June 7, 2017
this one will be shorter and more rambling !!
I got rolling early from the alberge. The pilgrims were all excited and chatty in the streets. I had breakfast and strong coffee loaded up and rolled out. The first few miles were slow steady uphill but not bad and then the climb started. It is about 28km to Roscenvalles which was my goal for a lunch point an thought I could do it in 3 hours. I made it at noon over 4 hours. I had to walk a portion of the climb as it was brutal. Too much weight on the bike doesn’t help but honestly any weight slows you down so it would not have mattered. The mountain bikers were walking and the ones riding were only doing about 4mph when we were walking 2.5 to 3 mph. brutal.. over the top and a beautiful view then down into Rocenvalles. Small quaint town. No pilgrims here yet they will be a few more hours most likely. I get some lunch and a coke. Then fill up bottles and roll!
A few thoughts on the ride today so far. The map lied!!! Being on a bike I was told to stay off the trail until past Pamplona (great advice since it is single track for a lot of the way). The map says the climb is not as bad as it was and it was hellish but I climbed over 3000 feet getting over the first one of the day and I can see why people would want to stop at roscenvalles after that climb. As I got into Pamplona it took me on some decent paved trails that were really nice. The only not nice part of it is it kind of goes around the city so I took the d935 straight into the old town. It cut a few miles as I was pretty worn out. I got a hotel since the ALberges all had signs saying filled up. 4pm and filled up. Found out that a lot of these pilgrims take an extra rest day in Pamplona. Cant blame them. I found there were few hotels and finally found one after calling around. There is some kind of convention and hotels are scarce. I got a room (jr Suite) at the Avenida. Nice hotel, modern and 75$ for the night. Killed my budget but after 6 hours on the bike and with stops and long lunch 9 hours I was ready to get a hot shower. I spoke with a few pilgrims saying the alberges had some with cold showers and some with so much overflow of people that they never even got breakfast or a bed. Ill take a hotel..
After leaving roscenvalles on the road there is another 4-6km climb then another one about 3km. I was so beat I quit reading my computer on the climbs. Some of the climbs were brutal. This morning was like brasstown bald in Georgia for several miles. The climbs this afternoon were steep but I was able to get over the hills.
Cowbells, lot of them in these parts. I was stopped, having a coke on a roadside and I kept hearing the bells. I was sitting on a guardrail along a fenceline when I noticed the cows coming closer. They walked up to the fence and literally were mooing at me. They had a shephard with them that was singing to them as he walked over and he kept talking to them until he said hello to me. He didn’t speak English but we communicated a bit and it was nice. These cows were very big and healthy. All the cows here seem to be white in this region. Not sure why or it may be the only ones I see but I hear them on the climbs kind of cool.
After the climb up to Zubiri I started I decent descent. 18km! it was great. It took me almost into Pamplona which was nice.
Pamplona in the old city is beautiful. The outer parts are like industrial areas. Not very fun to look at but expected. I took a walk through the old city and had some dinner which was ok and then got some pastries for desert. Ohh my extremely good.
Going to bed early as I am wiped out!!!