The hike along the Napoleon Route lived up to its reputation. It was beautiful and wild and quite demanding. The trail climbed steadily out of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, winding through open meadows and bare mountain slopes. Every time I stopped to catch my breath, the views stretched for miles in every direction. It was tough going, but wonderfully peaceful at the same time, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional clang of sheep bells drifting across the hills.
This route is named after Napoleon Bonaparte, who led his troops through this area into Spain in the early 19th century. However, he wasn’t the first to pass this way. It’s hard to imagine now, but Emperor Charlemagne — the medieval ruler who united much of western Europe — is believed to have led his men across these same mountains nearly a thousand years earlier during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. It makes me wonder if Napoleon thought of Charlemagne as he pushed his armies through these peaks, chasing his own ambition to rule Europe.
The climb over the Roncevaux Pass is difficult, that’s for sure, but pilgrims have been walking this route for centuries. It’s more exposed than the wooded valley path through Valcarlos, but in the old days, that made it safer, with fewer places for bandits to hide.
The ascent was constant, mile after mile, for at least the next 12mi (20km). I felt it burning in my calves and the backpack digging into my shoulders, but the views made it bearable. They distracted me from the discomfort. Just beyond Orisson, I stopped to catch my breath and visit the statue of the Virgin of Orisson, carried here long ago by shepherds from Lourdes.
Tonight, I’ll rest in one of the albergues, the pilgrim hostels that line the Camino. They’re simple places, often run by volunteers, religious groups, or local families. But after a day like today, all I’m looking for is a bunk bed, a hot shower, and a shared meal, and that’s exactly what these places offer.
Beyond the pass lies
Pamplona, famous for the Running of the Bulls event.
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