Bainbridge
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- September 2022
Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
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The GPS tracks on the Buen Camino app (and I'm sure other apps too) shows both ways. In three times on the Napoleon route I've always taken the "easier" way through Ibaneta.
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Wise for us older pilgrims to go through the Roland Chapel Here is a map that can help you. Buen Camino Poul Erik www.jakobsvejen.dkDue to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
@Bainbridge, see the steep downhill trail heading into the woods to the left of the road? It has the marker stone on it. You do NOT want to go down it.Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
You can’t go wrong. Follow the bitumen.Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
Wise for us older pilgrims to go through the Roland Chapel Here is a map that can help you. Buen Camino Poul Erik www.jakobsvejen.dk
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Thank you! I love your book— how do I get one? What is the title?Wise for us older pilgrims to go through the Roland Chapel Here is a map that can help you. Buen Camino Poul Erik www.jakobsvejen.dk
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Thank you! I assume that “NA-2033” is the number of the road to Ibaneta?@Bainbridge, see the steep downhill trail heading into the woods to the left of the road? It has the marker stone on it. You do NOT want to go down it.
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Thank you! I love your guidebook. How do I get a copy? What is the title?Wise for us older pilgrims to go through the Roland Chapel Here is a map that can help you. Buen Camino Poul Erik www.jakobsvejen.dk
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As others have said, it is easy to find. At least, we had no trouble finding it in the fall of 2017. At that time, there had been some rock slides on the steep descent that made it even more dangerous than usual (according to the Pilgrim's office in Saint Jean). By the time we got there, it was clear that my husband's knee was not in good enough shape for the regular descent. As I recall, when you finally get to the bottom of the road, you are directed to go through a gate on the left. A sign says, "Please close the gate." The reason will soon become obvious. You don't want the horses to get loose! Large beautiful horses who will pay no attention to you at all.Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
You have to follow the GR12 until "puerto de Ibañeta"Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
The road to Ibaneta certainly has the greatest views. Check it out in maps.google before going. Then you'll have a notion of it.Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
Good choice. Easy to follow in 2019 so assume ok now. Many pilgrims coming down towards Ibaneta yesterday so obviously very popular alternative.Due to creaky knees we are planning to take the less steep route from Col Leopolder on the Route Napoleon that goes to Ibaneta. Is the way to this road well-marked from the top?
The map is not from a guidebook. I got it many years ago at the pilgrimage office, Amis des chemins de Saint Jacques des Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 39 Rue de Citadelle in Saint Jean Pied de Port.Thank you! I love your book— how do I get one? What is the title?
I wonder whether a permanent board that is erected directly next to the Camino milestone (visible in the photos) with information that this trail is the steeper one of the two options to reach Roncesvalles could be more helpful for pilgrims from afar than this array of GR trail markers that is meaningful mainly for hikers who are already familiar with the red-white GR marking and numbering system ...When I was at the decision spot in July 2017 someone had written "hard way" with an arrow pointing to the steep downhill trail, and "easy way" with an arrow to the right towards Ibaneta painted on the ground.
I didn't see these markings when I was there in 2019.
Thank youThe map is not from a guidebook. I got it many years ago at the pilgrimage office, Amis des chemins de Saint Jacques des Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 39 Rue de Citadelle in Saint Jean Pied de Port.
Thanks. In the lower picture what is the road on the left? I am confused by this because at the top the easier way is to the right and it looks like a paved road. In the lower photo the right way is a dirt pathHere is an over view shot that highlights where the following photo was taken 16th May 2019. The easiest route is to the right.
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Superb explanation and maps. Thank you. Much appreciated. What has been confusing, that you have clarified, is the criss-crossing of the road by the path with multiple branch points. So there is an option when the Way first meets NA-2033: you can just take the road and loop around or you can turn right on the path and be sure to take the branch point down to meet NA-2033 after the loop.In the attached map you see the Camino Francés coming from the top (that's north, you will hiking southbound here). It meets the paved highway Navarra 2033. If you keep walking south on that, go around the switchback and keep on the pavement heading north and then northwest and then keep on the paved NA-2033 wherever it goes off this map you will be taking the easy route to Roncesvalles via Ibaneta.
Here is where the confusion comes in. Up at Col Leopoeder near the emergency phone the marked camino has you going west down a ravine, the dotted red line. It will fork shortly after. At the fork there is a tall signpost with five arrows. The middle one points the way to the northwest and you see that that track soon connects you to NA-2033, the easy way. The text on the arrow even indicates that the arrow is pointing to the easy alternative to the camino but not in English so many people who want the easy way get confused and use the arrow pointing to the main steep and wooded route, the red dotted line to the southwest. This crosses NA-2033 and heads south down into the woods (the brown dashed line going to the bottom of the map). This is the way not to take as shown in post #5's picture.
@Felipe, a forum member, posted a good picture of the signpost for us. I highly recommend visiting his page.
Here is the map and a Google satellite view of the same area. In that view you can see the trail is much wider heading on across the road and into the woods than the alternative path that nearly parallels the road.
In the satellite view the NA-2033 is marked in blue but it is a bit off the actual route which can be seen a bit to the east heading into the woods and then disappearing under the trees.
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Thank you.Superb explanation and maps.
Exactly right for both.So there is an option when the Way first meets NA-2033: you can just take the road and loop around or you can turn right on the path and be sure to take the branch point down to meet NA-2033 after the loop.
If you look at @Rick of Rick and Peg s second image you will note the red "pin". Next to the pin is a squiggly dirt track that is a shortcut between the two arms of the blue line.Thanks. In the lower picture what is the road on the left? I am confused by this because at the top the easier way is to the right and it looks like a paved road. In the lower photo the right way is a dirt path