We knew the first days of the Camino would be challenging. Instead of torturing ourselves and crossing the Pyrenees in one day, we decided to sleep overnight in the mountain albergue Orisson. A walk of only 7 km during the first day to get used to walking with the backpack. There are two possible routes through the Pyrenees. The main route, called Napoleon, is steep with difficult terrain and promises amazing views. The easier alternative route follows an asphalt road. The main route is not safe during bad weather and it’s closed from November until April. We were not sure which one to take as it had been raining for a week in Saint-Jean and temperature at the top of the mountains was getting dangerously close to 0. We asked a lady in the pilgrim office for her recommendations. “It’s ok to take the main route.” Well, according to locals and Camino webpage, 2 °C and rain is a reasonable hiking weather in the Pyrenees. How does the bad weather look like? It’s only the end of September!
As soon as we left Saint-Jean, the asphalt road became very steep. This was my chance to learn how to use the hiking poles! They helped indeed – I quickly learned how to lean on them during frequent breaks, trying to catch my breath and my escaping motivation. One thing which was not escaping my body well enough was heat. Three layers, a short sleeve T-shirt, fleece and rain jacket, seemed appropriate, until the hills got even steeper. That’s when I felt like I reached my boiling point. I immediately threw the backpack on the ground and undressed as fast as I could. Juan was watching, fascinated, blowing a cigarette smoke. I created my own steamy sweat cloud.
Some time later we discovered my favorite Camino snack – blackberries! We continued along the asphalt path, towards more bushes, brains clouded by blackberry visions. Suddenly we heard someone shouting in French: it was a runner coming down a steep rocky path. Yes, we missed our turn and the rocky path was the Camino trail. Thanks! We would have returned to Saint-Jean!
The difficulty level increased, but finally we were rewarded with a view – lush forests, pastures and steep valleys in a foggy embrace. We decided to celebrate by taking a break and eating an apple. Everything was so peaceful, with a distant sound of cow bells and a mountain wind. Suddenly we noticed that the bell sound got more intense and came from a different direction than the cows. We stood up and turned back, the sound stopped.
Thirty sheep were staring at us from a 5 meter distance, frozen, terrified.
The silence was ended by a whistle and a few words definitely not in French. A brown dog kept running around us until he moved the sheep back on the trail. Finally we were greeted by an annoyed shepherd. Fluffy sheep got slowly lost in a rain cloud.
We made it to the Orisson albergue, hungry and exhausted. The world became a better place after a cup of hot chocolate. Every albergue on the Camino has a place where people leave useful items. It seems like the first thing that pilgrims get rid off are the books. Especially heavy guidebooks about Camino. Why so soon? Maybe they find out that there is a phone app?
At that moment I realized that the guidebook was the heaviest item in my backpack. I promised myself to carry the guidebook all the way to the end of Camino. Looking back now, I have no idea why, but I kept my promise. I even decided to take an extra book from the library! The book promised to change my life and show me how to find happiness. The previous owner wrote in Italian: “I have found happiness, inside of me, while enjoying the days like these on the Camino”.
So much pleasure reading a book in warm bed… The lights went off at 9 pm. As it was too early to sleep, I started counting sheep.
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