How late can I leave Saint Jean?

[Dringwa]

Getting the final prepairations ready: arriving around noon in Saint Jean, and our group is hoping to make it to Pamplona as soon as possible. We're all reasonably fit people. Can we make it to the next stop if we leave from noon? Or should we wait until the next morning?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Huntto, Orisson, and Valcarlos would be possible that night. Reaching Roncesvalles might be a problem. It takes a lot of pilgrims 10 to 12 hours to get there.

 

[jpflavin1]

Dringwa:

I guess that depends on a few things. Weather, hours of daylight, your fitness level etc. Hunto (6 km's), Orisson (8 km's), Valcarlos (12 km's), Roncesvalles (26 km's). At 4 km's per hour and a few breaks Roncesvalles is 7-8 hours. I would recommend Orisson but you will need a reservation.

Personally, I like to walk as soon as I arrive. It really knocks out the jet lag.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Kanga]

Getting the final prepairations ready: arriving around noon in Saint Jean, and our group is hoping to make it to Pamplona as soon as possible. We're all reasonably fit people. Can we make it to the next stop if we leave from noon? Or should we wait until the next morning?

If you go rushing through everything, what is the point? Just my perspective.

 

[billmclaughlin]

Sounds like you're doing just a few days on the trail as part of a longer vacation.

If that's true, then head straight to Roncesvalles. You'll miss some of the bonding with peers that's the best part of Orisson (but you're a group and that may not be your thing) and you'll avoid hours in SJPP, which means a lot to camino devotees and anyone for whom it's their first European or French village, but is not worth hours.

Weather permitting of course.

 

[whariwharangi]

Getting the final prepairations ready: arriving around noon in Saint Jean, and our group is hoping to make it to Pamplona as soon as possible. We're all reasonably fit people. Can we make it to the next stop if we leave from noon? Or should we wait until the next morning?

I don't know if you can make it to Roncesvalles if you leave SJPdP at noon. A more important question is if you are prepared to survive overnight on the mountain if you don't make it before dark.

 

[Peter Hulme]

I made it in 6hrs 30 minutes on the worst day of the year on the 23rd when it was thunder lightning rain hail mist and cold ,I personally would air on the side of caution as it is your first day ,I would always leave a bit in reserve in the unlikely event of something going wrong.
Maybe my military background and self preservation mode kicking in.
An early start means an early arrival and the best light to take photos and believe me in The Pyrenees you will have plenty of chances to take great photos.
Check the weather before you leave.

 

[Margaret Butterworth]

15 years ago, I left St Jean at 8.30 a.m and arrived at Roncesvalles at 5.30 p.m. It was a perfect June day, but I soon ran out of water. Panting on an uphill climb makes you very thirsty! Next day I was too exhausted to go further than Burguete.

 

[Pelegrin]

Last month, I did SJPP- Roncesvalles in 6 h, in a perfect day and carrying not much weight. I'm sixty but I'm a mountaineer.
I think that being reasonably fit it is doable in less than 8 h, even with a heavy backpack.
In that stage, the problem of walking with a group is the possible difference in shape between the members. I think that it's better to walk alone and wait for the others in different points (Hunto, Orisson, Roland fountain, etc..)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Jenny Anderson's first day:

Sat – 2/26 – St. Jean Pied de Port to Uterga – 56.6 miles

After a very restless night, I awoke about 5 am and was on the trail by 5:31 for my official start time. The streets of the small French town were quiet and dark as were the other 25+ hours I ran in the early morning hours for the next nine days. I climbed and climbed for the next four hours until I began my decent into Roncesvalles. I already made my first mistake in this early section as I began to follow the wrong trail signs. I climbed at least a mile straight up a mountain before realizing that it was the wrong trail and descended the steep incline the way I came. I remembered Horton’s words only two days earlier “You are going to make mistakes. You will. It is what you do with these mistakes which will make all the difference.” So, I knew I had to look at the positive side to this mistake. It could have been so much worse and it was great that I learned this lesson early in my journey. I had to be more careful and much more vigilant. So far, I was really unimpressed with the markings for the trail. At times, it was nearly impossible to follow the tiny little yellow arrows. They were posted in crazy places, unpredictable places, different places at every turn, and they were faded making them not very visible in many spots…especially in the dark. I was glad to discover (later on) that this would not always be the case.


The first Camino signs on a dark morning in France.

The entire day was magical and emotional. There I was – capturing a dream that I had been incubating for years. I was giddy with laughter. Along the way, I met some Norwegian hikers. One of them, started the trail as a symbolic gesture of beginning a new life – having only been sober for three days. He was determined to change his life “one step at a time.” I realized throughout this journey that everyone had different reasons to come to the Camino but in the end we were all seeking an experience that would help us 1) to unlock unanswered questions about ourselves and the world, 2) to find some peace and simplicity, and 3) to be changed forever spiritually by coming in closer contact with Our Maker. This was our common bond. The focus might be different but we all had a story and a common reason to be there.

I continued through Zubiri, Larrasoana and the gorgeous Pamplona before finishing in Uterga (ten miles outside Pamplona). After a long day, I discovered what would be a consistent theme and issue…there are few hostels/albergues and hotels open this time of year and the weather would be inhospitable. Arriving in Uterga and discovering that there wasn’t any lodging, forced me to take a cab to the next town (six miles away). I showered, ate, called home, and crashed around 11 pm. Not bad.

 

[hotelmedicis]

If you arrive at 12:00 and need a pilgrim passport you won't get on the trail before 13:00.

It's a 7 to 8 hour walk for any fit walker, so you'll on a mission to beat the clock before sundown. You don't want to find yourself in the woods in the dark.

The good news is that you can easily walk from Roncesvalles to Pamplona in one go. I've done it many times. It's about 40 km and will take you 9 hours if you're fit and enjoy walking.

 

[Thomas1962]

Left in July 2012 at 13.00 in SJPdPand arrived around 19.3o in Roncevalles. It was a beautiful warm and clear day, still it was windy and cold up there.
We did this after we already walked for 3 weeks, we were very good in shape, it was fine. But if I would have done this in my first caminoday, I know it would have been exhausting, I wouldn't dare to do it again. The trip can get nasty when tired and having to hurry.
That is all I can say from my experience. Take care!

 

[Tincatinker]

I left StJdP at 4pm and reached Valcarlos at 7pm in plenty of time to bag a bunk, shower, get a reasonable supper at the bar / meson and get a good nights sleep. The following day I walked through Roncesvalles and on to Espinal, then Larrasoana and then through Pamplona to Zaiqueigui. Three and half / four days to Pamplona.

I guess you have your reasons for wanting to get to Pamplona asap. The best advice I ever took from this forum, advice that I pass on at every opportunity, is start slowly pilgrim, Santiago (Pamplona) isn't going anywhere.