Where and how I got lost on the Valcarlos route

[markmcilroy]

Having done the Napoleon route in 2016 and the Valcarlos route in 2017 with no problems I thought I'd do the Valcarlos again last year but this time I got very lost. Once I got home I checked with the help of Google Earth / Street view to see exactly where I went wrong so this posting maybe of use to future pilgrims.

After sleeping outside in Valcarlos as the Albergue was closed for the month I walked in rain and light wind and followed the signs and eventually turned off the main road into the very small village of Gainekolta. There are only about 10 houses in the village and I saw 1 Camino sign on the side of a house but I didn't see the 2nd sign which was also on the side of a house but it was quite high and as it was raining my head was down and I followed the path at the end of the street which turned left and I went uphill but I should have seen the high up yellow arrow on the right and gone that way.

The path that I took was marked with white and green stripes and it eventually took me to main Camino route and it was quite nice feeling hearing voices in a distance in the fog but that was after walking maybe 3 hours of extra walking in wind, rain and low fog and I did feel a little stressed as I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction or not, there were no other pilgrims around for the 3 hours but the occasional farmer on their tractor so I wasn't in any real danger.

So when you get towards the end of the street in Gainekolta you need to look up high for the arrow that will point to the right not the left. The picture shows the arrow on the right that I didn't see and the wrong path on the left which I took.

 

[dougfitz]

Thanks for sharing that. I didn't have a problem there, but I got lost early on the first day. But it seems I can get lost almost anywhere. Perhaps I should pay more attention to the arrows!

 

[naplesdon]

Only got lost once or twice in 10 years. It is a horrible feeling when deep down in your heart you know you are lost but think otherwise. Oh, where the hell am I?

 

[shefollowsshells]

Having done the Napoleon route in 2016 and the Valcarlos route in 2017 with no problems I thought I'd do the Valcarlos again last year but this time I got very lost. Once I got home I checked with the help of Google Earth / Street view to see exactly where I went wrong so this posting maybe of use to future pilgrims.

After sleeping outside in Valcarlos as the Albergue was closed for the month I walked in rain and light wind and followed the signs and eventually turned off the main road into the very small village of Gainekolta. There are only about 10 houses in the village and I saw 1 Camino sign on the side of a house but I didn't see the 2nd sign which was also on the side of a house but it was quite high and as it was raining my head was down and I followed the path at the end of the street which turned left and I went uphill but I should have seen the high up yellow arrow on the right and gone that way.

The path that I took was marked with white and green stripes and it eventually took me to main Camino route and it was quite nice feeling hearing voices in a distance in the fog but that was after walking maybe 3 hours of extra walking in wind, rain and low fog and I did feel a little stressed as I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction or not, there were no other pilgrims around for the 3 hours but the occasional farmer on their tractor so I wasn't in any real danger.

So when you get towards the end of the street in Gainekolta you need to look up high for the arrow that will point to the right not the left. The picture shows the arrow on the right that I didn't see and the wrong path on the left which I took.

View attachment 144050

To figure out what you did wrong is soooo fulfilling. In 2016 with Le Puy under belt five of my six kiddos and I took the Pyrenees route from Saint Jean Pied de Port north to complete the Norte. We were rather confident, or rather just not concerned, we started late and had a paper in hand if the route. We stopped along the way kissed the one eyed cat, had a coke before heading up in the hills, greeted the sheep on parade, spoke with their shepherd, told the sheep’s dog what a “ good boy” he was. Laughed, giggled, took goofy pictures of ourselves. Talked about life, food we’d request once home…
I even, no kidding, thought to myself , “ I can’t wait to share this with my forum, the signs are great you can’t get lost”. Well at one point I coukd have sworn we were lead to go off to the right, it seemed odd, my son checked it out and came back saying “no”. We continued at what seemed more obvious.

We got lost!
And it woukd become dark…
My cell phone has little juice ( but I’ve don’t a camino where no one has cell phones before)
It was cold
And I was responsible for five children…

It was a few years ago my daughters and I woukd repeat this hike because it was splendid , but I also had to find out where we got lost!!!!!

We figured it out!!!! It was where my son had turned around.

 

[Chris Gi]

Having done the Napoleon route in 2016 and the Valcarlos route in 2017 with no problems I thought I'd do the Valcarlos again last year but this time I got very lost. Once I got home I checked with the help of Google Earth / Street view to see exactly where I went wrong so this posting maybe of use to future pilgrims.

After sleeping outside in Valcarlos as the Albergue was closed for the month I walked in rain and light wind and followed the signs and eventually turned off the main road into the very small village of Gainekolta. There are only about 10 houses in the village and I saw 1 Camino sign on the side of a house but I didn't see the 2nd sign which was also on the side of a house but it was quite high and as it was raining my head was down and I followed the path at the end of the street which turned left and I went uphill but I should have seen the high up yellow arrow on the right and gone that way.

The path that I took was marked with white and green stripes and it eventually took me to main Camino route and it was quite nice feeling hearing voices in a distance in the fog but that was after walking maybe 3 hours of extra walking in wind, rain and low fog and I did feel a little stressed as I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction or not, there were no other pilgrims around for the 3 hours but the occasional farmer on their tractor so I wasn't in any real danger.

So when you get towards the end of the street in Gainekolta you need to look up high for the arrow that will point to the right not the left. The picture shows the arrow on the right that I didn't see and the wrong path on the left which I took.

View attachment 144050

I would have missed that too!

 

[mspath]

2004 signage on the Valcarlos alternative included miniscule yellow arrows painted on popsicle-like sticks randomly attached to trees, logs, etc.

When trying to find/follow arrows my trail vibes turned 'bad'; the sun was off course and my feet were on the wrong side of a stream !!

I sought help. A farmer in a distant pasture waved and came near. When asked where the camino path lay he pointed opposite to where I had been heading. When shown the last arrow that I had erroneously followed he replied "Oh those children they do SO enjoy confusing pilgrims!" He then turned that arrow to re-face the correct direction.

How lucky it was to have met that helpful farmer.

 

[Bradypus]

There was a major rescue exercise a few weeks ago when a peregrino was lost in snowy weather in the same Gainekoleta area. Fortunately he was found safe and taken to Roncesvalles.

Localizado un peregrino tras un amplio despliegue de búsqueda en Valcarlos - Camino de Santiago

El hombre, de 55 años, se encontraba en buen estado en la zona de Gainekoleta tras dos horas y media de rastreo por la zona, cubierta por un manto generoso de nieve.

lariojainfo.net

 

[markmcilroy]

There was a major rescue exercise a few weeks ago when a peregrino was lost in snowy weather in the same Gainekoleta area. Fortunately he was found safe and taken to Roncesvalles.

Localizado un peregrino tras un amplio despliegue de búsqueda en Valcarlos - Camino de Santiago

El hombre, de 55 años, se encontraba en buen estado en la zona de Gainekoleta tras dos horas y media de rastreo por la zona, cubierta por un manto generoso de nieve.

lariojainfo.net

hmmm....I wonder he made the same mistake that I did? although the path that I took was marked with white and green markers there were plenty of off shoot paths that could have been also taken.

 

[lt56ny]

When in doubt ask.
If no one is around
Open the Buen Camino or Wise Pilgrim app and look at the GPS.

 

[Steve D]

Having done the Napoleon route in 2016 and the Valcarlos route in 2017 with no problems I thought I'd do the Valcarlos again last year but this time I got very lost. Once I got home I checked with the help of Google Earth / Street view to see exactly where I went wrong so this posting maybe of use to future pilgrims.

After sleeping outside in Valcarlos as the Albergue was closed for the month I walked in rain and light wind and followed the signs and eventually turned off the main road into the very small village of Gainekolta. There are only about 10 houses in the village and I saw 1 Camino sign on the side of a house but I didn't see the 2nd sign which was also on the side of a house but it was quite high and as it was raining my head was down and I followed the path at the end of the street which turned left and I went uphill but I should have seen the high up yellow arrow on the right and gone that way.

The path that I took was marked with white and green stripes and it eventually took me to main Camino route and it was quite nice feeling hearing voices in a distance in the fog but that was after walking maybe 3 hours of extra walking in wind, rain and low fog and I did feel a little stressed as I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction or not, there were no other pilgrims around for the 3 hours but the occasional farmer on their tractor so I wasn't in any real danger.

So when you get towards the end of the street in Gainekolta you need to look up high for the arrow that will point to the right not the left. The picture shows the arrow on the right that I didn't see and the wrong path on the left which I took.

View attachment 144050

Yep…almost went the wrong way at that same location. All makes for good stories.

 

[Aysen Mustafa]

Or you get lost and then a male pilgrim is following behind for hours thinking I was on the right path but never close enough to speak. Then you get onto the right path and heavily relieved. I don't know the nationality of the fellow but I don't think he spoke English.