It was Mid-May and in the office in St Jean we were told it is no go for the Napoleon, so it had to be Valcarlos. Now we have walked it before and I have said several times before on this forum, having walked both routes, the Napoleon is so much easier, especially in fine weather.
So there we were wet and and as we are not the youngest, quite tired, when we reached the narrow path near the summit, the one with the barbed wire fence separating you from the drop on the other side. There was a complication though, a tree had fallen across the path, flattening the fence and blocking the way. The space under would have meant that we would have had to crawl in the mud, so I simply stepped over the end of the tree, which over hung the drop, now cleared of the protecting fence. That meant that I was stepping over the drop, but all went well, that is until Linda stepped over, it was a simple step but she did not see the barbed wire coiled up. Her nice new Merrils caught the wire and she went Splat into 3 inches of watery mud, over her coat, up her arms, into her mouth, into her glasses, and up her nose. Not very dignified for someone the other side of mid-sixties. Later after the receptionist in the Hotel Roncesvalles had very diplomatically suggested that we might want to clean up before we formally booked in, we laughed until we cried, but that may be because we were standing in a luxurious shower wearing various bits of Linda's mud incrusted walking gear. Can I take this opportunity to thank the staff of the hotel who are always the best and most considerate and helpful of people, and indeed the vast majority of staff on the Pilgrimage.
On another note though, it could, if Linda had fallen two feet earlier, been a lot less funny and indeed deadly. So once again folks, take nothing for granted, and as they used to say on an old Police drama, be careful out there.
So there we were wet and and as we are not the youngest, quite tired, when we reached the narrow path near the summit, the one with the barbed wire fence separating you from the drop on the other side. There was a complication though, a tree had fallen across the path, flattening the fence and blocking the way. The space under would have meant that we would have had to crawl in the mud, so I simply stepped over the end of the tree, which over hung the drop, now cleared of the protecting fence. That meant that I was stepping over the drop, but all went well, that is until Linda stepped over, it was a simple step but she did not see the barbed wire coiled up. Her nice new Merrils caught the wire and she went Splat into 3 inches of watery mud, over her coat, up her arms, into her mouth, into her glasses, and up her nose. Not very dignified for someone the other side of mid-sixties. Later after the receptionist in the Hotel Roncesvalles had very diplomatically suggested that we might want to clean up before we formally booked in, we laughed until we cried, but that may be because we were standing in a luxurious shower wearing various bits of Linda's mud incrusted walking gear. Can I take this opportunity to thank the staff of the hotel who are always the best and most considerate and helpful of people, and indeed the vast majority of staff on the Pilgrimage.
On another note though, it could, if Linda had fallen two feet earlier, been a lot less funny and indeed deadly. So once again folks, take nothing for granted, and as they used to say on an old Police drama, be careful out there.
