Starting in February 2014 - do I skip the Pyrenees

[wanderlust100]

Just need a little advice - If I start the Camino on Feb. 1, do I just skip the Pyrenees and start in Spain? I am just worried about the snow.

Thank you!

 

[Thomas1962]

No need to worry now
No one knows what the weather will be. If France is your favorite place to start, you can go to SJPdP and see what the weather is at that day (ask advice from the locals!). If there is too much snow, you can always take a bus or taxi to Roncevalles. One hour later you can start walking from there, being glad that at least you tried it.

 

[RENSHAW]

The Weather may just make up your mind for you. I started in Roncesvalles one year , On March 6. The snow was 2 to 4 foot deep in places however, the main road from Pamplona had been cleared with a snow plough which made it a most scenic walk ................. untill we ventured of the track ............. and found those 4 foot deep drifts. So , if is snowing , stick to the road.
Zubiri is a days walk from Pamplona and below the snow line a lot of the time . The daily evening bus to Roncesvalles stops at this town by request and I'm quite sure you could get a room in a hostal for €25 or so.
Be prepared for some very cold weather - but hey! , there WILL be other pilgrims and no bed race.

2006 - leaving Roncesvalles at 8am ........... yes, it is still dark at that time.
Staying on the road - still a great walk.

 

[piogaw]

Just need a little advice - If I start the Camino on Feb. 1, do I just skip the Pyrenees and start in Spain? I am just worried about the snow.

Thank you!

Hello wanderlust,

Welcome to the forum.

Do not skip the walk from st jean pied de port, you will miss a great opportunity to walk to roncesvalles. Just play it by ears. Listen to the advice of the pilgrim office in st jean and also to the locals. If it snows, you can choose to go the valcarlos instead of the napoleon route. If heavy snow, you can always take the bus and start in roncesvalles or even in pamplona.

Buen camino.

 

[scruffy1]

Take the recommendations of the good people in the Pilgrims Office in St Jean, they have seen it all. A couple of years ago all the albergues were packed with pilgrims and the snow still came down. A bunch of Nordic types set out anyway despite the forecast and the recommendations-"they knew how to walk in snow", one was helicoptered out with hypothermia and the rest really weren't focused on Santiago anymore. True, no rush for a bed but check your dates, not all albergues are open that time of the year.

 

[Mentesimples]

Hi wanderlust100!

We too are preparing to start walking on Feb 1st 2014, and we'll be walking (hopefully!) from St. Jean. Nice to see we're not the only crazy people around, walking at this time of the year. Hope to see you there

Rita

 

[wanderlust100]

Thanks for the valuable advice!

 

[Olivares]

You need to, at a minimum, get to SJPDP. Once there, gauge the situation. Monitor the weather, consult the folks at the Pilgrim's Office, ensure you are part of a group, plan to split the day (get to either Valcarlos or Orisson). IF all four of these conditions are a "green light", head out. Otherwise, if warned against it, RESIST the temptation to head out regardless. I was told at the SJPDP Pilgrim's Office that every single year, there are stranded or casualties among Pilgrims who head out against advice.

 

[Magnara]

Just need a little advice - If I start the Camino on Feb. 1, do I just skip the Pyrenees and start in Spain? I am just worried about the snow.

Thank you!

We walked in January. The albergue at Orisson was closed for the winter, but we stayed in one at Huntzo (sorry , I can't remember the correct spelling) where we were just a few tourists around the farmer's dinner table and us as pilgrims. It was indeed very cold going over the mountain, and a small blizzard blew up when we were halfway up. There was snow on the ground. I wouldn't have missed it for the world, but you must be prepared with the right clothing and a working phone just in case.
Maggie Ramsay
The Italian Camino (Amazon)

 

[Kathy F.]

I started in SJPdP in MAY and the route over the Pyrenees was "closed" due to bad weather (closed means the people in the Pilgrim Office advise pilgrims not to follow that route). I (disappointedly) took the Valcarlos instead and it was extremely challenging for me.
#1 - Prepare, of course, to walk in winter and,
#2 - Follow the advice of the locals at the Pilgrim Office.
I repeat, follow the advice of the locals at the Pilgrim Office.
You do not want your Camino to end on Day One.

 

[robertt]

After coming from Le Puy, I was held up in mid-May at Saint Jean due to the very bad conditions in 2010, and ended up taking the Valcarlos route (which I loved!). When I returned to Pamplona in February 2011 to continue where I had left off, people coming from behind were having no trouble crossing the Pyrenees that week, even though the weather was so cold that every puddle and pond was frozen along the way to Puente.

So I guess I would assume nothing and take advice, both from the forum members here and from the Pilgrim Office.

 

[stevenjarvis]

The Weather may just make up your mind for you. I started in Roncesvalles one year , On March 6. The snow was 2 to 4 fo.View attachment 6797

2006 - leaving Roncesvalles at 8am ........... yes, it is still dark at that time.
Staying on the road - still a great walk. View attachment 6798

Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures !