LIVE from the Camino Descent to Roncesvalles

[RJE]

Day 1 from SJPDP to Roncesvalles is in the books. Great weather, beautiful scenery, and a challenging hike.

For those coming after, I got twisted up in the woods coming into Roncesvalles and ending up doing 17 miles instead of 15.6. I went right at Lepoeder, but somehow in the woods I crossed over to the other path, and then went the wrong way away from Roncesvalles. Thankfully not too far before I figured it out.

Moral of the story, don’t zone out in nature too much when you have multiple routes to get to the same spot. Arrows can be confusing in those settings.

Looking forward to a straight shot to Zubiri tomorrow.

 

[J Willhaus]

Ooops!

 

[naplesdon]

If you had continued along that route I suspect you would have found yourself in Valcarlos before long.

 

[t2andreo]

That is why a lot of people including me each time, take the turn to the right, at the directional sign, just after the peak. Instead of proceeding straight-on down into the woods, as you did, one follows the winding farm road down to the church. A left turn takes you into Roncesvalles in about 10 minutes. It might be relatively less scenic but the road route is more reliable and relatively safer.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[Rickcrna]

Now I am REALLY confused! Wise Pilgrim app seems to favor going straight ahead at Col Loepeder and walking through the woods down to Roncesvalles. Other folks recommend turning right at Loepeder and taking an asphalt path down to Roncesvalles. I don't want to end up in Valcarlos and adding distance to the 1st day trek. Is there a more definitive and well marked recommendation on the descent into Roncesvalles? Even better with pictures? Am probably over-thinking this.

 

[jfgough]

Day 1 from SJPDP to Roncesvalles is in the books. Great weather, beautiful scenery, and a challenging hike.

For those coming after, I got twisted up in the woods coming into Roncesvalles and ending up doing 17 miles instead of 15.6. I went right at Lepoeder, but somehow in the woods I crossed over to the other path, and then went the wrong way away from Roncesvalles. Thankfully not too far before I figured it out.

Moral of the story, don’t zone out in nature too much when you have multiple routes to get to the same spot. Arrows can be confusing in those settings.

Looking forward to a straight shot to Zubiri tomorrow.

Glad you took in stride, so to speak. I made a couple of diversions on my CF last year, planned and unplanned. Enjoy every step, especially the extra ones!
I begin my Camino Portuguese next week, from Porto.
Buen Camino

 

[naplesdon]

Now I am REALLY confused! Wise Pilgrim app seems to favor going straight ahead at Col Loepeder and walking through the woods down to Roncesvalles. Other folks recommend turning right at Loepeder and taking an asphalt path down to Roncesvalles. I don't want to end up in Valcarlos and adding distance to the 1st day trek. Is there a more definitive and well marked recommendation on the descent into Roncesvalles? Even better with pictures? Am probably over-thinking this.

No, you are not over thinking it. The left is fine on a dry, hot day. If it is wet, the leaves that cover the path can be quite slippery. The path to the right is pretty straight forward as far as I am concerned, just keep walking downhill and make sure you are heading in a westerly and north-westerly direction. My internal compass has never lead me astray. The OP says he that he "zoned out" and started heading in the wrong direction. I am sure there is a spot where the Valcarlos crosses the deviation to the right but honestly I never remember seeing it in all the times I have gone that direction and I know if I took a right hand turn off of that path it would be heading me back down hill eventually.

 

[trecile]

Now I am REALLY confused! Wise Pilgrim app seems to favor going straight ahead at Col Loepeder and walking through the woods down to Roncesvalles. Other folks recommend turning right at Loepeder and taking an asphalt path down to Roncesvalles. I don't want to end up in Valcarlos and adding distance to the 1st day trek. Is there a more definitive and well marked recommendation on the descent into Roncesvalles? Even better with pictures? Am probably over-thinking this.

You are long past the way to Valcarlos when you reach the decision point to go down the steep trail through the forest or the gentle asphalt path to Roncesvalles.
Looking at the Wise Pilgrim app, I don't see that the safer alternate route is on the map. But it is on the Buen Camino app.

Here is the Gronze map. At Collado de Lepoeder you take the route shown as the dotted line.

Then, just before the rather modern looking church there is a trail to the left that takes you the rest of the way.

 

[Glenshiro]

This satellite shot from Google may help.

The camino comes in from the north to Alto de Lepoeder, from where the track descends to Roncesvalles. Instead, I turn right and take the asphalt road, the NA2033 downhill to the Iglesia de San Salvador de Ibañeta, from where there is a well-marked and easy path to Roncesvalles.

​

 

[RJE]

That is why a lot of people including me each time, take the turn to the right, at the directional sign, just after the peak. Instead of proceeding straight-on down into the woods, as you did, one follows the winding farm road down to the church. A left turn takes you into Roncesvalles in about 10 minutes. It might be relatively less scenic but the road route is more reliable and relatively safer.

Hope this helps.

Tom

This sounds like the easiest route and makes sense having been there now.

 

[Rickcrna]

Thank you so much for the maps, satellite view and guidance. I agree, taking the asphalt path towards the church and then left into Roncesvalles is how we will proceed. Plan to start from SJPP on or about Sept. 20th.

 

[AidaYYC]

Day 1 from SJPDP to Roncesvalles is in the books. Great weather, beautiful scenery, and a challenging hike.

For those coming after, I got twisted up in the woods coming into Roncesvalles and ending up doing 17 miles instead of 15.6. I went right at Lepoeder, but somehow in the woods I crossed over to the other path, and then went the wrong way away from Roncesvalles. Thankfully not too far before I figured it out.

Moral of the story, don’t zone out in nature too much when you have multiple routes to get to the same spot. Arrows can be confusing in those settings.

Looking forward to a straight shot to Zubiri tomorrow.

Buen Camino, Pilgrim

 

[HBS60]

That “easier” right turn was a nightmare for me. It was an extremely foggy day, it was very hard to see the signs. I got lost in the fog, I was panicking because it was getting late, but thankfully a French Pilgrim found me. He was following the red and white signs, but we went through rough terrain, weird trails, not once did I see a road, a church, Ibañeta, maybe because of the fog. I was under the impression I would come to a road, see a church, turn left, maybe the red and white route is different. Thankfully the French pilgrim seemed to know what to do, and coached me on using the poles, and we made it. I wonder what it’s like in a clear day…

 

[Caminoport]

Day 1 from SJPDP to Roncesvalles is in the books. Great weather, beautiful scenery, and a challenging hike.

For those coming after, I got twisted up in the woods coming into Roncesvalles and ending up doing 17 miles instead of 15.6. I went right at Lepoeder, but somehow in the woods I crossed over to the other path, and then went the wrong way away from Roncesvalles. Thankfully not too far before I figured it out.

Moral of the story, don’t zone out in nature too much when you have multiple routes to get to the same spot. Arrows can be confusing in those settings.

Looking forward to a straight shot to Zubiri tomorrow.

Well done! Were you "spent" or could you have continued (if Roncesvalles) was not the option? I ask because I hope to contirue to Espinal BUT I won't know till I get there and experince it. It is great to have (Roncesvalles) as an option if I find the walk enough

 

[Kathor1]

I got twisted up in the woods coming into Roncesvalles and ending up doing 17 miles instead of 15.6. I went right at Lepoeder, but somehow in the woods I crossed over to the other path, and then went the wrong way away from Roncesvalles. Thankfully not too far before I figured it out.

"somehow in the woods coming into Roncesvalles"

This is not at the Lepoeder pass and it is not at the Ibañeta chapel. You are not "in the woods" in these two places. This description points to a place way past Ibañeta.

Looking at Iberpix and Pocket Earth, I can see one point where this could have happened according to this description. Since I did not walk this way I cannot be sure. It is the sort of thing that happens when you are on autopilot and not paying attention. It is unlikely to happen to anyone who has obtained the info sheet from the Pilgrim Office in Saint-Jean-Pie-de-Port and checks regularly whether they are on the trail (in case they are not sure). As @RJE says, he noticed his error quickly after half a mile and turned back.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Is there a more definitive and well marked recommendation on the descent into Roncesvalles?

For those reading this thread that are unfamiliar with the two ways down to Roncesvalles from the Col de Lepoeder, there is a forest trail that is marked as the "official" Camino and also a less steep variant way leading to the Col de Ibañeta on the Valcarlos Camino variant. This latter variant follows a paved road and is marked as the "soft" or easy way. There are a number of reports on the forum from people who wanted to avoid the forest way but got confused and ended up taking it by accident (it can be nasty when foggy, raining or wet or you are tired from a full day's walking). The following thread discusses these two ways down in detail. It has a lot of maps, aerial views and pictures.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/road-from-col-leopolder-to-ibaneta.75150/

 

[AidaYYC]

There are a number of reports on the forum from people who wanted to avoid the forest way but got confused and ended up taking it by accident (it can be nasty when foggy, raining or wet or you are tired from a full day's walking).

In Sept 2022, I walked this portion after spending the night in Orrison on a very gloomy morning, which very quickly became foggy and there were portions where we could not see one another much less the trail. Needless to say and in spite all the warnings, I took all the wrong turns and walked through the woods and that infamous steep and dangerous path down to Roncesvalles, not before face planting withing sight of the roof of the monastery, but I lived to tell the story. Buen Camino everybody

 

[RJE]

Well done! Were you "spent" or could you have continued (if Roncesvalles) was not the option? I ask because I hope to contirue to Espinal BUT I won't know till I get there and experince it. It is great to have (Roncesvalles) as an option if I find the walk enough

I probably could have carried on a few more miles, but it was a long day. The climb out of SJPDP over the Pyrenees is no joke.

Currently in Estella, blister free, having a great Camino.

 

[MickMac]

That is why a lot of people including me each time, take the turn to the right, at the directional sign, just after the peak. Instead of proceeding straight-on down into the woods, as you did, one follows the winding farm road down to the church. A left turn takes you into Roncesvalles in about 10 minutes. It might be relatively less scenic but the road route is more reliable and relatively safer.

Hope this helps.

Tom

I took the road route down to the small building at the end of the road after reading it was hazardous to go down through the forest in 2013.
At the end my fellow camino walker from Germany/living in US
turned left walked along the main road and cut down the bank into Roncesvalles we were late so spent an eventful first night in the old overflow building..