Why SJPP?

[annakappa]

Considering the complications to get to S.Jean Pied de Port, especially for anyone landing in Spain or coming from Spain/Portugal/Southern France, I always wonder why so many of these people want to start their Camino in SJPP!
I remember that when I was a hospitalera, I always gave a "congratulations" type comment when I saw SJPP as the starting point on their Credential. (There was also the occasional Pilgrim who started even further away).
However, although I have started my Camino 3 times in Roncesvalles, I have never even taken into consideration to get myself to SJPP!
My reasoning was simply, why make an uphill and downhill struggle, risking my feet, ankles, legs, etc. when I am just at the beginning of my Camino. Take it slowly for the first few days, is the eternal recommendation!
I also took my age into consideration, plus that fact that we arrive from Costa Rica, which means a 20 hours non-stop journey, before we get to our starting point.
During those first days, when one is getting your body used to this new "way of life", I have seen many, many people nursing blisters, or worse, and all have blamed the walk over the Pyrenees as culprit.
So, Forum Guests, past and future Pilgrims, what is your comment? Anne

 

[SandyBrown]

It may be that the views are spectacular from Col Orisson and Col Lepoeder (in clear weather), or it may be that walking this route and ending in Finisterre means pilgrims walk "all the way" across Spain, or it may be that so much literature (Coelho, etc.) has the route starting at SJPP, or it may be that SJPP has just the right amount of services and just the right amount of medieval charm. Whatever the reason I've been convinced to start twice from SJPP. However I haven't felt the same magic about starting the Via de la Plata from Sevilla (I started at Puebla de Sanabria) or the Camino del Norte from Irun (I started at Bilbao).

 

[markss]

The same could be asked, why start at Roncesvalles? It is certainly not a convenient starting point. My flights, as those of many others, pass through Madrid with further transportation on to Pamplona. Tired and jet lagged, I then have a several hour wait to get onto a bus for Roncesvalles. After over 24 hours of travel, another hour or so taxi ride to SJPP is not all that complicated.

As for those who got blisters, my guess is that regardless of where they began the Camino the blisters would have appeared. That shouldn't be attributed to the fact that they started in SJPP.

SJPP itself is a lovely village. The walk from SJPP to Roncesvalles is in my opinion by far the most beautiful part of the entire SJPP to Santiago Camino. To experience it is reward for the extra challenge of the hills. My suggestion: take it slow and give it a go!

 

[David]

The last place (France) to get decent coffee and decent food :wink:

 

[Pieces]

actually saint Jean has been a meeting point for a long time connecting the paris, le puy & vezelay routes.

Back when it was better for pilgrims to travel in numbers for safety reasons many such towns existed where pilgrims would wait and meet up with others to travel with

If I were to walk from denmark I would have headed for Hamborg or Lubeck

 

[sillydoll]

The three routes in France join at Ostabat - not at St Jean.
St Jean wasn't on the route of the early pilgrims. It wasn't on the route taken by Aimery Picaud in the 12th Century - nor was the Route Napoleon.
His little band of pilgrims went via St Michel and Val Carlos to the Ibaneta Pass. History tells us that the original hospice was at Ibaneta but was rendered unusable due to the violent weather of the pass and was moved to Roncesvalles in 1132.
St Jean was razed to the ground (wiki) after a siege by Richard the Lionheart and was only rebuilt in 1177. It only became part of France in 1659.
I walked through St Jean and on the Val Carlos route in 2004 on the way from Paris to Spain.
I have also walked the Napoleon route and would recommend it in fine weather. If the weather is misty you won't see the stunning views and might as well be on the road!

 

[tyrrek]

Good question. Somewhere like Pamplona is easier to get to, and if you're short of time you could easily waste a day getting to SJPP.

Maybe there's just something about starting in France given that you're walking the Camino Frances. The Basque villages on the first couple of days are certainly pretty as well. For me the Camino really starts on the walk up to Alto del Perdon after Pamplona. That's just me and my deranged mind though.

Buen Camino!

 

[Sedona2012]

Good question. Somewhere like Pamplona is easier to get to, and if you're short of time you could easily waste a day getting to SJPP.

Maybe there's just something about starting in France given that you're walking the Camino Frances. The Basque villages on the first couple of days are certainly pretty as well. For me the Camino really starts on the walk up to Alto del Perdon after Pamplona, though. That's just me and my deranged mind though.

Buen Camino!

Could you tell us a little more for us first timers why the trip for your begins on the walk up to Alto de Perdon.

Following your post, brain still seems in working order :wink:

 

[Sedona2012]

Considering the complications to get to S.Jean Pied de Port, especially for anyone landing in Spain or coming from Spain/Portugal/Southern France, I always wonder why so many of these people want to start their Camino in SJPP!

Funny this is the first time I have seen this kind of comment regarding starting point of St. Jean. As I prepare for my first Camino mid September I have struggled over this starting point and can I handle having such a tough first day or two. Finally I let myself off the hook by proceeding with arrangements for St. Jean knowing I can change my mind when I arrive if needed. Feel better that you have asked the question!

 

[tyrrek]

Could you tell us a little more for us first timers why the trip for your begins on the walk up to Alto de Perdon. :wink:

Hi! Yes, but I think it's just a personal thing. I corrected myself while writing. I originally wrote that it starts on the Alto del Perdon, when you look out for miles over Spain and see the villages you'll walk through and the hills in the distance through the haze. But the walk up to the Alto after leaving Pamplona on my first Camino was one of the most beautiful stages. The way the wind moved through the crops in the fields and the clouds shifted the light across the hill was amazing. It was one of those things that it would be pointless to take a photograph of, because it was the movement that made it so special.

I have never walked over the hill to Roncesvalles (only through the valley) so I'm probably not really qualified to speak about the first stage out of SJPP, though!

Edit: On re-reading this I realise I haven't answered the question at all! It may also have been that after reaching Pamplona from SJPP you've passed your first major city and feel more comfortable about your abilities, and the sight of all that land in front of you is welcome more than daunting. I don't know, as I said it's just a personal thing. This year I just started in Pamplona and didn't feel that I'd missed too much.

Buen Camino!

 

[camelle]

Very interesting question, Annakappa. I will start at SJPP on Sept. 14 and never really questioned my starting point. It just was to be. Now, however, I am questioning my reasoning for starting there. I guess my thought was that I had to do it the hard way and no short cuts allowed! I too will have been flying for many, many hours coming from western Canada. Maybe I should re-consider and take a cab to Roncesvalles? I will know the anwer to that question before I leave.

Ellen

 

[markss]

A further thought…

After weeks, well it was actually months, of building enthusiasm, I set out by myself on the Camino from SJPP. It was a cold, dreary and incredibly windy day in early March. A major snowstorm was predicted to come rolling through, therefore it was necessary to keep moving in order to stay ahead of the storm. This the advice from the good people at the SJPP Pilgrim’s Office. As I was trekking along I felt certain that the wind was pushing me backward at a greater pace than I could move forward.

Stubborn as I am, I declared battle against the Camino. Some lousy weather and a few hills were not going to defeat me. Problem was it wasn’t very enjoyable. I regretted not having just started in Pamplona. Decided that even though I will never think about doing this Camino thing again, if I did do it again I would not start at SJPP. What’s the point?

After glancing around to ensure that there was no one nearby who might have me declared mentally unstable, I had a stern talk with myself. I told me that this isn’t a climb up Mt. Everest. The Camino is not a battle to be fought, but rather a gift to be enjoyed. This rhetoric sounded good at the time; after all I was getting desperate wondering what I had gotten myself into. Four or five more weeks of this stuff??? The result was an instantaneous attitude adjustment. Thereafter I continued through fog, through wind, through sleet … enjoying every moment. Any regret disappeared. That is any regret that I can remember today!

Seven months later I was back in SJPP. This time the weather gods must have remembered me and rewarded my past perseverance. Conditions were ideal. The views could not have been more magnificent. It set the stage for another remarkable Camino experience.

The point is … I am so glad to have started in SJPP. Both times.

 

[Caminobd]

I am trying to respond on a little iPod touch, not easy but all this humble pilgrim has at present. Just went through st jean a few days ago and glad I did as it is darn cute! Stayed at orrison and then espanel. The weather over the pass was rainy and misty and I could see around the top in snowy or blowing wind and rain a person could find themselves in trouble. The actual climb broken up over two days was not bad. No blisters no leg sore. However, my pack is light and that is what made the difference.

I stayed at st jean two nights to get over jet lag and it was no fun as I came from western Canada.


About to walk through Pamplona, leaving hotel and hope to avoid a quick run through town. Have my red scarf on.

Kelly

 

[mspath]

For me the Camino Frances could ONLY begin at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the picturesque Basque mountain town in the French Pyrenees. Excitement starts while riding there on the little train from Bayonne. Once arrived after hoisting my pack, walking uphill and through the old fortress walls to the 39 rue de la Citadelle office of the welcoming Amis du Chemin de St Jacques to obtain my Credential and bunk, I walk on. Nearby at 55 is the famous red door of the municipal albergue. Pushing it open begins each new Camino adventure. Mme Jeannine, the tireless hospitalera greets all and serendipity prevails.

Ultreia!

Margaret

 

[dazzamac]

For me, it was actually a more direct option as there was a direct flight from Dublin to Biarritz/Bayonne. I could if I wanted to be in St Jean the same that I left Ireland and be ready to walk the next morning.

However, I'll be starting from Bayonne this year and walking as far as Ustaritz or maybe Cambo les Bains before taking the train to St Jean. Ideally I would walk from Bayonne to St Jean but realistically accommodation is easier to get in St Jean and I foolishly booked mine without thinking ahead enough. So I have one day before I must be in St Jean and preparing to cross the Pyrenees.

Apart form ease of access, part of the initial appeal of starting in St Jean is the idea of starting the morning in one country and if you walk as far as Roncevalles, being in another country by evening. All under your own steam as it were.

I do find it odd that with everyone saying there's no 'official' starting point, there's still a huge desire to start in St Jean as opposed to Roncevalles or even Pamplona just a few kilometres away. (Well maybe not a few.)

 

[fraluchi]

I do find it odd that with everyone saying there's no 'official' starting point, there's still a huge desire to start in St Jean as opposed to Roncevalles or even Pamplona...

Annakappa considered Roncesvalles to be THE starting point for her.
A few years back on a late afternoon there were no beds available in Roncesvalles. We were put up at Espinal and the next morning Annakappa insisted on driving back to Roncesvalles in order to appropriately start walking from there.
On another occasion the evening bus from Pamplona to Roncesvalles was sold out, so we had to take a taxi, which cut 55 Euros from our budget. Basically the cost of a night's stay in Pamplona.
Roncesvalles, here we come! Because that's what one should do :wink:
(well, this year it'll be the Aragonés for a change)

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I think this is a great question as for me all of the answers immediately dispel the myth that there is a fixed starting point to the pilgrimage to Santiago and to fail to walk from there means you "haven't done the Camino properly/entirely/completely"

Let's remind ourselves of what Sil said: " The three routes in France join at Ostabat - not at St Jean. St Jean wasn't on the route of the early pilgrims. It wasn't on the route taken by Aimery Picaud in the 12th Century - nor was the Route Napoleon."

Funnily enough in the last few days a few pilgrims have arrived who started at Ostabat.

For many, many years Spanish pilgrims have started in Roncesvalles - they wouldn't consider crossing the border to start their pilgrimage to Santiago. I suppose St Jean Pied de Port became popular as a kind of modern re-enactment of the medieval European pilgrim crossing the border into Spain. I don't think historically it has any more significance than that although I stand to be corrected. StJPdP is picturesque, it is French, it has transport links and the walk over the hill has some challenge and nice scenery. However in my opinion it is definitely not the most scenic or physically challenging of the many routes to Santiago.

For me St Jean Pied de Port is one starting point amongst many on the Camino Frances and all pilgrims need to do is get started no matter from where and the journey inside our heads and hearts begins and that's the one that is important! IMHO

 

[alipilgrim]

Maybe so those who continue on to Finisterre can say they walked across a whole country?

 

[tyrrek]

Maybe so those who continue on to Finisterre can say they walked across a whole country?

Hmm. Not really. When you cross into Spain you're in the Basque Country (well Navarra, but Basque!), which is a good few hundred kms from the Med coast. There's no real 'coast to coast 'thing about it unless you take a route other than the Frances.

I met a couple who had walked from Biarritz through St Jean so that they could start and end with their feet in the ocean. It's not walking across the country, though; just round the Bay of Biscay. That was important to them, but meant nothing to me. As always it's each to their own.

Buen Camino!

 

[sulu]

Maybe where one thinks one has to start depends on first impressions?
I can't remember when I first heard about the Camino de Santiago but it was quite some years ago, and, for me, the Camino was from Roncesvalles to Santiago.

Now I feel I may have missed out on something by not crossing the Pyrenees but, when I think about trecking across the Pyrenees, my thoughts go more with the refugees of the 20th Century, who crossed it in both directions, rather than with any previous pilgrims, and I am going to attempt the Aragonese. I doubt I will ever go to SJPdP, but it looks really pretty.
Who knows? Maybe if I keep going I will get round to starting a Camino from there!

 

[Sagalouts]

the map at the top of this post starts in SJPP
my guide book started in SJPP
Martin Sheen in "THE WAY" started in SJPP :wink:
Ian

 

[JohnnieWalker]

the map at the top of this post starts in SJPP
my guide book started in SJPP
Martin Sheen in "THE WAY" started in SJPP :wink:
Ian

That's because:

1 Ivar entered SJdPP into google maps as the starting point

2 John Brierley worked out he would sell more guide books the farther back he went

3 Martin Sheen started in StJdPP which has no historic significance in Camino terms and ended in Muxia which has even less! When asked why they finished in Muxia rather than Finisterre the film maker replied that the scenery was better in Muxia.

 

[sillydoll]

Walter Starkie said that the Camino Frances starts in Paris!!

The 1999 issue of Lonely Planet Walking in Spain had a chapter on the Camino written by Nancy Frey. This is the book I used to plan my first Camino. The first stage started at Roncesvalles.

Other early guide books sometimes included a section on the route from the Somport Pass to Puente la Reina but not from St Jean.

"It's not where you start, it's where you finish. It's not how you go, it's how you land...... "

 

[Sedona2012]

Thank you for sharing. I do know one thing for sure wherever I start my camino it will be a blessing and I cannot wait for September 16th to arrive!

Could you tell us a little more for us first timers why the trip for your begins on the walk up to Alto de Perdon. :wink:

Hi! Yes, but I think it's just a personal thing. I corrected myself while writing. I originally wrote that it starts on the Alto del Perdon, when you look out for miles over Spain and see the villages you'll walk through and the hills in the distance through the haze. But the walk up to the Alto after leaving Pamplona on my first Camino was one of the most beautiful stages. The way the wind moved through the crops in the fields and the clouds shifted the light across the hill was amazing. It was one of those things that it would be pointless to take a photograph of, because it was the movement that made it so special.

I have never walked over the hill to Roncesvalles (only through the valley) so I'm probably not really qualified to speak about the first stage out of SJPP, though!

Edit: On re-reading this I realise I haven't answered the question at all! It may also have been that after reaching Pamplona from SJPP you've passed your first major city and feel more comfortable about your abilities, and the sight of all that land in front of you is welcome more than daunting. I don't know, as I said it's just a personal thing. This year I just started in Pamplona and didn't feel that I'd missed too much.

Buen Camino!

 

[David]

One of the things that humans are really good at is rites and rituals .. we like them, always have done, and if there aren't any for a particular occasion we will create them and then reproduce them each year.
We are rather good at it, can't live without them.

We all know that the Camino really starts in two places, the heart (or the wishful mind if you are an aetheist) and our front door ...... but where to place our first steps on the Camino is defined by tradition and expectations, rites and rituals - so for the Camino Frances it is St Jean Pied de Port ... the foot of the door .... the beginning steps.
for me there is something rather exhilarating about climbing up and up and then, by Roland's spring, to suddenly see Spain! Spain, and range after range of mountains ahead and to realise, with a gulp, that when one read that Spain is the most mountainous country in Europe after Switzerland they weren't exaggerating.

In truth it doesn't matter where you join the Camino, what matters is that you join - but the other truth is that humans pigeon hole, they sort, they prioritise, and those who say they started in St Jean seem to have some strange cudos when they speak to others who started later along the way - and those from Vezelay, or Le Puy, or from their doorstep in Sweden or Germany or Lithuania - ah, they get the best bunks (well, not really).

Why St Jean? Because that is the start of the Camino Frances, simple as that. It may not be the start of your Camino but if you get a map of the Camino de Santiago, the Camino Frances, it will start in St Jean.
To not start in St Jean because of fear of the first day is a paltry reason, not worth considering, it is merely anticipatory fear - just put it down like a heavy suitcase and walk away ... but to start further along the route because of time constrictions? Well, what is wrong with that? We are all pilgrims after all.

Buen Camino :wink:

 

[ouroboros]

We all know that the Camino really starts in two places, the heart (or the wishful mind if you are an aetheist) and our front door ...... but where to place our first steps on the Camino is defined by tradition and expectations, rites and rituals - so for the Camino Frances it is St Jean Pied de Port ... the foot of the door .... the beginning steps.

Buen Camino :wink:

While I have truly enjoyed this thread with its many variations on the theme of beginning a pilgrimage,
the quote from David above really speaks for me: my Camino has begun in my heart, and by dint of ritual I am bound and determined to begin in St. Jean at the foot of the mountain pass to Roncevaux.
I consider the first steps on the Camino Frances to be a threshold, a portal, the beginning of an unfolding mystery. I expect to be tried in the fire by the climb into the Pyrenees; initiated, tested, and purified through my efforts. Every pilgrimage I have undertaken started with an ascent into the liminal realms, to the "thin places". One began with a white-knuckle drive up into the Catskill mountains through a driving rain and fog which verged on the terrifying. But I remember the deep sense of mystery that I entered more than the terror.
So, St.Jean, grant me Godspeed toward the arms of the apostle at the other end of the road, St. Jacques!

Buen Camino,
Alice

 

[wes]

There are two strong reasons for starting from SJPP, which I think represent the best of the Camino's unique emotional and physical experience . First, weather permitting, there's the magnificent adventure of crossing the Pyrenees, which, with its views, challenge, and sense of achievement, is one of the very best days on the entire Camino. And second, there's the symbolism of crossing the border from France into Spain on foot, a symbolic and exciting moment. Buen camino, wes.

 

[newfydog]

I love SJPP. That said, it would be hard to think of a worse starting place. Lets warm up with a massive climb.

If possible, you should start at your home. If not, LePuy has historical claims. Paris, place St Jacques was an important starting point. The main French trails do not merge at SJPP, three come in at Ostabat, and the last joins at Puente Reina.

I've done many trips on the pilgrimage trails, but only gone all the way to Santiago twice, once from Le Puy, just as Bishop Godescalc did in 951, and once from Pamplona. The trip from Pamplona was the first and in many ways the best. SJPP is a lovely town, but is a logistical problem and a bad introduction in my book. Perhaps if I'd started my first trip in SJPP I'd have some special attachment, but I can't come up with a logical reason to start there.

 

[ouroboros]

I love SJPP. That said, it would be hard to think of a worse starting place. Lets warm up with a massive climb.

......Perhaps if I'd started my first trip in SJPP I'd have some special attachment, but I can't come up with a logical reason to start there.

Pretty damn funny!
Of course, there is probably no logical reason; if it were a question of logic.
But I think the heart has reasons of its own, and so the most unlikely starting point is
fitting for the logic of the heart.
Yes! Let's warm up with a massive climb!
But that is sheer madness, oh my heart! Why of course, Yes! Yes it is!

 

[madrid12]

Roncesvalles has always been my preferred starting point, I don't know why, perhaps because it is in Spain but that's where I started.
Liz

 

[fraluchi]

... I expect to be tried in the fire by the climb into the Pyrenees; initiated, tested, and purified through my efforts. Every pilgrimage I have undertaken started with an ascent into the liminal realms, to the "thin places".

SJPdP it will be for many, but be cautious!.
A few years ago we met the Dutch father who's son got lost in the fog and died exhausted and frozen between St. Jean and Roncesvalles.
Actor Sheen in "The Way" could not really show the meaning of this ordeal.

 

[ouroboros]

Plan to be cautious and take the Val Carlos route if the weather is at all difficult.
I am old enough to tend toward caution!

 

[mspath]

I totally agree.

Since I am old I have never dared walk over the Pyrenees on the Napoleon route but always follow the Valcarlos alternate through the mountains. Gendarmes always warn pilgrims to use the alternate during inclemate weather. Valcarlos, which has a fine new municipal albergue, is named for the valley where Charlemagne (Carlos) supposedly retreated after losing a legendary battle against the Moors. The 18 k from there up to Roncevalles is still a ROUGH slog culminating in the 1060 meter Ibaneta pass after which you "float" happily down to the almost mythic monastery of Roncevalles.

Margaret

 

[William Marques]

I think it has something to do with guide book writers. They do like to break the journey into manageable segments. Paris, Arles, Le Puy or Vezelay to St Jean is one book, St Jean to Santiago is another.

On the Via Francigena the route is currently Canterbury to Rome but I wonder how long it will be before the St Bernard Pass becomes the accepted starting point as that is where many guide books start.

Personally I have started at Roncesvalles and Sevilla to Santiago and from home to Rome and not one had more significance to me than the others.

 

[tyrrek]

I do know one thing for sure wherever I start my camino it will be a blessing...

I hope and I'm sure it will be. Enjoy the landscapes, food, wine, company, adversity, humour, reflection and everything else! Muy Buen Camino!

 

[tyrrek]

The 18 k from there up to Roncevalles is still a ROUGH slog culminating in the 1060 meter Ibaneta pass after which you "float" happily down to the almost mythic monastery of Roncevalles.

Yes, I agree. It's no walk in the park. If you stay in Valcarlos overnight the first day is fine to get yourself started, but the second to Roncesvalles is challenging. You also have to walk for a few kms along the road after leaving Valcarlos, which is one of the few places anywhere along the Frances where you have to walk along the edge of a significant road (rather than on a path beside the road). It's a pretty walk, though, especially when you get off the road into the woodland, so I wouldn't see it as a huge disappointment if you have to go through Valcarlos from SJPP rather than over the hill. Others who have actually walked over the hill (I haven't) may disagree!

Buen Camino!

 

[annakappa]

Sil:I knew that the three routes joined Ostabad, but couldn't remember the name when I first formulated this post! And it was, in fact, one of the reasons why I questioned SJPP!
Back in 2007 when we first decided to walk the Camino, I checked out a few sites on the Web and frankly, don't remember coming across SJPP as a particular starting point! What I came up with each time was Roncesvalles! (by the way, I still hadn't discovered this super Forum back then)!
What I did find out, was that there would be a special Pilgrim's Mass with Blessing at the church in
Roncesvalles and this I definitely wanted to participate in at the very beginning of my Camino! (maybe there is the same in SJPP, I don't know).
Margret, I loved your description of your arrival in S. Jean, and can certainly understand that it has become part of your ritual for starting your Camino.
The other reason why I am questioning SJPP is the fact that Caroline and her mini bus service, Express Burricot, has had to be cancelled this year. Yes, there is a public bus leaving daily from Pamplona at least until mid-September, but that doesn't help the future Pilgrims who arrive in Pamplona after the scheduled bus has left (and that includes us). Anne

 

[markss]

For transport to SJPP:

If there is no direct Pamplona to SJPP transportation, there is convenient taxi service from Roncesvalles to SJPP. I've twice taken the 6 PM bus from Pamplona to Roncesvalles. Taxis were awaiting the arrival of that bus for the further ride to SJPP. There are generally other pilgrims to share the ride at a price of about 10 euros per person. Just walk over to the taxi and wait for others. As soon as a taxi fills it is on its way so there is a no long waiting period. It is hassle free.

 

[annakappa]

Hi Markss, on one occasion, we landed so late at Pamplona airport (due to a drug overdose case on our flight from S. Jose to Madrid and the flight was diverted to off-load this individual, whereby we lost our Madrid Pamplona connection). We know our way around Pamplona, but arriving at the bus terminal at 17.50 for the 18.00 bus, we found that there was no more space available and were the only ones looking for a taxi. Result 55 euros, which we hadn't budgeted for! One might now ask "why didn't you start from Pamplona " and my answer is that I wanted to start in Roncesvalles! Anne

 

[tyrrek]

"Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Roncesvalles goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes
Goes "A-a-a-h"

(As Frank Sinatra would say)

 

[markss]

Anne,

You have me laughing at your last post. Not at your misfortune but at your story itself. How often will one encounter a flight with a drug overdose that caused a diversion, hence a delay that made it too late to get a bus out of Pamplona to Roncesvalles? Ok there are flight delays but it is doubtful many would be so long as to lead to circumstances like yours.

You answered your own question posed at the very beginning of this thread. Why SJPP? Same reason that you gave for why Roncesvalles. That's essentially what you can make from all the responses here. This was, and continues to be an enjoyable topic .... hope those yet to make a decision of where to begin their Camino found it helpful! Maybe a more meaningful question could be, "Of those who started in SJPP, how many regret starting there instead of say Roncesvalles or Pamplona?" How many would make the same choice if doing the Camino again? Maybe there are a few regrets, probably not very many.

Oh one more thing, Anne. I'll bet that if the next time you actually decide to start in SJPP, that will be your starting point ever thereafter! Buen Muchos Mas Caminos!!!

 

[nellpilgrim]

"Tall and tan and young and lovely
The girl from Roncesvalles goes walking
And when she passes, each one she passes
Goes "A-a-a-h"

(As Frank Sinatra would say)

LOL might I suggest "the girl from Ibaneta' is a closer match for the original "Ipanema"? Thank you Tyrrek I think this ditty will definitely feature in my walking songs list from now on. Though perhaps with the following personalised variation.

'Tall and wan and old and grubby
The crone from Ibaneta goes walking
And when she passes every step she takes
She goes "Ahhhh"!

 

[CaminoGen]

Why St-Jean-Pied-de-Port?

Because the train ride full of eager and terrified pilgrims...
Because the town is gorgeous...
Because the way up is challenging, the way down to Roncesvalles even more for some...
Because of the knowledge, on some hard days, that you've done it so you can walk the hill you have in front of you...
the pride I've felt having done it will stay with me forever. The way up to Alto del Perdon a few days later felt easy for me...

 

[Zarik]

On September 21th my first Camino will start in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port. And I even did not consider any other starting points even with my arrival to Pamplona Airport. I have to start it from this point and I have to have the first day hard. No other options

 

[Icacos]

I plan to start my Camino Frances in SJPP and cross the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles. Ideally, I would start in late March/early April, 2013. I've read the posts about taking the Valcarlos route if the weather is not good but, other than that, is it a good idea to attempt the Pyrenees crossing in early spring? It would be great to hear from someone who has walked the Camino Frances in the spring. Thank you.

 

[David]

Nothing wrong with taking the road route - you still have to cross that mountain!

I walked over the Napoleon pass in March in the year five. It had only been opened for three days due to the snow .. was pretty raw up there. Once high the ground snow was quite deep and I had to work through it, heavy going at times, camino signs disappear in just a low level of snow and I became a little concerned at times - at one point it started to snow fairly hard so there were no footprints to follow.
I hadn't enough clothes on but because of the exertion hadn't realised that I had become deeply cold. The wind was strong. After a while I came across a small dell with rocks on the windward side and went in there to open my pack to get out more clothes - then found that my hands were so stiff and unfeeling that I couldn't open my pack. After a while (armpits) I warmed them up and put on just about everything I had, including socks for gloves, then ate some sausage and bread to give me fuel (central heating fuel) and was ready to carry on.
Once on the downward the snow turned to rain, warmed up (still cold) so all was well ... but .... looking back I think I was rather lucky, stupid, but lucky.

But that was one day in one year - being aware of conditions and realising that they can change in a moment is the way to go. Spring can be a truly glorious warm time or still hold winter - so watch the weather forecasts.

A couple of years later the snow in late March was down as far as about 60k past Logrono! But I wasn't walking that year but driving, and providing hot tea and first aid and so on.

Hope I haven't scared you - I am still here, as are the other 128,000 pilgrims a year - all is well, just be aware.

Buen Camino :wink:

 

[Icacos]

Thank you, David, for the helpful information. Yes, I'd say you were rather lucky. It was a good adventure though! I think I will move my walk to late April/May instead.

 

[David]

Not at all, don't be put off by one experience (I enjoyed it anyway, in an odd way, it was marvellous up there and it really was only that moment with the hands that gave me pause ) - March is usually a beautiful time of the year to go .. all that fresh new greenness.
I had been walking a couple of weeks or so through France towards St Jean and that was a spring delight, and then once down into Spain all was fine, weather good all the way (almost) ....

All is well - keep your Spring plans.

Buen Camino!

 

[Icacos]

That's good, David - I'll bear that in mind. I'm a little worried about doing that Napoleon route on my own though, and just hope I can find someone to walk with, or to keep within sight - at least until Roncesvalles.
Thanks again,
Charleen

 

[Deleted member 3000]

just hope I can find someone to walk with, or to keep within sight

March crowds might be a bit small, but April will provide many companions. The trail is easy to follow if the marks are not obscured by snow. The early part is on road, but you need to be observant when it heads into the fields. If footing is poor, after the crest, you can stay on the road to the right, which will take you to the road coming in from Valcarlos, all on pavement. It will add a couple of kilometers to your distance, but it may be worth avoiding the slippery downhill into Roncesvalles.

 

[Whalleyranger]

Historically the pilgrimage started from your own front door. Medieval pilgrims couldn't fly / take trains / taxis etc. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter where you start from as long as you approach things in the right frame of mind.

I started my first Camino in Leon, and had a very snotty conversation a few nights later with a lady who tried to tell me that I hadn't done a "proper" pilgrimage because I hadn't started from SJPP.

For me St Jean Pied de Port is one starting point amongst many on the Camino Frances and all pilgrims need to do is get started no matter from where and the journey inside our heads and hearts begins and that's the one that is important!

Three pilgrimages later (started in Leon, Burgos and Valenca) I couldn't agree more. Many people don't have the time or budget available to commit to a longer pilgramage, so shouldn't be unfairly judged because they didn't start from some arbitrary, difficult-to-get-to town.

 

[David]

Agree with you Wallyranger - how irritating to meet one of the "pilgrim police" so soon into your Camino ....

there are some situations where carrying a custard pie would come in very handy :wink:

 

[julie]

I started in SJPDP because it was there that I first heard about the Camino. I was on a walking holiday in the area and the guide explained the significance of the shells. Needless to say, the idea of going on pilgrimage started percolating and two years later I found myself back in St Jean nervously ready to set off.

I felt that I was starting at MY beginning point and met many people who had already been walking for some time as well as others who started at various points in Spain. I don't recall it being an issue in 2005. Is the focus on starting in SJPDP a more recent construct?

 

[sillydoll]

The route Napoleon is steeper than the road route in the beginning. The Val Carlos route is steeper at the end.
Neither routes are really 'difficult' in hiking terms. They are steep but there is no technical hiking involved.
I think that the next two days are far more taxing on the legs than the road from St Jean to the Pass. The latter is a steep climb but the next two days are a roller coaster of steep ascents and descents on rocky paths and, sometimes mud.
Take it easy for the first few days. You could blow your Camino coming down from the Alto del Perdon on those river boulders!!

 

[William Marques]

I have been looking at the numbers and it seems the St Jean start is a relatively new phenomenon, before 2004 Roncesvalles was the most popular and until 2006 the numbers were roughly equivalent. Perhaps the rise in starters from St Jean has something to do with the globalisation of the Camino Frances.

 

[David]

Good point - or/and perhaps the lack of easy transport to Roncesvalles?

 

[MoniRose]

For me, it was the perfect starting point; this medieval French town. It set the perfect mood for me to begin my Camino, although now I feel like I cheated myself by not staying an extra day to soak it in. I remember stopping during my climb up the mountain and looking back at where I had come from, proud of what I had never thought I could accomplish, and already knowing I would be coming back again some day. I continue to long for St. Jean, and know that when I walk the Camino again, it will begin in this special place. The photo that I took of SJPP, nestled in the foothills, will always be one of my favorites.
Oh, how I miss the Camino. - Monica :arrow:

 

[jpflavin1]

Anne:

I think this is a great question and one I have thought about a lot during some of my responses to first time Pilgrims. Having walked from SJPdP and Irun, I do not see why more people do not start on the Vasco and connect with the Frances in Santa Domingo or Burgos. This is a much gentler start but just as beautiful walk. The Tunnel route starts in the Coastal cities, winds through the valleys, over the mountains and through the wine country by Haro before connecting to the Frances. It is not crowded, is well marked, has plenty of accommodations and is very Basque.

Irun is easy to get to from Paris, Barcelona and Madrid by train and London (Stansted) by air. If you want to start your walk in France you can just begin in Biarritz or Bayonne another 30km's away.

That said, I started my first Camino in SJPdP. I was told that was where the Camino began. It is a beautiful, quaint French town. It is also a tough but beautiful start (on a clear day) on a introspective journey.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[billmclaughlin]

For me it wasn't SJPP itself, but the idea of crossing the border on foot in the "middle of nowhere".

I suppose borders in Europe aren't what they used to be, but I started thinking about this decades ago when they were real. I've sat for hours on motionless trains during passport checks between France and Belgium! I've crossed borders with fear-inducing currency controls and watchtowers with armed guards.

So even though much of that is in the past, especially in Europe, it still felt right/special to cross the border. Part of the freedom of walking. In some sense, being border-free is one element for me of the camino experience. The fact that I did it completely alone made it even more so. No one but the fast-moving clouds to see me step across.

 

[annakappa]

Hi Joe. I especially like the idea of starting in Irun and then crossing to connect up with the francés.
I'm going to research this one!
Back to my original posting, when I checked up a bit on Internet back in 2007 to get more information about the Camino, it was nearly always Roncesvalles that came up. SJPP seems to be popular with the Northern Europeans, plus English speaking Pilgrims, due, I think to certain guide books and the fairly easy starting point for them. Spaniards, Portuguese and loads of other nationalities flying into Madrid (as is also our case) tend to start in Roncesvalles, or points further West.
Last year, we started in Jaca on the Aragonés, but starting in Irun seems a good alternative. Anne

 

[hueppi]

In spite of flying in from Central Americ, from Managua to be exact, I opted for SJPdP as a starting point.
SJPdP is the traditional start that was mentioned to me when I first learned about the camino about 20 years ago, before all those fancy books and the big hype.
Maybe this is because of me being German. If I would start the hike from "home" I would travel via Saint Jean. Not having enough time I skip France but want to enter Spain from abroad nd "cross the Pyrennees".
I considered starting in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. But I got the feeling that I might regret it later and that I might have the impression to ave missed on something. Thus I decided against these cities and rather invest in an expensive taxi ride.

 

[anniethenurse]

Hi Anne!
I have walked the Camino Vasco from Irun to Sto Domingo last April and loved it! I continued all the way to Santiago - 780 km in 29 days. Why so fast? Well, the weather was terrible most all the time - so it was better to walk than stop.

Guide for the Northern Ways here:
http://tourism.euskadi.net/contenidos/i ... INGLES.pdf

There are other possibilities - connecting to the Frances Via de Bayona:
http://www.adecobureba.com/index.php?op ... Itemid=179

Camino Baztan:
http://www.rutasnavarra.com/asp/asp_artic/155.asp

There is a camino from SJPP to Irun also!
http://www.guides-cheminsdecompostelle. ... irun-1.htm

 

[mor66]

Hi all. It would be convenient for me to start my camino in Bilbao and join the traditional route in Burgos. Has anybody done this ? I will possibly not be able to complete due to hips, knees etc. but I'm going to give it a go. Would appreciate comments, encouraging ones !!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can go Bilbao to Carrion de los Condes on the Viejo, but I don't think there is a direct route to Burgos. You can go from Irun to Burgos on the Tunnel Route. There are some serious mountains on both routes!

 

[whariwharangi]

When I started research into travel to Roncesvalles I found the camino actually began in SJPdP.

The Napolean route sounded quite attractive. (and it is - even if it rained sideways for half the day)

Then I found it was much easier (less connections) to get to SJPdP via Bayonne than it was to get to Roncesvalles via Pamplona or Bilbao. Particlularly as I was travelling via London. The only factor against was that my Spanish is MUCH better than my French.

From there it was a no brainer ... SJPdP was going to be my starting point.

I really enjoyed my two days in SJPdP even if I was suffering terribly from jet lag.

I didn't find out about routes starting in Le Puy etc till I got to SJPdP. Next time.

 

[ffp13]

When I started research into travel to Roncesvalles I found the camino actually began in SJPdP.
.

Oddly most of the Spanish credentials do not show SJPDP on the map of the Camino France's they believe the start point to be Roncessvalles .

 

[mor66]

Good question. Somewhere like Pamplona is easier to get to, and if you're short of time you could easily waste a day getting to SJPP.

Maybe there's just something about starting in France given that you're walking the Camino Frances. The Basque villages on the first couple of days are certainly pretty as well. For me the Camino really starts on the walk up to Alto del Perdon after Pamplona. That's just me and my deranged mind though.

Buen Camino!

Well done for sticking to your guns! This forum seems to attract the 'Camino police'