Why don´t more people walk the Camino Aragones?

[Priscillian]

Just pondering. I walked the Frances (from Pamplona) in 1999 and the Camino Aragones (joining up at Puente la Reina) in 2000. The latter is so rarely used but every bit (and in my opinion more) as beautiful as the Frances from St. Jean PDP. You can start from Somport (as I did) or if walking- up-mountains-you-eventually-have-to walk-down-from is your thing, start in Oloron, or Pau or Lourdes.
The scenery is magnificent, the albergues almost always will have room for you, the cathedral in Jaca has atmosphere in plenty (so does Ruesta!), and if you backtrack just a little you can stay at the Monastery in Leyre which is simply superb and has a story of an abbot who disappeared for two hundred years only to reappear...
The "end" of the Camino is crowded; so is the "beginning". Take the Road Less Travelled.
Just a suggestion-
Tracy Saunders
http://www.pilgrimagetoheresy.com

 

[oursonpolaire]

Possibly part of the reason is that it is not that obviously easy to get to Jaca from outside Spain (or even inside it!). As well, it is unclear if the "traditional" starting point should be in Jaca, or in Pau, or in Toulouse-- not that this matters, but many pilgrims are looking for the approved and official way to do it Properly and By the Rules.

I am in agrement with what Priscillian has said about the Aragonese and have walked it three times, most recently taking the almost-never-trod and quite-unserviced northern route to Leyre along the north bank of the Embalse de Yesa.

I think it works better as a route for Camino repeaters, and those who are not uncomfortable with the less busy trail. It will also attract those who are more interested in the history of Spain and the Spanish church, as the whole route is redolent of the embattled principalities when most of the peninsula was under Moorish rule.

 

[julie]

Shhh ... don't tell everyone!

France appeals to me tremendously so I set out from Arles. The whole route is beautiful. I was fortunate to have a reasonable number of companions but have friends who walked from Oloron Ste-Marie at a different time and met only a couple of other pilgrims. It is very dependent on timing. A French gite owner told me that pilgrims usually start from Arles in late April/early May so that they can arrive in Santiago before it becomes too hot to walk comfortably.

I don't know if that's borne out by the statistics, but it sounds reasonable.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

because it is hard!

 

[SabsP]

Well, if all goes to plan I intend to walk it next year in spring. After that get on Frances for a while, might also thing of driving to Zaragoza and get on Ruta del Ebro. We will see, but yes def. the Aragones.

 

[gnhale]

I would like to start my camino on the camino aragones, can anyone recommend a starting point? Preferably in Spain. Thanks!

 

[camino-david]

I also do not think it matters when it comes to a name for a Camino. I met a group of French pilgrims last year who insisted that the route was Camino Arles all the way to Puenta la Reina. Personally I think that the Aragones starts at the border at Somport, as Aragon is a Spanish name and is the name of the river in the valley through which most the the Camino runs.
It is a beautiful route and in September it is not crowded but enough pilgrims to be comfortable. It was a culture shock to arrive at Puenta la Reina and the crowds on the Camino Frances.
I do not think it is any more difficult to get to Somport than to St Jean Pied de Porte. There are frequent Alsa buses to Zaragoza, change there to Alosa bus to Jaca and 5 buses a day from Jaca to Somport. It is possible to do this in a day from Madrid Airport providing you arrive early enough at the Airport, or you can get to Jaca to stay a night then to Somport the next day (first bus 8.25) and start walking back to Jaca (31.5 kms) or any of the albergues between.

 

[Gailsie]

I am planning on beginning my camino on the Aragones in April/May 2014 to celebrate my 65th birthday. Depending on date and/or snow conditions it will be from Somport or Canfranc. The beautiful photos on this forum and the idea of not being as crowded as the Frances was the deciding factor for me.

 

[Priscillian]

I walked from Somport and it was quite beautiful. I don't think it is any harder than the Frances from SJPdeP. The scenery is Alpine, glorious. I think that starting from Oleron would be lovely. The church there has beautiful music. But the ideal for me would be a start from Lourdes...(get beyond the plastic virgins and it has an unsurpassed atmosphere) Pau...Oloron. Mind you, the weather can be really treacherous so don't do it on your own at any time of the year!
I am hoping to walk the Arles route in 2014 as background to the next book. Lots of Cathar interest along this route.
Buen Camino, todos...from the end of the world.

 

[camino07]

I also am thinking about the Aragones end April/May 2013 but would like to find someone to walk it with. I will be celebrating my 66th birthday in May.
I would like to start in Oloron would it be better to come from Paris to start,although I would like to fly into Barcelona for a change.
I will look up blogs etc but would be grateful for any info.
Heather

 

[camino-david]

Hi. I walked the Aragonnes last year in Sept. I flew into Paris from Australia, then a flight to Pau and the train to Oloron. That is the simplest way and that was my way as I arrived in Paris about 7 am and was able to get to Oloron in 1 day. You could get to Pau from Paris by train, but I think you would have to change at Toulouse.
From Barcelona there are buses to Jaca, then another bus to Oloron. Some web sites you could find useful are:
Tourist info on the region and a map with a list of albergues and distances: http://www.jaca.es
Train info in France: http://www.bonjourlafrance.com.trains
Shuttle bus services to/from Paris airports and into the city: http://www.bonjourlafrance.com/air-fran ... le-service
Train and bus info from Pau to Oloron and to Canfranc (in Spain over Somport pass): http://www.ter.sncf.com/Regions/aquitaine
Route maps and accomodation details for French Chemin de Compostelle (Arles route):
http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/Sele ... arteFrance.
I will send you a PM with more details.
Buen Camino David

 

[Josefine]

I completely agree with Camino-David, gettting to Somport or Jaca is not difficult at all, there will be buses from all over Spain to Zaragoza and from there another bus to Jaca, several departures a day. Hard? not harder than parts of the French and certainly not as hard as the the Primitivo.
But to those of you who plan for a spring Camino aragonés, take care and consider a very unpredictable weather, it can be snowing at the end of May and you'll have many km with no villages, in bad weather I would not walk it alone. It's not like the French where you can decide to stop for a hot cup of coffee when you feel too cold or tired.
Josefine

 

[Gailsie]

Maybe I will have to reconsider the Aragones route as it has been pointed out here - that it is so hard, treacherous, with the chance of snow at the end of May and not to walk alone. Some big things for me to consider.

 

[Priscillian]

Not hard, not treacherous, but simply stunning. Take the train from Zaragoza to Canfranc. Get a bus to Somport and the old road crossing. Good starting point. Wonderful old station in Canfranc which will remind you that this was once one of the most important crossing points from France. The train winds its way through rocky gorges and beside rivers and lakes. You'll find yourself hopping from one side to the other just to catch it all. You can visit the cathedral of the Virgin de Pilar in Zaragoza and if you decide to come to Muxia and the Virgen de la Barca you really will have walked "full circle" while going in a straight line!
Ah the wonders of the Camino!!!

 

[Priscillian]

I do agree that walking it alone during inclement weather wouldn't be a good idea, most especially if you start from Oloron (up before down!) but certainly the same can be said for any part of the Camino in or near the mountains, whether the Pyrenees or Galicia.
T

 

[camino-david]

I consider the Aragones itself to be quite easy, but many people start from Pau or Oloron which are at the end of Camino Arles. Pau is not actually on the Camino Arles, so walk to Lescar (6 kms) which is on the Camino, and commence from Lescar to Oloron. It is then 25 km to Oloron, which I have been told by many who have done it that it is very hard due to the surface of the track which is treacherous and steep ascents and descents. Then 35 km after Oloron (there are plenty of gites and villages on the way) there is Accous. For the next 22 km after Accous the path is difficult due to the narrow sloping track in parts. Col du Somport is about 27 km after Accous with an ascent of 1200 metres (overnight at Urdos 14 km after Accous if you wish). Plenty of walkers do this from Oloron, or you can do what I did and take the valley bus ( http://www.ter-sncf.com/aquitaine ) for the most difficult stretches. Once over the Col de Somport, it is easy,beautiful, with some great albergues, and not crowded. But the villages and albergues are not so frequent as on the Frances. The 'official' suggested route from Somport is 6 days for 165 km, or you can amble along and take 10 days. The Tourist Office in Jaca ( http://www.jaca.es ) is very helpful, speak and write English and have a map which lists all the distances and albergues.

 

[sillydoll]

The territories in the south of France were somewhat different 800 years ago to what they are today. When the Codex was written the English Royal family owned most of the territory in the South of France known as Gascony.

The Codex Calixtinus author mentions that the first stage of the Aragones route starts at ".. Borce, a village at the foot of the Somport Pass on the Gascon side, to Jaca".

In Aragon, King Ramiro had married Agnes, daughter of Duke William IX of Aquitaine and Gascony.
The Somport Pass was not a France/Spain border post as it is now.

St Jean Pied de Port was a part of Navarra and only became a part of France in 1659.

Pilgrims coming from the east might have crossed at the Somport Pass whilst those coming from France and the northern countries would have come through St Michel (and only later through St Jean) over the Ibanet Pass.

The Aragones route is a stunningly rugged route, much harder than the Camino Frances, not to be rushed, better to walk with a companion, but has charming small albergues and a real old-pilgrimage feel.

But shhhhh........ don't tell anyone .... it would be a pity if it became over crowded!

 

[Debinq]

Attagal Sil (or should that be attagel?)
Always good to read an answer backed up with some historical context - I expect part of the answer to the question is that there are prolly as many answers as there are people who'd attempt an explanation! (How's that for kicking down an open door?)

So I prefer to savour my recollections of my Aragones experience and not overly exert or trouble my grey matter with such musing! I've been an Aragones-aficionado since my first camino and fully intend to get back onto it from the Oleron (or Lourdes) side of the mts. next time, having staged from Jaca to Somport and back, down the southern slopes last time - as I had flown in to Barcelona and (Alsa) bused it to Jaca. The GR 107 also sounds tempting tho' .... I like the sound of those bonhommes &bonnefemmes!

happy trails

Peter

 

[sillydoll]

The history lesson was in response to the question by Oursonpolaire "

As well, it is unclear if the "traditional" starting point should be in Jaca, or in Pau, or in Toulouse-- not that this matters, but many pilgrims are looking for the approved and official way to do it Properly and By the Rules.

There are no rules - the changes in ownership of territory meant that the 'traditional' starting point changed too. Aimery Picaud said that the route started in Borce. Today people start in Somport. In the Middle Ages people started from their front door. If you want to say that you walked the 'whole' Aragones route, I suppose you would have to start in Somport.

I walked from Lourdes and it was a lovely walk - very green, misty, muddy, through Pyrenean forests, down from Oloron Ste Marie to Somport. The change in the landscape from the south of France to Aragon is remarkable. This is an excerpt from 'YOUR CAMINO'

From Pyrenean grandeur at the 1 600 m Col du Somport the path drops sharply to 400 m in 7.5 km into an ancient, crumpled valley formed by a shallow sea that covered Aragon some 100 million years ago. In places, the lunar landscape is spectacular with ingrained fossils of marine micro-organisms in the grey rocks. Long before Charlemagne led his third expedition across the Pyrenees in the 8th century to become Master of Spain, the ‘Summus Portus’ was traversed by Romans, Vandals, Visigoths, Arabs and merchants. It is 160 km from Somport through Jaca to Puente la Reina where it joins the Camino Frances and is well supplied with pilgrim shelters and small hotels. (The Via Tolosana from Arles in France joins the Aragones route at the Somport Pass.)
http://www.jacajacobea.com

 

[Cowan]

Having read these posts, I'm now really, really excited. In September, 2013, I'll be leaving from Montserrat (near Barcelona) on the Camino Catalán por San Juan de la Peña, then on to the Camino Aragonés to Jaca, uphill to Somport, downhill back to Jaca, and then onwards until I feel ready to stop (or I run out of time -- I have a whole semester off!). I've planned the trip as far as Burgos, but who knows?

I figure that walking the Camino Catalán will get fit enough (in many ways) to tackle the uphill walk from Jaca to Somport (although I've been in training for the past 6 months at home, too).

Looking forward to all the challenges and the beauties of both caminos!

Laura

 

[Bcampbel]

Having read these posts, I'm now really, really excited. In September, 2013, I'll be leaving from Montserrat (near Barcelona) on the Camino Catalán por San Juan de la Peña, then on to the Camino Aragonés to Jaca, uphill to Somport, downhill back to Jaca, and then onwards until I feel ready to stop (or I run out of time -- I have a whole semester off!). I've planned the trip as far as Burgos, but who knows?

I figure that walking the Camino Catalán will get fit enough (in many ways) to tackle the uphill walk from Jaca to Somport (although I've been in training for the past 6 months at home, too).

Looking forward to all the challenges and the beauties of both caminos!

Laura

 

[Bcampbel]

Having read these posts, I'm now really, really excited. In September, 2013, I'll be leaving from Montserrat (near Barcelona) on the Camino Catalán por San Juan de la Peña, then on to the Camino Aragonés to Jaca, uphill to Somport, downhill back to Jaca, and then onwards until I feel ready to stop (or I run out of time -- I have a whole semester off!). I've planned the trip as far as Burgos, but who knows?

I figure that walking the Camino Catalán will get fit enough (in many ways) to tackle the uphill walk from Jaca to Somport (although I've been in training for the past 6 months at home, too).

Looking forward to all the challenges and the beauties of both caminos!

Laura

Maybe see you en route Laura - we are leaving Oloron Sainte Marie on 17 Sept and walking as far as Puente La Reina (walked the Camino Frances last year, and miss it!)

 

[camino07]

I envy you folks starting out on the Aragones soon. I walked from Somport in May this year and loved it and apart from some longer distances it was no harder than the Frances.
I wouldn't have thought of walking up from Jaca but now that I have experienced it ,yes! a good idea. Care will be needed on the last couple of kms as many of the wooden rails beside the narrow path up to
Somport have fallen into the valley. Of course they may have been replaced by now . Same goes for the area with the landslide pilgrims have pressed a path across it so its ok.

 

[lucindasculptor]

I'm traveling to barcelona on sept 28th, I have 6 days to get to irun to start camino del norte, I was thinking of starting in jaca, can you go from jaca to sjpdp or do you cut through today's irun? Has anyone done this? I'm walking alone, but have cold weather gear. Thanks, Lucinda...anyone want to walk with me? 12 to 15 miles per day through the mountains.