March, April, or May?

[grayland]

I am planning on leaving SJPPabout 19 March. Last year we left about a week earlier. Don't think it will make much difference on the weather.
I was going to leave later..but decided the crowds may be a bit of a bother later.

[BenedettoCAN]

I have no choice but to leave mid-April. I don't like the sounds of the expected crowds but I guess one wouldn't get lost. I'll just trust that everyone can be accommodated at the hostels. The whole charm of the camino I guess is having faith in it and leaving it up to chance. Everyone taking care of everyone else. I'm sure it'll be fine. Buen camino.

[renegade_pilgrim]

BenedettoCAN....I hear ya. I haven't bought my ticket yet, or given notice at work, either, so I have some flexibility. I'm still trying to decide where to fly into. Madrid or Paris are at the top of the list at the moment. I need to act soon. My hope is to have a ticket booked before the end of the year.

Perhaps our paths will cross....either way, I hope you have a buen camino too!

[BenedettoCAN]

Hi Renegrade Pilgrim - I've managed to get the time off. I'll teach the spring semester and then take a break to do the camino. I was going to book my flight soon as well but then someone told me to wait till January, so I'm going to do that. Prices might be cheaper once the holidays are over. I'm flying into Paris to visit some friends there and then TVGing it to Bordeaux, stay for a day, and then to Bayonne and St J P de P where I'll book the hostel espritduchemin (They aren't taking reservations until Jan. 15th because they're on holiday at present). That's the only hostel I'll book. Good luck with your planning.

[BenedettoCAN]

I've bought my ticket. I was wondering how cold it might be walking over the Pyrenees mid-April. Could anyone tell me how cold it might be? I'll be leaving SJPduP the morning of April 16th. Is anyone planning to start on that date? It would be nice not to go over the mountains alone.

[Covey]

Just make sure you check with the Pilgrim Office when you get to St Jean what the weather is going to be for the next day, assuming you are staying overnight in St Jean.. Take whatever advice they give you cos they have been doing it for a very long time, and pilgrims have died ignoring their advice.

[BenedettoCAN]

Died? I wasn't expecting to hear that. Thanks for the advice. I will check with them the day before I leave.

[BenedettoCAN]

Perhaps our paths will cross....either way, I hope you have a buen camino too![/QUOTE]

Did you buy your ticket yet? I just bought mine.

[Sil]

The statistics from St Jean's pilgrims' office shows that the highest numbers of pilgrims passing through or starting from St Jean are from around 21 April to the first week in May.

The graph on the website shows two high seasons. One from April 21 to June 8: More than 1,300 pilgrims per week for 7 weeks with a very strong peak of 28 April to 4 May - 1800 pilgrims in 7 days (daily average of 257 but some days as high as 400!)

http://www.aucoeurduchemin.org/


Last year there were 16 days in a row of sunny weather in March but by mid April there was heavy snow falls and alerts around Spain. If there is heavy snow you might not be able to cross at all as even the road route will have to be ploughed.

Check my blog post on walking in Spring with photos of the snow at Roncevalles, Pamplona and other regions.
The weather is so bad now, lets hope that it snows itself out before April!

Amawalker: WALKING THE CAMINO IN SPRING

[Covey]

The walk up to the top of the Pyrenees from St Jean can offer the most spectacular scenery on a nice clear sunny day, but can also take you up in to cloud and freezing rain and temperatures well below freezing.

The pilgrim who walks in June - September is worrying about how to keep cool and between Burgos and Leon in August the daytime temperature is usually around 33c+, so your kit list reflects the weather you are expecting.

A few years ago, a couple of Brits froze to death going up from St Jean because they ignored the advice from the Pilgrim Office to take the lower "road" route and they got caught in a blizzard on the top. The weather on the top can change very very quickly.

[BenedettoCAN]

Thanks Sil for all the links and information. I will definitely prepare for the inevitability of snow and cold temperatures while crossing. Being from Canada with bad winters, I thought, how bad can it be. Thanks for the eye-openner Covey. I plan to do the easier route over the mountains and hope for a clear sunny day. I will take whatever advice the Pilgrims' office has to give and abide by it. I'm sure that I will encounter others going over on the same day.

[WanderingWen]

Hi,
I'm planning to leave St Jean in the second week of May 2010 and make it all the way to the coast.

Buen Camino!

[Sil]

I left on 16th May for my first camino in 2002. It was surprisingly cold in the mountains and on other high places but the sun burned down on us on the plains and vineyards. We ended up with very odd, peregrino tans and straw-like hair!
May/June is a lovely time to walk el camino Frances! The snows have gone (just a few peaks still had snow), and the rains turned everything spring-green with spectacular poppies, cornflowers, camomile daisies and other spring flowers. Cherries are in season in June so take advantage of them.
Have a wonderful walk - enjoy the beauty, and the stones, rocks, mud, rain, sunshine, nice people, great people, boorish people - the whole package!
un abrazo,
Sil