sillydoll
Veteran Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2002 CF: 2004 from Paris: 2006 VF: 2007 CF: 2009 Aragones, Ingles, Finisterre: 2011 X 2 on CF: 2013 'Caracoles': 2014 CF and Ingles 'Caracoles":2015 Logrono-Burgos (Hospitalero San Anton): 2016 La Douay to Aosta/San Gimignano to Rome:
Thousands of pilgrims walk safely from St Jean to Roncesvalles every spring but sometimes unpredicated blizzards or snow storms make the crossing dangerous.
Over the past few years there have been a number of deaths - and near death experiences - crossing from St Jean to Roncesvalles in winter to early spring.
The most important thing is to listen to the locals and if they tell you not to walk the GR route (route Napoleon) then don't walk it.
Even walking the road route (the authentic camino route) through the valley of Charlemagne (Val Carlos) can be dangerous in bad weather.
In 2002 two pilgrims (a 48 year-old Brazilian and a 78 year-old Japanese) died when they were caught in blizzards crossing to Roncesvalles in January and April.
In March 2005 an English pilgrim decided to risk walking the route Napoleon - against the advice of the locals - with an experienced Spanish pilgrim. They were caught in a snow storm for 2 days, both suffered from hypothermia and frostbite. When they were finally able to walk to Roncesvalles Roger was rushed to Pamplona general hospital. Once there he was told that the frostbite on his left foot was so severe that he would have to have all the toes on his foot amputated. (This decision was later reversed).
In 2007 Chris Philips, an experienced fell walker, died from exposure after getting caught in a freak blizzard. He became separated from 3 Italian pilgrims who were able to call Emergency services. They spent the night on the mountain but were later rescued. They told the paramedics about the Englishman who had been with them. Rescuers found him near the path, about 50m from a road, lying in deep snow and suffering from severe hypothermia. He died shortly after arriving at hospital in Pamplona.
2008: Remember this article "Firemen recue teenage cyclists"? The pair, both 19, came close to succumbing to hypothermia during a snowstorm on the French-Spanish border, close to a spot where another Englishman died. Edward Broad and a friend were forced to huddle shivering in sleeping bags after being caught out by the suddenness of the storm. But they raised the alarm by phoning their parents in Wimbledon, South-West London, from the isolated area on the French-Spanish border. Emergency services from France and Spain fought through the treacherous conditions to find them on Tuesday.
biking-the-camino/topic3949.html#p29997
The CSJ of UK reported that a French woman died of exposure at the Col de Lepoeder in March 2009.
Carry an emergency blanket with you. These are lightweight, foil blankets which you can discard once you out of the mountains.
Take a cell phone. If you don't have one, try to walk with people who do.
112 is the Europe-wide emergency number. It works even if you have no money in a pre-paid mobile phone or even if your supplier has no network. It works 24/7 365 days - and the operators speak many languages. The number for the Guardia Civil in Spain is 062.
If you do become lost or snowed in - stay where you are and keep warm. Get into your sleeping bag, wrap yourself in your poncho.
The CSJ recommends that you avoid going alone if you possibly can. Tell people in St Jean what your plans are, arranging for them to call the emergency services if you haven't phoned back from Roncesvalles by an agreed time to report your safe arrival.
Over the past few years there have been a number of deaths - and near death experiences - crossing from St Jean to Roncesvalles in winter to early spring.
The most important thing is to listen to the locals and if they tell you not to walk the GR route (route Napoleon) then don't walk it.
Even walking the road route (the authentic camino route) through the valley of Charlemagne (Val Carlos) can be dangerous in bad weather.
In 2002 two pilgrims (a 48 year-old Brazilian and a 78 year-old Japanese) died when they were caught in blizzards crossing to Roncesvalles in January and April.
In March 2005 an English pilgrim decided to risk walking the route Napoleon - against the advice of the locals - with an experienced Spanish pilgrim. They were caught in a snow storm for 2 days, both suffered from hypothermia and frostbite. When they were finally able to walk to Roncesvalles Roger was rushed to Pamplona general hospital. Once there he was told that the frostbite on his left foot was so severe that he would have to have all the toes on his foot amputated. (This decision was later reversed).
In 2007 Chris Philips, an experienced fell walker, died from exposure after getting caught in a freak blizzard. He became separated from 3 Italian pilgrims who were able to call Emergency services. They spent the night on the mountain but were later rescued. They told the paramedics about the Englishman who had been with them. Rescuers found him near the path, about 50m from a road, lying in deep snow and suffering from severe hypothermia. He died shortly after arriving at hospital in Pamplona.
2008: Remember this article "Firemen recue teenage cyclists"? The pair, both 19, came close to succumbing to hypothermia during a snowstorm on the French-Spanish border, close to a spot where another Englishman died. Edward Broad and a friend were forced to huddle shivering in sleeping bags after being caught out by the suddenness of the storm. But they raised the alarm by phoning their parents in Wimbledon, South-West London, from the isolated area on the French-Spanish border. Emergency services from France and Spain fought through the treacherous conditions to find them on Tuesday.
biking-the-camino/topic3949.html#p29997
The CSJ of UK reported that a French woman died of exposure at the Col de Lepoeder in March 2009.
Carry an emergency blanket with you. These are lightweight, foil blankets which you can discard once you out of the mountains.
Take a cell phone. If you don't have one, try to walk with people who do.
112 is the Europe-wide emergency number. It works even if you have no money in a pre-paid mobile phone or even if your supplier has no network. It works 24/7 365 days - and the operators speak many languages. The number for the Guardia Civil in Spain is 062.
If you do become lost or snowed in - stay where you are and keep warm. Get into your sleeping bag, wrap yourself in your poncho.
The CSJ recommends that you avoid going alone if you possibly can. Tell people in St Jean what your plans are, arranging for them to call the emergency services if you haven't phoned back from Roncesvalles by an agreed time to report your safe arrival.
