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It is a beautiful route and Valcarlos has an excellent albergue and several places where you can eat in the evening. I went to the one which combined supermarket, cafe and restaurant. Buen Camino!
That should be the Benta Ardandegia It doubles as the social centre of the village. I met with kind local people there, ready for a bit of little talk with a stranger. I got the key code of the albergue there; also bought food.Valcarlos has an excellent albergue and several places where you can eat in the evening. I went to the one which combined supermarket, cafe and restaurant. Buen Camino!
I don't think you have anything to worry about. Well, excepting missing dinner.Any feedback and/or recommendations will be greatly appreciated.
As a rule, I don't walk alone in a mountain pass that I don't know after sunset -and less, if I am alone. But I am not the adventurous type guy.
See the sunset times for Valcarlos here Consider also than in forests, it gets dark sooner. Walking by the paved road, if needed, is also an option -but it has its own problems.
Weather is also a factor.
Having said that, arriving at 6 PM to Roncesvalles (or even to Ibañeta chapel, that is, after the forest, 2 km to Ronc) seems good.
Ask the hospitaleros of Corazon Puro, they could give you good and informed opinion.
Buen camino!
@sillydoll just posted that Corazon Puro will be closed this year due to family health issues back in Hungary. I am afraid you will have to change your plans for the start of your Camino.My concern is that I'll be taking the Corazon Puro option so my understanding is that I should arrive in SJPdP at around 9:00am and hoping to start walking on the same day at around 10:00am. I consider myself quite trained for the Camino, and I'm doing also some good hill training. I won't mind arriving late in Roncevalles either, guessing around 6:00pm.
Thanks
@sillydoll just posted that Corazon Puro will be closed this year due to family health issues back in Hungary. I am afraid you will have to change your plans for the start of your Camino.
@Joseph_MT, I'm setting out a few days after you. Planning to stay overnight in Pamplona because I want the time to get a Spanish SIM card, then catching the 14:30 hrs Alsa bus to SJPdP arriving 16:15 hrs cost €22. It means staying overnight in SJPdP but it's a beautiful town so all good.
Buen camino
Hi Joe,I will be walking the Camino Frances again this year. I have previously done the Napoleon route and am planning on taking the Valcarlos route this year. It looks relatively gentle compared to the Napoleon. I am curious as to how long it took you to walk to Valcarlos. I will be arriving in SJPdP (April 12th) late afternoon and was thinking of walking to Valcarlos that afternoon and evening.
Obviously I will take into consideration the weather. It looks like around 11-12 km's.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experience.
Joe
My wife and I walked this last year at the beginning of May. My GPS track record shows it was 12.1 km from the pilgrim office to the albergue at Valcarlos. Our elapsed time was just over 5 hours, but less than 4 hours of walking.I will be walking the Camino Frances again this year. I have previously done the Napoleon route and am planning on taking the Valcarlos route this year. It looks relatively gentle compared to the Napoleon. I am curious as to how long it took you to walk to Valcarlos. I will be arriving in SJPdP (April 12th) late afternoon and was thinking of walking to Valcarlos that afternoon and evening.
Obviously I will take into consideration the weather. It looks like around 11-12 km's.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experience.
Joe
Hi Doug,My wife and I walked this last year at the beginning of May. My GPS track record shows it was 12.1 km from the pilgrim office to the albergue at Valcarlos. Our elapsed time was just over 5 hours, but less than 4 hours of walking.
ps if you are using Naismith's rule or one of it's derivatives, the total climb was about 450 metres.
Cold at the start. Rained on several days, drizzled on a few more. No day was spectacularly hot, but some were certainly pretty warm.Hi Doug,
What was the weather like in May?
Some years it's glorious, mid 20sC, others cold, dark and rainy I'm sure.Hi Doug,
What was the weather like in May?
Hi Joe,
I need some advice please. I am planning to start the Camino on the 5th of May with my daughter who is not madly fit. You are choosing to do the Valcarlos route rather than the Napoleon way this time around. Reason? I am unsure which one to do, because I don't want myself or my daughter to loose heart on day 1 ;-) Any advice for me?
Suzanne
I agree with Joe. We too stopped at Valcarlos because I was still recovering from an injury when we started our Camino in 2014. It is a beautiful walk up a green valley on the first day, and a wonderful village to spend the evening. From there to Roncesvalles on the second day is about 4 hours, but quite still challenging due to the elevation gain. If you want to start your walk with distances that will not discourage anyone, this is my recommendation.Hi Joe,
I need some advice please. I am planning to start the Camino on the 5th of May with my daughter who is not madly fit. You are choosing to do the Valcarlos route rather than the Napoleon way this time around. Reason? I am unsure which one to do, because I don't want myself or my daughter to loose heart on day 1 ;-) Any advice for me?
Suzanne
Beilari, in SJPP is a perfect way to start your Camino. They start taking reservations in mid February. I'll be a week behind you. If the Napoleon route is open, I'll take that one. I've walked both before and easily reached Roncesvalles in afternoon. Buen Camino!Yep, just read that. Then I will need to change plans. Thanks for advising.
Beilari, in SJPP is a perfect way to start your Camino. They start taking reservations in mid February. I'll be a week behind you. If the Napoleon route is open, I'll take that one. I've walked both before and easily reached Roncesvalles in afternoon. Buen Camino!
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experienc
I have climbed the Valcarlos route 11 times over the past years.
There is a lovely Albergue in Valcarlos.I will be walking the Camino Frances again this year. I have previously done the Napoleon route and am planning on taking the Valcarlos route this year. It looks relatively gentle compared to the Napoleon. I am curious as to how long it took you to walk to Valcarlos. I will be arriving in SJPdP (April 12th) late afternoon and was thinking of walking to Valcarlos that afternoon and evening.
Obviously I will take into consideration the weather. It looks like around 11-12 km's.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experience.
Joe
I owe you thanks @mspath. Over the weekend I read a blog http://www.girlsontheway.com/ about a woman and her two young daughters who walked the Valcarlos route just a few weeks before I'm planning to do it. Scared me silly as I don't have any of the experience or the hi tech snow gear that this little family had and obviously needed. But your wonderful blog http://mermore.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/aaa-ron.html makes it clear that I can just keep walking up the road and I don't have to snow bash across fields and down and up valleys. Mind you, I have since ordered a pair of waterproof socks! HahahaI have climbed the Valcarlos route 11 times over the past years. The latest slog was mid October 2015 at 76. After leaving the Valcarlos albergue at dawn (around 08:00) it took 5 hours to arrive at Roncesvalles, pooped but proud.
In bad weather ie fog, rain or snow I have always walked on the left side verges of the N135 road and not followed any passages into or through the wood. You can read the accounts more fully here.
Whatever the season or weather it is important to remember that beyond Valcarlos there are neither services nor water until Roncesvalles. Be prepared!
I'd like to know too. I have done the Napoleons route last year and do the Valcarlos next time. I have heard it's a lot easier. Depends on the weather, as some of the trails get flooded when it's raining heavily.I will be walking the Camino Frances again this year. I have previously done the Napoleon route and am planning on taking the Valcarlos route this year. It looks relatively gentle compared to the Napoleon. I am curious as to how long it took you to walk to Valcarlos. I will be arriving in SJPdP (April 12th) late afternoon and was thinking of walking to Valcarlos that afternoon and evening.
Obviously I will take into consideration the weather. It looks like around 11-12 km's.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experience.
Joe
My wife and I walked this last year at the beginning of May. My GPS track record shows it was 12.1 km from the pilgrim office to the albergue at Valcarlos. Our elapsed time was just over 5 hours, but less than 4 hours of walking.
ps if you are using Naismith's rule or one of it's derivatives, the total climb was about 450 metres.
Hi Doug. Looking at photos of the Valcarlos route, a lot of it seems to be on road. Is it?
Whilst a lot of the Napolean route is also road, steep uphill road walking is less damaging on my Achilles. I think it must be due to a softer foot fall...
I usually spent the first night in St Jean as I arrive around 2.00pm, this time I would like to walk onto Valcarlos. Would I be too late for the albergue if I was to reach Varcarlos around 4.30 pm.
Joe,I will be walking the Camino Frances again this year. I have previously done the Napoleon route and am planning on taking the Valcarlos route this year. It looks relatively gentle compared to the Napoleon. I am curious as to how long it took you to walk to Valcarlos. I will be arriving in SJPdP (April 12th) late afternoon and was thinking of walking to Valcarlos that afternoon and evening.
Obviously I will take into consideration the weather. It looks like around 11-12 km's.
Thank you to anyone who is willing to share their experience.
Joe
FYI this thread is from 2017.
Yes, but 12/4 about 5 years ago. I’ll lock the thread just to avoid confusion, since we have so many threads about Valcarlos vs. Napoleon, etc.Is the departure date 12/4?
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