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A bigger cairn on the Camino Francés

Time of past OR future Camino
To Santiago + back.
2400 km, 950 nmi, 160 d.
A waymarker near the pass on the Route Napoleon has been improved by the local camino association of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port who also run the pilgrims office in the town. The following pictures show the final result of their recent improvement works, the improvement works while ongoing and a Google Earth screenshot showing the earlier look of the nice wooden sign pointing to Roncesvalles and assorted stones before the intervention. Roncesvalles is the location's name in Spanish; it is called Roncevaux in French and Oreaga in Basque.

o_Oo_Oo_O

Result.jpg

Work.jpg

Google earth.jpg
 
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Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
An interesting group of pictures. Referring back to the cairn thread from several weeks ago, I'm wondering what the environmentalists would think of the additional rocks the locals have added to this one and doubt it would ever be an issue.
BTW, is that man standing on top of the wooden sign?...sure looks like it! 🤣
 
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It looks nicer but not really an improvement to navigation. A better sign is needed between it and the road below to split up the traffic of those wanting to go Roncesvalles via Ibañeta and those wanting to use the shorter and steeper wooded way. Too many go that way when they actually wanted to go the easier Ibañeta way.
 
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It looks nicer but not really an improvement to navigation. A better sign is needed between it and the road below to split up the traffic of those wanting to go Roncesvalles via Ibañeta and those wanting to use the shorter and steeper wooded way. Too many go that way when they actually wanted to go the easier Ibañeta way.
I loved resting on a big rock at Ibaneta on a sunny day in mid April 2017. Taking that little break is where I first met @jpflavin1, who lives in my neck of the woods back home.
 
It looks nicer but not really an improvement to navigation. A better sign is needed between it and the road below to split up the traffic of those wanting to go Roncesvalles via Ibañeta and those wanting to use the shorter and steeper wooded way. Too many go that way when they actually wanted to go the easier Ibañeta way.
I'am so sorry. To change the signs at the Lepoeder pass and to indicate the descent through the forest and that through the Ibañeta pass only the Spanish autority can do it because we are in Spanish territory. There’s nothing our association can do other than point out what we’ve done time and time again.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I'am so sorry. To change the signs at the Lepoeder pass and to indicate the descent through the forest and that through the Ibañeta pass only the Spanish autority can do it because we are in Spanish territory. There’s nothing our association can do other than point out what we’ve done time and time again.
Thinking out loud here. What if the French army went up the route again?

Joking. I appreciate your efforts. 🙏
 
What I would like to see is a marker where you actually cross from France to Spain....would this be that place? I have done this route twice and never seen a marker going from France to Spain....maybe I am working so hard to go over the mountain that I have missed it....
 
What I would like to see is a marker where you actually cross from France to Spain....would this be that place? I have done this route twice and never seen a marker going from France to Spain....maybe I am working so hard to go over the mountain that I have missed it....
The cairn is not at the border. The border has a modest sign saying "Navarra" I think. It is at a cattle bar, a grid across the trail/road that cattle are afraid to cross. Someone recently submitted a picture to a thread showing all this.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
This border sign was there in 2016 - France on other side .....spain.jpg
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
A waymarker near the pass on the Route Napoleon has been improved by the local camino association of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port who also run the pilgrims office in the town. The following pictures show the final result of their recent improvement works, the improvement works while ongoing and a Google Earth screenshot showing the earlier look of the nice wooden sign pointing to Roncesvalles and assorted stones before the intervention. Roncesvalles is the location's name in Spanish; it is called Roncevaux in French and Oreaga in Basque.

o_Oo_Oo_O

View attachment 83141

View attachment 83142

View attachment 83143
It's a very nice pile of rocks. Of course, we all know how problematic piles of rocks by the camino can be! ;-)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
What I would like to see is a marker where you actually cross from France to Spain....would this be that place? I have done this route twice and never seen a marker going from France to Spain....maybe I am working so hard to go over the mountain that I have missed it....

Hi Allyson - We're sort of west coast border neighbours! :) If I remember correctly, (with help from my time stamped photos) it is about 20 or 30 minutes from the waymarked cairn to the border between France and Spain on the Napoleón. These photos were taken in 2012. The second photo is looking back from the Spanish side toward the cattle guard crossing. The Fountain of Roland is on the French side near the cattle guard. I love how understated this crossing is.

border.jpgborder2.jpgfountain.jpg
 
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What I would like to see is a marker where you actually cross from France to Spain....would this be that place? I have done this route twice and never seen a marker going from France to Spain....maybe I am working so hard to go over the mountain that I have missed it....
What I would like to see is a marker where you actually cross from France to Spain....would this be that place? I have done this route twice and never seen a marker going from France to Spain....maybe I am working so hard to go over the mountain that I have missed it....
This marker marks the border it is right next to La Fontaine de Roland
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
A waymarker near the pass on the Route Napoleon has been improved by the local camino association of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
..... a Google Earth screenshot

View attachment 83143
This was to be the site of one of my first lessons on the Camino.

I was tired after the climb up the roadway and I was using Google Maps on my phone to look for a flatter path rather than one that dipped then climbed again as the various off-road shortcuts often do.

Unfortunately, the lack of a magnetometer sensor in my phone (at that time), Southern hemisphere to Northern hemisphere maladjustment and lack of local knowledge meant that when I looked at the map it was orientated so that the route back down to SJPdP looked as if it was the path ahead of me.

This meant that I thought that there was a coffee stop just around the corner of the road ahead and that the great crowd of people ahead of me were all heading off in the wrong direction!

With great self satisfaction, I laughed to myself about the fools who were all going in the wrong direction and pushed on, on the road ahead, eagerly anticipating a nice Mochachino without having to wait for a line of other pilgrims ahead of me. 😁

After about 20 minutes walking with no coffee stop in sight I started having some doubts but I pushed on. After another 10 minutes walking I realised that I must have read the map back to front and stopped to decide what to do.

I was even more tired by then and I really didn't want to retrace my steps 30 minutes. I thought about leaving the road and just heading overland in the general direction that I thought the path might be but that meant climbing straight up this huge hill (Mt. Lietzarateka, 1414mt) with prospects of really becoming lost and I had no mobile phone reception and so I couldn't phone for help if I needed to!

I had only had a single vehicle pass me during the 30 minutes and had seen no other walkers. The third option that I considered was continuing on the road ahead. I figured that the road must go somewhere and perhaps the Camino wanted me to be on this road for some reason and so I took this third option and continued following the road.

After about another 5 minutes walking I came across a side path to the right with a couple of small signs, what looked like some stock pens and the possibility of a view in the general direction that I was interested in (Col. D'Arnostesguy) I almost didn't go up this path but I needed to sit down somewhere and drink some water and I thought there may be something to sit on up there and so up I walked, see screenshot from G Maps:

Screenshot_20200920-100714.pngNo cars for me though!

As I got closer I spotted a small herd of horses so I perked up and wandered over to give them a pat, enjoyed the view and then turned around to walk over to the stock pens to find a seat.

What I didn't realise at the time was that this spot is right on the French/Spanish border and there is a fence that more or less follows the border and just inside the French side of the border there runs a (farm) track.

As I sat there drinking my water I noticed a tiny sign that pointed North West along the track with the word Roncesvaux on it. At last! I had found another way to Roncesvalles, around the South East side of Mt. Bentarte and Mt. Lietzarateka.

I followed this ill-signed track, often wondering if I was on the correct track until eventually I came to an intersection and there realised that I was back on the Frances Camino and headed for Roncesvalles with the rest of the crowd.
 

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