Early April Napolean Route: Will it be open?

[Len Dacombe]

As I am planning to be in SJPP by April 7th or 8th, I was wondering whether the Napolean route will be an option or not? Is the probability low? Just trying to plan ahead. Thanks.

 

[whariwharangi]

You likely won't know till the week of travel ... too many variables.

 

[Icacos]

You might do as I did ... for my April 7/13 start. I trained for the Route Napoleon, had my reservation at Orisson, and diverted at the last minute to Valcarlos when the pilgrim office in SJPP advised that the Route Napoleon was closed because of snow. I got a full refund from Orisson. I was pleasantly surprised at the Valcarlos route; it is beautiful. Be forewarned though - there is a short, very steep descent followed by an equally short, very steep ascent at the very end just before you enter Valcarlos.

 

[wayfarer]

You really won't know until you speak to someone in the pilgrims office in STJPP and be sure to take their advice.

 

[Al the optimist]

It can change day to day. As Wayfarer said you just have to listen to the local advice on the day. Be sensible even on the lower route as it is not much lower and can still have problems. Above all take the right route for the descent into Roncesvalles if on the Napoleon as the left one is trecherous at the best of times. Buen Camino

 

[naplesdon]

I do anecdotal reports from Biarritz, where I can see how much snow is falling on top of la Rhune.

 

[Len Dacombe]

You might do as I did ... for my April 7/13 start. I trained for the Route Napoleon, had my reservation at Orisson, and diverted at the last minute to Valcarlos when the pilgrim office in SJPP advised that the Route Napoleon was closed because of snow. I got a full refund from Orisson. I was pleasantly surprised at the Valcarlos route; it is beautiful. Be forewarned though - there is a short, very steep descent followed by an equally short, very steep ascent at the very end just before you enter Valcarlos.

Thanks Icacos. Orisson seems like a pretty short day. Of course I live on the flat prairie. I was hoping to make it to Roncesvalles on day #1 if at all possible. I am open to taking the Valcarlos route if necessary. It's nice to hear you found it beautiful and scenic too.

 

[neverlost4good]

I

You might do as I did ... for my April 7/13 start. I trained for the Route Napoleon, had my reservation at Orisson, and diverted at the last minute to Valcarlos when the pilgrim office in SJPP advised that the Route Napoleon was closed because of snow. I got a full refund from Orisson. I was pleasantly surprised at the Valcarlos route; it is beautiful. Be forewarned though - there is a short, very steep descent followed by an equally short, very steep ascent at the very end just before you enter Valcarlos.

didn't know if Orisson refunded: Yey! Thanks for the info (April 21 start)

 

[Mark Lee]

Thanks Icacos. Orisson seems like a pretty short day. Of course I live on the flat prairie. I was hoping to make it to Roncesvalles on day #1 if at all possible. I am open to taking the Valcarlos route if necessary. It's nice to hear you found it beautiful and scenic too.

I did the Valcarlos route on my first Camino. Some beautiful scenery. It does get a tad bit steep towards the end before Roncesvalles, but plenty doable.

 

[Icacos]

Thanks Icacos. Orisson seems like a pretty short day. Of course I live on the flat prairie. I was hoping to make it to Roncesvalles on day #1 if at all possible. I am open to taking the Valcarlos route if necessary. It's nice to hear you found it beautiful and scenic too.

Yes, Len, Orisson is a very short day. We had planned it to be an afternoon walk after a morning absorbing the atmosphere in SJPP. As it was, we set out for Valcarlos after lunch, and stayed that night in a privately run hostel filled with relics of the owner's Basque grandparents' smuggling days. He had some wonderful stories to tell. When we emerged from the hostel the next morning at 11:30 we ran into peregrinos who had started in SJPP that morning and were continuing straight through to Roncesvalles - a humbling experience for us.

I

didn't know if Orisson refunded: Yey! Thanks for the info (April 21 start)

As far as I know, the proprietor will give refunds if the Route Napoleon is closed. In all our dealings with him, he seemed very accommodating.

I did the Valcarlos route on my first Camino. Some beautiful scenery. It does get a tad bit steep towards the end before Roncesvalles, but plenty doable.

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Thank you for these wonderful pictures. You might even elicit some converts from the Route Napoleon!

 

[jpflavin1]

As I am planning to be in SJPP by April 7th or 8th, I was wondering whether the Napolean route will be an option or not? Is the probability low? Just trying to plan ahead. Thanks.

Len:

No one can answer that question but God, Mother Nature etc. I walked in 2010-11 in mid-March and had no snow issues at all. That was my experience. I know one year since that there was snow much later. You can always just take the Val Carlos route if there is snow in Pass.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[CaminoCruiser]

I did the Valcarlos route on my first Camino. Some beautiful scenery. It does get a tad bit steep towards the end before Roncesvalles, but plenty doable.

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Wow, beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing those. I'm doing the Valcarlos route for my first Camino next year.

 

[Markaphx]

Thank you for your question Len, I have been wondering the same thing.
My first planned walking day on the CF is March 24, 2015.
I have a lot of questions and concerns as this is my first Camino, and weather is certainly one of them.
I'm flying into Barcelona, so my tentative plan is to watch the weather reports as I leave for SJPP and if the pass is blocked maybe just start from Roncesvalles. Which would be disappointing since I have my heart set on starting in SJPP.
Reports I have read say the Valcarlos route can be very dangerous due to vehicle traffic on the road especially in bad weather. (?)

 

[peregrina2000]

You really won't know until you speak to someone in the pilgrims office in STJPP and be sure to take their advice.

I've walked many caminos and gotten bad advice from "the locals" many times, but this is the one instance in which i would always do what the people in the pilgrims' office recommend. They know of what they speak.

In my experience, in so many other places, "the locals" have never set foot on any Camino and have no idea about where it goes or what conditions it's in. I have found that local people tend to always recommend that you just walk alongside the road that connect their town with the next. There's no mud, no possibility of getting lost, so in their mind it's a no brainer. They may know how to drive from one town to the next, but they frequently don't have a clue about walking. So my recommendation is, once you get to Roncesvalles, don't be too sure that any of "the locals" know what they are talking about. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Icacos]

..... since I have my heart set on starting in SJPP.
Reports I have read say the Valcarlos route can be very dangerous due to vehicle traffic on the road especially in bad weather. (?)

If your reports are from first-time peregrinos who started in SJPP, bear in mind that they would have been fresh on the trail and, quite likely, a bit apprehensive about everything; I know I was. As I recall (and others can correct me if I'm wrong) the Valcarlos road leading out of SJPP is very narrow, through a light residential area leading towards farmland. In very short order, one comes across the path on the right leading off-road onto the trail (easy to miss if one is not paying attention). I imagine the local residents and farmers are well aware of peregrinos using this road - in fair weather or foul - and are on the lookout for them.

There's a bit of main-road walking immediately upon leaving Valcarlos before heading into the trail, but I remember little of it.

When we got closer to Roncesvalles we eventually did end up on the road as there was too much snow in the trail. It was near blizzard conditions. Vehicles coming down the hill were all going slowly due to the conditions - we were all walking facing the traffic - and the drivers and passengers were all aware of us. What was most heartwarming was the thumbs up we peregrinos got from the drivers and passengers as they went by ... sometimes two thumbs up from kids in the back seats!

If your heart is set on starting in SJPP, as mine was, I wouldn't for a moment consider missing that most interesting town.

Buen Camino

 

[neverlost4good]

Very nice to hear. I'm going to be following our friends who walk in March (James) to share with us the journey through early Spring.

 

[Al the optimist]

I too got friendly shouts and waves on the Valcarlos roads, especially from motorbikes as it was a Saturday.

 

[Saramago]

Day 1 and Day 2 Napoleon Easter 2014. But that is just one year. Agree with the above.

 

[Saramago]

With the rest at Orisson.