Lourdes to Santiago

[Charl]

I've already posted a nice little summary of our upcoming Lourdes-Santiago pilgrimage elsewhere, so this is just to enable me to place a digital circle around the date of 27 April in the forum calendar. Just in case there's some synchronicity in the universe that says someone else is setting off on the Long Walk from Lourdes on that day too. Which would be a bit of a miracle as that section of the Camino is off the beaten track. In the meantime we're anxiously watching the webcams in the Ossau valley, watching to see when the snow line will start lifting... this snow business is all a little strange for us here, in the middle of summer in South Africa...

 

[DCGuy]

I'll be behind you as I start from Toulouse on the 26th. I plan to detour to Lourdes, but walk back to the Chemin d'Arles to Oloron, and then from there continue over Somport. Maybe I'll catch up eventually to you, but doubt it since it is my first Camino.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I hiked that route last year -- the Aragon river valley is stunning -- but probably the most magical is the arrival in Eunate.

Just some trail advice -- the Way to Oloron is fairly straightforward, though there are many variants ; just avoid anywhere too steep if it's been raining, as there are a couple of extremely nasty walls of mud if you follow the GR.

The GR track between Oloron and Sarrance is a bit dodgy -- some sections are very nice ; others are a punishing trudge in the sludge through some very ill-maintained track that's been left uncleared of fallen tree-trunks for years. Some sections remain unfinished, and I found myself more than once needing to guess my way forward as the waymarkers just vanished (might be better this year for all I know).

It's fine after Sarrance, and the Monastery-Refugio there is perfectly magical BTW -- and the going gets much easier in the last few KMs in France after the Spanish waymarkers take over from the French.

There'll just be the snow to worry about of course, but the road up to the Somport is well maintained if you needed to go that way, and there are several resting places on the way up. If weather permits, the final 6-8 KM of the hiking trail up through the woods are a bit steep, and you should carry more water than you'll think is necessary -- it's a thirsty climb.

Gets a lot easier once you've passed the Somport

 

[Charl]

DCGuy you may well catch up with us as we're staying over at a few places

Jabbapapa - why is the arrival at Eunate magical?

For the record we're going via Portalet and not Somport, basically because it allows for a bit more walking through the Pyrenees which is what we're after .

 

[JabbaPapa]

Jabbapapa - why is the arrival at Eunate magical?

For the record we're going via Portalet and not Somport, basically because it allows for a bit more walking through the Pyrenees which is what we're after .

Sounds like a plan, though I'd recommend not bypassing Sarrance.

Eunate is really where the Camino Aragonès joins up with the Francès, even though the "official" juncture is a few KM further on, and even though most pilgrims on the Francès do not visit Eunate -- but regardless of these technical questions, Eunate really is the true material and spiritual endpoint of the Camino Aragonès, as well as being, I'm sorry, indescribably beautiful in its own right. It's the most beautiful small church I've ever visited, and no photo can really capture that beauty.

It's the best haven of peace until San Bol, and the final haven of peace prior to joining the madness of the Francès ...

 

[Charl]

Unfortunately we're missing Sarrance as we swing south at Arudy into the Ossau valley towards Laruns. But thanks for the heads-up on Eunate, I've made a note to stop by that church (do you recall its name?), and we may just stay over there if it's practical. And yes the whole idea behind starting the pilgrimage this way was to have some relative peace and quiet before we join the social club on the Frances route

 

[mspath]

The name of the church at Eunate is Santa Maria de Eunate. It is indeed most special. Unfortunately the albergue next to the church is now closed. The nearest accommodation including several albergues as well as hotels is at nearby Puenta La Reina where the Argonese Camino joins the Camino Frances. Santa Maria de Eunate is usually closed on Monday but open morning and afternoon on other days.

Buen camino!

MM