For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Thanks for sharing this weather site! Much appreciatedHere's the forecast for the high point going over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles.
14 Day Weather Collado de Bentarte - meteoblue
The professional 14-day weather trend for Collado de Bentarte. Showing the uncertainty and reliability of the weather forecast.www.meteoblue.com
Many thanks for that. It looks promising for the 3rd onward. A bit chilly maybe, but doesn't look like snow will be a problem. Trust that's a reasonable assessment.Here's the forecast for the high point going over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles.
14 Day Weather Collado de Bentarte - meteoblue
The professional 14-day weather trend for Collado de Bentarte. Showing the uncertainty and reliability of the weather forecast.www.meteoblue.com
I was about to post some weather links, but @trecile beat me to it again, with a better link.Planning to start the Camino Frances from St Jean on April 3rd.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
Thank you for the tap on the shoulder; always good advice.I was about to post some weather links, but @trecile beat me to it again, with a better link.
i might just add a comment though, that is perhaps somewhat obvious.
Weather in the mountains changes fast. And may look ok from down below, with a different story on the top.
I have crossed the Napoean route twice. On the exact same day. I think it was April 28. 2015 was blue skies. Wonderful views, and bits of snow still remaining.
2018 was cold. Rain. Mist. Strong winds....and about 100 metres visibilty....
The forecasts both times looked ok.
But that only suggests that snow will not be falling. It doesn't indicate anything about how much snow there is on the ground, and what the walking trail might be like at the end of the winter.It looks promising for the 3rd onward. A bit chilly maybe, but doesn't look like snow will be a problem.
I could't agree more!As Robo mentioned above, the weather changes rapidly in this area so check with the pilgrim office in SJPP before you leave and take their advice, they will have the most up to date information for that day and will advise you as such. If there is any question at all then use the Valcarlos route, it may not be the popular route but it is the original route and the safest.
They will no doubt be using the same data that @Kathar1na posted above. Apps like MeteoBlue have very specific and accurate mountain information that's actually more accurate than word of mouth - and the beauty of MB is that they indicate the confidence in any particilar forecast.they will have the most up to date information for that day and will advise you as such.
The pilgrims office get their data on the day, weather apps are fine but they won't beat condition reports on the day.They will no doubt be using the same data that @Kathar1na posted above. Apps like MeteoBlue have very specific and accurate mountain information that's actually more accurate than word of mouth - and the beauty of MB is that they indicate the confidence in any particilar forecast.
I would also suggest Windy as a supplement to the MB forcast - they have a setting that allows you to see the feed of any webcam that might be in a particular area. There (unfortunstely) is not one along the Napoleon route, but here is what the map looks like for the route from Canfranc; on the app, click on any of those litlle cameras and you get realtime information.
View attachment 143815
That said - if the good people at the pilgrims office in SJPP tell you the conditions on the Napoleon Route are bad, don't be the yahoo that thinks the advice doesn't apply to you. It does. Listen and heed their warnings to take the Valcarlos route. (It's not worse, and is the original, more authentic route, no matter what all those blogs and videos say to the contrary.)
I guess that he is a volunteer at the pilgrim office of SJPP. He posted some additional info in reply to a question on FB. Here it is translated into English:@Peter-H, someone posted this today in the Facebook group of the Pilgrim Welcome Office in SJPP. I don't know what the poster's credentials are:
It has been unseasonably warm, even today. Its just coming in this weekend. I'm hoping to get over on Tuesday but will be advised by the pilgrims office.But that only suggests that snow will not be falling. It doesn't indicate anything about how much snow there is on the ground, and what the walking trail might be like at the end of the winter.
Without a doubt truer words have never been spoken. In 2015 I walked from Le Puy. Intended to only stay one night in St. Jean. The next morning it was chilly, windy and a steady rain. My friend and I stood at the front door of our albergue and watched as people walked by some said you better get ready and get going. Our response was no way are we walking today. If it is this bad here it must be a mess on the mountain. We went back to bed for a while. Went to the pilgrim office to check on the next day. They said it would be very sunny and good thing we didn't go. We slept in Beilari that night. How wonderful. Next day we had a cool and sunny October morning and had a great day walking up to Orisson with a box full of awesome French pastries we bought the afternoon before. Also since we started in Le Puy the walk to Roncesvalles was a piece of cake (pardon the punI was about to post some weather links, but @trecile beat me to it again, with a better link.
i might just add a comment though, that is perhaps somewhat obvious.
Weather in the mountains changes fast. And may look ok from down below, with a different story on the top.
I have crossed the Napoean route twice. On the exact same day. I think it was April 28. 2015 was blue skies. Wonderful views, and bits of snow still remaining.
2018 was cold. Rain. Mist. Strong winds....and about 100 metres visibilty....
The forecasts both times looked ok.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
They don't call him wisepilgrim for nothing!!!Remember that regardless of the date, check with the Pilgrim office in SJPP about the current status.
I was up there last week (not walking) and returned with two pilgrims that had arrived from Madrid and set off without paying much attention. Visibility in Orisson was about 10m and getting worse with the elevation.
Snow is only part of the problem.
I'm not at all saying ignore the Pilgrim's Office, but to also use information from good weather apps like meteoblue and Windy that are continually being updated in realtime.pilgrims office get their data on the day, weather apps are fine but they won't beat condition reports on the day.
The meteoblue weather forecast data packages obtained through the meteoblue API will include satellite, radar and measurement data automatically, if those data are available for the selected location. The accuracy of a precipitation nowcast is highly dependent on the availability, resolution and delay of the radar data, which differs for each country. An overview of the availability of real-time radar data is given in our technical documentation.
Yes. I'm on Metoblue. It is changing constantly. Monday is looking drier sooner. Still pretty cold.I'm not at all saying ignore the Pilgrim's Office, but to also use information from good weather apps like meteoblue and Windy that are continually being updated in realtime.
Meteoblue gets their data from satellite feed; CMORPH rainfal data is updated hourly, much more frequently than anyone from the Pilgrim's Office is up there).
From their website:
(I used to be one of those people who rolled my eyes and said, "Just look out the **** window." When questioned about which forecasts to use. But modern weather apps like Medeoblue and Windy are powerful tools, and definitely have their place.)
Saw elsewhere that the Napoleon route is due to heavy incoming snow storms closed to at least the 3rdPlanning to start the Camino Frances from St Jean on April 3rd.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
Thank you. I'll be guided by them.Just left the SJPP Pilgrims office and officially the Napoleon route is closed on 1st and 2nd of April but they said it still possibly stay closed for longer.
Not sure that I have seen too many "yahoos" flout good advice on the Camino, but I have seen quite a few that treated the Napolean as some type of conquest in their Camino plans. They had a grim determination to go over the top - as some sort of life goal that had to be attained, or their Camino would be a failure.That said - if the good people at the pilgrims office in SJPP tell you the conditions on the Napoleon Route are bad, don't be the yahoo that thinks the advice doesn't apply to you. It does. Listen and heed their warnings to take the Valcarlos route. (It's not worse, and is the original, more authentic route, no matter what all those blogs and videos say to the contrary.)
At 85 I care not for marathons OR sprints and never have doneI'm not in the market to take any unnecessary risks and won't be going against guidance. They know the mountain better than me. I'm more than happy to take their advice. As you say, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
Many thanks to everyone who has added to this thread. Good advice and cautionary taps on the shoulder are valuable and certainly appreciated.Planning to start the Camino Frances from St Jean on April 3rd.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
MB current has a yellow warning of wind gusts of up to 65 km/h for Sunday. And that’s for Ibaneta on the Valcarlos route.
Well said, Peter. Buen camino. Hope to see you in the road.Many thanks to everyone who has added to this thread. Good advice and cautionary taps on the shoulder are valuable and certainly appreciated.
It seems from some of the responses that there is a fair bit of interest in this matter and that a number of people are planning to start the Camino (from SJPDP) early next week. I look forward to meeting up with you along the way.
Also many thanks Ivar for providing this outstanding platform for Camino trip planning.
Buen Camino
Tuesday 4th looks the best bet for me to get over.Starting on April 7 and have the same question!
Hope some folks are able to share an update - although the route doesn’t officially open until April 1 (as I’m sure you know)
Buen Camino!
Thank you for sharing, this is a fantastic app I was not previously familiar with.Here's the forecast for the high point going over the Pyrenees to Roncesvalles.
14 Day Weather Collado de Bentarte - meteoblue
The professional 14-day weather trend for Collado de Bentarte. Showing the uncertainty and reliability of the weather forecast.www.meteoblue.com
Is the wind speed a typo? 10 mph is 16 km/h, isn’t it, that is a gentle breeze. Meteoblue has wind of up to 60 km/h and gusts of up to 80 km/h for all of today for the Somport pass (1600 m altitude) near Canfranc and label this as “near gale force”.Snow in Canfranc about 6" overnight with 10 mph winds out of the north.
Again many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.Planning to start the Camino Frances from St Jean on April 3rd.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
Check with the Bureau Pelerin when you get thereIs the route open now? We arrive in SJPdP on Thursday 6 April.
So happy you could this. I was able to walk over on Friday 7th, weather was amazing and the experience fabulous!Again many thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread.
Very happy to advise that I crossed over the Pyrenees on April 4th, the day the route was officially opened. The weather was superb and a relatively large group of very happy Pilgrims enjoyed a great day one!
Buen Camino.
Do you have links to those webcams?The recent storm depression called Noa that brought some snowfall at lower altitudes to the eastern part of the Pyrenees including the higher sections of the Route Napoleon is already on its way out of Spain.
Here are two screenshots of webcams near SJPP taken this afternoon - one at altitude 1000 m (altitude of Ibañeta pass on Valcarlos and Napoleon routes) and the other one at altitude 230 m (altitude of SJPP). When you look out of the window in SJPP you won't see what it looks like further up.
View attachment 144732
Do you have links to those webcams?
As mentioned, current images can be viewed on the Meteoblue website but there are also direct addresses. For Iraty, it’s https://chalets-iraty.com/webcam-des-chalets-iraty/. It allows you to see past images such as an hour ago, a day ago, morning, evening … can be used as a teaching toolDo you have links to those webcams?
Well Peter, I may see you there. I think my first day walking will be April 4th.Planning to start the Camino Frances from St Jean on April 3rd.
Any thoughts/advice on the snow conditions on the Route Napoleon at the present time?
Possibly a year too late as this is an old thread.Well Peter, I may see you there. I think my first day walking will be April 4th.
This is indeed an old thread. I went over the Route Napoleon on April 4th this year (2023). I hope however that if you start on April 4th (2024) that this is a good omen. We had perfect weather, snow on the tops and superb walking conditions. Overall, the Camino was a wonderful experience, notwithstanding a few hickups, and I wish you well for trip in April/May.Well Peter, I may see you there. I think my first day walking will be April 4th.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?