Route Napoleon – första etappen på Camino Francés mellan Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port och Roncesvalles.

Route Napoleon – första etappen på Camino Francés mellan Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port och Roncesvalles.

So, the day has finally come to turn months or even years of dreams, planning and anxiety into reality. Time to take the first steps as pilgrim on el Camino out through the city gate of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port… …in the footsteps of millions of pilgrims who have walked the same road over the centuries. On this particular day in the second half of April, very few hikers set off in the morning. But just days before, the number of pilgrims had been much greater. Just outside the city wall, it is time to decide which route to choose. You either walk the so-called “lower” route through the Valcarlos valley…. …or you can cross the Pyrenees, which is the route most people choose. The road over the Pyrenees opens in mid-April and closes in early November, depending on the weather. In bad weather conditions, the lower route is much safer… …and it is slightly easier to hike, but still, it’s not lacking in challenges. When I hiked the lower road in March 2011, there was so much snow… that the stage to Roncesvalles was a very wet and exhausting experience. I write about this in my book The Timeless Road (available in Swedish only) But today the weather couldn’t be better. Calm, sunny and very good visibility. It’s true what they say – The Route Napoleon is probably on of the most beautiful stages of the entire Camino Francés. Especially on a sunny day like this in the end of April with the flowers blossoming and the fragance of spring is in the air. But you don’t get the Napoleonic road ‘for free’. It is quite exhausting. After about 4 kilometers the long ascent uphill begins in earnest. Quite a few hikers stand at the crossroads panting precariously, myself included. But is it stunningly beautiful. The only place to buy a meal today is the legendary hostel Orisson after 8.5 kms. Many choose to stay the night here. The beds are few, so pre-booking is necessary. Shorty after Orisson we come to the solitairy hostal Borda. Also with a stunning views over the Pyrenees. Sometimes there is a mobile snack-bar along the road, but you shouldn’t count on it. Pack water and some snacks for the entire day to be on the safe side. Many chooses to walk all the way to Roncesvalles today. A distance of just over 25 kilometres And with a total ascent of 1350 metres during the day. It’s when we reach Col de Lepoeder, 1450 meters above sea level the final descent begins. By then, we have crossed the Spanish border and only 4 kms remains to today’s goal Roncesvalles. It’s a pretty steep descent downhill the last kilometers. So this is Roncesvalles. The first place to stop after we have crossed the Pyrenees. This is not a village as such, more a collection of buildings around an old monastery. And you can really feel that this is an ancient and historical location. It’s a really special experience to arrive here together with all the new pilgrims. I strongly recommend you attend the pilgrim’s mass in the chapel of the monastery. Even if you don’t normally consider yourself to be religious or a ‘church-goer’. This particular mass is very emotional and invokes a really strong sense of pilgrim history. And the small chapel is also very beautiful and makes for a good start of the rest of your long walk to Santiago de Compostela

En kort film som jag spelade in en underbart vacker vandringsdag i slutet av april på första etappen av Camino Francés. Från Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, längs Napoleonvägen över Pyrenéerna till Roncesvalles. Jag berättar även lite kort om Roncesvalles.