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newbies (one 75years old) planning to walk the camino in oct

onedayatatime35

New Member
hi my daughter and i are planning to walk from saint jean de pied to roncevalles. how difficult is this route for an older person to do in one day or should we plan to stay in orisson?

also, should we carry sleeping bags at this time of year or will we be able to find accomodations without too much difficulty? what is the status of bedbugs at the moment?? thanks :D
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Hi, oneday,

In the ten years that I've been walking Caminos, I've met many people over 70. One year, I was honored to participate in the birthday celebration of an 85 year old Italian man. We were in Castrojeriz, and he had been walking Caminos for many years. Another year I saw a man in his 80s who was jogging the Camino -- well, his jog wasn't much faster than many of the young guys' walk, but anyway, my point is that age isn't the only thing that matters. This year I met two 75-year old German men who walked/bussed/taxied and had a great time.

I think that whether you want to do the St. Jean to Roncesvalles stretch in one day depends on your stamina and hiking abilities. I'm not sure what the elevation gain is between St. Jean and the highest point, but it must be close to 2500 feet. I assume you have a pretty good idea of what your limits are in that regard. It is the only real killer ascent of the whole Camino, too bad it's on the first day, but I guess it's initiation by fire.

But in any event, even if you can do the trip in one day, you should consider the pleasure of spending an afternoon up in Orisson. I was there on a beautiful May day, we arrived before noon and had the whole afternoon to lounge around and enjoy. The views were stunning. Now, I had been walking from Moissac, so a rest day was probably more of a treat than it would be for you on Day 1, but in any event, it is really pretty up there.

I always bring a sleeping bag, even in summer, because honestly you will be sleeping in a lot of beds whose conditions probably don't meet your normal standards of hygiene. But you'll be fine. Asnd about the last question, as others have commented, bed bugs don't seem to be as much of a problem this year as they were last year. Who knows why. Enjoy!
 
Hi all,
I am 79 and am starting from Jean in 10 days, on 9 Sept, staying at Orisson on the first night and then Roncesvalles. St Jean altitude is 163 metres, then Orisson after 8 km is 950 metres, and from Orisson to Roncesvalles is 20km. The highest altitude between Orisson and Roncesvalles is the Lepoeder Pass at 1436 metres. So the altitude rise from St Jean to Orisson is 2600 ft, and from Orisson to the pass is 1600 ft. The email address of the private refugio at Orisson is refuge.orisson@wanadoo.fr, the cost is about 32 Euros for dinner, bed and breakfast, and has to be paid in advance using Pay Pal.
I always use a silk liner to my sleeping bag. They weigh next to nothing, you can use them if it is too hot for a sleeping bag, and they keep the inside of the sleeping bag clean and are easily washed
Hope this helps. David
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Wow David, 79 and still walking strong! I hope I can get another 10 years in - or even 5 years (I'm now 68) How many kms do you expect to do per day (more or less)? Anne
 

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