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www.gronze.com is an excellent resource for identifying all accommodation opportunities along the Frances. Beware the ilk of Berking.con where you may find yourselves in the same Province as the camino but nowhere in sight of it. The WisePilgrim guide books and Apps are also highly recommended by members. St John Brierley's guide is also comprehensive. All these resources will help you plan.My husband and I are planning our first Camino and will arrive in SJPDP at the beginning of March. Yes, March! Work schedules and commitments being what they are, that's when it has to be.
I'm looking for a reality check in terms of snow/ice, especially crossing the Pyrenees. We live in Central NY and are used to a lot of snow and cold, but we don't walk miles and miles up/downhill in it. We definitely have the appropriate clothing but does anyone have thoughts on other specialty gear we might need for that time of year?
Also, my husband uses a CPAP machine at night, so we'll be looking for hotels,private homes that let out rooms, B&Bs, etc. If anyone has a good source for finding private accommodations, we'd certainly appreciate the assist.
To everyone - thanks for all of the great information that you so willingly share!
My husband and I are planning our first Camino and will arrive in SJPDP at the beginning of March. Yes, March! Work schedules and commitments being what they are, that's when it has to be.
I'm looking for a reality check in terms of snow/ice, especially crossing the Pyrenees. We live in Central NY and are used to a lot of snow and cold, but we don't walk miles and miles up/downhill in it. We definitely have the appropriate clothing but does anyone have thoughts on other specialty gear we might need for that time of year?
Also, my husband uses a CPAP machine at night, so we'll be looking for hotels,private homes that let out rooms, B&Bs, etc. If anyone has a good source for finding private accommodations, we'd certainly appreciate the assist.
To everyone - thanks for all of the great information that you so willingly share!
I walked with a CPAP in 2016. My wife and I used a combination of public and private albergues, B&B and one serviced apartment. Most people had no problem with the small amount of noise it made, but at one stage someone took exception to having it on in the room. Gronze and Booking.com were our primary sources for private accommodation. There are others, including a range of apps, that have details of accommodation options along the way.Also, my husband uses a CPAP machine at night, so we'll be looking for hotels,private homes that let out rooms, B&Bs, etc. If anyone has a good source for finding private accommodations, we'd certainly appreciate the assist.
You will need warm clothing and can expect either snow or rain or both. You will also probably have to take the alternate route to Roncesvalles due to the weather conditions on the Napoleon route over the Pyrenees.My husband and I are planning our first Camino and will arrive in SJPDP at the beginning of March. Yes, March! Work schedules and commitments being what they are, that's when it has to be.
I'm looking for a reality check in terms of snow/ice, especially crossing the Pyrenees. We live in Central NY and are used to a lot of snow and cold, but we don't walk miles and miles up/downhill in it. We definitely have the appropriate clothing but does anyone have thoughts on other specialty gear we might need for that time of year?
Also, my husband uses a CPAP machine at night, so we'll be looking for hotels,private homes that let out rooms, B&Bs, etc. If anyone has a good source for finding private accommodations, we'd certainly appreciate the assist.
To everyone - thanks for all of the great information that you so willingly share!
We walked in early march in 2014 and the Napoleon route was closed due to snow. We took the Valcarlos route and had to go on the road for some of the time. At one point it snowed so much that some walkers, later in the day had to abandon the walk and hitch rides. But it really doesn’t matter, all part of the Camino magicMy husband and I are planning our first Camino and will arrive in SJPDP at the beginning of March. Yes, March! Work schedules and commitments being what they are, that's when it has to be.
I'm looking for a reality check in terms of snow/ice, especially crossing the Pyrenees. We live in Central NY and are used to a lot of snow and cold, but we don't walk miles and miles up/downhill in it. We definitely have the appropriate clothing but does anyone have thoughts on other specialty gear we might need for that time of year?
Also, my husband uses a CPAP machine at night, so we'll be looking for hotels,private homes that let out rooms, B&Bs, etc. If anyone has a good source for finding private accommodations, we'd certainly appreciate the assist.
To everyone - thanks for all of the great information that you so willingly share!
You might look into Stephen Jones Camino de Santiago 2018 videos on You-Tube for reference. He walked Feb-March 2018 so that might give you some ideas regarding the weather. I know it was cold (& snowy) in April 2018 too!
Wow, that's a lot of snow. But I agree, that's all part of the magic. We'll take it as it comes. Thanks for the resource suggestion!We walked in early march in 2014 and the Napoleon route was closed due to snow. We took the Valcarlos route and had to go on the road for some of the time. At one point it snowed so much that some walkers, later in the day had to abandon the walk and hitch rides. But it really doesn’t matter, all part of the Camino magic
On B&bs etc, there is an app called My Camino Bed which we found very useful - it has the full range of accomodation from albergues to paraders.
Buen Camino.
All great information. Very helpful and most appreciated. Thank you!www.gronze.com is an excellent resource for identifying all accommodation opportunities along the Frances. Beware the ilk of Berking.con where you may find yourselves in the same Province as the camino but nowhere in sight of it. The WisePilgrim guide books and Apps are also highly recommended by members. St John Brierley's guide is also comprehensive. All these resources will help you plan.
The Route Napoleon from St Jean pied de la Porte will be closed until at least the end of March so be guided to the beautiful Route Valcarlos which will give you an easy two days to Roncesvalles. You may still encounter both snow and ice in which case local advice, from the Pilgrims' Office ( Bureau de Pelerin ) in St JdpdP should be followed. General advice is follow the road.
Speciality gear. Crampons, ice axes, coupling ropes - no. Do you really want to carry all that gear for 500 miles and use it twice?
Be aware that Holy Week begins 5 April in 2020 in Spain and that is a time that many Spaniards and other European Catholics choose to walk. Depending on your actual timings you may find yourselves on the most popular stretch of the Frances, Sarria to Santiago, at the most popular time to walk it. As, by then, seasoned peregrinos this should not present you with a problem just an opportunity (though booking ahead might bring some relaxation too).
Buen camino
Hello Neighbor! I live in Cortland. Thanks for the feedback. Just what I needed.I live in Ithaca, NY, and walked in late March/April, and again in April/May. It was cool sometimes chilly in the mornings and then warm in the afternoons. I took layers. No special gear needed. When it was windy I put on my rain pants-- I took one micro-fleece lined pair of pants, and one pair of pants for the warmer afternoons. We walked into Spring.
Excellent information - thank you! The timing of Easter was not on my radar. Great tip.Buen camino, @pattil !
I'm one of the oddballs who voted March as the best month to walk the camino.
If you are starting in early March, you will see spring emerge - it is wonderful; the fruit trees are in bloom. There are not so many people as in April, but there is plenty of companionship.
With the early Easter, you may end up on the busiest part of the camino at a busy time. Either go around it by walking the Invierno when you get to Ponferrada, or be prepared. I rarely book ahead, but there are times when that's useful. At this point I would book Roncesvalles - when I got there at about 5PM (in 2015) there were a surprising number of people who had arrived from Pamplona, intending to start their walk the next day. The few of us who came up the Valcarlos Route from SJPP were lucky to get bunks.
About gear. Don't do overkill. There may well be snow on the part of the way leading over to Ibañeta, and then right after Roncesvalles, but by the time you get there it's pretty flat. So you won't need crampons or ice axes. But definitely take poles. I had boots for those days and was glad to have them - and took them out again crossing the Sierra de la Demanda where there was snow again and a LOT of mud. But otherwise even boots are overkill. Depending on the weather you can take what you'll need to get comfortably over to Pamplona and then mail the heavy stuff to Santiago. And you won't need a heavy sleeping bag - other than San Juan de Ortega, the albergues are a comfortable temperature.
Hotels/B&Bs/Pensiones? Gronze (as others have said) is a good source. It's best to book directly for both you and the proprietor - even if Booking.com and Hotels.com say a place is full, there may still be free rooms if you call.
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Wow! That sounds heavenly.... we LOVE snow. Odd, I know. Thanks for the information and great tips!We walked in March last year starting from SJPDP, walking via Valcarlos. About half way up the mountain it started to snow. I would say it was a moderate to heavy fall - but I am from Australia! We departed Roncesvalles on a reasonably sunny day but the fields were covered in snow. At Zubiri we had 25cm of snow overnight. But.... There was a massive cold snap across the whole of Europe when we were there.
We did not take sleeping bags, instead staying in private accom; I found most of it on Booking.com. We were in Burgos for Easter which was lovely. From memory, places started opening up again from about mid March which made it easier to book accom at the smaller places and more importantly, to get our cafe con leche.
No special equip - we walked in trail shoes (not boots) and they were fine (good quality gortex shoes). Having said that - I would highly recommend a Buff or neck-warmer. There were strong icy winds blowing off the mountains on some days..
Here is a pic of our boys walking out of Roncesvalles (I'm in the foreground, our boys up ahead)
It was a lovely time of the year, hope you have a great walk.
Wow! Great to know that the CPAP wasn't much of an issue in the Alberges. I'm pleased to hear that. Thank you for tips!I walked with a CPAP in 2016. My wife and I used a combination of public and private albergues, B&B and one serviced apartment. Most people had no problem with the small amount of noise it made, but at one stage someone took exception to having it on in the room. Gronze and Booking.com were our primary sources for private accommodation. There are others, including a range of apps, that have details of accommodation options along the way.
I always told the hospitalero who had booked me in that I needed to be near a power point if I was in a dormitory. Fortunately, there was never an occasion where someone had to move to achieve that. A couple of times I wasn't able to get a bottom bunk, or let my wife have the bottom bunk. Having the machine on the top bunk wasn't ideal, but we did manage.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos!Everybody talk about Pyreneene, but there can be snow from Burgos also and up to O Cebreiro as well. I walked in March some years ago and had snow all these places. View attachment 65333View attachment 65334
You will need warm clothing and can expect either snow or rain or both. You will also probably have to take the alternate route to Roncesvalles due to the weather conditions on the Napoleon route over the Pyrenees.
Some of us actually like them. The white noise mitigates the impact of snoring.Great to know that the CPAP wasn't much of an issue in the Alberges.
Hello Neighbor! I live in Cortland. Thanks for the feedback. Just what I needed.
All sound advice from Tincatinker, the only thing I would add is that walking poles would be useful if you encounter snow and ice. I walked in mid-March to early April last year (arriving Santiago on the 6th) and encountered a lot of ice & slush at Foncebadón and Cruz de Ferro. I also (unwisely) ignored the advice that Tomas gave me at Manjarín and followed the Camino to O Cebreiro instead of the road, and ended up ploughing through deep snow (see photo). Doable, but tiring.www.gronze.com is an excellent resource for identifying all accommodation opportunities along the Frances. Beware the ilk of Berking.con where you may find yourselves in the same Province as the camino but nowhere in sight of it. The WisePilgrim guide books and Apps are also highly recommended by members. St John Brierley's guide is also comprehensive. All these resources will help you plan.
The Route Napoleon from St Jean pied de la Porte will be closed until at least the end of March so be guided to the beautiful Route Valcarlos which will give you an easy two days to Roncesvalles. You may still encounter both snow and ice in which case local advice, from the Pilgrims' Office ( Bureau de Pelerin ) in St JdpdP should be followed. General advice is follow the road.
Speciality gear. Crampons, ice axes, coupling ropes - no. Do you really want to carry all that gear for 500 miles and use it twice?
Be aware that Holy Week begins 5 April in 2020 in Spain and that is a time that many Spaniards and other European Catholics choose to walk. Depending on your actual timings you may find yourselves on the most popular stretch of the Frances, Sarria to Santiago, at the most popular time to walk it. As, by then, seasoned peregrinos this should not present you with a problem just an opportunity (though booking ahead might bring some relaxation too).
Buen camino
That sounds like a great idea. I'd love to meet for coffee and hear all about your Camino!Hey-- We should get together for coffee! -- We did need mittens a few mornings, but just used our second pair of socks. -- Also-- Easter Week (week before Easter), is important to know about. Shops are closed, mail is different, some places are packed.
WOW! and some more wow! I do hope that we bump into you in the spring. We're planning to leave SJPDP around March 4-6, depending upon all sort of things. If we don't manage to meet, Buen Camino!All sound advice from Tincatinker, the only thing I would add is that walking poles would be useful if you encounter snow and ice. I walked in mid-March to early April last year (arriving Santiago on the 6th) and encountered a lot of ice & slush at Foncebadón and Cruz de Ferro. I also (unwisely) ignored the advice that Tomas gave me at Manjarín and followed the Camino to O Cebreiro instead of the road, and ended up ploughing through deep snow (see photo). Doable, but tiring.
Lesson learned, listen to those who know! I’ll also be walking the Camino again at that time Pattil (hopefully arriving Easter Sunday) so hope that our paths cross and, even if they don’t, wishing you both an amazing and ‘buen’ Camino.
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WOW! and some more wow! I do hope that we bump into you in the spring. We're planning to leave SJPDP around March 4-6, depending upon all sort of things. If we don't manage to meet, Buen Camino!
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Thanks pattil! I’ll be setting off on the 12th March and aim to average 25km/day. I very much hope we meet too but, like most things, the Camino will ultimately decide. Best wishes to you x
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