Camino: Roncesvalles to Zubiri

30/04/19
After clearing the Pyrenees & Roncesvalles, I wasn't prepared for the tough downhill & rocky slog to Zubiri. Somehow you get it in your head that the Pyrenees are the tough days you have to prep for, but it's just the first challenge in a long adventure. The small wiggly rocks were unstable & required poles & careful foot placement for mile after mile. I was so glad to cross the Puenta de la Rabia bridge (named for the belief that if animals were led over the bridge three times they would be cured of rabies) into Zubiri & spend a few moments enjoying the icy cold of the river on my hot & tired tootsies. Here I met Mr. Blister, a fellow with a pair of particularly gnarly feet. 
I stayed at a lovely aubergue, Suseia, with a communal meal and grassy courtyard that served as my outdoor yoga studio. My yogi, Caryn, would be proud

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22k to Zubiri (population 400)

Aubergue Suseia

Camino: Orisson to Roncesvalles

29/04/19

Still in France, I moved on from the homey Orisson aubergue. Aubergues are the Spanish word for shared communal living quarters, typically with bunk beds and shared shower quarters. These are particularly useful as a way of getting to know other pilgrims. Orisson is a favorite as it hosts a communal meal with a "sharing" session to meet over 50 fellow travelers. It is the only housing on the way over the Pyrenees so reservations are critical. I lost count of all of the countries folks at dinner were from. We had a couple from Idaho in their 60s, here on the honeymoon. One gentleman, Carter is turning 80 & his five children will be taking turns joining him on the Camino. There were lots of newbies like me & seasoned pilgrims with many Caminos under their belt.

The next morning weather conditions were good so we were able to cross the Pyrenees via the particularly scenic Col de Lepoeder approach (altitude 4757 feet/ 1450  meters) with a particularly dicey downhill. Just days before & after, the path was closed due to snow and wind & travelers had to be rescued from the mountain. With spectacular views, wildlife & even a food truck with steamy hot chocolate, it was a challenge but quite doable with careful footing.

18k with lots of altitude change to Roncesvalles (population 30). 

A chilly start

Snow angels

Well-deserved cervesas

Camino: SJPdP to Orisson

28-04-19

My Camino begins in the quaint village of St. Jean Pied de Port (population 1500), the traditional starting point of the 800k/ 500 mile Camino Frances. First stop, the efficient Pilgrim office. Kind volunteers will set you up with aubergue contact information, elevation maps & provide your new best friend, your credential! They even have a big scale if you want to see how good you were at whittling down the weight of your pack. We must look like school children on our first day of class- jittery, nervous smiles & tons of questions. 
My lovely aubergue, Beilari, included a get-to-know-you session at the communal dinner- a perfect opportunity to make new friends. There are those nervous moments at night when you check the weather for the umpteenth time & give your pack a final once-over to be sure you haven't overlooked anything. Then, a feeble attempt at sleep until we were awaken by soft choir music. After a Sunday Basque mass, our "Camino Family" began our hike. 

I elected to stop overnight in Orisson, about halfway up the Pyrenees to break up the arduous first day. A smart choice as weather was crisp & clear so views from the Orisson deck were spectacular & cried out for a celebratory beverage. Still an aubergue newbie, I met my new seven bunkmates for the evening. I had heard that bottom bunks are often offered to the older or injured pilgrims. I was glad to be assigned to the top bunk- ha! After a bit of work to get a too-tiny single-use sheet onto a mattress, I settled into my bunk with all the gear I may need overnight, headphones in place to cover snores from those lower bunks. Next day- do it all again, except we tackle the Pyrenees climb to Roncesvalles on Day 2.

8k to Orisson

My own special Camino shell

The welcome at Beilari, my first home on the Camino

Views from the Orisson deck

HOW- The Camino

There are as many ways to do the Camino as there are paths to Santiago de Compostela. 

Many pilgrims, assured that “the Camino will provide,” embark with minimal planning & no booked lodging. This approach does indeed allow for serendipity & flexibility to stop where & when you tire, but can also lead to racing for limited bed space in many first-come, first-serve aubergues or an end-of-day unplanned walk to the next town seeking shelter. As anyone who knows me knows, I’m not a “wing it” sort of gal. Some may call it “anal”- I prefer “ serving myself up for success.” I get enjoyment reading about my travels as I plan- hunting for perfect spots along the way. I know I need daily goals & that I will have a spot to look forward to & call home each evening after a long day on the trail. 

For the Camino, this has meant countless hours with fellow Camino friends & patient REI staff contemplating the virtues of boots vs. trail shoes, rain jackets vs. ponchos (apparently this is a very heated Camino subject) & the sexy topic of foot care. 

They say you carry your fears in your pack. I must be deathly afraid of blisters & starving. My day pack happily houses a wide assortment of high-tech bandages, tapes, goos & my personal favorite, silicone toe condoms. I admit to wearing a pair as I type. I also have some Camino treats- Kind bars, gummy bears & even a few easter candies. My other fear appears to be chinches- bed bugs, as my gear has been doused & sprayed with repellent to make me the least attractive pilgrim in the aubergue. 

Packing for the Camino is an art. With back issues, I’ll be sending ahead a pack with sleeping gear & such, but each pilgrim needs to carry on their back what they need for each day. Experts recommend a pack goal weight of no more than 10% of your body weight (finally that extra layer of winter blubber pays off!) With pack & water weight of over 5 pounds, it’s tricky to fit in cold weather & rain gear, a first aid kit, food, camera/phone, electronics & anything you want to keep safe & aren't willing to part with.  

As a single traveler for the first few weeks, every late night visit to the bathroom or post-hike shower requires bringing a waterproof sack of all your valuables from electronics to passport, in with you to the bathroom. I’m hoping to score a few lower bunks as I will be sleeping with these items in my sleep sack. 

So by now you’re asking, “And why are you doing this.” I’ve never been one to shy away from a challenge or adventure & the Camino promises to provide a blend of physical, mental & social elements. All this on a backdrop of bucolic scenery full of pilgrims all headed in the same direction with a common goal. Fellow pilgrims frequently hike in & out of your life throughout the journey, forming your “Camino family.” Folks report of joyous greetings as they reconnect with friends met earlier on the path. We'll gladly see what lies ahead. Wish me "Buen Camino."

WHY the Camino?

Why the Camino?

They say the Camino is part physical, part mental & part spiritual.

Pilgrims, as Camino travelers are called, come from all over the world and put themselves through physical hardship, subjecting their body to the rigors of walking between 25 & 30km a day –day after day.  At a glance, the Camino is not physically overwhelming- hiking/walking is putting one foot in front of the other. The challenge is putting those feet in front of each other hour after hour & day after day. No stopping for snow (yes, snow), wind, rain, wind or heat (kind of like the USPS.) Ignore those blisters and sore muscles. The 40+ days of bodily stress and repetition are difficult to truly train for & many pilgrims are plagued with injuries along the way.

Mentally, pilgrims report the Camino is often mesmerizing in its simplicity. The daily ritual of putting on your gear, following yellow arrows for miles on end, arriving to your bunk to shower, do a bit of laundry & enjoy communal meals with pilgrims at each day’s end, allows time for reflection & thought. Minimal technology & news = nirvana. You tend to your physical needs, wake up & do it all again, God willing. Others find significance in the paring down their possessions to live simply using just the items in their pack. Most past pilgrims tell tales of bringing too much “stuff” and end up donating it or sending items ahead when they realize how little they need to survive on the Camino.  The ubiquitous saying, “The Camino will provide,” provides a soft blanket of support for the pilgrimage.

While all pilgrims travel a similar physical path kilometer after kilometer, each travels another spiritual or internal path, which is personal and unique.  In addition to the connection with nature that the Camino provides, the anonymous nature of the pilgrimage often strips away labels and conventions of society to create a sense that all pilgrims are the same & are supporting each other in a common quest. Pilgrims are encouraged to make their Camino what they need it to be for them- going the speed, distance or path that works best for them. By providing the time to reflect and reconnect to themselves, pilgrims often experience personal transformative change that goes beyond a simple hike.

WHAT is the Camino de Santiago

Many of you have asked me, “What is the Camino- and why in the world are you doing it?”

The Camino de Santiago is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried. Many

follow its routes as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth.  Travelers can take one of dozens of pilgrimage routes to Santiago. Traditionally, as with most pilgrimages, the Way of Saint James began at one's home and ended at the pilgrimage site. However, a few of the routes are considered main ones. During the Middle Ages, the route was highly travelled. However, the Black Death, the Protestant Reformation, and political unrest in 16th century Europe led to its decline. By the 1980s, only a few hundred pilgrims per year registered in the pilgrim's office in Santiago. In the ‘80s, the route was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since then, the route has attracted a growing number of modern-day international pilgrims- over 250,000 begin the journey annually. Many choose to complete the entire 800km (500 mile) CF route, while others break the journey into shorter pieces to complete their pilgrimage over several years.

Imagine if you will, simple pilgrims making this arduous journey since the 8^th century. Pilgrims today continue this same spiritual and physical journey- albeit now in wicking garments and high-tech hiking gear. The path is now regularly marked with yellow arrows pointing pilgrims toward Santiago.

In Spain, France and Portugal, pilgrim's hostels with bunk beds in dormitories provide overnight accommodation for pilgrims who hold a credencial (a pilgrims’passport of sorts). These aubergues (as they are called in Spain) may be run by the local parish, private owners or pilgrims' associations.  With the growth in popularity of the Camino, many small family-run inns also dot the path. Your pilgrim credential provides access to accommodations along the way and must be stamped daily, serving as proof to the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago that you accomplished your journey to receive your compostela (certificate of completion of the pilgrimage). Pilgrims who have walked at least the last 100 km (62 miles), or cycled 200 km (120 miles) are eligible for a compostela.