Ah well, we are in Bayonne sitting in a bar waiting for the mountain train to take us over to St Jean Pied De Port in the Pyrenees. We flew into Biaritz and were given a bum steer at the airport for the bus to Bayonne and missed it. So got a taxi and nearly ran over an Alsatian on the way. So have got our train ticket and now got 2½ hrs to kill, hence the beer. Cheers!
You can only stay in some hostels if you have the pass. It has a shell logo which is found on some of the signs along the way.You must collect certain stamps along the way and have done over 100km on foot to qualify.
Now for dinner and an early night as we are up at 5.30.
Day 1 - Set out at 6.00am still dark and chilly. This is our first day and we
have to climb 1250 meters (4100ft) over 25 Km. It is a tall order
looking forward to the views.We nearly went the wrong way within the first 500m; it's like the blind leading the stupid!
Well the nice weather didn't last long, the mist came down followed by the rain but all the wet gear worked a treat.
We then climb solidly for 3 hours in the rain, boy that was tough, Tony put his wet trousers on back to front and during the descent down into Roncesvalles, I went arse over tit down a steep slope and bent my dodgy knee back, but no damage thank god. I would say that was the hardest walk I have ever done. It's also the worst of the whole of 800km thank goodness. The descent was through the largest Beech forest in Europe, and all the trees were just starting to sprout their new leaves; we also walk through the remains of last seasons snow.
We did the first leg in 7 hours but when we got to Roncesvalles the nice Hostel was full and the main Dormitory slept 180 in one hall; didn't fancy that so we walked a further 3Km to Burguete. Rang ahead and got 2 rooms in a nice hotel run by the most miserable women I have every met. Hay Ho.
Next leg Burguete to Larrasonna 27.4 km but not up hill. This is meant to be a delightful leg on natural pathways through woodlands.
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