Roncesvalles

Made it up the Pyrenees!

 

1100m climb in the rain, real rain, real wet, all day long rain!  That said if it wasn´t raining I´d have been just as soggy soggy soggy soggy wet right through like I´d been in a bath.  But 5 Hours of cycling and I´m here at 1600 just as the Refugio opens and I bagged bed 68 of 200.  I´ve done my dhobi, had a shower, laid out my bunk space and now off to bag a Pelegrino´s meal.  It´s a bit like like Seeb and the ´Deed was a series of practice runs - I´ll let you know how the 200 person mixed dorm compares to the 44 man tent and the Pilgrim´s meal compares to the chow hall later.

 

No pictures, on this post as I´m using the Internet in the Refugio (a coverted barn opposite the Monestery manned by Dutch Hospitaleros - amazed a Brit has even one word of Dutch) and haven´t had the phone out all day.  But there are some on the camera, as obviously, I had to stop more than once.  Not just on the 2 wrong turns - one not so bad just a wasted half hour as I missed the tiny track across the river at Valcarlos.  The other wasa nightmare following the walking route alongside the river on a single track damp rock strewn shingle and mud path with a couple of really steep bits where I had to push, brake, pull, brake and so on and switch the HRM off as it was bleeping far too much!  But ´no pain no gain´ as the saying goes so I must be gaining lots!

 

But there are nice people along the way and the coffee at the mid point, a quick chat with a middle aged biker who took a piccy, was a real bonus, as is the interweb in the Refugio.

 

A fantastic start, my thoughts are with one and all who have helped (Sue, Ma, Pa, BJ - I will use the tent ´coz I am not lugging 800km plus and not using it!) and PJ and Helen for looking after ´home´ while I am off enjoying myself.

 

So far - I just wished I brought a Nokia charger - but that is fixable.  And sense of humour and knee remain intact.

 

Buen Camino

--
Andy Skinner

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