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When to start in SJPdP

P

Paul van Gool

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
(2015)
Hi, me and my girlfriend are planning to do the camino in 2015 starting at St. Jean Pied de Port. We are wondering when we best could start our trip. We prefer the spring season. I know mother nature can not be predicted but can someone give us some guidelines about until when we can expect snow on the first day to Roncesvalles and when chance for snow will become small.

I tried to find the answer in the forum but did not manage to find it.

Thanks in advance
Paul
 
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I started in SJPP on March 9th and finished April15 2013. I would not recommend starting that early. I plan on doing it again and think I will start the second week of April. March was cold, snowy, rainy and windy. Also many places were not open for business yet. We had to walk on the highway many times because the path was snowed in. I know the weather can be different year to year but I am not going to take that chance. Buen Camino!
 
Where will be the best point to start from. I am planning my Camino in June of 2015. I will be flying from Denver, Colorado, USA.
 
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I started the Camino 2 years ago at SJPDP on April 28th. The weather was cool & clears& beautiful. Granted, I was not nearly in good enough shape. Stayed in Orisson that night (wouldnt recommend missing this lovely place, especially the dinner they served)! But washed my clothes, hung them on the line to dry,; cold, cold rain came in the night. Clothes wetter than wet in the a.m. Freezing cold. Disheartened. Did not complete. Guess my advice is: don't wash your clothes!LOL.
 
If you can deal with cold and snow then the advice from Mainewalkergirl is what you seek. Me, I prefer the warmer days in June/July and September/October but that also means walking with a lot of other pilgrims which sometimes turns into the "bed race" so to speak unless you pace yourself and stop early each day at the points between the Brierley stages.
and,
To Kuriya 50: start in St. Jean Pied de Port and walk for 35 to 40 days to Santiago, I assume you have the time. Plane from Denver to Paris, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Pau or Biarritz and train to SJPdP or plane to Madrid or Bilbao and bus to SJPdP; there are lots of choices.
 

Paul,

The best time is Spring, undoubtedly, spring flowers, plenty of water in the fuentes, minimal bed bug spread in the early season, off peak (Summer) and the weather improves as you walk. We walked 13th May to 13th June, we had so much fun we can't remember the bad weather, just different weather

Buen Camino

Andy
 
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We started from StJPDP in late May last year. There had been a snowstorm the day before. We had okay weather to Orrisson and spent a great night there. Next morning we encountered drizzly rain, which later was driven by a mighty wind, then sleet, but not snow fortunately. We huddled in a little hut with about 50 other people at lunch time to try to keep warm out of the wind. The descent to Roncesvalles was through sludgy snow. Beautiful clear cold day the next day as we left Roncesvalles. Hard to believe how bad it had been the day before. We then encountered rain all the way along the camino - rainjackets on and off and walking west into a cold wind that gave us colds. Not that good, but we enjoyed it anyway and wouldn't have missed it.
 

I walked almost the exact same days this year! The consensus among us pilgrims was that we had picked the perfect time to walk.The weather was beautiful. We did get some rain, and the folks behind us got some snow, but it was never anything too severe. I would say that some places weren't open yet, but it was never a real problem. It was because there were pilgrims on the road and you could meet new friends everyday, but it wasn't so busy that you had to rush for a bed everyday.
 
I started May 2 nd 2014. Stopped in Orisson. The weather on Saturday May 3 rd was dreadful. Cold, fog and driving wind. Ankle deep mud. The people who went over the next day had perfect weather. It is just like that some good days some bad
 
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There is too much variability. Last year (2012/2013) was a heavy snow year and there was discussion of it into May. This year (2013/2014) the talk of snow on this forum tapered off around the end of March.

So the low chance of snow would be by early May. There is real chance of snow lingering at the higher elevations (say above Orrison) into late March.

Actually its warmer walking in a snow storm than it is walking in cold rain. The cold freezes the moisture out of the air. You don't get wet nearly so fast.
 
I started on 4th April last year. There were a couple of days of snow but it was nothing to write home about. Sure it is a little cooler but I am one who gets really hot walking so it suited me fine. However we live in very unpredictable weather days, so who knows what it may be like when you set out. Spring is what I like. And of course it puts a spring into my steps and I love the mdic in the air with the birds chipping, the cuckoo birds calling and the new life all around the place. AND of course the life of the camino itself. Pick a season for yourself that you will feel comfortable with and then after you have prepared your mind just go and enjoy it all.
 
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I started on May 27 of 2013. Perfect weather. One day of rain in 33 days of walking. Pleasant temps. And the way was not yet crowded. Plan to do the same in 2016!
 
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