Day 7: Pamplona to Puenta la Reina

Mileage: 15 miles
Altitude gain: 1,565
Altitude loss: 1,824
Weather: cloudy to start, sunny to finish, with the cool wind miraculously at our backs
Total mileage: 54.5

We left Pamplona early (7:00) since it was going to be the longest day yet for me. I’ve been worried for a long time about Alto del Perdon, the mountain in the middle of the stage. The word was that the ascent isn’t too bad, but that the descent is steep, rocky, and tricky. Well, as with many things on this journey so far, I discovered that my worry was outsized. The ascent wasn’t bad at all, and the descent was easier than the one from Col Lepoeder the other day. What a relief! That said, I am very grateful to have not walked down that rocky hill in the rain/mud!

This was my first full guidebook “stage,” and therefore my longest walk yet. I was thankful for company! Hopefully I’ll get used to this kind of mileage, but this first long day was tough both mentally and physically, and I was glad for the giggling breaks along the way!

1. The walk out of Pamplona
2. Low clouds obscured the mountains in the morning
3. So many more poppies! I told Angela that if I thought I could get back up I would lie down, pretend to sleep, and have her take a Wizard of Oz shot of me. Ha. So beautiful. I just love that shade of red.
4. Angela found her European pied de terre.
5. Several villages along the way with their imposing churches. The church bells are always very different than what I’m used to - they’re not synthesized or large, and they sound like it. Almost like the school bell on Little House on the Prairie.
6. The top of Alto del Perdon has a sculpture of pilgrims in front of which it is de rigeur to pose. I was very happy to be there after seeing so many pictures and reading about it. What you can’t see are the wind turbines nearby; they’re surprisingly loud!
7. I couldn’t really capture the vistas from the mountains with my phone camera. We kept stopping to admire, but any photos just don’t do the views justice. Here’s one anyway of the view looking over our afternoon’s walk.
8. The path was just lined with wildflowers.
9. More poppies and wheat. I can see why Monet was inspired.
10. Some of the last hills before Puenta la Reina. It looks like maybe this was one of the areas to have forest fires last year. I hope there isn’t more of that this year.Read more