Camino Frances in the Spring

[Gwynasyn]

Hola!

I've done the Camino before, a couple of years ago, and would like to do it again.

The last time I did it, my friend and I started at Conques in France. When we got to Moissac we had to stop for a week because I had tendonitis in my knee. So we bussed/trained to Barcelona (if you can't move around for a week, might as well do it in Barcelona right?) and then resumed the Camino at Pamplona.

The point of that little story is that I never got to climb through the Pyrenees. Now I'm using it as an excuse to do the Camino again, this time starting at SJPP. I was thinking of starting it sometime early in the spring, April or May or maybe even late March.

I understand that the climb through the Pyrenees can be treacherous unless its a clear day, so I just wanted to know what the weather is like around March/April. Is there typically more rain/wind in the Spring? Is snow up around the top a real possibility into April?

I appreciate any help I can get!

Edit: Oh, I'm also unsure about if/when the pilgrim hostels would be open in the spring.

[Covey]

The weather is highly variable at the best of times on top of the Pyrenees and you can get snow in April. The weather in the high hills (they are not mountains!) can change very quickly and you could leave St Jean in the sunshine and get to the top and be in cloud and sub-zero temperatures.

There is a "winter" route from St Jean to Roncesvalles which follows the old road route through Valcarloss and which is around 400m lower in height than the "over the top" route. I have done St Jean to Roncesvalles four times in recent years and only my first walk over the top was in good weather. There was not a cloud in the sky (it was August) and from the top it felt you could see forever. The next two years were a trudge in wind and rain with visibility in places down to 5m and it was miserable. Last year I walked the "winter" road and it was good. There are plenty of places to stop for refreshment and in one village we stopped for lunch and watched a very colorful wedding.

On the 27kms Route Napoleon "over the top" there is a stop at Orisson which is about 7kms from St Jean and then there is nothing until Roncesvalles.

The Pilgrim Office in St Jean will tell you what the weather is going to be doing the following day when you set out and will tell you if you need the safety of the winter route. DO NOT IGNORE THEIR ADVICE. In recent years pilgrims have died on the top because they thought they knew better.

[Larry]

Hi
I did the Camino from SJPP in early March and I totally concur with Covey. Two weeks before I left I was told that a young hiker thought he was "tough enough" to do the Napoleon route and died when a sudden snow storm came in. Real drag. On my trip a man younger than me (I'm 60) walked on a dirt path from the chapel at the top of the pass to Roncevalles (about 300 meters) whereupon he slipped and fractured his leg, again real drag. Stick to the advise you get from the priest at SJPP and you'll be fine. I really enjoyed the spring walk as it was not hot in the mesetas (sp) and it wasn't too rainy in Galicia. The air is clean and the sound of little brooks and streams is very soothing. Buen Camino