Honto and Orisson

[ethanday]

Hi, I will be arriving in SJPP in the afternoon of the 29th April. Can someone give me some idea of how long it will take, on average, to walk to Honto and Orisson respectively. My plans at the moment are to find digs in SJPP and have a good meal and an early night ready for the rigours of the Pyrenees the next morning but another option may be to leave in the afternoon of arrival and walk part way to Roncesvalles.

 

[jeff001]

If you are in reasonably good shape-which you should be if you are considering this route - it should take 2 to 2-1/2 hours to get to Orisson and 4-5 hours from there to Roncevalles.

 

[jgray4613]

From SJPP it's 5 km to Hounto and 8 km to Orisson. The 3 km between Hounto and Orisson are the steepest and include a km or so of the dreaded neverending switchbacks. But when you reach the table d'orientation you're almost at Orisson, so they actually do end. The nice thing about stopping at Orisson is that the next day is relatively flat with plenty time to enjoy the view; to stop at the Vierge D'Orisson; to hang out at the fountain of Roland etc. BTW SJPP is at least worth a couple hours sightseeing.

Before the albergue at Orisson opened, a lot of pilgrims stopped at Hounto. You have a steep climb first thing in the morning but you get it out of the way early on. So as we say in my neck of the woods, "6 of one, half dozen of the other".

I don't remember our times to Hounto, Orisson or Roncesvalles, but I think the previous post is right on.

Buen camino!