Day 5 – Pamplona to Puente la Reina

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A really nice walk today through varied countryside. We started with another great breakfast at our hotel, Hotel Pamplona Catedral, and got away a bit earlier than planned, which worked out quite well.

We had a lovely walk through old town Pamplona, which gradually merged into the newer part of town and then the beautiful university town, picking up a Canadian couple we had been seeing on and off since St. Jean, Kim and Stefan.

After Cizur Menor, where we had a coffee, the landscape changed to harvested sunflower and grain fields, which it looks like will be with us for a few days at least.

A very gentle walk to Zariquigui until the last couple of kms, which were very steep. A dozen or so cyclists passed us on the incline going so slow you’d wonder why they didn’t get off and walk.

Out of Zariquigui, where we had a short break, it was a steep 150m elevation change up to the iconic Alto del Perdòn (at 790m). It was very busy and we didn’t spend much time there before we started the steep 250m descent into the valley that took us through the villages of Uterga (where we had lunch), Muruzábal and Obanos (where everything seemed to be closed) before reaching our hotel Jakue on the outskirts of Puente la Reina.

25kms of very enjoyable walking today for a total of 98km so far. The route video is here.

Leaving our hotel in Pamplona
The university grounds, with Kim and Stefan
Coffee at Cizur Menor
Looking back to Cizur Menor with the harvested sunflower fields
The rains from a few days ago is still playing havoc in some parts of the track
The hill up to Zariquiegui
Looking back to Pamplona in the distance
Taking a break in Zariquiegui
Looking east at the Alto del Perdón…
…and now looking west
An ancient stone circle at the Alto
Looking east again to get the whole set of statues bending into the wind. We were too!
The steep descent from the Alto
The valley with the villages we would pass through
Looking back towards the Alto del Perdón
Lunch at Uterga
The trail towards Muruzàbal
Orbanos in the distance…
… and closer up

Published by steelewalking

2 Replies to “Day 5 – Pamplona to Puente la Reina”

  1. Hey Dave and Al, I’m really enjoying your Relive website and daily updates. Hope your hair is growing as fast as your beard! ( That’s Dave not you AL!)
    Keep up the good work! You have put in some hard uphills and long walks so far. Lunches look very healthy …. No chips??
    Cheers
    Youngie

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