If @unaharty and @roving_rufus can confirm, I'll leave this post. Otherwise I'll delete it again.



And for context, an extract from the OP's photo:

 

[roving_rufus]

Based on the photos and descriptions, was it here? If @unaharty and @roving_rufus can confirm, I'll leave this post. Otherwise I'll delete it again.

View attachment 173970

And for context, an extract from the OP's photo:
View attachment 173973

That's it! It's between Urrugne and Hendaye, just after you reach a junction with D810, there is a roundabout and this is off the roundabout.

 

[unaharty]

Based on the photos and descriptions, was it here? If @unaharty and @roving_rufus can confirm, I'll leave this post. Otherwise I'll delete it again.

View attachment 173970

And for context, an extract from the OP's photo:
View attachment 173973

You’re exactly right. I can confirm the coordinates as (43.3517944, -1.7392550)

 

[Kathar1na]

Sorry for that happening to you.

I don't understand your comment. As I understand it, the peregrina encountered an overgrown path, had to backtrack along the first less overgrown path and then walked for a short while on a busy road with dangerous traffic instead of following these paths until she could join the interior variant of the Norte trail again. She posted so that other pilgrims are aware of this situation at a certain point of the Camino de Norte between Urrugne and Hendaye. All the video filming in the world is not going to make the overgrown path more passable.

I had a look at maps and trails on Gronze and Wikiloc. There has been a physical change - it appears to me that an additional short road had been built in recent years and later closed off to all general traffic, including pedestrian traffic.

PS: Just read the next post. @Liica, did you post your comment by mistake in the wrong thread?

 

[Paul-CH]

Happened to me:

Probably on the wrong post. Be careful

 

[donalomahony]

had to backtrack along the first less overgrown path and then walked for a short while on a busy road with dangerous traffic instead of following these paths until she could join the interior variant of the Norte trail again. She posted so that other pilgrims are aware of this situation at a certain point of the Camino de Norte between Urrugne and Hendaye.

...yes, it was like that last September (2023).

That stretch of road is very fast, traffic coming uphill at speed...

The attached is a screen shot of what was on @Gronze then.

 

[caminka]

I have looked into this a bit more and apparently that gate has been problem before 2023 already. This is how I think the camino now runs, mostly as this 2022 wikiloc:

Just after croix des Bouquets (132m) cross R to veer R up a one-way road which rises to D658 Route Glacière. (Or you can turn R to D658 in the roundabout.) Turn R and rise to a crossroad. Turn L (camino waymark on 2022 g-maps) to Route Orio and descend. In a sharper R bend, with two electricity pylons on a hill ahead L, veer L down a dirt track (small yellow signpost on a bush on 2022 g-maps). On bottom join SA/R a dirt track which is the original camino. 80m later turn (sharp) L to a dirt track with immediately splits (67m). Head on the R track/path and ascend to an intersection. Turn R on a gravel road and undulate, joining a wide dirt road SA/L up, to a crossroad with asphalt Chemin Maillarenea (108m).

Formerly, the camino went further up to a roundabout. On the other side of the roundabout descends a barred road (waymark on 2022 g-maps still pointing that way and the upturned waymark on the gate). This is, according to a 2024 report, now blocked. Gronze suggests following busy shoulder-less D810 to the L then turning R to a fork with yellow signposts and GR 10 waymarks. This was the camino previously (waymarks on 2015 g-maps).