Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles
Initiation
- Distance
- 24.2 km
- Climb
- 1,419 m up, 557 m down
- Ground
- 172 to 1,430 m
- Time
- 7 to 9 hours
- Difficulty
- hard
- Underfoot
- mountain, gravel, forest
Where this day sits on the Camino Francés
Above, the highest and lowest ground of each of its 33 stages. Below, the word each day is given.
From open-pilgrimages: each stage's highest and lowest ground and its interior theme.
The day
The Pyrenees crossing is the hardest day and it is the first day. This is not an accident. The route breaks you open before you have built up defenses. The climb strips away everything you thought you needed — the extra weight in your pack, the pace you imagined you'd keep, the version of yourself you planned to be. Many pilgrims arrive in Roncesvalles having cried for reasons they cannot articulate.
What pilgrims often meet here
- Physical shock at the difficulty
- Doubt about whether to continue
- Unexpected emotional release during the descent
- First encounter with the albergue communal experience
- Gratitude for the pilgrim blessing at Roncesvalles chapel
What did you carry up that mountain that you did not need?
The ground
Two route options: the Napoleon Route over the pass (harder, more scenic, closed Nov-Mar) and the Valcarlos Route through the valley (longer at 28 km but lower elevation).
- The Napoleon Route closes in severe weather (typically Nov 1 - Mar 31). Check conditions at the SJPP pilgrim office before departing.
- This is the hardest day and it is the first day. Many pilgrims underestimate the Pyrenees crossing.
The light
Sunrise and sunset in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port depend on the day you walk.
Walk it with Pilgrim
In Pilgrim's Honor mode you can walk this stage as it is drawn here, and save its maps for days with no signal. The morning opens with this day's word, Initiation, and its story. When you arrive, it asks the question above, and you can answer out loud. Your walk stays on your phone.
With Pilgrim on your phone, this opens the stage, ready to begin. Without it, you'll see the stage and where to get the app.