Author: jpetesd

Left Irun in the morning mist which quickly turned into a light rain that lasted all morning. 

Got up on the ridge line and caught first glimpse of ocean.

The area reminds me a lot of Pacific NW. Weather is fairly similar as is some of the coastal terrain. 

Descended down into small town of Pasajes de San Juan. By this time I was pretty wet and very cold.  Had fish & chips for lunch. Literally stuck my fingers in bowl to warm them up. 

Had to take a shot ferry ride across the river. 

Rested up a bit today. A tad sore and stiff but feeling pretty good overall. 

It was crazy. Irun vs some team from Madrid. Packed house. I got standing room only ticket. 

Espinal is a small town with homes that look like they are from the Austrian Alps.

Stayed in a very nice home for $15. Lady who managed it spoke less English than my Spanish. Took a while and lots of laughing but we figured it out!

It had rained during the night and misted all morning making the trail a bit slick. Add on to that the fact that I was determined to make Pamplona today and you have the perfect recipe for a fall(s).

I tried to be very cautious in any rocky area. I even sidestepped down this paved area. I’m sure it’s nice on a dry day but very slippery today. 

Big fan of this river crossing methodology. 

We are in Basque country. Not really sure what that signifies but I’ve been told some of their Spanish words are a bit different from rest of country. I hadn’t noticed!!

On the bus ride from Pamplona I had seen people walking beside road here and thought it looked a bit dangerous. It was.  I had to hit the ditch twice. 

Name that crop. I say sorghum but that’s my “go to” answer when I haven’t a clue. 

This was taken just before Pamplona. New hat but same shirt and shorts. You’ll see my green shirt shortly!  Feel a bit naked without my walking stick. Also, I’m really not that fat. It’s the pack!!

Got to Pamplona shortly before 3 and caught bus to Irun (starting point for Camino del Norte). 

I am tired and a bit sore even though no falls. My reward for making Pamplona in 2 days is a zero day tomorrow. 

Happy trails. Buen Camino.

Cold, damp night in tent. I was eager to hear the birds start chirping. So eager that I was walking at 7AM!  

The climb out of SJPDP is as advertised. Tough. You gain 900meters elevation in the first 7.5 kilometers. Trust me when I say that is steep. I consider a 10% grade to be steep and this was 12%.

Most of the land on the north slope of the Pyrenees is pastureland. Cows, horses, and sheep. Very few trees.

The saving grace on the 12+ mile climb to top was that most of it was paved roads. That steep and long with rocks thrown in would be impossible for all but a select few crazies.

The 14 on the road is 14 kilometers. Note how steep that still is. It was among the least steep!  Stopped to take the picture so I could rest and try to talk pony into giving me a ride. He obviously didn’t speak English!

For profit trail magic at the perfect time…1 mile from top! 

Last 1/2 mile to top. At this point I was Just About Dead Pete!

A rancher’s emergency shelter near the top.

The other side of the mountain. Some trees and a gradual descent.

Feel pretty good about 18 miles today. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. 
Happy trails (or, as they say here, Buen Camino)!!

Planes, trains, automobiles, and buses. I made it to my starting point!

Only one bad experience on the way here. I had to give up my walking stick that was with me every step of the AT. I was charged $100 to check it on Norwegian Air in Orlando. That was bad but I paid. When I got to London and changed airlines Easy Jet was going to charge me another $60. That really irked me because I knew I would face the same situation on return flights. I left it in London. I’m bummed but will survive!

Spent last night in Madrid. Train this morning to Pamplona and then bus to SJPDP. 

Probably 30 pilgrims (hikers) on the bus. Some have really large packs. I thought mine would be considered large since carrying tent but looks like it’s about average. 

SJPDP is a neat little alpine town that is filled with hikers. It’s just across the border into Spain.  

I am tenting in the community campground. It’s a few hundred yards from the beginning of trail. 

Tomorrow I will go over the Pyrenees. Snowed there Monday and (Mom, stop reading) they had to rescue someone up there. 

Anxious to get going!

Happy trails!!

I will be leaving for Spain on May 20.  I’ve been working on updating the website and will be ready to start taking pledges for this trek in the next few days.  I’m tired of preparing (too much work!) and ready to just start walking.

The Camino de Santiago is one of the oldest and most famous trails in the world.  It is not really a single trail but a network of hundreds of routes leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. Pilgrims have traveled there since 812 AD.

One of the great proponents of the pilgrimage in the 12th century was Pope Callixtus II, who started the Compostelan Holy Years. The official guide in those times was the Codex Calixtinus. Published around 1140, the 5th book of the Codex is still considered the definitive source for many modern guidebooks.

The pilgrim route is a very good thing, but it is narrow. For the road which leads us to life is narrow; on the other hand, the road which leads to death is broad and spacious.
The pilgrim route is for those who are good: it is the lack of vices, the thwarting of the body, the increase of virtues, pardon for sins, sorrow for the penitent, the road of the righteous, love of the saints, faith in the resurrection and the reward of the blessed, a separation from hell, the protection of the heavens.

It takes us away from luscious foods, it makes gluttonous fatness vanish, it restrains voluptuousness, constrains the appetites of the flesh which attack the fortress of the soul, cleanses the spirit, leads us to contemplation, humbles the haughty, raises up the lowly, loves poverty.

It hates the reproach of those fueled by greed. It loves, on the other hand, the person who gives to the poor. It rewards those who live simply and do good works; And, on the other hand, it does not pluck those who are stingy and wicked from the claws of sin.

Codex Calixtinus (Published around 1140 AD)

Yesterday we booked my flight to Madrid, Spain for May 20.  I should begin hiking about the 23rd.  Preparation is gearing up as it’s now beginning to get real.

My main goal on this hike is get in at least 810 miles.  Add that to the 2,190 of the AT and I’ll be over 3,000 miles of long-distance hiking.

I’m still kind of tinkering with my route.  If you know anything about the Camino de Santiago, I will probably be hiking portions of 5 different Caminos.  I’ll add more info on the Caminos to website over the next couple months.

I’d like to invite you to join with me in preparing for this hike.  How, you may ask.  To start, take 3 minutes to read the article linked below (or skip to cliff note below that).

https://qz.com/1552549/counting-push-ups-can-help-predict-your-risk-of-heart-disease/

Gist of it is that push-ups are good for you and that the more you can do, the better.  Not exactly rocket science but makes sense to me and will help my physical preparation.  I immediately decided that I was going to set a goal of being able to do 50 push-ups by May 20.

Now, for your part, I’ll only ask 2 things of you:

1.  Set a goal for yourself to achieve by May 20.  Push-ups would be a good thing.  If you can’t do push-ups, sit in a chair and hold your legs out in front of you for a certain amount of time.  I don’t care what you do, how you do what you do, or how many you do of what you do.  Just do something!  Make it a goal that you have to work to achieve.  I will tell you that I just maxed out at 27 push-ups a half-hour ago and my goal is to be at 50.  I will have to be committed to that goal to make it.
2. Share that goal with someone.  That is probably one of the biggest reasons I was able to hike the AT.  I told people…lots of people…that I was going to do it.  You have a much greater chance of reaching your goal if someone else knows what it is.  I don’t care who you tell about your goal, just tell someone.  I just told you mine..You can tell me yours if you want.  I’ll just warn you in advance that, if you tell me, there’s a strong possibility that I’ll tell you that your goal should be higher and I’ll also hold you accountable along the way.  Just keepin’ it real.

I’ll give you until Feb 20 to set your goal.  Then 2 months of work to achieve it.  Some times we don’t reach our goal.  Who cares?  It’s about the effort.  Get into the game and challenge yourself.

It won’t take more than a few minutes of time each day to do some push-ups.  How can getting a little exercise and having a goal to strive for possibly be bad for you.  Just sayin…

Just Pete