Our personal Everest.

[wayfarer]

When we walked the Camino in 2012 we were strongly advised not to take the Napoleon Route so we took the lower Valcarlos route. This was a beautiful route but I felt I had missed out on something. In 2014 when I returned to walk the CF again I was determined to walk the Napoleon, weather conditions were good, all systems were go and I headed off on a warm April morning but had to turn back just short of Orrison due to chest pain.

I plan to walk the CF again but I am torn about the Napoleon, I hate to be beaten but the sensible thing to do would be to start at Roncevalles or Pamplona.

The Napoleon has become my Everest, it has beaten me once, should I keep trying or just forget it and move on.

I have a similar relationship with a peak called Tour Madeloc at the other end of the Pyrenees but that’s another story.

Did any of you have an Everest moment on the way to Santiago.

 

[lettinggo]

"I have not conquered Everest, it has merely tolerated me" Peter Habeler

Next time you go walk gently and make yourself a friend

 

[jeffnd]

I couldn't walk the Napoleon because it was still closed in March of 2014. When I got to Valcarlos at mid-day, I was tired, dehydrated, hungry, and ready to just collapse. There was no way I could make it to Roncesvalles that day. And if the whole route was going to be this hard, Santiago might as well have been on the moon! But once I got to the albergue, had some water and a rest, and met some great people, I started to feel better. I gained the confidence to go on. And even though the next day into Roncesvalles was rough. I believe the phrase, "God-forsaken Death March" ran through my head a few times, I was still able to get through it.

Now, as I make plans to return, it will be in summer, when the Napoleon will be open. I feel like I need to "conquer" that route too. But I feel the need to go back to Valcarlos as well. I want to drink from that fountain on the edge of town, and have a beer at the bar, and get up early and watch the sun come up over the mountains. Maybe when I get to St. Jean, I'll walk to Valcarlos, spend the night and taxi back to St. Jean to take on the Napoleon!

Oh, I should mention that I did walk part of the Napoleon that day. I got lost and ended up going about a mile or so on it. For a few minutes I thought, "Just keep going," but I smartened up and headed back to town to get on the right path. I wasted a lot of energy on that little detour, so in a way, I feel like the Napoleon beat me too!

 

[jdpiguet]

Hi Wayfarer,

I think your post is a sign: I just got over my own Everest today!

The Stockhorn is a mountain around my home, since years I have a special relation with him: there is a light on it during the night I have the strange feeling that it is looking at me.
So I'm trying to walk to it once a year. Today was a little special because I had my ankle badly twisted in June, so I had no possibility to go in summer and my training is at a badly low level.
As the weather was really good today and we are now very close to winter, I took my courage with both hands and I started.

After three and an half hours, the second break:

(BTW, I'm leaving a little behind the small lake)

But my "Everest" was still waiting on the other side:


And the last part is the toughest. I really hate it because it's steep and there is some stairs alike parts which are high and uneven...


By reaching the top, I had VERY sore legs and I was more than happy to be able to use the cable car to go down and travel back!


My "Everest" has learned me several points:

• Be sure of the weather (when you are at your limits, rain or sun can decide the full story)
• Take your time and start earlier than you think it's necessary (there is nothing better than taking a break, lifting your feet and think: that's for free!)
• Have a plan B, and may be a plan C (if anything is not going as well as it should, fall back to the next possibility: taxi, overnight, ...)

In ten years, I had to fall back twice, once for running out of time and once for knee pain.
I would encourage you to try again, may be by planning two days, going back to SJPDP with a taxi and sending you backpack by a transportation service.
It will be so rewarding to reach Roncesvalles via the mountain!

Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

 

[NualaOC]

That's an interesting dilemma @wayfarer. Pamplona or Roncesvalles might be the sensible options, but it sounds as though the Napoleon will always be unfinished business for you if you don't walk that way.

Personally, I hate unfinished business - but that's just me. However - if it's ok with your doctor and you do a bit of training beforehand, it could feel amazing to conquer your Everest . Only you will know if that's the right thing to do, though. Good luck!

 

[Ekelund]

Definitely check with your doctor if your heart is up to the challenge of the Napoleon Route. If he says go for it, do it nice and easy. Enjoy the views, have a sit down and be thankful for being there. Drink lots of water, if you tend to sweat a lot like I do, consider having a salt tablet or electrolytes with your breakfast. Maybe have your pack send to Orisson. Do whatever it takes to make it. Good luck.
Buen Camino to you.

 

[wayfarer]

That's an interesting dilemma @wayfarer. it sounds as though the Napoleon will always be unfinished business for you if you don't walk that way.
Personally, I hate unfinished business - but that's just me.

That is exactly the problem, its unfinished business, like getting back on the horse that threw you.

 

[wayfarer]

I would say "move on". It is just a mountain pass and not even a high one. Roncesvalles is a great starting point, in my view.

What's the story about the Tour Madeloc? We were beaten by the Monte de Monjardín (890m !). We did not reach the castle that towers over Villamayor de Monjardín - serious unfinished business, as we gave up with only about 10% of the way to go, perhaps 30 minutes? I'm still planning to go there one day to see it up close ... View attachment 22302

Does it count as a personal Everest ?

Yes IMO
A similar experience with Madeloc on two occasions, could see the end in sight but had to start back due to high winds and failing light one time and lack of water the other. I walk in that area most years but I have yet to try again, maybe next year.

 

[Kanga]

Yes Pat, I've had a number of Everests. The older I get the less likely I am to conquer them and the less important they seem. I never did get to argue a case in the Australian High Court.

My husband flys light planes. He loves flying. He would love me to be his companion on his trips. I'm terrified. I've steeled myself to go up a couple of times but I'm just a mess until we get down on the ground again. I hate that it is something I have not conquered. Every now and again I resolve to do something about it.

Another Everest I had was riding (driving) a motorbike. After years of being a pillion passenger we decided it would be a good idea for me to get a licence, mainly because we were planning a long motorbike trip and if something happened to my husband it would be useful for me to be able to get the bike out of remote places. I got my learners permit, went to the drivers school, got my provisional licence. I could not conquer the hill starts. It just got the better of me. In the end I gave up.

I've recently watched an amazing documentary about skywalking - tightrope walking high above the ground. When you think about it, the only difference between walking a tightrope 5 centimetres above the ground and 500 metres above the ground, is the tightrope walker's state of mind. Which is all about the consequences of a fall.

So, Pat, it is up to you but if you are going to try the route Napoleon again, please, if only for our sakes, have a safety net or safety harness. If it were me I'd go with a companion, someone who is a very, very slow walker, get my pack carried, wear a Fitbit or similar device with a heart monitor, have my mobile phone fully charged and pre-programmed with taxi and emergency services numbers, start very early and aim only for Orisson the first day, and take a deliberate break (pack off, sit down) every half hour including at Huntto. Prepare for two days; it is still a long climb the following day, from Orisson to the top.

 

[VNwalking]

One thing the Camino taught me is that my limitations are mostly mind-made--even the ones that I thought were purely physical. My current 'no way could I do that' limit--an internal Everest--is walking more than 35 Km per day. I wouldn't try break this just to prove a point, but I do wonder what it would feel like to walk a 42 Km day. I could once run marathons--but that was decades ago with no weight on my back. Could I walk one now? Well, It would probably be fine, but the thought of trying is what gives me the willies. I suspect if I find the answer it'll be on a day when things just click and the distance comes naturally.
And totally agree with @Kanga about taking precautions! Very wise advice.

 

[NualaOC]

That is exactly the problem, its unfinished business, like getting back on the horse that threw you.

It's funny how these little trials can be become such a big deal. My usual approach has been to focus all my efforts on getting back on that damn horse. However, as I've got older I've learned to re-evaluate the significance of the particular horse and decide whether it's worth all that mental anguish. Sometimes the things that we label as failures are just little events in our wider life stories.

So, Pat, it is up to you but if you are going to try the route Napoleon again, please, if only for our sakes, have a safety net or safety harness. If it were me I'd go with a companion, someone who is a very, very slow walker, get my pack carried, wear a Fitbit or similar device with a heart monitor, have my mobile phone fully charged and pre-programmed with taxi and emergency services numbers, start very early and aim only for Orisson the first day, and take a deliberate break (pack off, sit down) every half hour including at Huntto. Prepare for two days; it is still a long climb the following day, from Orisson to the top.

But if you decide to get back on the horse, follow @Kanga's great advice! We'll all be cheering for you

 

[countycork]

Hi Wayfarer
If you are reasonably fit - walking regularly perhaps 3 miles per day - there is no reason why you should not be able to tackle and complete Napoleon in one day. My husband and I (age 66 & 63) left St Jean at 7am on a lovely May morning 2013, light rain started at our ‘coffee’ break in Orisson, but we continued. The weather got considerably worse (4 seasons in one day type), the wind was pretty awful but we took our time/breaks and got to Roncesvalles feeling wonderful! It is mostly paths all the way and we didn’t feel as if we were climbing a mountain (e.g. Carrauntuohill/Croagh Patrick) - the weather was the only real obstacle. In fact the day after we climbed, the route was closed for the next couple of days. I would say have your rucksack transported from St Jean to Roncesvalles and just bring along a small day pack, we did. And as NualaOC says “ if it's ok with your doctor and you do a bit of training beforehand, it could feel amazing to conquer your Everest” . Best of luck – go n-eiri an bothar leat!
Countycork

 

[wayfarer]

Thanks neighbour, I think its more of a head/mind issue rather than a fitness issue at this stage.

 

[NualaOC]

Thanks neighbour, I think its more of a head/mind issue rather than a fitness issue at this stage.

Sounds like you need to get this out of your system.......

 

[Hugh Hertfordshire]

When we walked the Camino in 2012 we were strongly advised not to take the Napoleon Route so we took the lower Valcarlos route. This was a beautiful route but I felt I had missed out on something. In 2014 when I returned to walk the CF again I was determined to walk the Napoleon, weather conditions were good, all systems were go and I headed off on a warm April morning but had to turn back just short of Orrison due to chest pain.

I plan to walk the CF again but I am torn about the Napoleon, I hate to be beaten but the sensible thing to do would be to start at Roncevalles or Pamplona.

The Napoleon has become my Everest, it has beaten me once, should I keep trying or just forget it and move on.

I have a similar relationship with a peak called Tour Madeloc at the other end of the Pyrenees but that’s another story.

Did any of you have an Everest moment on the way to Santiago.

Hey. You had almost cracked it. Why not start early take a taxi up a far as you can and just enjoy it at a slower pace. You've nothing to prove but everything to enjoy

 

[Hugh Hertfordshire]

Saw you like my reply so thought I would add to it. The taxi can drop you off just before the last steep section which can only be a couple of hundred yards then it's fairly level through beautiful woods just below the ridge. There's a water fountain for a break at the boarder then a hut before heading down. If you start early then you can take it slow still getting a bed for the night at Rosconcalles

 

[Carol06]

We walked the Valcarlos route last time and somehow took a wrong turning and ended up on the main road instead of going over the pass. There was nowhere to walk on the roadside and had to jump into the drainage ditch every time a car came. All we could see was a never ending sealed road with switchbacks climbing into oblivion. Fortunately an empty taxi car by and took us the remaining distance to Roncavalles. And it was a very long way. We would never have made it before dark.

So that is my Everest. We are returning to the Camino next year and I am really nervous about this stretch of the path. But I do know where we went wrong. Tempted to start in Roncavalles but I feel like Wayfarer and want to get it right this time.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Saturday 22 October 2011 (UK Independent World News)
A middle-aged man from New Zealand painfully hauled himself up the last few feet to the summit of Mount Everest this week.
Nothing so unusual in that - after all, climbing Everest has become so popular that its slopes are often crowded, and more than 100 people have scaled the mountain already this year - but Mark Inglis is different: he has no legs.
Inglis, who lost both his legs to frostbite more than 20 years ago, is the first double amputee to reach the top of Everest. On Monday night he telephoned his wife, Anne, at their New Zealand home from the 29,035 ft mountain to let her know he had made it safely.

BTW, he used Pacerpoles;-) Maybe they could help your Everest, OP??

 

[Deise]

i understand your predicament - reading between the lines you will probably try , and why not.
i can only say when things ( weather, health etc ) fall right for you it is absolutely beautiful.
i did have that good luck.

 

[wayfarer]

BTW, he used Pacerpoles;-) Maybe they could help your Everest, OP??

I use walking poles, I find them great. At this stage I wouldn't know what to do with my hands when walking without them.

 

[Kiwi-family]

wayfarer, new idea!
Why just walk the Napolean route? Why not do the GR10 and climb Everest six times?!!

 

[wayfarer]

Once would be fine, thanks all the same.

 

[trevorcc]

When we walked the Camino in 2012 we were strongly advised not to take the Napoleon Route so we took the lower Valcarlos route. This was a beautiful route but I felt I had missed out on something. In 2014 when I returned to walk the CF again I was determined to walk the Napoleon, weather conditions were good, all systems were go and I headed off on a warm April morning but had to turn back just short of Orrison due to chest pain.

I plan to walk the CF again but I am torn about the Napoleon, I hate to be beaten but the sensible thing to do would be to start at Roncevalles or Pamplona.

The Napoleon has become my Everest, it has beaten me once, should I keep trying or just forget it and move on.

I have a similar relationship with a peak called Tour Madeloc at the other end of the Pyrenees but that’s another story.

Did any of you have an Everest moment on the way to Santiago.

My Everest was on my 2013 walk when I was taken to hospital a day after I left Sarria (8 days in intensive care) Each day I would look at the cathedral from the hospital, but I made it to the mass before flying home. Went back in 2014 and walked the CF again no problems. Back in 2016 to walk the Camino de Levante.

 

[VNwalking]

Wow, quite the journey, Trevor...may you walk in '16 with ease and none of that drama!

 

[Icacos]

When we walked the Camino in 2012 we were strongly advised not to take the Napoleon Route so we took the lower Valcarlos route. This was a beautiful route but I felt I had missed out on something. In 2014 when I returned to walk the CF again I was determined to walk the Napoleon, weather conditions were good, all systems were go and I headed off on a warm April morning but had to turn back just short of Orrison due to chest pain.

I plan to walk the CF again but I am torn about the Napoleon, I hate to be beaten but the sensible thing to do would be to start at Roncevalles or Pamplona.

The Napoleon has become my Everest, it has beaten me once, should I keep trying or just forget it and move on.

I have a similar relationship with a peak called Tour Madeloc at the other end of the Pyrenees but that’s another story.

Did any of you have an Everest moment on the way to Santiago.

@wayfarer, I do so hope you get to walk the Napoleon Route some day. In 2013, like you, I was all set to go that route when a snowstorm thwarted my plans. I keep hoping to get back there but life gets in the way and now it looks like family responsibilities might be looming up ahead. Who knows how long it might be 'til my next Camino, and if my current (knock on wood) good health will hold out. I keep thinking of a dear friend, severely physically handicapped and now sadly deceased, who was so extremely happy to see me head off on my Camino, who prayed so much for me while I was away, and who was so delighted to see me upon my return and to hear all about my Camino. I am so grateful for what I was able to walk, from SJPP to Santiago - via Valcarlos.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, should it come to pass that you have to modify your crossing of the Route Napoleon (by taxi or otherwise) or have to eliminate that crossing altogether and start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona, that you could still truly appreciate what you have accomplished so far. Perhaps you could think of having to accept anything less than hiking the Route Napoleon as your personal Everest. Bless you.

 

[DrShani]

Thanks neighbour, I think its more of a head/mind issue rather than a fitness issue at this stage.

Happy to hear that your fitness level is up to the challenge. But it's still worthwhile to consider that bodies never lie. Symptoms are our bodies' only way of letting us know that they need help. So if you experienced chest pain, what do you believe is the cause? What was your body trying to tell you? Whether physical or emotional, there may be a challenge within to overcome. Once you've made peace within, the Route Napoleon will fall into your lap.

Seeing you healthy and whole as you make your way (downhill!) into Roncesvalles, dear Wayfarer!

 

[TheTinkerBell]

Thanks neighbour, I think its more of a head/mind issue rather than a fitness issue at this stage.

If that's the case, the answer is simple - just empty your head/mind and 'project' yourself up that hillside. A nip of poteen at the top in honour of your slain foe would be more than appropriate.

 

[pilgrim b]

Yes Pat, I've had a number of Everests. The older I get the less likely I am to conquer them and the less important they seem. I never did get to argue a case in the Australian High Court.
So, Pat, it is up to you but if you are going to try the route Napoleon again, please, if only for our sakes, have a safety net or safety harness. If it were me I'd go with a companion, someone who is a very, very slow walker, get my pack carried, wear a Fitbit or similar device with a heart monitor, have my mobile phone fully charged and pre-programmed with taxi and emergency services numbers, start very early and aim only for Orisson the first day, and take a deliberate break (pack off, sit down) every half hour including at Huntto. Prepare for two days; it is still a long climb the following day, from Orisson to the top.

Hi Pat, so pleased you are ready to pilgrimage again. I completely agree with Kanga's post. Even if it is only for the first two days (IF you decide to do it) I would stress you do get your pack moved on! We are not getting any younger and our tickers deserve our respect, they keep us going to let us enjoy our walking paradise. Buen Camino friend put a stone on for me this time Pat, I won't be able to make it in 2016.

 

[domigee]

Hi Wayfarer, you've been given a lot of good advice already. Here's my bit for what it's worth...

Provided you have no health problem (re chest pains - please check with a doctor before you set off!), I'd say go for it. (Only because it looks like you'll always regret it if you don't, otherwise I'd say start from Roncesvalles or Pamplona...)

You've already done the worst of the climb once, the walk to Orrisson is by far the most arduous part (imo of course!).
Start early in the day so you have plenty of time. Take it very slowly and stop frequently, as often as you need.
I would even advise against walking with a companion the whole way as it is then tempting to keep up with their pace and you might hesitate to stop if they don't need to.
Make absolutely sure you don't carry too much weight in your rucksack, that in my mind is very important.
And lo, before you know it you'll have reached the fountain of Roland - another good spot for a rest. then the top, and finally the descent into Roncesvalles. Again take it very slowly, zigzaging downhill, no rush, you're nearly there.
Buen camino.