Another excellent but potentially complicated day. We woke to the sound of hissing kettles. Looking outside the door of our rooms we saw that the Belgian camp-followers (the two women who were apparently responsible for catering/refreshments, driving the van with the luggage etc. for the cycling party) busy boiling a series of kettles on the electricity sockets down the corridor of the hotel to enable them to prepare thermos flasks in bulk for hot drinks. Over breakfast we saw the rest of their preparations as they polished their bikes and loaded the van. The bikes, perhaps a couple of dozen in all, were stored overnight in the cellars of a range of building around the hotel which obviously caters for this market.
Our taxi arrived promptly at 7.30am to take us to the
Refuge d'Orisson and it took no more than 20 minutes to drive us the precious eight kilometers we had enjoyed yesterday on foot. We had a coffee while we waited for our take-away baguettes to be prepared and set off again at 8.15. The climb was steady rather than onerous and interspersed with plenty of breathing spaces. There was the odd fleck of rain but mostly it was overcast, and eventually, after lunch, quite cold. The statue of the Virgin d'Orisson was further (4k) than we expected but the countryside was lovely and open with magnificent views in all directions.There were a few horses grazing and a lot of sheep.
There was much mutual encouragement and cheery exchanges with other walkers throughout the day. We again met the three Frenchmen who seem to be taking it all as a stroll, hands in pockets and with the mock seriousness of "Three Men in a Boat".After 1240 metres of elevation you leave the road and head up grassy slopes carefully waymarked. In poorer weather conditions such precautions must be very necessary.
We saw many birds of prey circling and passed a nest up in an outcrop from where we could hear the chicks calling.
There was a primitive hut near the top to provide emergency shelter in such conditions.Just before the Spanish
border the walking seems to be permanently muddy in the shadow of the ridge for about 4k and indeed on the Spanish side there is equal mud through a beautiful beech forest, the passage of boots turning it to mulch. We had an early lunch, including some refreshing oranges, at 11.30 in the ruins of an old cottage among the beech trees.We then went above the tree line
for some more exposed walking as we worked our way up to our highest point, the Col Lepoeder, from where you can finally see 'the other side' and the village of Roncesvalles surrounded by the trees in the valley far below. There is a direct-ish route down through the forest but we chose the longer route which is on tarmac. This was in deference to the state of our various knees, shins. hips and other bits and pieces that suffer just as much on the downs as the ups.It is also quite dangerous on such surfaces when you are tired. A lone woman walker was resting at the top and deriving much pleasure as each successive party debated the confusing alternatives.After much zigzagging we passed a modern, and neglected, memorial chapel honouring Roland, at the point where the 'Route Napoleon' meets up again with the main road. The legendary tale of Charlemagne's nephew (son?) meeting a heroic (Christian) death at the hands of alien (Muslim) forces in 778AD had immense medieval popularity whatever the actual facts may have been.
A pleasant flat walk through more trees takes you into the village of Roncesvalles (or Orreaga in Basque), dominated by the immense monolithic Augustinian abbey and the associated buildings catering for the passing pilgrims. The main Refuge dormitory apparently sleeps 160 in close cacophonous comfort "in the bed to which you have been assigned". Our hotel, Hostel la Posada, was frankly more comfortable with big clean rooms. Our bags were waiting for us upstairs ina large sitting room. Their transportation from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port until we get to Leon is now in the helpful hands of the charming Caroline of Express Bourricot, although she does use a little van rather than the animal in question. Both hotels in the village provide meals at an earlier sitting for those staying in the Refuge. The rest of us had to wait for 'Spanish Time'.
The village exists purely to process pilgrims in a reliable, efficient and surprisingly patient way. The vast church with its heavy Spanish imagery is designed to impress. As we had supper, soup, fish and 'flan', Liz texted all and sundry to say we had walked over the Pyrenees. Ben replied to say he had scrubbed up today "to assist at a 'C. Section' and two Ventouse deliveries". So he had a good day too.
It was a full day and you find yourself reliving the various stages afterwards. The uphill was surprisingly manageable after all the fuss in anticipation. We have actually walked up steeper and less pleasant places albeit not so continuously. The bleak open spaces at the top where we had to consciously keep warm were memorable. The beech forests and the accompanying muddy mulch will be easy to remember. As ever there were beautiful flowers along the way but the fauna, particularly the raptors and the wild horses were as memorable as our cheerful fellow walkers.
