Where to start?

[adeczka13]

Dear pilgrims,

I am starting my second Camino in August. I'm flaying to Pau on the 14th and I have problems in making a decision... I could either walk from the airport to Lescar, stay there for the night, and then go on to Oloron St Marie the next day - but that's a very long first day, over 30 km (i think it's 34); OR I could take a bus/train from Pau to Oloron and start there the next day, but then I would miss that first 30 km.
Could you tell me if the stage between Lescar and Oloron is worth the hardship? Is it extremely beutiful or for some other reason it would be a waste for me to skip it?

This Camino will be a long one: Camino Aragones - Frances to Leon- del Salvador - Primitivo - Muxia, so I wouldn't want to hurt my legs the very first day

Can't wait to start walking! My first Camino, in 2012, was the best experiance of my life
Buen Camino!
Ada

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I stopped in Lacommande after Lescar. I thought the walk from Lescar to Oloron was quite nice, but I might have thought differently if I walked it in one day!

 

[adeczka13]

Thanks Falcon! I cannot find any information about the albergue in Lacommande - can I feel safe to get a bed there? Or are there any hotels/casa rural in case there are no free beds in the albergue ?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Lescar - Lacommande, 13.8km, gite Lacommande (tiny 4 bed gite inside commandery, no shop, kitchen, baby tomatoes & menthe provided, very friendly, €6)

LACOMMANDE
La Commanderie de Saint Jacques Mairie05 59 82 70 39

 

[Deleted member 3000]

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Take this path:

 

[MaryLynn]

Dear pilgrims,

I am starting my second Camino in August. I'm flaying to Pau on the 14th and I have problems in making a decision... I could either walk from the airport to Lescar, stay there for the night, and then go on to Oloron St Marie the next day - but that's a very long first day, over 30 km (i think it's 34); OR I could take a bus/train from Pau to Oloron and start there the next day, but then I would miss that first 30 km.
Could you tell me if the stage between Lescar and Oloron is worth the hardship? Is it extremely beutiful or for some other reason it would be a waste for me to skip it?

This Camino will be a long one: Camino Aragones - Frances to Leon- del Salvador - Primitivo - Muxia, so I wouldn't want to hurt my legs the very first day

Can't wait to start walking! My first Camino, in 2012, was the best experiance of my life
Buen Camino!
Ada

Considering the long distance you plan to walk this year, I think it is a good idea for you to take the train from Pau to Oloron and start there. My walking-mates and I skipped that very same part last July due to time constraints and the long distance to Oloron, which is a very nice town to visit. You will feel more rested, and have a better start to the long and challenging Camino ahead of you. We stayed in the nice little Oloron municipal hostel, very close to the Cathedral - ask around if you don't have the address.
We walked from Toulouse to Puente La Reina, and the Aragones Camino is quite beautiful, challenging at times, and not very busy. Be sure you take the little detour through the Lumbier Canyon near Liedena, between Sanguesa and Izco. It is a treat! Enjoy your wonderful Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

By the way the walk out of Oloron-Ste. Marie can be a day of death! After the first stretch the choice is the road or the marked path. The road has many tight curves and no shoulder. When it is raining, the path is extremely slippery, and a fall puts you into barbed wire or the river! After a bit of time along the river on a rainy day, I switched to the road. I used extreme caution on the curves.

The French randonneur association recommends taking a bus to the starting point of the climb to Somport Pass at the border to Spain. It has not been able to get a satisfactory walking path constructed along the highway, so will not even identify a specific route for the section in its excellent walking guide. Other guides are less finicky and label a path, but it is a dangerous stretch for walking. When French walkers stake out a position, it is worth considering. They are bold hikers and not easily deterred.

 

[adeczka13]

Thank you for the replies, I will think of it now and make my decision