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If the Napoleon is closed due to weather does the auberge still expect pilgrims to go there?
This was not true last time I passed through Orisson. Both albergues are indeed closed until at least April 1. But in the month of April, they open. The weather may, or may not cooperate, but I have a reservation on April 12th, and I expect them to accommodate me regardless of the state of the pass. Weather (pun intended) or not I have to bus to Valcarlos on the morning of the 13th will not be known until then.
Aburge Borda indicated that even if the pass is closed, I should be able to get by taxi which is why I asked the question.
This is not what Laurent at Aburge Borda told me which is why I asked.
I do not know what their expectation is, only that they told me I could get there via taxi if the trail is closed. I’m from Colorado, trails in the mountains may be closed or in advisable but there is usually still access to mountain towns. I don’t know if it is the same but I appreciate that open trails and access to towns may be different which is why I asked.
The local government there in Saint Jean actually closes the Napoleon route in dangerous, inclement weather. It gets closed for all pilgrims. No exceptions.
Thanks. I also asked the aburge directly and the response was that taxis are available to transport. If you get a different answer, let me know,
While this is frequently claimed on the forum, I have not found this to be the case. I mention this because it may give a wrong sense of security to pilgrims from far away who may rely on official closures that will never come despite dangerous conditions for them. A small section of the trail that is not accessible for cars and that is on Spanish soil is closed by law from November until 1 April every year since about 2016. From April to October there are no official closures, neither by French nor Spanish authorities. Pilgrims must inform themselves about dangerous weather and whether the trail has already become passable after the winter season.
Hi there, my question is simply whether anyone else on the forum is booked in Borda on April 3 and might want to share a taxi. I’m not sure the rest of my plan matters. I appreciate that everyone wants to answer about the status of the route, which is not my question and has been well explored.
You have a booking that you want to use. If, after your stay there, you want to continue from Borda on the Route Napoleon, why would you walk to Valcarlos on the day you need to spend the night at Borda. Why don’t you walk to Borda from SJPP? You can walk to Borda or drive to Borda at any time. The road is not closed. I am merely wondering to what extent you have familiarised yourself with the geography.
Now, that’s helpful. When I asked Auburge Borda, he suggested that if the route is closed, I take a taxi from Valcarlos to Borda. That’s why I was asking about a ride share. What you seem to be saying is getting to Borda is not the part of the Napoleon route that gets closed or is inadvisable due to weather, but rather the treacherous part is between Borda and Roncevellas. If I understand that correctly, I can walk to Borda, stay there and then taxi to the Roncevellas or Valcarlos the next day to continue my Camino. Is that correct?
Yes, correct. The treacherous part - the part that is closed by law in the winter months, where pilgrims have been getting into trouble, are becoming tired, are not equipped for wintery conditions, where there is still old snow or even some new snow on the ground, where some pilgrims needed rescue, and where there have been fatal accidents in the past - starts much further up where the Route Napoleon trail leaves the tarmac road and where you are already close to the Spanish border. It's about 8 km after Borda/Orisson and about 400-500 m higher.
I do have a reservation on April 9th and expect to go there, except if I'm not told not to.
The way from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Borda IS part of the Napoleon trail, but fair enough to walk. But would it be ok to walk from Borda to Valcarlos at this time?
The road route, from near Orisson / Borda, back down the mountain to Valcarlos is walkable in the same conditions as the ascent to the Albergues. It is not way-marked and wanders as most mountain roads do but anyone with a decent mapping app (Maps.me for instance) who has uploaded the appropriate regional maps to their 'phone should have no difficulty going "off-piste".
You will not be the sole pilgrim at Borda, therefore, an automatic taxi share will be arranged for everyone staying there. Not to worry. For context, this is NOTHING like walking the mountains of Colorado. Its a ranching area, a lot closer to Oregon than the Rockies. A small piece of the area at the very top is prone to heavy snow and high winds in the spring.....thats the piece that you don't want to test during stormy weather. The folks at Borda will know if its safe to walk it or not. In retrospect, all the veterans should have responded to you by saying "check with the pilgrim office before you leave", which is exactly what you should do.
What @Tincatinker says. By way of illustration, here is a useful map that has been developed by the national Spanish pilgrim association.
Fabulous map, many thanks for posting that!
BTW, the weather forecast for the pass for April 4 looks very promising although it is not yet firm, ie predictability is still low. So it will be really a question of the trail conditions at altitude. I guess they know it by now, with one and a half days to go until the 1st. Surely the owner of Borda will know, he lives closer to it than anyone else ...
Hi, We have reservations on 4th March too.
Do you mean April 3rd? That's the day that @Coloradowalker has a reservation.
Shouldn't that be had ?
Sorry, it's been a long hard night and day at work....baby boom in my city. I didn't read the dates correctly or post my dates correctly. We are booked for 4th April. So not very helpful after all.
