Historical monthly weather on Chemin Le Puy

[hieudovan]

I am hoping to start my chemin in Le Puy April 2024 to avoid the "crowds." I am trying to look up historical monthly data on the weather for April. I know it'll be cold. I am more concerned about snowfall due to the high elevation. Please direct me to websites (weather or travels) with this information. I would also appreciate hearing about your own experiences and thoughts about when is a good time to walk this camino. Thanks in advance. Bon chemin!

 

[Paul-CH]

Hi try a google search like: weather historical data Aumont-Aubrac and you find many pages. The question is now what do you believe. We had frost at Espalion at 2017-04-27 but no snow. But the group after us got snow at the Aubrac plateau.

 

[Bradypus]

Weatherspark will give you very detailed historical weather data for places along your route. Just plug the name of the town you are interested in into the search box then select the month you want to see. Temperatures, precipitation, wind,.... All there.

Le Puy-en-Velay Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (France) - Weather Spark

In Le Puy-en-Velay, the summers are short and comfortable, the winters are long and very cold, and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 28°F to 76°F and is rarely below 16°F or above 86°F.

weatherspark.com

 

[Kitsambler]

There are some calendar landmarks that will help you avoid the "crowds"* on the Le Puy. First, most gites will not open until Easter, which is a moveable feast falling on 31 March in 2024. Some will be open earlier, particularly for Holy Week (the week before Easter). Consult your guidebook for details, but don't take that as gospel; contact the specific establishment for a reservation to be sure. Many French will start walking from Easter. Then there are the 3 major long weekends in May (May 1, May 8, Whitsuntide -- a moveable feast tied to Easter, falling on 19 May in 2024), which turn into 4-day (or longer) weekends and many, many more French take advantage of that for walking. Additionally, there is the weekend surge of walkers from Le Puy. Taken altogether, if you leave from Le Puy mid-week of the second or third week of April in 2024, you'll be past Conques before the first of the May long weekends.

* I put the word in quotes because the 50/day on the early Le Puy is soooo much easier to deal with than the 500/day leaving SJPP. Both those figures are for the high seasons of May and September.

 

[monja]

@Kitsambler, Now I am really disappointed. Wanted to start early May... but it sounds like - "don't do this". Is it really as bad as it sounds in your post?

 

[trecile]

Here's a site that should be helpful

Camino de Le Puy - forecast and historical weather

Get a personal daily weather forecast for the Camino de Le Puy for the exact dates you're planning to go. Or browse to pick the best time of year.

caminoweather.com

 

[Kitsambler]

@Kitsambler, Now I am really disappointed. Wanted to start early May... but it sounds like - "don't do this". Is it really as bad as it sounds in your post?

Your best bet might be to leave Le Puy 15-16 May and make sure you have all lodging booked for at least several days past Conques (ie, first two weeks).

 

[Tandem Graham]

I am hoping to start my chemin in Le Puy April 2024 to avoid the "crowds." I am trying to look up historical monthly data on the weather for April. I know it'll be cold. I am more concerned about snowfall due to the high elevation. Please direct me to websites (weather or travels) with this information. I would also appreciate hearing about your own experiences and thoughts about when is a good time to walk this camino. Thanks in advance. Bon chemin!

Hi, I walked in 2018. I arrived in Le Puy on Easter Sunday and commenced walking on Easter Tuesday, which I think was April 3rd.
The weather was generally bright; I experienced only two days of significant rain during a month of walking. I did find some patches of lying snow and experienced one morning of wind driven hailstones on my approach to Aumont Aubrac.
The temperatures varied from 0 degrees C on a few early mornings to 26 on a couple of afternoons later in the month.
I stayed mainly in privately run Gite d'Etapes, and mostly on half pension. The dinners were typically very good, with an informal contest between proprietors: "I'm glad you enjoyed the dinner; was it better than (insert name of previous night's lodgings)?"
I usually booked my bed by phone, around noon on the same day. Only once was there any problem with that, in Figeac, where some hikers heading for Rocamadour often commence. I had to spend a little more that night to get a single hotel room.
You are of course wise to seek more than one year's weather data. In 2018 walkers in late May and June had continuous rain, but I don't think that is the case every year.
Two other tips:
A bit of spoken French is handy. The Gite owners usually have some English, but the majority of walkers are Francophone, so conversation over dinner is likely to be in French.
Do join the early pilgrim mass at Le Puy cathedral on your departure day; apart from the religious component, it is also a good opportunity to meet your fellow pilgrims. And do stay in Conques Abbey, and join in the singing!
Bon Chemin!

 

[Lleslie]

We were amongst the wet May/June 2018 group started May 20, apparantly knee deep snow the week before. We encounted a few flooded tracks, intermittant showers, occasional thunderstorms giving way to warm to hot days into SJPP. Some days envolved multiple wardrobe changes with wet weather gear on and off. I hate wet feet/boots so choose waterproof boots and rain pants. Mostly used umbrella for upper body, used raincoat only if excessively windy with driving rain. Each year is different so hard to predict for next year. Loved the Le Puy route and great memories of the food at the gites Bom Chemin

 

[monja]

Your best bet might be to leave Le Puy 15-16 May and make sure you have all lodging booked for at least several days past Conques (ie, first two weeks).

Thanx for your advise! Best will be, not to think about to much and believe, that there always will be a bed for me. I try to avoid the "common stages", so I think this will also help.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked from the last few days in May through most of June a few years ago. Overall my weather was quite good with lots of sun, and good walking temps. Occasionally it was overcast with a bit of light rain in the afternoon before arriving at our gite and only once was there a downpour. We ended in Auvillar.