The desired pilgrimage

martini · Jan 14, 2019

Welcome to pilgrims!
This year, in august, we have been thinking about going on a pilgrimage along the following route:
1. camino Barcelona
Barcelona- Montserrat.
2. camino Catalan
Montserrat- Santa Cilia.
3. camino Aragones ( oposite direction)
Santa Cilia- Somport.
4. camino Arles ( oposite direction)
Somport- Oloron.
5. camino Piamonte
Oloron- Saint Jean Piere de Port.
6. camino Frances
Saint Jean- Roncesvalles.
Did like to ask You a questions:
Is it a good idea? Is camino Arles and Aragones when you go upside down, can you see the road label and navigate?
Or from Somport, moving the french border, need a diferent credencial, or is the same in Spain? Did the full camino Catalan be able to get compostella in another year, when we are in Santiago?
One way twice to cross Pirenees, i felt a very nice thought.
If we change a route slightly- is any walking road brought from Saint Jean to biarritz? (where we have the plane home)
Have any of you had walking GR 11 Candanchu- Roncesvales? What is it? Is it an ordinary person, who is not an athlete? How meny days it took?
Apologize for my english!
Thanks You for yours answers!
God bless You!

Camino Chrissy · Jan 14, 2019

Welcome to the forum, @martini! There will be many on this forum who can help you with some answers...and also help to set you on a "straight" path!
I'm sorry, but your desired itinerary is far too complicated for me to offer advise.

martini · Jan 15, 2019

Thank You!

KinkyOne · Jan 15, 2019

martini said:
Welcome to pilgrims!
This year, in august, we have been thinking about going on a pilgrimage along the following route:
1. camino Barcelona
Barcelona- Montserrat.
2. camino Catalan
Montserrat- Santa Cilia.
3. camino Aragones ( oposite direction)
Santa Cilia- Somport.
4. camino Arles ( oposite direction)
Somport- Oloron.
5. camino Piamonte
Oloron- Saint Jean Piere de Port.
6. camino Frances
Saint Jean- Roncesvalles.
Did like to ask You a questions:
Is it a good idea? Is camino Arles and Aragones when you go upside down, can you see the road label and navigate?
Or from Somport, moving the french border, need a diferent credencial, or is the same in Spain? Did the full camino Catalan be able to get compostella in another year, when we are in Santiago?
One way twice to cross Pirenees, i felt a very nice thought.
If we change a route slightly- is any walking road brought from Saint Jean to biarritz? (where we have the plane home)
Have any of you had walking GR 11 Candanchu- Roncesvales? What is it? Is it an ordinary person, who is not an athlete? How meny days it took?
Apologize for my english!
Thanks You for yours answers!
God bless You!

Hola!

I can answer just two of your questions.
- to obtain Compostela in SdC you need to walk LAST 100 kilometers to the Cathedral (on officially recognized pilgrim ways and get two stamps per day) so even if you walk certain stretch before that 10 times that wouldn't be eligible,
- there is marked Voie de la Nive from Bayonne (which is just half an hour bus ride from Biarritz airport) to SJPdP but again you would have to walk in reverse so the markings will be tricky. There are plenty of info if you google it, GPS tracks also.

Buen Camino/Bon Chemin!

martini · Jan 15, 2019

thank KinkyOne !

JabbaPapa · Jan 15, 2019

The better route up to the Somport is actually from Jaca, though there is a secondary hiking route going up there from a few kilometers after Puente la Reina de Jaca, after Santa Cilia. But that one looks a lot more difficult, plus it leads up to a crossing at the Pic de Burcq rather than the Somport, and I'd advise simply heading north at Jaca.

There is a dual markings system, if I remember correctly, on the route between Jaca and Oloron -- so not just the yellow arrows, but also some red and white GR markings, designed and placed to be used in either direction.

Similar on the Way between Oloron and SJPP, though that particular route is still, as I understand it, fairly poorly waymarked -- but on the other hand, even if you do stray off the "official" path, there is a multiplicity of variants there all headed in basically the right direction.

All else is pretty standard.

Vacajoe · Jan 15, 2019

Your route is certainly doable, though it would take a great deal of time to complete -- how many days do you have?

As for specifics:
- all the routes you mentioned are fairly well-marked (even in the reverse sections you are considering); if you have a gps device or a smartphone, you won't get lost
- avoid that route, though, in early spring (March) due to the very likelihood of snow
- several routes between SJPdP and Biarritz
- Barcelona to Montserrat is great, but if you leave from downtown then your first day of walking will be mostly just getting out of the city itself!

I am walking similar portions of all those routes this April and can share my experiences with you; when will you walk?

martini · Jan 15, 2019

Thank Vacajoe!
For the walk I have 26-27 days.
About aug. 17- sept. 15.
Do not jou know about credentsial?
Is a valid the same in Spain and France?

Vacajoe · Jan 15, 2019

Yes, same one can be used in both countries. You can buy one ahead of time or at some churches or pilgrim offices. The parish office at Montserrat sells them, too. The credential allows you to stay at pilgrim gîtes and albuegues plus entitles you to discounted pilgrim dinners at many restaurants.

Kiwi-family · Jan 15, 2019

La Voie de la Nive is signed in both directions, but there were not a lot of marks when I walked it five years ago from St Jean to Bayonne. A very pretty walk though.

martini · Jan 15, 2019

Kiwi-family said:
La Voie de la Nive is signed in both directions, but there were not a lot of marks when I walked it five years ago from St Jean to Bayonne. A very pretty walk though.

Supper!

martini · Mar 27, 2019

Vacajoe said:
Yes, same one can be used in both countries. You can buy one ahead of time or at some churches or pilgrim offices. The parish office at Montserrat sells them, too. The credential allows you to stay at pilgrim gîtes and albuegues plus entitles you to discounted pilgrim dinners at many restaurants.

Hi, Vacajoe!
If we go on Camino Catalan, is it realistic to make a route - Ena- Botaya- monasterio nuevo - monasterio vjeho San Juan de la Pena- Santa Cruz de la Seros- Santa Chilia?
Can this be done in 1 day?

Vacajoe · Mar 27, 2019

It’s doable if the weather is clear and you are capable of a long hike! You’ll be crossing a sub-part of the Pyrenees which will be physically strenuous. We hit a snowstorm inlate April of last year, so we had to leave the hiking trail and walk the road access. It made for a bit longer of a hike.

Remember that you need to make it to the albuergue in Santa Cilia before they close their doors in the evening, so start early.

Vacajoe · Mar 27, 2019

Just reread your initial post! If you are walking August/September, you’ll have plenty of daylight (and no snow!!!). Definitely carry a larger quantity of food and water, though, as resources are limited on that stretch and not geared to pilgrim hours.

oursonpolaire · Mar 27, 2019

I'm not sure if I would bother with Barcelona-Montserrat for two reasons; 1) as mentioned above, you will be walking for 50km (12-14 hours walking, or two days, I would think) through the city and industrial suburbs-- while it will be interesting if you like cities, it will be exhausting and given the likely heat of Barcelona in August, exhausting if not dangerous in the afternoon... 2) the traditional starting point for the Camino in Catalonia is the monastery in Montserrat. If you have taken a vow or are under a specific spiritual discipline to walk out of Barcelona, go for it, but if not, then take the train up to Montserrat (there is an aerial facility, as well, from part-way up).

martini · Mar 27, 2019

Vacajoe said:
Just reread your initial post! If you are walking August/September, you’ll have plenty of daylight (and no snow!!!). Definitely carry a larger quantity of food and water, though, as resources are limited on that stretch and not geared to pilgrim hours.

Thank you!

martini · Mar 27, 2019

oursonpolaire said:
I'm not sure if I would bother with Barcelona-Montserrat for two reasons; 1) as mentioned above, you will be walking for 50km (12-14 hours walking, or two days, I would think) through the city and industrial suburbs-- while it will be interesting if you like cities, it will be exhausting and given the likely heat of Barcelona in August, exhausting if not dangerous in the afternoon... 2) the traditional starting point for the Camino in Catalonia is the monastery in Montserrat. If you have taken a vow or are under a specific spiritual discipline to walk out of Barcelona, go for it, but if not, then take the train up to Montserrat (there is an aerial facility, as well, from part-way up).

Thank you!
I think, it would be nice, connect 2 waters- Mediterranean and Atlantic with our feet.
I try certainly not to do traditionally anything.
Industrial parts of cities are often more beautiful than cities themselves.
It s good to just go anywere with Good and my wife.

oursonpolaire · Mar 28, 2019

martini said:
Thank you!

I would reinforce and underline Vacajoe's comment. I have done the Catalan route three times and, even when I was careful, found the water situation difficult on several occasions. Start out with a full bladder/bottle and refill whenever and wherever you can. Although the Cami Catalan is well-marked, only a few hundred pilgrims do this each year, and things are not pilgrim-focussed.

JabbaPapa · Mar 28, 2019

oursonpolaire said:
I'm not sure if I would bother with Barcelona-Montserrat for two reasons; 1) as mentioned above, you will be walking for 50km (12-14 hours walking, or two days, I would think) through the city and industrial suburbs-- while it will be interesting if you like cities, it will be exhausting and given the likely heat of Barcelona in August, exhausting if not dangerous in the afternoon... 2) the traditional starting point for the Camino in Catalonia is the monastery in Montserrat. If you have taken a vow or are under a specific spiritual discipline to walk out of Barcelona, go for it, but if not, then take the train up to Montserrat (there is an aerial facility, as well, from part-way up).

Last time I looked, there's a possibility through parkland and a National park towards the West of the city, towards the airport and Llobregat, up to either Valldoreix where I used to live and where you can join the Cami, or Sant Cugat where I used to go to school (both places are pretty suburban nowadays, though Sant Cugat town centre should still be nice enough, and likely a better place for a little rest). The hike from there to Montserrat doesn't seem too ghastly.

I actually walked up to Valldoreix some years ago from central Barcelona, before even my first Camino, and I cannot remember any "industrial suburbs", but many boring residential ones -- though I guess this could vary on where you physically commence from in Barcelona, as it's quite the sprawling city.

The route through Valldoreix is called the Cami Romeu a Montserrat variant (GR 96), and I used to live about 500M away from where it passes, small world. From there it goes up to Rubi, then either through Terrassa (which seems pretty industrial) or into some mountains on the GR6, in either case towards Montserrat.

And BTW I can see that where that Cami now crosses over the motorway near Valldoreix is where we used to go walking in the hills in my childhood, so technically I guess that means I took my first ever steps on a Camino, quite unknowingly, in 1972. LOL

martini · Mar 28, 2019

JabbaPapa said:
Last time I looked, there's a possibility through parkland and a National park towards the West of the city, towards the airport and Llobregat, up to either Valldoreix where I used to live and where you can join the Cami, or Sant Cugat where I used to go to school (both places are pretty suburban nowadays, though Sant Cugat town centre should still be nice enough, and likely a better place for a little rest). The hike from there to Montserrat doesn't seem too ghastly.

I actually walked up to Valldoreix some years ago from central Barcelona, before even my first Camino, and I cannot remember any "industrial suburbs", but many boring residential ones -- though I guess this could vary on where you physically commence from in Barcelona, as it's quite the sprawling city.

The route through Valldoreix is called the Cami Romeu a Montserrat variant (GR 96), and I used to live about 500M away from where it passes, small world. From there it goes up to Rubi, then either through Terrassa (which seems pretty industrial) or into some mountains on the GR6, in either case towards Montserrat.

And BTW I can see that where that Cami now crosses over the motorway near Valldoreix is where we used to go walking in the hills in my childhood, so technically I guess that means I took my first ever steps on a Camino, quite unknowingly, in 1972. LOL

Hi, JabbaPapa!
I think on first day walk to Ullastrell, where there should be pilgrims alberge, and then on to Montserrat.
Thank You for your advice and sharing!

Sitkapilgrim · Apr 8, 2019

Martini - regarding your question Ena to Santa Cilia in one day - it is 22,5 km per Eroski guide and I just walked it 3 days ago. Ena albergue was quiet and lovely.. A self-service donativo this time of the year with no heat. The kitchen is so well equipped, if only we had brought food to cook. The lack of heater won’t be a problem for you. Ena to Santa Celia was a very nice day of walking, despite the rain which turned to snow as I climbed. San Juan de la Peña Vieyo is magnificent. I was the only one visiting at the time. Remember, it was snowing and cold! I took the 7km road down to Santa Cruz instead of the 4 km path, because the snow was getting deeper and the road was a safer option. The path from Santa Cruz de la Serós to Santa Celia was nicely done. And then at Santa Celia de Jaca, I decided to continue that afternoon 10 km on to the donativo albergue at Arrés on the Camino Aragon, just because it is one of my favorite albergues. Ena to Santa Celia is very well marked, as is all of the Camino Catalan - Montserrat to Santa Celia - in my opinion. And ever so beautiful.

Of course you would turn north from Santa Celia de Jaca and not turn southwest as I did, going to Arrès. But the following day, having run out of time, I did turn north and walk “backwards” on the Camino Aragon to Jaca, to get transport to Madrid and home. I am not good at “backwards” walking, but the GR white over red (or is it red over white?) trail markings were very helpful, as they work both directions.

I think your proposed route sounds wonderful.

martini · Apr 8, 2019

Sitkapilgrim said:
Martini - regarding your question Ena to Santa Cilia in one day - it is 22,5 km per Eroski guide and I just walked it 3 days ago. Ena albergue was quiet and lovely.. A self-service donativo this time of the year with no heat. The kitchen is so well equipped, if only we had brought food to cook. The lack of heater won’t be a problem for you. Ena to Santa Celia was a very nice day of walking, despite the rain which turned to snow as I climbed. San Juan de la Peña Vieyo is magnificent. I was the only one visiting at the time. Remember, it was snowing and cold! I took the 7km road down to Santa Cruz instead of the 4 km path, because the snow was getting deeper and the road was a safer option. The path from Santa Cruz de la Serós to Santa Celia was nicely done. And then at Santa Celia de Jaca, I decided to continue that afternoon 10 km on to the donativo albergue at Arrés on the Camino Aragon, just because it is one of my favorite albergues. Ena to Santa Celia is very well marked, as is all of the Camino Catalan - Montserrat to Santa Celia - in my opinion. And ever so beautiful.

Of course you would turn north from Santa Celia de Jaca and not turn southwest as I did, going to Arrès. But the following day, having run out of time, I did turn north and walk “backwards” on the Camino Aragon to Jaca, to get transport to Madrid and home. I am not good at “backwards” walking, but the GR white over red (or is it red over white?) trail markings were very helpful, as they work both directions.

I think your proposed route sounds wonderful.

Hi, Sitkapilgrim!
Uspeakble Thanks for this generous advice!
Not sure if alberge in Santa Chilia is open from 6pm, or untill 6pm? Is it necesary to book?
Next I mean go up to Candachu and then, depending of the wether- Oloron over Camino Arles (backwards), or over GR 11 to Ronceswalles.
Does anyone know if the GR 11 stage Candanchu- Aguas Tuertas is really closed? Cant there go?
Muchas Gracias!
Buen Camino!

Sitkapilgrim · Apr 8, 2019

At Santa Celia de Jaca, the note on the door said - closed November and March. Reservations -no. Call ayuntamiento during working hours, or hospitalera, name and number on door and also in Eroski and other guides, preferably after 6pm. I usually call municipal albergues the day before to make sure they open, on lesser travelled routes. Camino Aragon may not fit the category of lesser travelled. Still I was surprised to read on the door that it was closed Nov and March, as those are months I often walk.

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