Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Pablo2007]

Hello and season's greetings to you all.

I've walked the Camino Frances from SJPDP to Santiago twice and I'm planning another go in Late April to June 2011.

I would like to Start at Pau although as far as I can ascertain its not actually on the Camino, simply because its easy to get to. Ill be flying in to Paris and then either a connecting flight or Train to Pau.

I've been searching the posts here for information but I'm a little confused.
The web is also a little confusing, while there is a lot of information about the Camino Frances there isn't as much on the Arles Route/ Via Tolosana. I don't mind starting at Oloron or Pau but what I'd like to know is the following;

Would late April (say around the 20th) be OK to start? I've read that Somport can be difficult due to snow etc and other reports say it wasn't a problem at all. Is there an alternative route (eg road) if the weather is bad as is the case from SJPDP ( Route Napoleon or Valcarlos if the weather is bad)?
I understand that the weather cant be predicted, but would love to hear about anybody's experience regarding these dates. The reason for starting as early as possible is to avoid the heat in late May, ( I really don't like the heat Laugh)

Secondly, what are the stages the people usually walk I've read in some posts anywhere from 8 to 11 days from Oloron to Puente la Reina.

I realise it all depends on fitness, and conditions, I'm 51 and although I'm no mountain goat I'm relatively fit. I don't mind if stages don't coincide with Albergues as I'm a terrible sleeper and usually have to resort to hotels/pensiones B&B's etc.

I'm sorry to burden you all with questions that I could research with more time but I need to book soon and am running out of time ( as usual laugh)

Anyway any advice would be really helpful
Thanks

Pablo

[sillydoll]

Hello Pablo,
I walked the Aragones last year - from Lourdes to Pamplona via Eunate.
You can read about it here with links to places to stay.
http://2009pilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... asson.html

[dutchpilgrim]

Hi Pablo,

From the airport you can walk to Lescar, on the Voie d'Arles.
I took the train to Lourdes, to start my walk there, on the Voie du Piemont.

Detailed info can be found at
http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/spip/-Et ... ml?lang=fr

Ultreya,
Carli Di Bortolo.

[falcon269]

If weather strikes in the Pyrenees, which it can anytime in the winter, spring, or fall on either the Somport route or out of St. Jean Pied de Port, you can take buses from Oloron to Estacion Canfranc or on to Jaca, as necessary.

This site is helpful for route and accommodation information:

http://www.gr-infos.com/gr653d.htm

This site helps for the Camino Aragones:

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los ... /aragones/

[Alan Pearce]

Hi Pablo

I walked the 10 km from Pau airport to Lescar in early April 2008, and joined the camino route there. I got my credential at the tourist bureau in Lescar, and got a key for the albergue there also. From Lescar it took me 3 days to walk to Somport, and then another 6 days to reach Puenta la Riena where I joined the Frances.

There was snow on the ground at Somport and on the trail but the road was clear and wide enough to walk on in safety. However the trek from Lescar to Oloron on the trail is, to put it mildly, arduous and a real test of fitness especially for a first days walk.

I stayed in an albergue at the little mountain village of Arres [after Jaca] where the women helped prepare the meal and the men washed up afterwards, and everyone sat together to share a communal feast. One of the highlights of the trip.

I begin the Via de la Plata 3 months from tomorrow and should arrive in Compostela around May 10th - a bit earlier than you will make it.

buen camino

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

[jl]

I concur that the path from Lescar (there is a small albergue there - or was in 2005) to Oloron st Marie - a very arduous day - long, undulating, and hot!. Lescar struck me as being very pilgrim orientated. The three stops we made in 2005 were Lescar, Oloron St Marie, Bedous. In Bedous we stayed in a "little Chateau" - one of the original owners being a founding father type figure of St Louis in USA. The tourist offices along this way are very helpful with accomodation, although the path from Lescar to Oloron has fewer villages on it - which is one of the reasons it is more arduous. The path here takes a very windy way through some low hills, and wasn't, when I walked it, very well waymarked. You should be Ok though with regard to the weather because water stops are also less frequent on this one leg. cheers, Janet

[oursonpolaire]

Pablo can spend many happy hours at: camino-aragones/
which may well be the best English-language source on the topic. jl's posts, in particular, should be noted.

As jl and others might testify, the Confraternity booklet by Maurice & Marigold Fox is out of date and, at some stretches, confusing. To my knowledge, there is nothing else available.

Another thread's question about maps for this route is answered at: camino-aragones/topic2396.html

This route is quite different from the Francese: the remarkable landscape is not as populated with villages and cafés, and you will want to have some supplies handy. You should try to telephone ahead to ensure that the albergue or hostal at the next stop is open. There is not a lot in the way of private accommodations and in a few places, the albergue is all that is available.

Lescar, a suburb of Pau, with a fine cathedral, is on the Camino. There is a very nice inn nearby.
Out of Pau, there are a number of private places to stay, and the local tourisme (if open) or the mairie can see you right. Locals are very helpful (speaking French doesn't hurt, either). Almost all the way from Oloron Sainte Marie and over the pass, the Camino is within sight of the road and, for a good (busy) stretch west of Jaca, is alongside it, so if there is snow, you can quite easily follow the road.

I always tell people to take a day out and ensure that they visit the monastery of San Juan de la Pena-- as well as the albergue in Santa Cilia, which everybody raves about, there is a comfortable and reasonably-priced hospederia in Santa Cruz de los Seros, as well as a four-star at the new monastery at San Juan de la P. This was a centre for Aragonese cultural life for centuries, and is a remarkable place, worthy of its UNESCO designation as a World Heritage Site.

There are several good hostales and hotels in Jaca, a nice inn in Berdun (Rincon Emilio) and a really comfortable casa rural in Monreal. The Hotel Yamaguchi on the outskirts of Sanguesa is reasonably-priced, as are hostales in Yesa and Javier if you take that variant.

[Pablo2007]

Big Thank you to all your replies.

Its cleared up a few things.

I think it will be Lescar as a start point and just have to figure out stages

Looking forward to day 1 ..... Not laugh, but it shouldn't be too hard I imagine (famous last words)

The First time I did SJPDP to Roncesvalles I thought this is not too bad, the second time I went the Valcarlos route which is supposed to be easier and I thought "is this ever ever going to end". So it depends on the day and mood I guess, anyway Buen Camino to all of you and thanks again

Pablo

[falcon269]

If the Lescar to Oloron stage is too long, there is a very nice gite in Lacommande next to the church. It has four beds, a good shower, and an adequate kitchen. Bring food, because there is no store or restaurant in town. Across the street from the church is a winery, which is open during the usual short hours.

[oursonpolaire]

There is also a restaurant (or was in 2005) in LaCommande but it was not open that day when I went through. However, the gite looked very nice, and the winery staff kept on trying to persuade me to add a few bottles to my pack-- still, they hospitably gave me a few glasses to propel me on my way. The Tourisme/Mairie in Pau should be able to give you an update and, if you pass through Pau on a Sunday and visit the Anglican church, you may be lucky enough to get a few glasses of champagne after the service.

[Debinq]

hola - You could also consider starting on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees at Jaca - there's a bus from Jaca to Somport that takes abt 45 mins which you could catch if you hear the snow that might still be there in April is passable! If there is still too much snow at altitude, you'd then be able to give the Pyrenees a miss by starting at Jaca

buon camino

Peter

[Pablo2007]

MMMM a good "Plan B" but for whatever reason I like the "Idea" of crossing the Pyrenness, same as in SJPDP. People have said to me, (especially in Spain) "why not start at Roncesvalles instead of SJPDP?" and I agree, whats a few extra kms more or lessm but there is still that nagging thought about "Crossing", so we will just have to think that one over. Laugh


Regards

Pablo