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I did my crossing on May 9th or 10th last year, and felt exactly the same! It was too much of a risk to stop. I was glad of the emergency hut, which at the very least got me out of the wind while I took some food.
I admit, I was ill-prepared to hike the Napoleon last year. This is from my blog entry for that day:
". . . Somewhere near the summit of the pass it began feeling very Everest-like. I didn’t take pictures because it was freezing by that point. Where I didn’t find the ascent particularly...
Hi all!
I walked the Le Puy to Roncesvalles route last spring, and now I am thinking of Arles to Compostela on the Norte in the fall. I have many questions. I have downloaded the WP Norte App. I used the WP Via Podiensis app and found it most helpful. But, is there any similar resource for the...
Right? It wasn't "hip" then. And I totally get that whatever she says about it after the fact is weird and doesn't make a lot of sense. I tried explaining to my partner what I went through when I did it, and he looked at me sideways. There is no great way to describe what is both an intense...
Thanks for the advice! I walked the Le Puy in the spring. Took the loop up to Rocamadour and back down to Cahors - I loved that part and it was very quiet. For the next trip, I can't decide between the Arles and Vezelay, and I really waffle about the Frances. I stayed the night in St Foy in...
I reflected on my earlier response. Squatting in the woods to pee is almost a daily occurrence for me. I have dogs, we go for long walks, there are lots of woods and very few toilets. So, my NBD response was relative to my experience. If you are not exaggerating and are truly "terrified" of...
Hey there
I am thinking of the Voie de Vezelay for my next journey. I am curious why you chose it over another, like the Arles? I am just starting my planning, so have no helpful advice, but if you have some for me, it would be very appreciated.
There are certainly far fewer services on that route than on the rest of the Via Podiensis. I asked my host in Vers why it seemed so deserted - like whole small towns that were pretty much closed, no cafes, no people to be seen. He said that there were a number of factors. It's very hard to get...
Greetings! I did the Le Puy with the Rocamadour variant this past spring. I left the GR65 at Figeac, and rejoined it between Vers and Cahors. The route that someone posted above was a bit daunting with not enough services for me. I went...
I have never walked the CF or any route in Spain. Just the Podiensis. Last time from Le Puy to Roncesvalles (strongly recommend doing the crossing from SJPdP - you will find people returning that night to SJPdP to share a taxi with!), but from everything I have heard the Podiensis is quieter...
I just looked thru the HvC pamphlet and my credential, trying to remember what the exception was. I think I made an error, because I remember all the HvC gites very fondly.
When I walked a portion of the Via Podiensis in 2019, my friend and I just picked up a free pamphlet from the Amis de...
By "breadcrumb" I meant something that maps the path you have taken. A breadcrumb trail - so something that interacts with GPS to geolocate and track in real time. I guess that's what FindPenquins does, but maybe doesn't have trail maps loaded? I also used WhatsApp, my phone to make calls, SMS...
I have never found AllTrails to be a battery hog. I used it to map each stage of my Via Podiensis. Well, AllTrails or Hiiker. I didn't use a playlist or anything else, just a breadcrumb app, and of course used my phone to take photos. Never had an issue. You could try it IRL before you go, just...
Curious how those numbers are collected. I was in SJPdP in May, but never checked in. It was the end of my Chemin - almost - I went as far as Roncesvalles Yet another reason those two numbers are not necessarily related.
I am sure you didn’t mean to imply a binary of reasons for which people choose to do a pilgrimage, I.e., that it’s either religious or sightseeing, but that is how your post comes across. A bit dismissive of anyone who is not religious doing a pilgrimage for any number of reasons. I believe the...
Some of my favourite stories from my Le Puy pilgrimage involve things people lost. It demonstrated how close-knit the pilgrim community on the Podiensis is/was. I got a text from a host saying he had found my eye mask in my bed, and he had tied it on Elizabeth's bag. She was having her bag...
I walked 37 days from Le Puy (on the roacamadour varient) and arrived in SJPdP two days before my train left. The arrival in SJPdP was so disappointing and I had heard so much about hiking the pass to Roncevalles, that I decided to strike out the next morning.
The gîte in SJPdP loaned me a...
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