Prynees open

[CillaP]

Hi guys Is the Napoleon route open to pilgrims?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Hi guys Is the Napoleon route open to pilgrims?

Yes, but it may close if there is late bad weather.

 

[Monasp]

Hi in this moment is very dangerous to go by Napoleon route there is to much snow. It's snowing every day.
You can see the weather here : www.aucoeurduchemin.org/METEO-682/
You have to click : "météo Ports de Cize"

 

[t2andreo]

There can be snow at the Napoleon Pass, and at most other places higher than about 700 meters above sea level (ASL) through June. Snow at the Napoleon pass at this time of year (April) is very common.

Listen to Mona...

Hope this helps.

 

[lt56ny]

Just check with the Pilgrim office and they will tell you if it is open or safe. It seems like it has been snowing like crazy so I doubt you will have a choice.

 

[dgallen]

Just shows you how much can change up in the mtns in a couple days. Monday and Tuesday had some very small patches of old snow on Roncesvalles side of the Napoleon trail, but clear. At least Orisson will have a few more days to compete their renovations. A few snow showers and drizzle Wednesday near Zubiri, but weather fairly good past Pamplona.

 

[CillaP]

Hi in this moment is very dangerous to go by Napoleon route there is to much snow. It's snowing every day.
You can see the weather here : www.aucoeurduchemin.org/METEO-682/
You have to click : "météo Ports de Cize"

Hi Monasp, what is the latest advice on taking the Napoleon route?

 

[Kathar1na]

I guess we can ask @Monasp every day of the year what the latest advice is on taking the Napoleon route.

I understand how excited one can be as a new pilgrim but really, does it make sense to ask her today about the weather and trail conditions for the Route Napoléon if you will not start walking today or tomorrow but in 2 weeks' or 2 months' time?

Message from the SJPP pilgrim's office of today. It does not get more "official" than that [Translated from French]:

The Route Napoleon is administratively closed by the Government of Navarre from 1 November to 1 April each year. During the rest of the time from April to October it is either advised to take the Route Napoleon or it is not advised to take the Route Napoleon, depending on the weather but it is not CLOSED !!! [...]. Beware of those people who say" "I was told this or that" .... "I heard from someone who said that they were told this or that".

Go to the pilgrims office on the day of your arrival in SJPP and seek advice for the day of your departure.

 

[Kathar1na]

@Monasp, have you ever thought to regularly post up to date advice on your website and perhaps even modernise the website and offer an English version? I'm sure you could easily find volunteers from around the world who have the necessary skills and would be happy to assist you. And these guys don't have to be in SJPP to do their work, they can do it from any computer anywhere in the world. Just a thought.

People who do figure out that aucoeurduchemin.org is the website of the pilgrims office in SJPP and have enough knowledge of French will eventually figure out that the weather forecast for the Route Napoleon is under the links for meteo and Port de Cize which will lead them to the forecast from Viewweather for the Col de Bentarte. And they might even know where this mountain pass is exactly.

For the considerable rest of the international pilgrims population all this is already an obstacle that is too high - much higher than the Pyrenees.

 

[CillaP]

I guess we can ask @Monasp every day of the year what the latest advice is on taking the Napoleon route.

I understand how excited one can be as a new pilgrim but really, does it make sense to ask her today about the weather and trail conditions for the Route Napoléon if you will not start walking today or tomorrow but in 2 weeks' or 2 months' time?

Message from the SJPP pilgrim's office of today. It does not get more "official" than that [Translated from French]:

The Route Napoleon is administratively closed by the Government of Navarre from 1 November to 1 April each year. During the rest of the time from April to October it is either advised to take the Route Napoleon or it is not advised to take the Route Napoleon, depending on the weather but it is not CLOSED !!! [...]. Beware of those people who say" "I was told this or that" .... "I heard from someone who said that they were told this or that".

Go to the pilgrims office on the day of your arrival in SJPP and seek advice for the day of your departure.

Do you know the date I start walking?

 

[Kathar1na]

Do you know the date I start walking?

Welcome to the forum and the internet, @CillaP .

You had already asked the same question when you started this thread a few days ago and you had posted several times that you plan to start in SJPP around 25th April. This is not Facebook where messages disappear into the depth of cyberspace and out of view very quickly. They stay forever and can easily be retrieved and read. They are just one mouseclick away.

But my reply was not addressed to you specifically, it was of a general nature, mainly prompted by the post from the SJPP pilgrims office that I saw this morning elsewhere and where I felt it would be good to repeat it here.

Buen camino!

 

[Kathar1na]

An unusual photo, tweeted today by the First Responder team of Navarra. It's the Napoleon trail and it must be at high altitude because I think I can make out one of the numbered poles that they've put up to assist walkers in weather with poor visibility. At first I thought, what a service, they are clearing the trail for the walkers! But they wrote that they clear the trail to improve their own response time for rescue operations.

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday and the start of the Easter week. The "pilgrim season" is well underway ...

 

[Monasp]

Napoleon Route is open now !
Una vez abierto el paso del #Caminodesantiago por #Lepoeder limpiamos la pista de nieve acumulada, mejorando el tiempo de respuesta @bomberos_na Parque de #Auritz #Burguete @pirineonavarro #Stjamesway https://t.co/Yvhmga2wQp

 

[Kathar1na]

Make sure that you are aware of the weather conditions at altitude (and not just in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) if you are walking the Napoleon route in the next few days. It will feel cold. The First Responders team had to rescue a pilgrim today. She was in the forest area near the Lepoeder pass (the highest point of the trail), disoriented, with hypothermia and unable to continue walking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1120746959382491137

 

[Kathar1na]

The pilgrims office in SJPP actually advises today to stay away from the Napoleon route and take the Valcarlos route because of the weather conditions and in particular also because of the strong wind.

A severe weather warning had been issued (see the Spanish weather service http://www.aemet.es for example or https://www.meteoalarm.eu/ who issue severe weather warnings for European countries) and there are wind gusts of up to 50-65 km/h on the passes of SJPP according to the weather services.

This is likely to be a short interval lasting a day or two but it just confirms that it is impossible to predict several weeks in advance what today's weather will be like.

 

[Kathar1na]

I'm shaking my head in disbelief (about people's behaviour, not about the weather): the First Responders team of Navarra had to rescue 23 pilgrims today - twenty-three people - from the shelter on the top of the Napoleon trail because of the bad weather conditions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121056256792330241

 

[naplesdon]

24 April there are many reports of snow across the Meseta and in the moutains after Rabanal.

 

[naplesdon]

I'm shaking my head in disbelief (about people's behaviour, not about the weather): the First Responders team of Navarra had to rescue 23 pilgrims today - twenty-three people - from the shelter on the top of the Napoleon trail because of the bad weather conditions.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121056256792330241

Would love to find out if there were any fines levied?

 

[Deleted member 87865]

Make sure that you are aware of the weather conditions at altitude (and not just in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port) if you are walking the Napoleon route in the next few days. It will feel cold. The First Responders team had to rescue a pilgrim today. She was in the forest area near the Lepoeder pass (the highest point of the trail), disoriented, with hypothermia and unable to continue walking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1120746959382491137

Poor lady! Glad she's safe. The Col is quite close to the road, isn't it?

 

[naplesdon]

Not exactly, after you cross the top of the Col you either descend into the woods or follow a road but that road is never used by vehicles.

 

[Kathar1na]

There is some more information here:

SOS-Navarra received a call at 13:40 h and learnt that a group of pilgrims were in the Izandorre hut on the Napoleon trail and requested help because of the terrible weather conditions, with low temperatures, snowfall, very strong gusts of wind and intense blizzard. Some of the pilgrims reported that they had difficulties walking and had symptoms of hypothermia.​

​

When the rescue team arrived at the hut, they saw that there were around 30 pilgrims there and they told those who were fit to walk to continue on foot to Roncesvalles.​

​

The rescue team had two vehicles; they had to make two trips to transport 20 pilgrims in total, and in addition, they also picked up another man and his seven year old daughter and another woman.​

It is not known whether everyone had consulted the SJPP pilgrims office and not followed their advice to go via Valcarlos or whether they had failed to inform themselves about the weather.

From April to October, the trail is not officially closed. Make sure that you get up to date advice before you set off. The weather changes quickly on the mountains but this bad weather front did not come out of the blue.

 

[Jane A]

wow am i glad i clicked on this thread today. i leave on Friday to start my camino - will start walking from SJPdP on the 28th. maybe i'll throw in an extra beanie & leggings!

 

[Tincatinker]

wow am i glad i clicked on this thread today. i leave on Friday to start my camino - will start walking from SJPdP on the 28th. maybe i'll throw in an extra beanie & leggings!

Throw in a visit to the Pilgrims' Office and heed their advice

 

[Jane A]

Throw in a visit to the Pilgrims' Office and heed their advice

definitely will be my first stop when i get to town! thanks!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

definitely will be my first stop when i get to town! thanks!

Make it your last stop too. The weather can change quickly.

 

[Deleted member 87865]

wow am i glad i clicked on this thread today. i leave on Friday to start my camino - will start walking from SJPdP on the 28th. maybe i'll throw in an extra beanie & leggings!

Hi Jane. I also plan to start on 28th. Hoping for clear skies. Buen camino.

 

[trecile]

I hope that it warms up in the next couple of weeks. I'm starting from SJPDP on May 11th.

 

[Jane A]

Hi Jane. I also plan to start on 28th. Hoping for clear skies. Buen camino.

Hi, Dominum. We’re a group of 5 middle-aged ladies. If you see us, please say hi. Buen Camino.

 

[Kathar1na]

@Monasp, could you perhaps please clarify something? What does this sign mean? People say it means that the Route Napoleon is open and that it is safe to go.
They think that when the weather is bad (during the time from April to October) this sign will be changed to say Fermé (Closed). Is this true?
Do you or someone else go to this sign and change it to Fermé when the weather is bad in spring and summer?

 

[NorthernLight]

I imagine the pilgrim office has no authority over that sign, it looks governmental.

It would likely be better if that 'Ouvert" sign was never there. It does say 'inform yourself about weather conditions', but let's be honest, people are stupid. It's a wonder the species has survived.

 

[Monasp]

I imagine the pilgrim office has no authority over that sign, it looks governmental.

It would likely be better if that 'Ouvert" sign was never there. It does say 'inform yourself about weather conditions', but let's be honest, people are stupid. It's a wonder the species has survived.

This means that for the administration it is open but without taking into account the weather. It is only the pilgrims' office that has the weather at the pass and is in contact with the Burguete firefighters and with the Albergue of Roncesvalles. That is why the advices given by volunteers are very important to follow

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Would love to find out if there were any fines levied?

Fines, probably not. The fines are a Navarra government thing and the hut, I believe, is in France. Besides, the route is officially open. There might be rescue costs requested though.

 

[naplesdon]

The hut is in Spain

 

[Beeks]

It was closed on April 10. We had reservations at Orisson but oh well.

Every member of our party carried two of these. Very cheap and weigh next to nothing.

 

[domigee]

@Monasp, have you ever thought to regularly post up to date advice on your website and perhaps even modernise the website and offer an English version?

It is a nice suggestion @Kathar1na but can’t pilgrims just walk into the Pilgrim’s office and ask? Saves everyone a lot of bother.

 

[domigee]

@Monasp, could you perhaps please clarify something? What does this sign mean? People say it means that the Route Napoleon is open and that it is safe to go.
They think that when the weather is bad (during the time from April to October) this sign will be changed to say Fermé (Closed). Is this true?
Do you or someone else go to this sign and change it to Fermé when the weather is bad in spring and summer?

View attachment 55915

I find it very sad that we now need signs And what’s more, they now need explaining!!!

 

[Kathar1na]

I find it very sad that we now need signs And what’s more, they now need explaining!!!

I don't know whether we need them or not. My point is that the sign is there in SJPP, permanently, and as others have indicated, people read only half of what's written on it and spread their half knowledge and misinterpretation in social media where others believe what they read. And not everyone feels an obligation to walk into the pilgrims office. Some people don't even know that it exists.

 

[naplesdon]

Closed means closed. Pretty simple message. It's in English and French, what don't you get!

 

[Kathar1na]

Closed means closed. Pretty simple message. It's in English and French, what don't you get!

No. During the summer the sign says OPEN all the time and in smaller letters something like inform yourself about the weather. Yet many people believe there is some power that opens and closes the trail during the summer months and when they see the OPEN sign they believe it is safe to go. That was the point I was trying to make but it is drowning among the many comments.

 

[Kathar1na]

Why do I even bother ... .

 

[NorthernLight]

Why do I even bother ... .

 

[trecile]

I just saw a Facebook post that there was snow up there yesterday!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Why do I even bother ... .

Because you want to keep someone alive.

 

[Kathar1na]

@Rick of Rick and Peg, thank you. I don't know ... perhaps it's mainly because inadequate information and misinformation annoy me and because I feel that there's some room for improving the information flow ... the weather services had indicated that it will feel very cold today at 1300 metres on the Napoleon trail in the Western Pyrenees, maybe that was the reason why the First Responder team from Burguete had to pick up three pilgrims today, one from the pass, the other from the emergency shelter and, closer to Roncesvalles, a third one with a broken ankle.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125110396782874624

 

[naplesdon]

One day at a time. I have a friend who walked over the pass from SJPdP to Espinal on 4 May. He sent pictures of trees full of frozen mist and said the winds were strong but no snow on the ground. It's cold up there.

 

[naplesdon]

@Rick of Rick and Peg, thank you. I don't know ... perhaps it's mainly because inadequate information and misinformation annoy me and because I feel that there's some room for improving the information flow ... the weather services had indicated that it will feel very cold today at 1300 metres on the Napoleon trail in the Western Pyrenees, maybe that was the reason why the First Responder team from Burguete had to pick up three pilgrims today, one from the pass, the other from the emergency shelter and, closer to Roncesvalles, a third one with a broken ankle.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125110396782874624

I agree with you but no one should be expected play "helicpter mom" to everyone who walks the Camino. People walked the Napoleon yesterday and it was cold, how do you warn people to protect themselves from the cold.
Someone had a twisted ankle, that happens every day I have attached a Croix Rouge triage at Calzadilla.

 

[Kathar1na]

I agree with you but no one should be expected play "helicopter mom" to everyone who walks the Camino. People walked the Napoleon yesterday and it was cold, how do you warn people to protect themselves from the cold.

You read the weather forecast and understand what it means for your hike over a mountain. The SJPP pilgrims office has explained in this thread how to do this: you go to their website, in French, called aucoeurduchemin.org, then you find the link that says meteo, then you click on meteo: ports de cize which is obviously where you are going to go. It gives you a detailed forecast for the weather at 1322 metres on the Napoleon trail at 3-hour intervals per day. There's also an excellent article on their website, it always takes me a while to find it again, in French, called "Les dangers de la montagne". Obvious and easy, no? ....

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I agree with you but no one should be expected play "helicpter mom" to everyone who walks the Camino.

I don't expect this but I'm glad they try. No one here is stopping anyone from doing stupid things but they do give advice. Don't walk in dangerous weather. Don't shake anyone awake at night. Blisters can become infected. Stay hydrated. Walk in sight of others.

People walked the Napoleon yesterday and it was cold, how do you warn people to protect themselves from the cold.

By letting them know that they can die from hypothermia. If not from just walking but because they cannot think right and may stumble and become unconscious or get lost or make bad judgements (like not knowing they are in trouble or that they could call for help -- if their fingers work.) Or you could let them know that their rescue could cost a lot. Or that the rescue could kill one of the rescuers.

 

[Kathar1na]

And today yet again: three pilgrims didn't make it to Roncesvalles under their own steam. The First Responder team doesn't say why they had to go and rescue them.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1125477765875159042

 

[domigee]

Those bomberos are stars!

No one here is stopping anyone from doing stupid things but they do give advice. Don't walk in dangerous weather. Don't shake anyone awake at night. Blisters can become infected. Stay hydrated. Walk in sight of others.

And so are the helpers on this forum

Trouble is, so many people seem so unprepared, it astounds me ☹ Accidents, yes, can happen to anyone but venturing out without checking the weather, the kms involved?

I hope everyone’s ok.