No vacancy in Albergue Río Arga Ibaya in Zubiri during January?

[peregrina2000]

Álvaro Lazaga has begun his 51st camino and is walking the Francés. He is staying in Zubiri tonight and reports that the two albergue rooms in the Albergue Río Arga Ibaya are full. He got a private room at albergue prices, I think. I know Zubiri is always a bottleneck, but in January?!

 

[nycwalking]

Álvaro Lazaga has begun his 51st camino and is walking the Francés. He is staying in Zubiri tonight and reports that the two albergue rooms in the Albergue Río Arga Ibaya are full. He got a private room at albergue prices, I think. I know Zubiri is always a bottleneck, but in January?!

Yesterday, I found his YT channel by chance.

So, it really is his 51ST camino. Wow!

I can’t begin to express how much I wish I were there.

Thanks for update.

Heading to his YT channel right now.

 

[C clearly]

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yesterday, I found his YT channel by chance.

So, it really is his 51ST camino. Wow!

I can’t begin to express how much I wish I were there.

Thanks for update.

Heading to his YT channel right now.

You’ll see that he has posted a LOT of videos. He does them live every day from whichever camino he is walking on, he has absolutely no intent to monetize anything, and he keeps them short and sweet. His only concession to the “vlog culture,” I think, is that he always has a shot or two of himself walking by. That means he stops, sets up his camera/phone, backtracks, walks by, and then goes back to stop the camera. It is a little contrived, but he is still pretty low key in comparison to many of the vloggers out there. If anyone’s planning to walk the Francés soon, these videos would be very helpful. And for the rest of us, it’s a lot of fun to tag along!

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

Of course I know that, but sorry if it wasn’t obvious. This is the only albergue open in Zubiri according to the Aprinca website. (If the albergue is full, that’s 8, plus Alvaro and his buddy make 10).

I can’t imagine anyone would take this thread as alarmist, but maybe I am overestimating my fellow forum members’ capacity for interpretation. I thought it was interesting to learn that there are pilgrims out there and that they may be more than a scattered few. The Aprinca site does say that this albergue recommends calling ahead to reserve, but I would have assumed till I saw Álvaro’s video that it was to make sure someone would come in to open up the albergue, not that they might fill up.

 

[C clearly]

I can’t imagine anyone would take this thread as alarmist, but maybe I am overestimating my fellow forum members’ capacity for interpretation.

I knew that you understood the situation well. But, yes, you might be overestimating.

 

[Bradypus]

I am in the municipal albergue in Logroño tonight. A few days ago I was in the Albergue Rio Arga and it was quite full. There are about a dozen of us walking the same daily stages at the moment. Sometimes one or two more, sometimes less. But if the only place open in town is small then I can easily see that causing a problem. I had not expected the numbers walking at the moment.

 

[Bradypus]

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

If there are 10 available beds and 14 pilgrims arriving that day then it is no less of a problem than a peak season bed rush for those 4 who struggle to find a bed! In small places like Zubiri there are often no private rooms available to absorb the overspill.

 

[nycwalking]

I am in the municipal albergue in Logroño tonight. A few days ago I was in the Albergue Rio Arga and it was quite full. There are about a dozen of us walking the same daily stages at the moment. Sometimes one or two more, sometimes less. But if the only place open in town is small then I can easily see that causing a problem. I had not expected the numbers walking at the moment.

Buen camino.

Again; how I wish I were there.

 

[C clearly]

If there are 10 available beds and 14 pilgrims arriving that day then it is no less of a problem than a peak season bed rush for those 4 who struggle to find a bed! In small places like Zubiri there are often no private rooms available to absorb the overspill.

Yes, agreed.

 

[JabbaPapa]

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

The dorm downstairs sleeps at least 12, and I don't know how many beds there are upstairs, but I would guess the same.

I have seen bed crunch conditions at least once each month in September to December, various particular routes, and this doesn't much surprise me.

Some places should start opening again though, from mid-January onwards.

 

[darealdeal77]

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

There are always pensiones, hostels and B&B. It’s just the matter of paying a little more to stay there. It happened to us in 2014, when we got there late there was no beds and we stayed at a pension. Very nice, the owner’s daughter was a masseuse, it was well needed.

 

[David Tallan]

It is important to point out that the fact of the albergue rooms being full simply means there are 8 pilgrims in Zubiri. To equate it with the infamous "bed crunch" seems a tad alarmist.

"Bed crunch" happens when bed demand meets or exceeds bed supply. That can happen with few or many pilgrims, depending on what the bed supply is. People think it is a modern thing, a result of the increase in the number of pilgrims. I remember experiencing it in O Cebreiro in 1989 when the inn was full and I had to scrounge a place to put my sleeping bag down by the fireplace in the common room. Demand was much less in O Cebreiro then, but so was supply.