Lourdes via Piedmont-Aragones-French-Invierno to Santiago

[cmg]

Hi there,

After many years of waiting and planning, this dream seems to be happening . Airfare has already been bought.

Starting 1 April (and this is not an April's fool joke!) in Lourdes I intend to cross via Somport into Spain to follow the Aragones to Puente la Reina, then follow the Frances and detour through the Invierno to Santiago.

 

[OzAnnie]

A great plan and worth the wait.
We’ll both be missing from home on Anzac Day!
I’ll be on Vdlp
Buen Camino
Annie

 

[Vacajoe]

The plan sounds great, but definitely have a contingency plan if there’s a late winter like last year. Traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) over the Somport Pass was closed for a couple of days mid-April due to a snowstorm and then flooding diverted a lot of the Camino Aragones onto paved roads.

That being said, I loved the CA in spite of the weather so much that I’ll be walking it again this Spring! Just be prepared.

 

[cmg]

A great plan and worth the wait.
We’ll both be missing from home on Anzac Day!
I’ll be on Vdlp
Buen Camino
Annie

Thanks Annie, where are you starting?

 

[cmg]

The plan sounds great, but definitely have a contingency plan if there’s a late winter like last year. Traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) over the Somport Pass was closed for a couple of days mid-April due to a snowstorm and then flooding diverted a lot of the Camino Aragones onto paved roads.

That being said, I loved the CA in spite of the weather so much that I’ll be walking it again this Spring! Just be prepared.

Thanks Vacajoe, yes that is a good point to consider. Cheers!

 

[OzAnnie]

Thanks Annie, where are you starting?

Hola
Arrive Sevilla early afternoon April 5 and plan to start walking out 7 April (or maybe 8th) - Ive been there a couple of times. Great place.

The plan sounds great, but ...
Camino Aragones ....

I loved the CA in spite of the weather so much that I’ll be walking it again this Spring! .

Lucky man @Vacajoe

And @cmg I was on the camino de Madrid late March this year. It was great walking but a bit of (freezing)water to cross and had to catch a train the section ‘ Fuenfria pass’ closed due to snow -it lies between ‘Cercedilla and Segovia’ ... .. but statistics are just that - hoping you get a good run across Somport (I envy you - I haven’t walked that section).
I walked the Invierno after the cdm this year starting 6 April. I only met (saw) one other pilgrim.. a young lady turned up at the Pensión just behind me in Quiroga. Great route though
Re weather : I think the ground hadn’t warmed up enough to see many wildflowers at that time but I saw lots later in April travelling through romania and Bulgaria.
I’m ‘hoping’ to see spring flowers this year .. I don’t expect to finish my Vdlp this trip as I’m going to take it easy and go back another time for the last section. How much time do you have. Ie what date do you fly home ?

Enjoy the next few months getting yourself in ship shape cmg..
Buen Camino
Annie

 

[cmg]

Sevilla is a great place. Check "La Carbonería", a free authentic flamenco bar if you have time.
I arrive in Bcn at the end of March and don't go back home until mid June, so there is a little bit of time for contingencies, i.e. snow across Somport, etc.
Cheers

 

[JabbaPapa]

Hi there,

After many years of waiting and planning, this dream seems to be happening . Airfare has already been bought.

Starting 1 April (and this is not an April's fool joke!) in Lourdes I intend to cross via Somport into Spain to follow the Aragones to Puente la Reina, then follow the Frances and detour through the Invierno to Santiago.

That was my original plan for my 2014, but circumstance and whatnot led to my continuing on the Francès after Ponferrada.

The most difficult section of that route is between Arudy or Oloron (depending which variant you follow) and the Somport -- some parts of that section are quite beautiful, and a couple of the places where you might stay are fantastic, but there's quite a lot of tarmac with heavy traffic, and much of that section is wedged between steep mountain slopes which can become a bit repetitive and tiresome and fatiguing.

Easier after the Somport, the Aragonès after Jaca is very beautiful indeed though !!

 

[jennysa]

I have done this route twice already, starting at Lourdes, and once from the top of the Somport Pass. You will not see many pilgrims along the way. We crossed over the Somport Pass at the end of May this year, and the snow was only on the higher peaks. It is a stunning route and I can highly recommend it.

 

[cmg]

That was my original plan for my 2014, but circumstance and whatnot led to my continuing on the Francès after Ponferrada.

The most difficult section of that route is between Arudy or Oloron (depending which variant you follow) and the Somport -- some parts of that section are quite beautiful, and a couple of the places where you might stay are fantastic, but there's quite a lot of tarmac with heavy traffic, and much of that section is wedged between steep mountain slopes which can become a bit repetitive and tiresome and fatiguing.

Easier after the Somport, the Aragonès after Jaca is very beautiful indeed though !!

Thanks for the advice JabbaPapa, my main concern at the moment is the weather at Somport Pass. Cheers

 

[cmg]

I have done this route twice already, starting at Lourdes, and once from the top of the Somport Pass. You will not see many pilgrims along the way. We crossed over the Somport Pass at the end of May this year, and the snow was only on the higher peaks. It is a stunning route and I can highly recommend it.

Thanks Jennysa, I am looking forward to it. Cheers

 

[Zoula]

Hola
Arrive Sevilla early afternoon April 5 and plan to start walking out 7 April (or maybe 8th) - Ive been there a couple of times. Great place.


Lucky man @Vacajoe

And @cmg I was on the camino de Madrid late March this year. It was great walking but a bit of (freezing)water to cross and had to catch a train the section ‘ Fuenfria pass’ closed due to snow -it lies between ‘Cercedilla and Segovia’ ... .. but statistics are just that - hoping you get a good run across Somport (I envy you - I haven’t walked that section).
I walked the Invierno after the cdm this year starting 6 April. I only met (saw) one other pilgrim.. a young lady turned up at the Pensión just behind me in Quiroga. Great route though
Re weather : I think the ground hadn’t warmed up enough to see many wildflowers at that time but I saw lots later in April travelling through romania and Bulgaria.
I’m ‘hoping’ to see spring flowers this year .. I don’t expect to finish my Vdlp this trip as I’m going to take it easy and go back another time for the last section. How much time do you have. Ie what date do you fly home ?

Enjoy the next few months getting yourself in ship shape cmg..
Buen Camino
Annie

Hi,
We will strat de VdlP on April 3rd, you might catch up, doing around 20 km per day.