Lourdes to SJPP

[donalomahony]

I am flying to Toulouse and by train onto Lourdes on Monday 20th July to walk to SJPP where I will meet my wife on July 27th and continue on the Camino Frances...

My plan is to walk from Lourdes starting on Tuesday 21st.

The route I will take is


Lourdes-Asson 29.5
Asson-Ste Colome 17.42
Ste Colome-Oloron 25.37
Oloron-Hôpital St Blaise 21.85
Hôpital St Blaise-Mauléon 14.54
Mauléon-St Just Ibarre 23.24
St Just Ibarre-St Jean Pied de Port 20.41


I understand this is part of Chemin du Piémont - these stages are ones I have gleaned from previous forum contributors....

I have a few questions

How clearly marked is the route generally?

Is the route clearly marked at Oloron where there is the option for the Somport route?

Have any forum members walked this without reserving accommodation?

Any other advice

Kind regards

Donal

 

[qalawun]

Hi there
I'm planning exactly the same thing in 2016 but am having problems finding places to stay along the route, notably in Asson. Please let me know if you find anything. Meanwhile, I did discover this site on the internet, which might be of use to you:

http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Pie.htm

 

[donalomahony]

Thanks for that link. Away working at moment but will keep you updated. Here is a link referencing accommodation in Asson

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/day-one-lourdes-to-asson.33318/

Charls further postings are interesting. He however turns for Somport.

Regards

Donal

 

[Anniesantiago]

http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2012/05/day-1-lourdes-to-asson.html

This was our experience in Asson.
Be wary and be sure to get RECEIPTS if you stay here.
Otherwise a nice place.
If you need an email address, PM me.

 

[nathanael]

I am flying to Toulouse and by train onto Lourdes on Monday 20th July to walk to SJPP where I will meet my wife on July 27th and continue on the Camino Frances...

My plan is to walk from Lourdes starting on Tuesday 21st.

The route I will take is


Lourdes-Asson 29.5
Asson-Ste Colome 17.42
Ste Colome-Oloron 25.37
Oloron-Hôpital St Blaise 21.85
Hôpital St Blaise-Mauléon 14.54
Mauléon-St Just Ibarre 23.24
St Just Ibarre-St Jean Pied de Port 20.41


I understand this is part of Chemin du Piémont - these stages are ones I have gleaned from previous forum contributors....

I have a few questions

How clearly marked is the route generally?

Is the route clearly marked at Oloron where there is the option for the Somport route?

Have any forum members walked this without reserving accommodation?

Any other advice

Kind regards

Donal

I have done this route in 2010 and enjoyed it saw 2 people on it and going opposite way. Leaving Lourdes a bit tricky but you will enjoy iy Hostel in Oleron is great, I went to Tourist office to get access numbers to enter.

 

[donalomahony]

Here is a lost of accommodation on the route I found earlier!

http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/spip/spip.php?rubrique385

Not sure how up to date it is....

 

[donalomahony]

Anniesantiago Thank you will read your blog...

 

[donalomahony]

Thank you! Anniesantiago has given great advice on leaving Lourdes...

 

[donalomahony]

Hi there
I'm planning exactly the same thing in 2016 but am having problems finding places to stay along the route, notably in Asson. Please let me know if you find anything. Meanwhile, I did discover this site on the internet, which might be of use to you:

http://www.xacobeo.fr/ZE1.11.Aqu.Pie.htm

Excellent blog from the route

http://lifepilgrim.me/2012/09/10/

Click on date to go backward and forward..

 

[donalomahony]

I got a friend who speaks French to phone the Gite Paroissial in Asson. No problems with sleeping there. Reserved but told no food for sale in town and to carry provisions from Lourdes or Saint Pé de Bigorre...

The correct email address for the parish refuge in Arudy is

paroisse Saint Michel d'Ossau pierrATsfr.fr (substitute the AT with @)

I was emailed confirmation of a bed in minutes!

 

[NicMen]

Oh, I'm so glad I came across this thread! No food in Asson??!! Nice to know! I'm planning to walk from Lourdes to SdC through SJPdP starting 31st Aug 16 and this info in invaluable! THANK YOU!

 

[Smurphy]

Hi everyone. I contacted the tourist offices in Lourdes and Oloron Sainte-Marie. I struck gold with the latter. They sent me this link

http://randonnee.tourisme64.com/grands-itineraires/saint-jacques-de-compostelle/la-voie-du-piemont/

If you click on the link that says Topo itinéraire - Trace GPS - Tracé Google map, and then click the English flag on this section

Topo itinéraire , you will get a detailed guide in English.

Hope this helps

Seán

 

[roamingpaddy]

I am flying to Toulouse and by train onto Lourdes on Monday 20th July to walk to SJPP where I will meet my wife on July 27th and continue on the Camino Frances...

My plan is to walk from Lourdes starting on Tuesday 21st.

The route I will take is


Lourdes-Asson 29.5
Asson-Ste Colome 17.42
Ste Colome-Oloron 25.37
Oloron-Hôpital St Blaise 21.85
Hôpital St Blaise-Mauléon 14.54
Mauléon-St Just Ibarre 23.24
St Just Ibarre-St Jean Pied de Port 20.41


I understand this is part of Chemin du Piémont - these stages are ones I have gleaned from previous forum contributors....

I have a few questions

How clearly marked is the route generally?

Is the route clearly marked at Oloron where there is the option for the Somport route?

Have any forum members walked this without reserving accommodation?

Any other advice

Kind regards

Donal

Hi Donal,I am curious if you did this route? as I am thinking of doing the same in late october this year

 

[NicMen]

Hi Donal,I am curious if you did this route? as I am thinking of doing the same in late october this year

Hi roamingpaddy, I did this route in early September 2016, except that I stayed in Arudy instead of Ste Colome and in Ordiarp instead of Mauleon. The route is generally well marked with red and white markers. The only tricky sections were leaving L'Opital St Blaise (where I decided to follow the main road) and between Ordiarp and St Just Ibarre over the Col of Napale, where the trail almost disappeared and I had to use a bit of intuition/guesswork to find my way between cows, shrubs and grass on the higher parts of the hill...
Also, outside Arudy there was a part where I could not find my way through the trail and I decided to continue following the main road to the next town.
Someone at work mentioned an app, Gaia GPS, which was an invaluable help to find out where I was and where I should turn. I did not need an internet connection as it worked off line too (you just need to download the relevant maps before you go).
Buen Camino!

 

[roamingpaddy]

Hi roamingpaddy, I did this route in early September 2016, except that I stayed in Arudy instead of Ste Colome and in Ordiarp instead of Mauleon. The route is generally well marked with red and white markers. The only tricky sections were leaving L'Opital St Blaise (where I decided to follow the main road) and between Ordiarp and St Just Ibarre over the Col of Napale, where the trail almost disappeared and I had to use a bit of intuition/guesswork to find my way between cows, shrubs and grass on the higher parts of the hill...
Also, outside Arudy there was a part where I could not find my way through the trail and I decided to continue following the main road to the next town.
Someone at work mentioned an app, Gaia GPS, which was an invaluable help to find out where I was and where I should turn. I did not need an internet connection as it worked off line too (you just need to download the relevant maps before you go).
Buen Camino!

Oh much thanks to you for your very helpful reply NicMan

 

[JabbaPapa]

No food in Asson??!! Nice to know!

Most people seem to grab some lunch at a small bar/restaurant on the way to Asson.

 

[NicMen]

There was a little pizza place near the church.

 

[donalomahony]

Hi Donal,I am curious if you did this route? as I am thinking of doing the same in late october this year

Have a look at this thread also. Lots of info here. Scroll right through it!

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...des-and-walked-to-st-jean-pied-de-port.23497/

 

[Vacajoe]

Have you taken a look at meeting up with the Camino Aragonés instead of the Camino Frances in SJPdP? Met two pilgrims who hiked this way and raved about it. I did the Aragones from Jaca, then met up with the CF in Puente la Reina - absolutely fabulous!

Start in Lourdes and head for Somport; plenty of gites in France and alburgues in Aragón.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Have you taken a look at meeting up with the Camino Aragonés instead of the Camino Frances in SJPdP? Met two pilgrims who hiked this way and raved about it. I did the Aragones from Jaca, then met up with the CF in Puente la Reina - absolutely fabulous!

Start in Lourdes and head for Somport; plenty of gites in France and alburgues in Aragón.

I've done both, and from Lourdes would certainly recommend the SJPP route.

The Aragonès is lovely, and 2 or 3 of the refugios up in the valley to the Somport are fantastic, but the walk through the enclosed valley up to the Somport Pass is an imposing grind, plus from Lourdes it simply adds many extra K to the trek and they are generally foreign to the nature and quality of the Piémont Way.

The Oloron to SJPP is very solitary and guessworky, but it's also the more natural and less frantic.

I think I'd probably only ever advise starting the Somport route either at the Somport itself, or at one of the villages maybe about halfway from Oloron.

 

[caminka]

Have you taken a look at meeting up with the Camino Aragonés instead of the Camino Frances in SJPdP? Met two pilgrims who hiked this way and raved about it. I did the Aragones from Jaca, then met up with the CF in Puente la Reina - absolutely fabulous!
Start in Lourdes and head for Somport; plenty of gites in France and alburgues in Aragón.

I've done both, and from Lourdes would certainly recommend the SJPP route.
The Aragonès is lovely, and 2 or 3 of the refugios up in the valley to the Somport are fantastic, but the walk through the enclosed valley up to the Somport Pass is an imposing grind, plus from Lourdes it simply adds many extra K to the trek and they are generally foreign to the nature and quality of the Piémont Way.
The Oloron to SJPP is very solitary and guessworky, but it's also the more natural and less frantic.
I think I'd probably only ever advise starting the Somport route either at the Somport itself, or at one of the villages maybe about halfway from Oloron.

as far as valleys go, I prefer the gave d'aspe valley (the arles/aragones route) up to somport. more wooded, lovely old paths, beautiful old villages with pilgrim history. perhaps a detour to chemin de la mature on gr 10?

have you considered the ossau valley which branches off south at arudy? flat till laruns then a shortish day of forest paths up to gabas. then the official pilgrim route goes straight up to col de moines, but I recommend a variant via réfuge d'ayous (reserve!) with is wonderful location and praised reflections of pic du midi d'ossau in its lake. one of my favourite sections of all routes.
also has its own pilgrim stories, histories and monuments.
all waymarked.

wikiloc tracks:
arudy - laruns: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-102-arudy-laruns-21857286
laruns - gabas: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-103-laruns-gabas-21858017
gabas - ayous: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-104-gabas-refuge-dayous-21749427
ayous - canfranc: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/camino2012-105-refuge-dayous-canfranc-21750406

 

[Kjack2222]

does anyone know if its possible to wild camp along the way between lourdes and SJPP? Thank you!

 

[Vacajoe]

does anyone know if its possible to wild camp along the way between lourdes and SJPP? Thank you!

Physically? Yes, there are plenty of areas where a tent or sleeping bag would not be noticed. Legally? I do not know the laws of France.

 

[JabbaPapa]

does anyone know if its possible to wild camp along the way between lourdes and SJPP? Thank you!

Yes -- the law is that basically you can do it, except on a road or other freeway, unless an owner or other forbids it. Basically, there are a few Municipalities where you can't, but out in the countryside it should be fine.

It's a bit more restricted in Spain, with a basic rule that you can't stay at a location more than a night or so, and you cannot light a fire.

 

[Kjack2222]

Yes -- the law is that basically you can do it, except on a road or other freeway, unless an owner or other forbids it. Basically, there are a few Municipalities where you can't, but out in the countryside it should be fine.

It's a bit more restricted in Spain, with a basic rule that you can't stay at a location more than a night or so, and you cannot light a fire.

Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it! One more question - any idea what elevation profile is like? I'd imagine it's much more like the 1st and 2nd days of the Camino Frances rather than the rest of the Frances (relatively flat).

 

[Former member 99290]

Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it! One more question - any idea what elevation profile is like? I'd imagine it's much more like the 1st and 2nd days of the Camino Frances rather than the rest of the Frances (relatively flat).

We walked the Chemin du Piemont from Carcassonne to SJPP in April. From Lourdes the largest climbs of the Piemont are behind you, though in the last stages into SJPP there are two significant climbs and descents.

Have a look at gronze.com under the Piemont. The stages from Lourdes are shown. Under each stage, there is a + button to click ‘Ver perfil de la étape’ which shows the elevation profiles for that stage.

 

[Kjack2222]

Also, one more question for the group - does anyone know if it's possible to do this in 4 or 5 days? or too mountainous to try and deviate from the prescribed stages? I'm struggling to find good maps that show me what's in between the cities in the stops listed in links above

 

[Kjack2222]

We walked the Chemin du Piemont from Carcassonne to SJPP in April. From Lourdes the largest climbs of the Piemont are behind you, though in the last stages into SJPP there are two significant climbs and descents.

Have a look at gronze.com under the Piemont. The stages from Lourdes are shown. Under each stage, there is a + button to click ‘Ver perfil de la étape’ which shows the elevation profiles for that stage.

amazing thank you!

 

[Former member 99290]

Also, one more question for the group - does anyone know if it's possible to do this in 4 or 5 days? or too mountainous to try and deviate from the prescribed stages? I'm struggling to find good maps that show me what's in between the cities in the stops listed in links above

That seems very rushed to me. It’s about 160 kms from my count so I guess it depends on how far and fast you like to walk. Gronze can show you the towns and villages in between. More often than not, there were few or no facilities - ie open cafes, shops etc.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it! One more question - any idea what elevation profile is like? I'd imagine it's much more like the 1st and 2nd days of the Camino Frances rather than the rest of the Frances (relatively flat).

It's much easier than that !! Though to be fair, at that point on my 2005 I was mostly in DIY rather than following the waymarked trail.

It's just the last bit before SJPP where you do have to be a bit careful.

One way in does cross over a fairly high pass towards Saint-Jean-le-Vieux, though there's a far easier route downwards (that I was unaware of at the time) that leads to the final few K of the Le Puy & Vézelay Ways (they're one route at that point).

Honestly, I'd get the mapy.cz app, download the offline maps, and then use that (outdoors mode) to find the most sensible route according to your personal preference.

 

[Vacajoe]

Thank you so much for the information, I really appreciate it! One more question - any idea what elevation profile is like? I'd imagine it's much more like the 1st and 2nd days of the Camino Frances rather than the rest of the Frances (relatively flat).

Actually, it’s nothing like the Napoleon Way summit crossing on the CF! It generally stays in the foothills of the Pyrenees, so some ups and downs with a bit of a climb one day out from Lourdes. Overall, it has enough variation to be interesting but never really difficult.

 

[Former member 99290]

@Kjack2222 We prefer to follow the way marking, which was good. We don’t use our phones / GPS etc for that purpose, so can’t help you there.