The etapa from SJPDP to Roncesvalles can be dangerous if you decide to walk it as any other "normal" etapa. In my opinion you have to prepare it more than usual.
If you begin to walk at, for example, 8:30, or 9:00, you possibly will arrive to Roncesvalles at 17:30 or earlier.
The pilgrim who died on april was lost with another group of pilgrims at 20:00 in the middle of mountain, and then he lose contact with them. Why, how? I don´t know. But when it's snowing, with bad weather, you have to go to Roncesvalles as soon as possible, if not you can ask any help with your mobile.
There's two ways to go. In the most beautiful and dangerous (by the mountain) there's an advertising. Don't take this way with bad weather. Be carefull.
This etapa can be so dangerous as others, you only have to know which are these etapas. First time I walk La Cruz de Ferro there were not albergue in Foncebadon. It was a hard etapa. When you pass the Cebreiro you have to walk more than 20 km over the 1000 mts high. But the
Camino frances has a lot of yellow arrows. The Camino Sanabres is different. I had to walk on winter el Padornelo and el Alto de la Canda with a storm of snow last year (about 100 km over 900 mts high). No too arrows, no bars, nothing. In that conditions can be dangerous, but I knew it, so I prepared it. Something similar crossing el Puerto de la Fuenfria (Camino de Madrid) or, of course, El Camino Primitivo, Hospitales, El Acebo, El Palo, and so on.
In my opinion, in October possibly will not snow but ... be prepared. I waterproof cape must be enough, as William says.
Buen Camino,
Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.
