Reservation made at Orisson, but.......

[luvtraveling]

I have a reservation at Orisson for mid-Sept. My questions are 1) If there is bad weather and I am advised to take the lower route, will I be reimbursed for my reservation at Orisson or will I lose my money? 2) If upon arriving at Orisson I decide to walk on to Roncesvalles, can I cancel my reservation and get reimbursed? I'm just curious as to how this works. Thanks.

 

[yogaflowjo]

Hi, we were in exactly the same situation in April... and did encounter bad weather... so bad that Route Napolean was closed ... the owner of Orisson is a businessman!! No refund was on offer but instead a happy compromise... we walked to Orisson and stayed the night which was lovely experience all round, next morning he drove us back down to Valcaros so we were able to experience part of both routes. We did however have the lovely owner of L'Espirit du Chemin in SJPP make a phone call beforehand to ensure it would be OK. Another tip, don't plan on arriving at Orisson too early in the day because if the weather is bad there is not a lot to do. We spent a leisurely morning in SJPP, had a late brunch, and headed off around 1pm, it only takes 2-3 hours to get there. We are continuing in mid September from Logrono, so depending on how fast you intend walking we might cross paths! Have a wonderful Camino

 

[Annie Little]

Hi, we were in exactly the same situation in April... and did encounter bad weather... so bad that Route Napolean was closed ... the owner of Orisson is a businessman!! No refund was on offer but instead a happy compromise... we walked to Orisson and stayed the night which was lovely experience all round, next morning he drove us back down to Valcaros so we were able to experience part of both routes. We did however have the lovely owner of L'Espirit du Chemin in SJPP make a phone call beforehand to ensure it would be OK. Another tip, don't plan on arriving at Orisson too early in the day because if the weather is bad there is not a lot to do. We spent a leisurely morning in SJPP, had a late brunch, and headed off around 1pm, it only takes 2-3 hours to get there. We are continuing in mid September from Logrono, so depending on how fast you intend walking we might cross paths! Have a wonderful Camino

When you say it took 2-3 hrs --- how fast were you walking ? I am also booked to stay at Orisson weather permitting....was just planning to see what happens ... but like what you did .... sounds a good compromise

 

[yogaflowjo]

Hi Annie... I don't think we were walking fast, although we were a party of 4 .... 2 Mums with our 15 year old boys in tow, so perhaps they kept us "up to speed"... I could be mistaken, but I honestly think we walked up in under 3 hours including time to stop and enjoy the views and a piece of fruit ... we all found the walk physically challenging ... (take plenty of water), but worth it as the views are spectacular. Have fun!

 

[ChuckPinoy]

From what I can remember Orisson is not very far from SJPDP. I believe it was only about 7-8km away. However, if you are planning to go through the Pyrenees Range to Roncesvalles it's a good 28km. Bring lots of water as the water source at about 20th km may or may not be available. There is a small shelter at the top of the mountain in case of bad weather. Nothing fancy, a roof over your heads, four concrete walls full of graffiti, concrete bench/beds and a big metal door.

As far as the refund, I'd say contact the Albergue...

Good luck.
Buen Camino

 

[Former member 12499]

I have a reservation at Orisson for mid-Sept. My questions are 1) If there is bad weather and I am advised to take the lower route, will I be reimbursed for my reservation at Orisson or will I lose my money? 2) If upon arriving at Orisson I decide to walk on to Roncesvalles, can I cancel my reservation and get reimbursed? I'm just curious as to how this works. Thanks.

Hello Luvtravelling,
I had exactly the same situation on April 20th 2012.
I had booked into Orisson for the night due to doubts as to my ability to cross the Pyrenees from SJDPP to Roncesvalles in one go, and also following the advice of fellow forum members.
I arrived at Orisson in just over two hours and there was lots of pilgrims walking past and heading straight towards Roncesvalles.

After a water and coffee stop I decided to push on to Roncesvalles..
I spoke to one of the staff at Orisson and duly cancelled my night stay that I had previously paid for.
I did not ask for a refund and neither was I offered a refund. After all, the owner is running a business and it is his good fortune if someone cancels and he can let a bed again.
I should imagine that if he did offer refunds, he would soon be bankrupt (in my opinion). But try your luck for a refund, they say if you never ask, you never receive.
Just for information, once I left Orisson I kept on walking until I got to the shelter at the top of the mountain. This was due to snow in surrounding areas and I did not fancy sitting in the cold and damp.
Incidentally, it took me just over 8 hours to get to Roncevalles – going the long route via the road.
Good luck in your endeavours and refund. Enjoy YOUR Camino.
Charlie

 

[nreyn12]

The good news is that in mid-September the weather isn't likely to be bad enough to prevent you from taking the high road (touch wood). But as everyone else has said, no refunds from Orisson. If you do arrive early in the day, and the weather's nice, you can hang out on the terrace at Orisson, overlooking the Pyrenees, where you will meet pilgrims who are both staying at Orisson and who are walking on to Roncesvalles - a great opportunity to make new Camino friends, share your excitement and/or concerns, and learn about what's to come.

The community dinner at Orisson is at 6:30pm, relatively early by Camino standards. That means the afternoon isn't too long, when you factor in a shower, laundry, and terrace-time.

The walk from SJPP to Orisson takes however long as YOU want it to. If you are strong and fast, you could do it in two hours or less; the longest I've ever taken is four hours. There are a couple nice spots to stop and have a picnic and greet pilgrims coming up the trail behind you. Or you could move on up to Orisson and have your picnic there.

And one of my favorite lessons learned on the Camino: don't forget to stop and look behind you. The views from that perspective are FANTASTIC! Buen Camino!

 

[luvtraveling]

Thanks for your responses. It seems everyone says it only takes 1.5 to 4 hours to walk from SJPDP to Orisson. I hope I don't set a new snail pace! I also hope to remember to turn around and take some pictures of what I have passed, not just on day one, but everyday.

 

[Rose Bishop]

This forum is quite amazing with valuable feedback from past pilgrims ! Thanks so much. I spend hours in the evening going through postings etc...
Ive asked my queries in another thread...but hope someone can help here too!!
Am starting to feel rather nervous as Im unfortunately starting my Camino with a foot injury. Arriving from South Africa on Wed 28 Aug and plan to leave SJPDP on Thurs 29th. I will need to stop at Orisson. Have sent 3 emails to them but with no reply..yet! Any suggestions as to what I can do? Is there any alternative?
Another query is about bedbugs...what is the best thing to prevent them from biting?! Are they really an issue??
Baie dankie!!

 

[nreyn12]

Hi Rose,
It's super high season now at Orisson, so they are probably just really busy. Also, I have a theory that they only check and answer emails once or twice a week. If you have sent three messages, I'd just wait for a response at this point. Then, if you haven't heard back from them, ask the people at the Pilgrim's Office in SJPP to call Orisson for you, when you arrive on the 28th. State in the affirmative that you have a reservation for the 29th and you just want to confirm.

One important note: If you do hear back from them and they have a spot for you, be sure to confirm the day before anyway. If you don't confirm, they WILL give away your bed.

Good luck!

 

[christer1]

Hi Rose

I have a booking for 29th August which I made a few weeks ago. If the worst comes to the worst i am sure I could sleep on the floor or something if absolutely necessary and you could take my bed. If it is the case that others make bookings and decide to walk on then I hope we share the evening meal!

Don't worry - we pilgrims will find a way! If you want to pm me your details we can try to hook up in SJPDP - I arrive on the 1930 hrs train from Bayonne on the 28th all being well.

Buen Camino
Christer

 

[Rose Bishop]

Hi Rose

I have a booking for 29th August which I made a few weeks ago. If the worst comes to the worst i am sure I could sleep on the floor or something if absolutely necessary and you could take my bed. If it is the case that others make bookings and decide to walk on then I hope we share the evening meal!

Don't worry - we pilgrims will find a way! If you want to pm me your details we can try to hook up in SJPDP - I arrive on the 1930 hrs train from Bayonne on the 28th all being well.

Buen Camino
Christer

Hi Christer - only just picked up your message now...thanks for the info regarding Orisson. Ive had a reply from them that they are full on both Thurs 29 and Fri 30th...

Hi Rose. I stayed at Orrison two nights ago. I had booked ahead. It took me three hours to walk there at a very steady pace. I got there at 11 and had to wait until 12 for my room. I meet a lot of people (10) who had booked a room as a safety net...but then decided to carry on thru. About five or more people I saw arrived with no booking and were given a bed. Hope this helps.

ll try to make a plan and get to sleep somewhere!!

 

[Rose Bishop]

Hi Rose,
It's super high season now at Orisson, so they are probably just really busy. Also, I have a theory that they only check and answer emails once or twice a week. If you have sent three messages, I'd just wait for a response at this point. Then, if you haven't heard back from them, ask the people at the Pilgrim's Office in SJPP to call Orisson for you, when you arrive on the 28th. State in the affirmative that you have a reservation for the 29th and you just want to confirm.

One important note: If you do hear back from them and they have a spot for you, be sure to confirm the day before anyway. If you don't confirm, they WILL give away your bed.

Good luck!

Thanks so much for your advice...Ive now had a response that they are full on 29 and 30th...ll try my best to get a spot at Orisson on Thurs or will wait for Friday...

 

[Thengel1]

The no refunds was my experience as well. They also offered to drive me down to Valcarlos if the weather didn't permit me to cross the Napoleon route, unfortunately I didn't find out about it until after I had arrived in Roncesvalles.