Day 2 – Vierge d’Orisson to Roncesvalles

A hard day’s walking today, not because of the terrain (which was stunning) but the weather. That said, we expected it and we have the gear necessary to handle the conditions, so still a good walk.

The trail we are on is known as the Route de Napoleon, so called because Napoleon used the passes to move his troops into Spain for some war or another. When you see the photos it’s hard to imagine, especially if the weather was like today!

After a return ride up the mountain, during which the rain started falling, we put on our ponchos and continued the climb past the Vierge along good roads with magnificent views in all directions. After about an hour, we turned off the road past a wayside cross and up an incline before entering a beechwood forest. The trail was mostly good with a few muddy areas made worse by not one, not two but seven 4wds taking a joyride along a walking track!

About two hours into today’s walk we crossed a cattle grid into Spain, and then past a mountain hut before the final tilt up to the peak, Col de Lepoeder (Lepoeder’s pass in English I think) at 1450m.

The second heaviest downpour of the day hit us at the peak and we scrambled down a short muddy path to a junction. The main route heads almost straight downhill towards Roncesvalles, but we took the safer option of a more gentle but longer downhill along a good mostly sealed track. Another section of trail through beechwood forest brought us to Roncesvalles, just before which the heaviest downpour hit us! Luckily our hotel was directly in front of us with the entrance undercover so we got out of our ponchos, dried ourselves as best we could and checked in! Quite amazingly, everything was mostly dry except for ponchos and shoes and socks!

15km today for a total of 26.7km so far – check out the route here.