{"id":21641,"date":"2026-05-21T13:44:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T20:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/?p=21641"},"modified":"2026-05-22T12:46:05","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T19:46:05","slug":"via-lemovicensis-over-a-pyrenee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thomryng.com\/camino\/via-lemovicensis-over-a-pyrenee\/","title":{"rendered":"Via Lemovicensis: Over a Pyrenee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A<\/span>fter a hearty breakfast with a large group of pilgrims at Beilari, I headed out. I left one of Francine’s cards with Joseph at Beilari, and we embraced. He was touched by Francine’s story, and he was so kind to me, coming back ten years after the both of us had been there together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a cold, misty morning. That wasn’t going to last. My first stop was the church, where I offered a prayer for the success of crossing the pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the common ways to refer to today’s stage is “crossing the Pyrenees”. Francine pointed out that we were only really going over one pass, so technically what we were doing was “crossing a Pyrenee”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had arranged to meet with Herve at the town gate at 7:30. Of course, I started the day by getting to the gate early, and then realizing I had forgotten my packed sandwich lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was starting to head back, when I ran into Katie, one of the pilgrims who stayed at Beilari last night. She said that one of the others had grabbed my sandwich and was bringing it. I hoped to meet him later along the trail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we began the long climb, up the road, and towards the mountain pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we climbed, some of the views, particularly into the valleys behind us, were absolutely stunning, with mist filling the valleys and the hills dotted with cattle and horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In places, the hills were islands in an ocean of mist and cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The heat was already ridiculous. My umbrella went up at 8:30, for the first time in weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About ten minutes later, we passed through the mountain hamlet of Honto. It has one g\u00eete, and there were already people piling into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At about 8:50, we left the steep asphalt for a steep dirt path with hardly any mud. It was getting more and more difficult for me to catch my breath in the altitude. With the umbrella and a little mountain breeze, I wasn’t overheating as much as I was on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point, the dirt transitioned to bare rock with little patches of dirt and grass. Herve fell behind, and I found myself walking alone. Well, alone except for the string of pilgrims in the distance ahead and behind me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And cows. In meadows above and below the path, I saw cows. I figured, if they can make it up here, I can make it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 9:15, I was once again on an asphalt road. Now I took frequent breaks \u2013 maybe every fifteen minutes. Herve caught up with me and we rested together a while. My sandwich got delivered by a passing pilgrim. Huzzah!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 9:45, we arrived at Refuge Orisson, an isolated g\u00eete with a caf\u00e9: the last croissant in France. Here was our one and only opportunity for second breakfast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It reminds me of that line from Casablanca, “everybody stops at Rick’s”. On Camino, everybody stops at Orisson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We didn’t leave until almost an hour later, accompanied by Amy, a new friend from Texas. She soon fell behind our practiced pace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At about 11 AM, we passed Borda, the last g\u00eete in France. It’s literally a farmhouse surrounded by cow pastures. By now, the wind had started, and I was forced to put away the umbrella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a cool wind, and strong and steady. Still, the sun shone down and there was not a cloud in the sky. Temperature-wise, I was perfectly fine, but I still managed to get a sunburn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we got above the tree line, the wind got stronger. While we were still climbing along the road, the slope was a great deal less steep than it had been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 11:50, we arrived at a statue of the Blessed Virgin atop a craggy hill above the pass. This is the Vierge d’Orisson. Three years ago, when I crossed the Pyrenees in the middle of a hurricane, I didn’t even see her. Today I climbed up and prayed here, and I left an image of Francine at her feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Francine had always wanted to cross on this pass. Ten years ago, when we crossed a Pyrenee, due to snow we had to take the other pass, the Valcarlos. It’s much less scenic, and again because of the snow, we were diverted to the road one point. All I remember are the endless road switchbacks and Francine injuring her foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From here, we continued climbing. There were horses. There was also an old bone laying in the middle near the road, which Herve took as a sign that all pilgrims do not get to the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 12:30, we passed a flock of sheep in the valley below us. About ten minutes later, we passed an even bigger flock. And then a bigger one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After this, there was a relatively flat section of road that ended in, of all things, a little sheltered space with a food truck here, high up in the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We bought Oranginas and ate our sandwiches. The food truck, meanwhile, rolled away just after 1 PM. Shift over. We left just about 1:30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a few hundred meters on, the Camino left the road at a roadside cross. Now we were walking on close cropped grass up to the top of the pass. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We arrived at the top at about 1:50. The views, particularly behind us, were absolutely indescribable. I only hope the photos can capture some of the majesty of the world laid out at our feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path was rough stone and dirt, undulating slowly with a steep slope up to our left and a steep slope down to our right. There were trees here, which we hadn’t seen in some time. This little area seems sheltered from the winds, so I suspect that’s why they survive here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 2 o’clock, we were out of the trees and back into the wind. The Camino was now a rough road of stone and gravel and mud, torn up by the treads of heavy equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, the road flattened out, and we returned to the trees. We passed an old stone marker that said that Santiago was 765 km away. I doubt it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 2:05, we passed the Fountain of Roland, walked over a cattle grate, and entered Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just about ten minutes into Spain, the trees became a proper forest, a strange and spooky one I remember from my previous pilgrimage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it’s the way the trees lean into the road, but there are many stories about these woods being haunted, though nobody can quite agree on who is doing the haunting \u2013 the souls of lost pilgrims? The ghosts of Charlemagne’s army under Roland, slaughtered in this pass some 1200 years ago? Some people even say witches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, although there are obviously clearings and bare areas, these woods in large part cover this section of the Spanish Pyrenees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The road was mostly level and cruisey now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a mountain clearing, we came up upon the stone hut called Izandorre at about 2:45. This is where I took shelter when I crossed the past three years ago during the hurricane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it was a rough but short uphill to a spectacular view of the mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continued over the undulating road. There were woods to either side of the road, but no shade on the road. The sun was merciless and the wind had stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 3:15, the road completely left the forest. We were more or less above of the tree line again. The road now was wide and gravel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we came to a place known as Lopoeder and crested a hill to see valleys in Spain laid out before us. There was a little rest spot here at this windy spot, and so rested briefly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a short rocky path from here that ends in a fork. One option is a rough path that parallels the road, while the other one is a steep and dangerous descent. We inadvertently took this in 2023, but the pilgrim office in Saint-Jean advises against it. We planned to take the safer path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And despite our best efforts, we still managed to take the wrong fork. It was steep and had loose rock scattered on the surface and took us into the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I could hear a bird in the distance that sounded like a strangled whipperwhill. No wonder people say these woods are haunted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We sat for a rest at one point, and were suddenly surrounded by horses. We left with some haste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intermittently, the path flattened out and was less rocky, but it would inevitably go back to the steep, rocky descent. The forest seemed an ancient and endless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 4:40, I tripped on a rock and fell  down into the mud. Nothing injured but my pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after this, the path dumped us onto a flat gravel road through the forest. A welcome change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just about five minutes later, we arrived at the monastery of Roncesvalles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a whirlwind after that. I got my assigned bed and discovered that somebody’s stuff was already there. I called the hospitaeros in, and they confirmed that I had the correct bed number. So they took that person’s stuff and let me put mine in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dinner was at 7 PM with more pilgrims than I actually could count. After that, 8 PM Mass in the monastery church followed by a pilgrim blessing. Unfortunate timing, as it meant I couldn’t take Communion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The little monastery church is an amazing place. The stained glass is incredible \u2013 I’ve never actually seen anything quite like it in terms of detail, color, and balance. Unfortunately, it doesn’t photograph very well at night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, the magnificent statue of Our Lady of Roncesvalles hangs over the sanctuary surmounted by a silver canopy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The place was absolutely packed for Mass. We sang the Greek Kyrie and the Latin Mass parts, as well as the Latin Pater Noster. I could almost feel Francine elbow me in the ribs in approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The person who had been squatting on my bed arrived, and we soon worked out which bed was actually his and got him settled. The best part was that he’s a German named Thomas, living in the U.S. What are the odds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we have now entered Spanish Navarra, Nephew Jason swapped out the flag flying at Pistachio House for that of Navarra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date:<\/strong> 21 May 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n