2017-10-08 Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port - Roncevalles (27/827 km)

Morning moon over the mountains

A fantastic day. Staring early in the morning mist bur soon I got over it and walked up all hills. Not difficult since the way is paved two thirds of the way, but hill after hill. In total 1.250 m up and then almost 500 m down to Roncevalles. I tried to to take  a photo of about the same view at two heights. You see the mist at the bottom of the valleys. A number of people were walking this day.

Up a bit over the clouds

If the weather is fine there are not many problems in getting over the pass except physical if you are at your first day and have not exercised before. The real problems comes days with bad weather and clouds, rain and maybe snow. Then you can very easily get lost if you just have a sight of a couple of meters. And there are abysses. This has resulted in a number of rescue operations and wounded or even killed people, so now the way over the pass is closed from first of november. You then have to take a lower road close to the highway.

Since I walked here 11 years ago they have built a new coffee-stop in Orisson some 7 km from Saint Jean. And yes, I took a coffee.

On the way

A bit further

On the French side there are moors with sheep and cattle, but passing over to the Spanish side there are more trees.

Even higher

High enough you could even see the pollution layer in the clouds.

Orisson  - a new place to get some coffee

Even a bit of pollution in the air

Once in a while you see a cross at the wayside. Someone fell here. Maybe a heart attack or so. And maybe a good way to end - on the go.

Sheeps on the French side

Someone stopped walking here

Rocks by the side of the track

The walk was also a test of my memory. And that really proved that the memory changes what it saw. There is a madonna statue at a rock by the roadside. I remembered her as natural size but she was only about a meter high. I also had some other memories of the first walk that did not prove to be entirely correct.

Fontaine de Roland

At the border between France and Spain there is the source of Roland. Named after the famous epos from the battle up here. Roland the hero of the epos from the army of Charlemagne fell after a heroic fight killed by the moors, but in reality probably by the basque.

Should I take a horse the rest of the way?

Missing Roland I had to replace our him at the source, there was a lady that offered to take my photo.

Yours truly at Fontaine de Roland

Forrest this high up - yes!

Rescue hut for bad weather 

There were plenty of horses up here. I caught som with my camera. Then on the Spanish side you walked through a wood for a while. When that ended you were remembered about the weather danger up here. They had built a rescue hut.

Finally I reached Col de Lepoeder at 1.450 m with its absolutely breathtaking view of Spain. I remembered so well my reaction from my fist walk, that I in a way was seeing the promised land. And I felt something similar now.

Roncevalles - monastery and everything else

From Col de Lepoeder at 1450 m - The promised land!

Then you should go down 500 m. The fist time I took a small road. That is advisable for walkers not having strong legs. But here I determined that I had strong leg legs so I took the steeper trail that goes through the forest all the way down. Fully OK but my legs were tired when I got down. I was also missing the view one had from the road, so I don't know what is the best choice.

Finally at the famous monastery. It had really been renovated for pilgrims. I remembered a gigantic sleeping hall with two story beds. But now it was still a big hall but with a number of compartments with four beds. Comfortable. And volunteer hospitaleros (hosts) from Holland received you, very friendly. And there were a number of people coming over the mountains, maybe up to 150 - 200 or so. So the hospitaleros had a job.

Church interior - Roncevalles

After the evening missa (mass) - you can't miss it. They always read from which country the pilgrims have come that day. And I represented Sweden. And the dinner afterward was a good meeting point for people from different countries that you would meet again the coming days. Many young that were at the end of their studies. And a number of oldies like me. The language around the table was no longer French but English. And I really felt the good spirit.

Pero después los días ordinarios hay otros tres días. Y en primero de estos caminaba encima de las montañas Pirineos a Roncesvalles. Un día fantástico y duro. La col Lepoeder tiene una altitud de 1.450 m y Saint Jean está en 200 m. Un día que hace sol y una vista infinita. Y Roncevalles estaba improbado con nuevas dormitorios etc. Mucha gente de todos los países que hablabamos todas las lenguas. Y en la misa del noche - "un de Suecia". !Yo!