Where to Begin - St. Jean Pied de Port

 

In the last several years, St. Jean Pied de Port has become "the place to start" for many pilgrims. For some, it is because they want to walk over the Pyrenees. The truth is, you are only walking over a couple of hills in the Pyrenees, but it CAN be a gorgeous walk! It is a difficult one, however and the decision to walk from SJPP should not be taken lightly.

Brierley lists the first stage of the Camino as beginning in SJPP and ending in Roncesvalles. This is how I walked it on my first Camino. I was 16 years younger and it almost ruined me. 

I had booked lodging at Orisson, having heard it was a good idea to break that first stage up into two days if you weren't in prime condition. The owner of the gite where we stayed in SJPP insisted that we should walk all the way to Roncesvalles. "You can do it!" he said, "It's easy!" he said.  So I cancelled our reservations at Orisson and soon realized I had made a mistake. 

I was younger and in good shape, and that section was harder than anything I could have imagined. I limped into Roncesvalles in pain, crying the entire way down the hillside, cursing that hospitalero! I was carrying my heavy pack. My feet were blistered. My muscles were cramping. I wasn't sure I would make it. Soon after starting down the mountain, a bus stopped at the top and let a group of tourigrinos out. They were teenagers. They ran down the hill, laughing and giggling, right past me. No backpacks. No pain. "Cheaters!" I thought, and I felt so angry.

Then one young woman stopped when she saw my tears. She asked if I was ok and offered me a chocolate bar. I just started bawling!  But that chocolate bar and her kindness got me down the mountain into Roncesvalles, where Joe was patiently waiting.  

This was the OLD albergue where we stayed. The bunkbeds were pushed tightly together - I was sleeping (literally) next to a strange man. The ladders were round metal bars. That night when I got out of bed to use the toilet, I screamed when my feet hit those bars. My feet were SO bruised from the walk. 

Since then, I have walked that section more times than I can count, and I ALWAYS break it up into two stages. 

So that is my suggestion to you, unless you are in absolutely prime shape. Yes, it's only 8 kilometers to Orisson, but it's the 8 kilometers from HELL! And if you don't want to ruin yourself for the rest of your Camino, just stop at Orisson or Borda and rest, then continue on the next day.

You will need to make reservations for SJPP.  You can book directly or you can find email info on gronze.com. You can also find information on Booking.com for both gite beds and private rooms. By the way, the lodgings are called gites (jeets) in France and albergues (al-bear-gays) in Spain.

Refuge Orisson

For Refuge Orisson, you will need to email them directly. They will open mid December for reservations and you can find their website here: https://refuge-orisson.com/en/

About 2 kilometers past Orisson, on the left, you will find Gite Borda. The owner, Laurent, has a Facebook page where you can request information and book beds. 

The differences between the two - Orisson has bunkbeds in a common space. They also have overflow, so sometimes you will have to walk back DOWN the mountain you have just walked up. Yikes!

Gite Borda

Gite Borda has little cubbies with beds in each, so you have a bit of privacy. Both serve a family style dinner. Laurent is a wonderful host who loves what he does. He is full of information for you. 

Both have high ratings. Prices change each year so you will have to check those out yourself. 

Another option if both of those are full is to book TWO nights in SJPP.  The first morning you will walk up to Orisson, then take the shuttle run by Express Bouricott back down about 2 pm. Have lunch or a beer/wine and watch the pilgrims trudge by while you wait.  Spend a second night in SJPP and take the shuttle back UP to Orisson in the morning and continue on to Roncesvalles. 

If you decide to walk the entire stage, be forewarned. It is probably the most difficult day of the entire Camino, in my opinion. Get up and out early - take breaks every couple of hours - and be sure you have a bed reserved ahead.

If you are interested in the history of St. Jean Pied de Port, see this older blog post. It is heavy with photos of the route from SJPP to Roncesvalles. Scroll down to find the section on history. 

https://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2015/11/starting-st-jean-pied-de-port.html