3 Days Achieved

[OzzieWatch]

Hi All,

Quick update as i depended so much on the forum before i came over.

Day one, SJPP to Roncesvalles... We did it in 7hrs on a beautiful sunny day. Started at 6.45, the hike in parts nearly broke me... Nearly.. You just keep going tho.
Beautiful scenery, tough tough day.


Day two, Roncesvalles to Zubiri, really enjoyed this section. Beautiful start in the country, animal watching and just striding around. Few tough up hills but all manageable. On the descent which i was really worried about it wasnt too bad as the weather was sunny, i picked up a stick along the way from the forest which was a god send.
I get the importance of walking sticks now....
No way in wet weather would we make it down the dragons back.
Glad it was safe.. Ish as it was sunny. We took it slow.

Day three, uhhh.
Currently in Pamplona.
We got absolutely soaked once we left Zubiri. That i could cope with but the trail of wet mush, large puddlea, slippery dip for miles was really stressful
I wondered were others on a nicer safe slip free route... The constant muck from the rain was hard to deal with. No doubt many slipped today. Heart in mouth all day...
Id take the hike from over the Pyrenees anyday.
Mentally i just didn't love today.
Anyway... We press on....

Buen Camino
I hope the trail tomorrow is kinder.
Be safe all.
Im going look at options...

 

[alexwalker]

Tomorrow down from Alto del Perdon to Uterga, is a very rocky, steep descent. Next time I'll walk down on the road to Uterga.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Tomorrow down from Alto del Perdon to Uterga, is a very rocky, steep descent. Next time I'll walk down on the road to Uterga.

Is it worse this year? I usually just skirt the edges of the trail and it's not bad. I wonder how much longer it takes to walk the road?

 

[Bradypus]

Is it worse this year? I usually just skirt the edges of the trail and it's not bad.

Couldn't see much change a few days ago. I did manage to slip and fall once on the way down - some tiny gravel on one of the wooden revetments acted like ball bearings under my boot No significant damage done. Embarrassing though!

 

[JMac56]

In such conditions I find my Leki hiking sticks (no rubber tips) make the walk so much safer. Yes, I have occasionally slipped and landed on my backside but so far no damage done. Buen Camino.

 

[Handsome_Canuck]

Oh this is looking like a cab day! We too had a rough start to the Camino. We have had 1 planned rest day as well as 2 unplanned due to unforseen circumstances. I don't think I have a tough descent in me today

 

[alexwalker]

I wonder how much longer it takes to walk the road?

IMHO, it will be faster. And safer.

 

[basquelady]

Is it worse this year? I usually just skirt the edges of the trail and it's not bad. I wonder how much longer it takes to walk the road?

We took the road in 2014, after our experience the previous year. A short distance down from the Alto, there's a big picnic spot with spectacular views. We stopped there ("second breakfast") for a while and can see that we left there at 10. Got to Uterga at 11.30. Not fast walkers. Went down the usual descent again in 2019 and regretted it! Very slow that time and had a few slips. We were 80 and 72 by then though; it starts to make a difference!

 

[wanderlustesq]

Hi All,

Quick update as i depended so much on the forum before i came over.

Day one, SJPP to Roncesvalles... We did it in 7hrs on a beautiful sunny day. Started at 6.45, the hike in parts nearly broke me... Nearly.. You just keep going tho.
Beautiful scenery, tough tough day.


Day two, Roncesvalles to Zubiri, really enjoyed this section. Beautiful start in the country, animal watching and just striding around. Few tough up hills but all manageable. On the descent which i was really worried about it wasnt too bad as the weather was sunny, i picked up a stick along the way from the forest which was a god send.
I get the importance of walking sticks now....
No way in wet weather would we make it down the dragons back.
Glad it was safe.. Ish as it was sunny. We took it slow.

Day three, uhhh.
Currently in Pamplona.
We got absolutely soaked once we left Zubiri. That i could cope with but the trail of wet mush, large puddlea, slippery dip for miles was really stressful
I wondered were others on a nicer safe slip free route... The constant muck from the rain was hard to deal with. No doubt many slipped today. Heart in mouth all day...
Id take the hike from over the Pyrenees anyday.
Mentally i just didn't love today.
Anyway... We press on....

Buen Camino
I hope the trail tomorrow is kinder.
Be safe all.
Im going look at options...

You should have been there September 2nd!
View attachment IMG_3546.mov

 

[Bellbutt]

Hi All,

Quick update as i depended so much on the forum before i came over.

Day one, SJPP to Roncesvalles... We did it in 7hrs on a beautiful sunny day. Started at 6.45, the hike in parts nearly broke me... Nearly.. You just keep going tho.
Beautiful scenery, tough tough day.


Day two, Roncesvalles to Zubiri, really enjoyed this section. Beautiful start in the country, animal watching and just striding around. Few tough up hills but all manageable. On the descent which i was really worried about it wasnt too bad as the weather was sunny, i picked up a stick along the way from the forest which was a god send.
I get the importance of walking sticks now....
No way in wet weather would we make it down the dragons back.
Glad it was safe.. Ish as it was sunny. We took it slow.

Day three, uhhh.
Currently in Pamplona.
We got absolutely soaked once we left Zubiri. That i could cope with but the trail of wet mush, large puddlea, slippery dip for miles was really stressful
I wondered were others on a nicer safe slip free route... The constant muck from the rain was hard to deal with. No doubt many slipped today. Heart in mouth all day...
Id take the hike from over the Pyrenees anyday.
Mentally i just didn't love today.
Anyway... We press on....

Buen Camino
I hope the trail tomorrow is kinder.
Be safe all.
Im going look at options...

enjoy Pamplona--because when you leave you will be going up (and then DOWN) Alto Perdon. Beautiful walk but can be strenuous . Wish I were there

 

[alexwalker]

Check this down from Alto del Perdon: This looks not steep, but this stretch is in parts very steep, and much worse than this, both with regards to steepness as well as amount and size of rocks you have to walk on. It ends not until you are in the valley below, so it is a long and hard downhill:

 

[OzzieWatch]

Thank you.
It was a lovely day, didn't find the uphill too hard at all. Was thinking it would be way way worse...
A few muck spots but nothing like the day before from Zubiri. My cross mood had subsided.
The walk from the end of the descent into Puente La Reina felt quite long but it was hot hot.. and we were mainly alone, very quite around in general.
Our total walk took us 5hr 20 minutes.

Sleep is near.
Take Care All.

enjoy Pamplona--because when you leave you will be going up (and then DOWN) Alto Perdon. Beautiful walk but can be strenuous . Wish I were there

 

[alexwalker]

Thank you.
It was a lovely day, didn't find the uphill too hard at all. Was thinking it would be way way worse...
A few muck spots but nothing like the day before from Zubiri. My cross mood had subsided.
The walk from the end of the descent into Puente La Reina felt quite long but it was hot hot.. and we were mainly alone, very quite around in general.
Our total walk took us 5hr 20 minutes.

Sleep is near.
Take Care All.

Was the descent difficult for you? At 69, I will hesitate to walk down there again; rather take the road route.

 

[LibbyM]

Hi All,

Quick update as i depended so much on the forum before i came over.

Day one, SJPP to Roncesvalles... We did it in 7hrs on a beautiful sunny day. Started at 6.45, the hike in parts nearly broke me... Nearly.. You just keep going tho.
Beautiful scenery, tough tough day.


Day two, Roncesvalles to Zubiri, really enjoyed this section. Beautiful start in the country, animal watching and just striding around. Few tough up hills but all manageable. On the descent which i was really worried about it wasnt too bad as the weather was sunny, i picked up a stick along the way from the forest which was a god send.
I get the importance of walking sticks now....
No way in wet weather would we make it down the dragons back.
Glad it was safe.. Ish as it was sunny. We took it slow.

Day three, uhhh.
Currently in Pamplona.
We got absolutely soaked once we left Zubiri. That i could cope with but the trail of wet mush, large puddlea, slippery dip for miles was really stressful
I wondered were others on a nicer safe slip free route... The constant muck from the rain was hard to deal with. No doubt many slipped today. Heart in mouth all day...
Id take the hike from over the Pyrenees anyday.
Mentally i just didn't love today.
Anyway... We press on....

Buen Camino
I hope the trail tomorrow is kinder.
Be safe all.
Im going look at options...

Press on, dear Pilgrim.

 

[OzzieWatch]

Was the descent difficult for you? At 69, I will hesitate to walk down there again; rather take the road route.

Im 39, fairly fit so it was ok.
I needed my forest stick tho and no rain which helped a lot. It was ok for me, took it carefully.