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Again, again..........IRRESPONSIBILITY SOMETI

Javier

Active Member
Efectivos del Servicio de Bomberos del Gobierno de Navarra rescataron esta tarde en las proximidades de Roncesvalles a ocho peregrinos del Camino de Santiago que se encontraban en dificultades por las intensas tormentas producidas durante toda la jornada en el Pirineo navarro.

PAMPLONA, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)

Los rescates se llevaron a cabo en tres servicios distintos, ya que cuando los efectivos estaban rescatando al primer alertante, un madrileño de 45 años, fueron reclamados por otro peregrino para ayudar a otras tres compañeras que se encontraban a unos 4 kilómetros de Roncesvalles y mostraban signos de agotamiento e hipotermia leve.Seguidamente, hacia las 18.16 horas, el Servicio de Bomberos fue requerido para auxiliar a cuatro peregrinos franceses que se habían extraviado en la misma ruta, según informó el Gobierno de Navarra en un comunicado.

La sala 112 de SOS Navarra recibió el primer aviso a las 14.51 horas de un peregrino madrileño de 45 años que se encontraba a unos 3,6 kilómetros de la Colegiata de Roncesvalles y que no podía continuar su camino porque sufría calambres en sus piernas. A las 15.51 horas los efectivos movilizados lo localizaron y trasladaron a un hostal de Roncesvalles.

Una hora más tarde, cuando los efectivos regresaban al parque, fueron alertados de que otras tres peregrinas se encontraban también desorientadas y en apuros. Los miembros del parque de Burguete las localizaron, en buen estado, a las 17.20 horas y las trasladaron al albergue en el que iban a pernoctar.

Por último, a las 18.16 horas, otros cuatro caminantes franceses del Camino de Santiago solicitaron auxilio a SOS Navarra y la Agencia Navarra de Emergencias movilizó de nuevo a efectivos del parque de Burguete para su localización y posterior rescate.




BABILFISH TRANSLATION.-

Cash of the Service of Firemen of the Government of Navarre rescued behind schedule this near Roncesvalles to eight pilgrims of the Way of Santiago that were in difficulties by intense storms produced during all the Pyrenean day in the Navarrese. PAMPLONA, 14 (EUROPE PRESS) The rescues were carried out in three different services, since when the cash were rescuing to the first alertante, a Madrilenian of 45 years, was demanded by another pilgrim to help other three companions who were about 4 kilometers of Roncesvalles and showed to signs of exhaustion and slight hypothermia. Next, towards the 18,16 hours, the Service of Firemen was required to help to four French pilgrims that had become lost in the same route, according to informed the Government into Navarre in an official notice. Room 112 of SOS Navarre received the first warning to the 14,51 hours of a Madrilenian pilgrim of 45 years that was about 3.6 kilometers of the Collegiate church of Roncesvalles and that could not continue its way because it underwent cramps in his legs. To the 15,51 hours cash located the mobilized it and transferred to an inn of Roncesvalles. One hour later, when the cash returned to the park, they were alerted that other three pilgrims also were disoriented and in hardships. The members of the park of located them to Burguete, in good state, to the 17,20 hours they transferred and them to the shelter in which they were going to spend the night. Finally, to the 18,16 hours, other four French travellers of the Way of Santiago asked for aid to SOS Navarre and Agency Navarre de Emergencias again mobilized to cash of the park of Burguete for its location and later rescue.
 
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Hi Javier,
Thanks for this post. I also saw the pics from 12 April Brrrrr

I am due to start from SJPDP on 27 April and am wondering was this weather (on the 14th of April) forecasted?

I wonder if these people just had bad luck or were they under prepared? I have always read that it is wise to ask the Pilgrim Office in SJPDP what the weather forecast is for the next day and ask their opinion as to weather to walk the route Napoleon of to go the safer other route.

A friend of mine is always telling me "On a walk you can't get warm, you can ONLY STAY WARM" meaning don't get cold in the first place.

Hopefully the weather will warm up over the 11 days.

Again thanks for the post

Pablo
 
If you have to take the Valcarlos route, STAY ON THE ROAD. DO NOT FOLLOW THE ARROWS THAT TAKE YOU OFF THE MAIN ROAD!! Exception: the first one right outside SJP which follows a country road that parallels the main highway. Once that leads you back to the main highway though (around Arneguy IIRC), STAY ON THE ROAD. You can spend the night in Valcarlos, either at the albergue (if it's open) or one of several hostales & hoteles (I stayed at Casa Marcelino & dined there that night).

Kelly
 
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I read a blog the other day and felt really angry with the pilgrims from Australia who boasted about being 'legends' for not listening to the locals who told them to walk on the road from St Jean to Roncesvalles as bad weather was expected.

"Got our pilgrims passport and our first stamp (we get these at each place we stop) and we were advised not to go over the Pyreenes as there had been snow. NOW.. we had just flown half way around the world to be told we had to walk the first part next to the motor way to Spain...yes we understood this advice...but we were fit, prepared, provisioned and ready ..no stopping us. Our backup plan was to always retrace our steps if we could not go on..we were not going to risk our lives ..sounds dramatic but the people we met later told us that they were shown photos of the people who died last month!!
So off we set. We walked 8 kms to Orrison. Very steep, but on the road. Passed flocks of sheep and the shepherd. Stopped for a coffee here and looked out at the mountains covered in snow. Kept going as the weather was still fine and seemed clear up ahead. No other people in sight..though some had gone over earlier in the day we heard. Here we left the road, crossed the hillside and yes Dave, we passed wild horses, but they were too busy eating. The snow was appearing now, but the path was still clear. Hard to believe that there we were, on top of the Pyrenees..snow all around now and not a soul to be seen..it was beautiful..something we will never forget. Once we crossed the pass and michele face planted straight into the snow (very hard to stand up when you can´t stop laughing and with a back pack on) plain sailing downhill through the Blair Witch Forest..brought us to our destination the Roncesvalles Monestry. Once we had finished, we went straight to the bar and realised that we were the only ones who had gone over the mountain, everyone else had taken the advice.... we were offically legends.....we were pointed out at dinner, and chris wore her snowburn with pride!!!!! As some one said ¨"Australians...ahhh".

http://micheleandchrisscamino.blogspot.com/
 
I am completely convinced now that it is better to be lucky than wise.
 
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i am starting to get worried about the weather now, but i suppose going to the office on monday morning when they open is the only way to find out what to do/what the forecast is.
 
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.
rekkapix,
Just make sure you take adequate clothing- layering works best- more than you need for a summer Camino. April might have cold patches like at present, but also some very wet patches, so make sure you take good waterproof gear. You can also get some beautiful, clear fine days in April. If it warms up, and you want to get rid of some of your warm layers, you could always post them ahead to ivar, but don't do that too soon, as it can be quite cold across the Meseta. (I speak from experience even in June!)
Like everyone says, if you are leaving from SJPP, listen to the locals about which route to take: they know that mountain pass.
All the best for your Camino.
Margaret
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Yeah, I was in Lourdes during nasty bout of weather and decided against even starting in St. Jean. I was afraid of crossing the Pyrenees in a snowstorm. I met the 8 or so people that crossed at that time, they were all advised to take the road route (but why would you do otherwise in a snowstorm?), and even then said they would turn around and were not able to see their footsteps behind them. They all made it, but someone had died a few weeks earlier, not sure which route that was. Half of them continued on the road after Roncesvalles, as the snow was quite high on the trail.

I really wanted to walk the whole thing, but there was no way of knowing if there would be anyone else walking...I'm glad all of those people were rescued. Should definitely be carrying some sorta' emergency shelter and heat source though, oh and carbs, as your body will use that to help generate heat.

liz
 
Liz - don't feel that you missed anything. There is no 'whole thing' but ever since guide book publishers started printing St Jean as the 'start' of the camino Frances, people think that the camino actually starts there and anywhere else is a cop out!
Walter Starkie said that the camino Frances started in Paris! When I walked from Paris in 2004 only 44 pilgrims who received the Compostela were registered as having started in Paris.
Until the modern camino, the majority of pilgrims in Spain started from their front doors.
And, the 'original' route from St Jean was through the valley of Charlemagne (Valcarlos) and many pilgrims crossed at other passes too.
 
Mountains are to be taken seriously, weather changes quickly from good to deadly... if the locals advice Valcarlos route then listen to them, it can be the best advice you ever got in your lifetime. The Valcarlos route is beutiful and you get all the climb you need, I was there march 16th and with me were 2 guys from England that had to turn back from Napoleon route 2 days earlier as they were cought up in fog and could only see 2 meters, several weeks before us a guy from Holland died on the mountain and we also heard about a Korean girl 1 week after us that lost the track and died.

When you are exhausted, cold and dissoriented, your body starts to shake and and the only thing you want is to rest and fall asleep, that is where things get dangerous, if people are not experienced, equipped and know how to survive in acute situations, death is a probability, so I can only say, listen to the locals and take the Valcarlos route, taking Napoleon route when it is not safe is not bravery, it is stupid.

Buen Camino :)
 
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We were on the Camino late last October when an early snow storm hit. We had not brought clothing to wear that would protect us from that weather so we quit a few days early and went home. Disappointing yes, life threatening no. We saw early enough and made a smart decision to stop.

The Camino is not worth your life and you can always come back..
 
WolverineDG said:
If you have to take the Valcarlos route, STAY ON THE ROAD. DO NOT FOLLOW THE ARROWS THAT TAKE YOU OFF THE MAIN ROAD!! Exception: the first one right outside SJP which follows a country road that parallels the main highway. Once that leads you back to the main highway though (around Arneguy IIRC), STAY ON THE ROAD. You can spend the night in Valcarlos, either at the albergue (if it's open) or one of several hostales & hoteles (I stayed at Casa Marcelino & dined there that night).

Kelly
Why not leave the road and follow arrows? jrs
 
If it is a beautiful, clear, sunshiny day with no forecast of clouds, fog or snow, take the off-road detours.
But, if the weather is bad, if there is fog or rain and snow forecast, stay on the road.
An Englishman died just 50m from the road a couple of years ago when caught in a snow blizzard.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Paul, I actually took the Valcarlos Route 2 years ago, just a few weeks after the English gentleman died (although he had taken the Route Napoleon). The 2 men I was with & I found the off-road portions of this route after Valcarlos to be poorly marked & not well-maintained. At one point we reached an area where there were 3 possible paths & no arrows or other signs to say which was the correct way. We chose the path that was closest to the road & fortunately, it was the correct one. It was an absolutely horrific experience that I do not want others to go through. So if you chose this route, stay on the road!

Kelly
 
I am one of the Australians in the SNIPPET posted from our blog , which is not a guide to the Camino, just a fun blog for our friends and family to follow us!!..we are now home after the most wonderful 6 weeks. I just wanted to say that the only reason we went over the mountains(this was not in our blog) a few men who we stayed with on the 1stnight in SJPP were told that it would ok to go over the mountain, we were at the office not long after them and were told it would be better to go around. We assumed they said this as they asked our age, thinking we could not do it. We knew if others were going, then we could too.
When we got to Orrisson, as we knew others were going to that day, we asked there if anyone had gone on. 13 people had left not long before us with the man from Orrisson.That is why we continued. I might add it was a cloudless sunny day. When we got to the top it did cloud over but then cleared for our journey down. In our blog we said we were the only ones, but we were not. Our blog was a bit of fun for family and friends that is why the "cocky " bit came through.We do object to our blog being posted and taken out of context. :( But in saying all that, nothing and noone can take away the amazing memories we have of our time on the Camino. We just loved EVERY minute of our journey and the people we met along the way. :D
 

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