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Starting from Lourdes 1st April 2019

cmg

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
well, it finally seems to be happening! Lourdes to Santiago, April 2019!
Hello everyone, I'm on a train bound for Lourdes and hopefully start tomorrow from there. Looks like is going to be rain and snow all the way to Jaca 😳
Anyone from the forum going that way?
Cheers
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
I’m reverse-walking that route a few weeks from now! Can you provide updates or a trip report? So few walk that and any updated info would be great.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Bon Chemin, and in a few days it will be Buen Camino!
Ryanair now fly from Dublin to Lourdes, so maybe there will be a slight increase of Irish pilgrims on this route.
If you have time or energy to post current information it will be appreciated.
Enjoy.
 
1st of April and I was the only fool on the road! First-half through beatiful forest. Second through roads with little traffic. 27 Km in total.
Attention> GR78 has been closed for small section when you get to Lestelle/Betharram. Follow the main road through town and take a left at Chemin Arroutis. This will take you back to GR78.
Stayed at http://www.cooperationsud.org/ , Claire and Claude are great! If I continue to be pampered this way, I think I will make to Santiago! And I was the first pèlerin staying with them in 2019!
 
Keep up the reports!!! 👍
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
1st of April and I was the only fool on the road! First-half through beatiful forest. Second through roads with little traffic. 27 Km in total.
Attention> GR78 has been closed for small section when you get to Lestelle/Betharram. Follow the main road through town and take a left at Chemin Arroutis. This will take you back to GR78.
Stayed at http://www.cooperationsud.org/ , Claire and Claude are great! If I continue to be pampered this way, I think I will make to Santiago! And I was the first pèlerin staying with them in 2019!

Bon chemin!
 
I’m reverse-walking that route a few weeks from now! Can you provide updates or a trip report? So few walk that and any updated info would be great.
yes, I am planning to do so. Let me know your whereabouts so we can have a vaso de vino when we cross each other!
 
20 Kms today fro Asson to Sévignacq-Meyracq. Lots of ups and downs with rain on and off at times. Even a little bit of sun at the end 👍 Staying at an AIRBNB, Francis and Marie, very nice people and just on the route. Francis took me to the supermarket and tour me through Arudy and then with at the end drove me few kms to an overlook of the valley. Very nice gesture and my luck still on!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Day 3: 33 Kms from Sévignacq-Meyracq to Eysus avoiding Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Very long and tyring day with lots of ups and downs, especially in 6° C and rainy and windy weather. I am getting close to the snow line now, either because of the weather or the steady climb. A steep climb the first 3 Kms. Had a café allongé (long black) at Ogeu-les-Bains in a bar right on the trail. Leave Sévignacq-Meyracq too late trying to make the most of the internet at Francis and Marie and arrive at La Tour Saint Jacques at 7:30 pm! The host Jacques is a very good person and we communicated by using Google Translate :rolleyes:
In general, the GR78 is very well signed and because I couldn't find any guide book in English of this part of the world I have been using the app Maps.Me with some tracks that I have downloaded from various sources in the internet. Works great!
¡Hasta mañana!
 
Day 4: 15 Kms From Eysus to Sarrance. Easy day today after the "death march" of yesterday and beautiful scenery as I started to climb the valley of the Gave de Aspe in the direction of the Col du Somport. I was supposed to stay in the Monastery of Sarrance, from the XVII century. I arrived at their door just as the bell rang at 3 pm. I proceeded to ring the doorbell on both sides of the building and...nothing! They must have a very deep siesta sleep so I moved on to the HÔTEL-BISTROT LES PAS SAGES À SARRANCE, a worthy splurge!
 
Day 5: 23 Kms from Sarrance to Urdos. Late start around 9:30 am after taking advantage of the good wifi connection at the hotel. Walk down the road as some people have recommended. The views are better than if you are in the trail under the tree canopy. Right after Pont (Bridge) Sarrance the road became so narrow with no shoulder to walk on so I took a little side trail (Chemin de Gey) on the left side of the N134 road. All good until I was forced down into the main road again and still no shoulder to walk on. I turned back and walk 800 meters to the intersection with D241 where I crossed the main road and got into the real GR 653 trail. From there a peaceful walk in the woods all the way to Bedous. From Bedous back to walk on the main road to Borce. In Borce took the bus to Urdus and it was a great decision as it was getting late, it was rainy and I wouldn't dare walk through the Fort du Portalet section even under good conditions. I am staying tonight at the Gîte Pélerins Le Compostelle. Very clean, warm, with good wifi and Eric, who runs the gîte and the little shop next to it is a very good guy! He speaks some English, Spanish and of course French!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Day 4: 15 Kms From Eysus to Sarrance.... so I moved on to the HÔTEL-BISTROT LES PAS SAGES À SARRANCE, a worthy splurge!

Very much enjoying your reports, which bring to vivid life memories of my walk last year.... (I thought the Les Pas Sages a very nice place indeed....). I suspect that your readers do not appreciate just how stunning the scenery is along this route, or how quaint the villages.... Post some photos perhaps...?

And Godspeed! You have much to look forward to, ahead!

54425
 
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Very interested in your reports. We are starting from Arles in April 2020, and heading to Puenta la Reina, so all info about state of trail and accommodation possibilities is well worth reading. Thankyou.
 
Day 6: Urdos to Canfranc Station (23 Km)
Last night started snowing and today continues. The snow and the fog make the crossing on foot impossible task. So I am not very proud, but another day by bus


According to locals there has not snowed since early February, so there goes my luck! Tomorrow I will make sure I pulled out my lucky charm before I start


Stayed at Albergue Rio Aragon, great place and Pili the hospitalera is lovely!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Day 7: Canfranc Station to Jaca (25 Km)
Today was a good day, cold and with 10 to 40 cm of snow on the ground but sunny! I had an early start to avoid the melting snow later in the day. I am glad I brought my walking poles! My toes are bruised for going always downhill...I may loose some toe nails



I made it to Jaca just in time for lunch around 4 pm! Tomorrow will be a rest day after a week on the road.
 
Day 7: Canfranc Station to Jaca (25 Km)
Today was a good day, cold and with 10 to 40 cm of snow on the ground but sunny! I had an early start to avoid the melting snow later in the day. I am glad I brought my walking poles! My toes are bruised for going always downhill...I may loose some toe nails



I made it to Jaca just in time for lunch around 4 pm! Tomorrow will be a rest day after a week on the road.

The Cathedral museum is a MUST! Give it the time it deserves!

And where are you staying in Jaca?
 
I stayed 1st night next to the Cathedral at a hostal, Casa del Arco but found it to noise that I couldn't sleep. Then I moved to the Albergue Jaca, owned by the church. A little distant from the center but not that bad and veryyy quiet!
I visit the museum and also the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña and the Church of San Adrián de Sásabe.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
So, I forgot to say more about Jaca. Day 8 and rest. Besides all the sighting and rest, I had the opportunity to meet Francisco Calderon, the Don Quijote of Jaca. My perception is that he is a misunderstood person trying to bring the Camino Aragones to public attention. He hangs out by the Cathedral Plaza making small wooden souvenirs. If you are around, please stop and by some. Thanks
 
Day 9: Jaca to Arrés (26 Km).
Good day for walking, sunny and cold. Started early with 3º Celsius and made good progress along the Canal de Berdún until I heard heavy gunfire few km outside of Jaca. A little worrisome as I was walking in its direction until I came across a local that informed it was a military shooting range. This section is easy to walk with the exception of quite a few crossings, walking on the road shoulder and the last couple of km climb to Arrés.
Arrés is a little village with 2 places to stay in. I did it at the Albergue de Peregrinos.
Tomorrow there will be no food or water during the 1st 18 Km, so I bought a sandwich at the bar.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
forgot to mention, the views to the Pyrenees are beautiful and don't forget to look back during your climb to Arrés to see the Peña Oroel in the background.
 
Castle Javier and Foz de Lumbier are two upcoming sites that are worth the diversion!
 
sorry for the lack of info guys, I have been busy walking and with little time or internet connection to proceed.

Day 10: Arrés to Ruesta (28.4 Km)
Long day with views to the Yesa Reservoir.
Ruesta is an abandoned place with only one albergue, run by the very nice Franco.
Only have seen 4 Spaniards and 1 Frenchman.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Day 11: Ruesta to Sanguesa (30.2 Km)
Another very long day with a very well worth detour to Javier Castle, place of birth of Saint Francis Xavier.
Planning to stay in Yesa but found out the albergue was closed so turned back to Sanguesa. Today I walk with 2 of the Spaniards and that made the difference.
Stayed in the Albergue de Peregrinos de Sanguesa. Cheap but no thanks!
 
Day 12: Sanguesa to Monreal (32.3 Km)
My Spanish companions left so I was on my own for this long day.
I took the detour through the Foz de Lumbier, an amazing place worth the extra 5 Km. Crossed the tunnels with the torch app in my phone.
Later in the day, I enjoyed for the first time walking in shorts!
The night before in Sanguesa I woke up at 3:30 am because the Frenchman seemed to be the French Horn player of an orchestra and did not let sleep anybody with his snoring! Because of that and because he was also heading for Monreal I decided to splurge and made a reservation in a very nice Casa Rural.
 
Day 13: Monreal to Puente la Reina (34.4 Km)
Started early to avoid the heat, although started quite cold. Later in the day, I enjoyed for the first time walking in shorts!
Made through the Church of Saint Mary of Eunate around 4 pm, another must place to visit and arrived to Puente la Reina around 7 pm.

Since my intention was only to document the less known walk from Lourdes, France to the point where the Aragones joins the Navarres (known as the French) and now in Puente la Reina I reached that point, I will stop my posts here. These sections of the Camino are amazing!

If you would like to join me during the rest of my walk to Santiago and beyond you could check my blog here.

From San Millan de la Cogolla, buen camino!
Carlos
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Congrats on being one of the few who have walked the Aragones this year! So glad you found the route (and detours) worth the effort. Last year the albuergue in Monreal was closed, so everyone got to stay at a fancy Casa Rural there for the pilgrim price - verrrry nice indeed! The pilgrim meal at the bar there was outstanding.

As for the Yesa Municipal, any idea of why it was closed and if it’s permanent? We are reverse-walking that route in a few weeks and are curious as to why that nearly-new and very clean site is not available.
 
We hit the bar in Monreal, which is owned and operated by a local cooperative on a Friday night just right before the holidays and the place was full to the top.
The one in Yesa was closed but just about to reopen for the year.
I met a couple of Dutch reverse walking from Santiago back home in the albergue in Sanguesa.
Don't miss the Foz de Lumbier!
 
We are walking FROM Pamplona through the Foz to Yesa following the old railroad route! Then up through Somport to Lourdes; nothing like a wandering stroll through Basque Country! 👍
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery

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