Getting lost on the Valcarlos route?

[marigold]

Hi all,
Last night I was reading horror stories of people getting lost and even dying on the Valcarlos route over the pass to Roncesvalles! Now I'm so scared. Do I need a map?
All the posts say 'stay on the road from valcarlos' yet the booklet from the Confraternity tells you to 'turn off the road (close to Km 61) down a hill on the left to reach Ibaneta'. :?
Can anyone explain exactly where to go? Thank you

 

[dougfitz]

I got a little less lost each day of the way. My worst day was leaving SJPDP, when I spent an hour almost getting back to the village before finding the right path! After that I paid much more attention to looking for the camino signs :wink:

The camino does leave the road near Ibaneta and cuts off a series of switchbacks that the road takes near the crest of the ridgeline. So the general advice to follow the road is sound, and would work if you followed it literally, but you would do a bit more walking that you really don't need to do. Follow the Confraternity guide at this point, and your walk will be more pleasant.

Note that while the val Carlos route does generally follow the road, the walking path isn't always immediately adjacent to the road itself. It will often be a bit further up hill, across the valley a little way, down closer to the river line, etc, etc. After I got out of SJPDP I found it well signposted and easy enough to follow.

Buen camino

DougF

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Hi Marigold.

Most people who die on the Camino have heart attacks. A few have died when going over the Pyrenees and were caught in snow. They went when locals had advised them not to.

Cyclists seem to have some additional risk but if you compare numbers of dead versus numbers on the road it is a very small proportion.

Assuming you are not likely to go in winter and if your heart is ok then you should be fine.

I personally would not do the road route but go over the Route Napoleon. There is now an albergue along the route which can be booked into in advance. I have been on this route three times and had no problems.

The Camino involves road walking but the drivers there know about pilgrims and as long as you don't assume you have right of way you will be fine.

philip

 

[grayland]

The cut-off through the woods is not dangerous and is a very well defined trail/path. It is really the only reasonable path to take as the road involves some steep inclines and big switchbacks adding a lot of km to an already long days walk.

I think you must have found some unusual reports if they described it as very dangerous.

The path starts at milepost k57 and it is about 4 km to Ibaneta. Watch for a welcoming dog as you climb up the trail to the Chapel.....

This section is not to worry about....as far as getting lost unless you ignore the path and signs.

 

[marigold]

Thank you for your kind replies, especially the one that even told me the exact place to turn off!
I hope it is easy to find and to follow as a lot of people have told stories about yellow arrows leading to overgrown paths and have had to turn back again.
I am sure it will be ok. It is that fear of the unknown that is scary.
I am going via valcarlos because I am not fit enough to walk the whole thing - need to do it in two days, and the guide says the road way is easier.
Do you think I need to book Valcarlos in advance? I'm going in early May. I think there are two refuges there and two hotels.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

You probably don't need to book in but if you do you will have peace of mind while travelling the first day.

The unknown is always scary but the longer you walk the more confident you will become, especially as you meet other people and walk and talk with them.

In a few days you will wonder why you ever worried.

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Answering your second point, it is most unlikley that on the Camino Francés that you will find arrows leading to blocked paths. The route is too well used.

You might miss an odd arrow, but you will soon realise you have and while backtracking is a nuisance it is unlikley that you will have walked miles out of your way.

Just keep your eyes peeled and you will be fine.