On to Orisson and Roncevalles

We left St. Jean Pied de Port, France on September 1 and headed up the Pyrenees Mountains that straddle France and Spain. This is called the Route de Napoleon because in one of his military campaigns he marched his troops up this same mountain trail. We walked 7.5 kilometers and climbed 677 meters (5 miles and 2221 feet), which will got us halfway up the mountain. Here is a chart showing elevation changes and distances between points for the first of the six sections of the Camino.

We stopped at Refuge Orisson to spend the night before continuing the next leg over the mountain pass. It was a grueling march much of the way, especially as we ran into rain after a couple of hours and were completely drenched by the time we arrived. However, we were rewarded with beautiful vistas as the rain drifted north and met new pilgrim friends upon arrival. Refuge Orisson is a dormitory style hostel featuring about six beds to a room. All the pilgrims ate dinner and breakfast at a communal setting that was festive and relaxing. We enjoyed this atmosphere and had a great time (but I think we’ll be booking private rooms as much as we can down the road. We need our privacy!).

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Continuing the hike from Orisson to Roncevalles was difficult as well. The first third of the 10 mile hike was heavily inclined as we approached the 1300 meter peak. After that the path leveled out for the second leg and then descended in Roncevalles for the last third. Our bodies ached by the time we reached the Hotel Roncevalles but it was worth the effort.