Camino Day 1: SJ to La Vierge d’Orisson

Miles: 7.25
Elevation gain: 3182 feet
Weather: 40s and 50s with a cool breeze at my back. Excellent

My original plan was to walk to the albergue at Orisson but I was unable to reserve a bed there. At the suggestion of someone on the Camino forum I reserved a spot on a shuttle, which picked me up another 2.5 miles up the mountain and returned me to Saint Jean. I will take the shuttle back to the same spot in the morning and continue on to Roncesvalles tomorrow. Many people walk all the way to Roncesvalles the first day but I thought it wise to start slow. After training in flat OKC this feels like one of my better decisions. Orisson would’ve felt too soon to stop, my feet didn’t hurt until the very end of the walk, and I’m happy to have the steepest climb out of the way before tomorrow.

I was awake way too early again so I was up and on the trail by 7am. It was an amazing day. The views walking out of Saint Jean are just extravagantly beautiful . I would’ve been slow even if I were more fit, as I kept stopping to take pictures. I took fewer as the walk went on because it wasn’t quite as pretty and I was working too hard!

1. The first marker was right outside my hotel door. I was pretty anxious last night and this morning!
2. The first few miles outside of town looked like this in every direction. Unbelievable.
3. Curly-horned sheep. Mascot for the curly-headed Phil horn section?
4. and 5. More of the same. I took a LOT of these.
6. The bottom of one of the steeper portions. I just kept taking breaks and following those people in front of me.
7. La Vierge de Orisson, which is where I stopped. Mother Mary did, indeed, comfort me.
8. Gear shot with my new but traditional pilgrim’s scallop shell.
9. The view from La Vierge
10. There was a herd of horses wandering around at La Vierge. Many of them had cowbells (this would be illegal in Florida, right?) and it was a nice cacophony. This colt was fun to watch. I envied its energy at that point!Read more