Blankets in Roncesvalles Albergue?

[Anniesantiago]

Does anyone remember if you are given blankets at the albergue in Roncesvalles or if they're available for hire?

 

[slynchy]

You weren't and they weren't. Unfortunately, my friend with no sleeping bag basically just slept with a lot of clothes on, her silk liner and a towel.

 

[SYates]

Does anyone remember if you are given blankets at the albergue in Roncesvalles or if they're available for hire?

No and no, but the place (new albergue, not the overflow) was well heated. Buen Camino, SY

 

[mspath]

There are no blankets in Roncesvalles albergue. However the bunks are arranged in nooks of 4 pilgrims. Good electric outlets nearby and lockers. Good showers and kitchen with dining space. All is now quite slick and 'Hiltonesque' .

 

[Jo Jo]

No blankets, not for love or money. The German hospiteleros swore that there were no blankets on any albuergue on the Frances. I was so cold (July 4, 2014) in the middle of the night (no sleeping bag, wearing everything I had, including rain jacket and pants) that I made my wife crawl into the same bunk to gain body heat. Because the new albuergue is so spacious and does not jam pilgrims in like sardines, there is not the usual body warmth to heat the space (especially because the windows were left open to dry very wet gear). Next time I do a summer camino, I'm taking one of the fleece blankets you get on an airplane, using it at Roncevalles, and then leaving it there for some other freezing pilgrim. There were blankets in every other albuergue where it got cold enough to need one.

 

[AJ]

No blankets, not for love or money. The German hospiteleros swore that there were no blankets on any albuergue on the Frances.

They are Dutch and they told me this too last year. I stayed at one other albergue on the Frances without blankets but can't remember which one.

 

[mspath]

... I stayed at one other albergue on the Frances without blankets but can't remember which one.

O Cebreiro does not have blankets either. However the heat is powerful.

 

[Dan the Man]

I just made my reservation and they said blankets were available at a cost of 2.5 Euros. They did say bring a sleeping bag. i am banking on my liners and clothes if chilled.

i have no experience there so i wont count on them being available

 

[MTtoCamino]

The heaters work great in Roncevalles, good thing but as it is high in elevation best to bring a sleeping bag. A man who could not walk more than 10 steps at a time did not stop @ Orrison. Ended up sleeping in the Emergency shelter during a very bad storm. He was stubborn but prepared for the weather. In my way of thinking it is best to plan on surviving a night in the open, as you never know what may stop you from making your destination. Then the issue of staying warm/dry is lessened.

I understand how important it is to reduce weight yet eventually your body gets use to walking everyday. It simply doesn't take much to get into trouble in cold wet weather.

 

[susanawee]

Does anyone remember if you are given blankets at the albergue in Roncesvalles or if they're available for hire?

No blankets there last year.....a friend lent me one of those emergency foil type covers and, coupled with me clothes etc. I was warm enough...

 

[susanawee]

They are Dutch and they told me this too last year. I stayed at one other albergue on the Frances without blankets but can't remember which one.

The only other Albergue without blankets where I stayed was at Ages.....there were lots of bodies in the rooms though and the heaters were left on until about midnight...

 

[Dan the Man]

Now I am back to thinking again. I met with a few people who told me a sleeping bag in August / September wasn't necessary? Hmmm, hve to think this one through again.

 

[Photobec75]

Now I am back to thinking again. I met with a few people who told me a sleeping bag in August / September wasn't necessary? Hmmm, hve to think this one through again.

I'm having the same dilemma Dan. I'm starting my camino the beginning of August and will be walking to Santiago. I only took a liner last year in August but I only walked as far as Burgos and did have a few nights in which I was cold but other nights it was very warm. Now I'm thinking should I take both a sleeping bag and a liner to prepare for every eventuality as I hate being cold!

 

[Dan the Man]

I usually run really hot and I'd hate to carry a sleeping bag for 1 or 2 nights. I am walking in late August and mostly September. I am now thinking there could be a few cold nights?

 

[naplesdon]

I'm having the same dilemma Dan. I'm starting my camino the beginning of August and will be walking to Santiago. I only took a liner last year in August but I only walked as far as Burgos and did have a few nights in which I was cold but other nights it was very warm. Now I'm thinking should I take both a sleeping bag and a liner to prepare for every eventuality as I hate being cold!

Now I am back to thinking again. I met with a few people who told me a sleeping bag in August / September wasn't necessary? Hmmm, hve to think this one through again.

August is normally very warm, so you should have at least 30 days where a sleeping bag would be nothing but extra weight. September is normally very warm for at least 2 or 3 weeks, so if you can finish your Camino by the middle of September you are fine. I ran into sleet one day in July 2014 in O'Cebreiro, it was a very cold night but I found a private room with no heat with a pile of blankets and several cats, no worries.
The story about the guy sleeping in the shelter between Orisson and Roncevalles is just an example of very poor planning for someone who should not have begun the Camino in SJPdP, IMO.

 

[SYates]

... it was a very cold night but I found a private room with no heat with a pile of blankets and several cats, no worries....

Now we will get a lot of threads started asking "Can I keep my cat with me on the Camino to keep me warm?" SY

 

[Susan hopes]

I tend to run cold and was thankful I had a sleeping bag and liner. No blankets at Roncesvalles. I slept in my liner and used my sleeping bag as a blanket and was comfortably warm. When I didn't need a sleeping bag, I used it as a pillow or as a footrest. With swollen feet at the end of the day, it felt good to elevate them for a couple hours. For those of you who are trying to decide whether or not to bring a sleeping bag, my vote is to bring one.

 

[Susan hopes]

Now we will get a lot of threads started asking "Can I keep my cat with me on the Camino to keep me warm?" SY

Don't I wish!? If I remember correctly, a pilgrim on this forum posted a story about a kitten or young cat that followed her down the entire Camino, and thankfully found a forever home just outside of Santiago.

 

[Photobec75]

Thank you for all your replies, I'm hoping I should be finished by second week of September but know that I do get cold. My worst night last year was in the monastery at San Juan de Ortega but I just slept in my clothes to keep warm and put my sarong over me as a blanket.

I'd rather just take a liner due to the weight but am just concerned that as I progress towards Santiago it may get colder. I'll see how much weight the sleeping bag adds to my pack.

 

[naplesdon]

Now we will get a lot of threads started asking "Can I keep my cat with me on the Camino to keep me warm?" SY

However one of the house cats was not as lucky as the others, spending the chilly night outside my window on a piece of cardboard.

 

[Al the optimist]

No blankets there last year.....a friend lent me one of those emergency foil type covers and, coupled with me clothes etc. I was warm enough...

Oh no! The noise they make!

 

[MTtoCamino]

I usually run really hot and I'd hate to carry a sleeping bag for 1 or 2 nights. I am walking in late August and mostly September. I am now thinking there could be a few cold nights?

I have to agree if I were to walk in August a sleeping bag I would not take.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Oh no! The noise they make!

I agree. Had to put up with a woman who slept in one of those. She kept us all up!

 

[Eugene Koh]

Hi all

I will be start walking on the 20th May, just wonder during this period, do I need a sleeping bag for all the albergue.

Any advice will be appreciated

Cheers
Eugene

 

[Al the optimist]

Have a vino tinto on me - that is my birthday! Obviously it depends on the weather, what you are used to and also if you are a hot or cold sleeper. Personally I am the former and even in early May and in September have only used a silk liner. Roncesvalles apart almost everywhere has blankets and Roncesvalles rooms are quite warm. You can always wear more clothes? Buen Camino.

 

[Bernard duffy]

I was soooooo cold there last summer i had to get 3 beautiful swiss lady au pairs to crawl into bed next to me.................................................................however they must have woke early and left

 

[susanawee]

Oh no! The noise they make!

Yes Al, it was rather a noisy night.....even kept myself awake....I did apologise to the other three occupants in my little area in the morning but they all said that they had slept soundly and didn't hear my 'cruching and crackling' all night.

 

[Al the optimist]

The Camino teaches us many things Susana.

 

[naplesdon]

The Camino teaches us many things Susana.

I stayed one night in el Acebo and some guy had one of those foil blankets, the noise all night long was beyond obnoxious. I commented the next morning the only thing he was lacking was the tin foil hat to complete his ensemble.

 

[Al the optimist]

LOL Don

 

[cheminHugh]

Does anyone remember if you are given blankets at the albergue in Roncesvalles or if they're available for hire?

 

[Anniesantiago]

I generally walk in May. But I didn't walk this year so wondered if perhaps we got lucky and Roncesvalles began giving blankets.

If I were walking in August/September, I would still take a very lightweight sleeping bag. If most of the days were in August, maybe just a sleep sack. September can be a dice roll.

One year in May, it was cold and I gave a fellow pilgrim my sleeping bag. I put on layers and covered myself with my ALTUS poncho and slept quite warm. So if you want to go light, but you have an ALTUS, this is a good option. Believe it or not, it DOES keep out the chill.

I was asking because my groups only stay in one albergue, Roncesvalles, and I hate for them to have to take a sleeping bag for one night. I'd put them in hotels but the rooms are already booked up for next year and I don't know of a good private place to stay in the next village. I really should research that. Maybe I'll write Sil.

 

[Mary Posey]

There are no blankets in Roncesvalles albergue. However the bunks are arranged in nooks of 4 pilgrims. Good electric outlets nearby and lockers. Good showers and kitchen with dining space. All is now quite slick and 'Hiltonesque' .

What is the name of the NEW albergue?

 

[Anemone del Camino]

What is the name of the NEW albergue?

Same, it's the same albergue.

 

[nathanael]

Does anyone remember if you are given blankets at the albergue in Roncesvalles or if they're available for hire?

I remember on my first Camino in 2008 The old Albergue was all there was, it was huge and cold in April. I couldn't sleep it was soooo cold I kept waking up because a cloud of white mist kept moving overhead my bed. I finally realize it was a ghost because every time it went over me is when it got colder. True story.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I remember on my first Camino in 2008 The old Albergue was all there was, it was huge and cold in April. I couldn't sleep it was soooo cold I kept waking up because a cloud of white mist kept moving overhead my bed. I finally realize it was a ghost because every time it went over me is when it got colder. True story.

Hahaha! Great story. Yes, I stayed in that old albergue more than once and it WAS cold!

 

[nathanael]

Hahaha! Great story. Yes, I stayed in that old albergue more than once and it WAS cold!

furthermore to my story because of the clod in that place in Burgos I had to stop my Camino and go back to Burgos due to Bronchitis, the family I stay in Puerto del Sol phoned their son to give me a room cause they were booked solid. I stayed there seven days and barely ate took a fight back home I lost 25 lbs and it took me a month to get over it. Great memories for the first Camiino.