OUR WAY

 29th Apr 2025

Day 1 - St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles

Long steady climb

Woken at 5am by someone’s alarm. We stayed in bed until 5:30 before deciding to get up. It was our first real morning of packing up properly, and we managed to be ready in about 45 minutes. By 6:15am, we were out on the street.

There were already other pilgrims on the move. The sky was clear, stars still visible, and within 20 minutes the light began to build — it looked like it would be a good day. This stage is often described as the hardest of the Camino, with a 1400m ascent and 25km to the next major albergue at Roncesvalles. (There are two smaller ones on the way, but they book up well in advance.)

The first part of the route followed the tarmac road, climbing steadily. A few people passed us; we passed a few others. The sky stayed clear but the wind was strong and constant. Views across the Pyrenees opened up, with snow still visible on distant peaks.

As we left the road and headed into the trees, we crossed into Spain — though we only knew it because of a text from my phone provider. The forested Spanish side was a contrast to the open mountain landscape we’d left behind.

We climbed a little further before descending more steeply through a mountain pass. The trail levelled out eventually and led us down through the forest to Roncesvalles.

Roncesvalles Albergue

Around 25 people were already waiting outside the albergue when we arrived. The doors opened at 1:30pm, and we were able to check in, though the dormitories didn’t open until 2. We were among the first to get showers — hot, thankfully — and spent the rest of the afternoon washing clothes, sorting gear, and resting up for tomorrow.

Where we stayed
Albergue de Roncesvalles
€15 bunk bed
Kitchen / Washing machine & dryer
Our rating 9/10