OK .. so where to start?

[Robert Spenger]

I can't speak from experience, since I entered Pamplona from the
southeast rather from the north, but I am interested in doing the SJPP
route and have been mulling over the same problem. Backtracking the
regular route leads to Ostabat where three of the four major French
routes converge, but it is a rather easy one day (22 km) from there to
SJPP. Further backtracking has the three alternative routes, but from
everything I've read, the route from LePuy is the most popular and is
thus most likely to have facilities for pilgrims. I have an old copy of
the CSJ guide to the LePuy route.
One list of stops that I have seen shows a four day sequence starting at
Arsacq-Aarraziguet, but it is 118 km to SJPP, or almost 30 km a day
average. For me that would be a rather heavy start. The rest of the
sequence is Arthez-de-Béarn, Navarrenx, and Saint-Palais. The daily
distances are 26.5, 28.5, 30.0, and 33.0. That last day could be broken
up into two parts by stopping at Ostabat, which is now a rather small
town compared to its heyday as a major pilgrim stop in the middle ages.
There is also an alternative listed that bypasses Saint-Palais. Perhaps a
newer edition of the LePuy guide would be less confusing.

regards,

Robert

Lois Karner wrote:

> Dear Pilgrims one and all,
>
> After my BIG OOPS! this afternoon I thought somebody might have chimed
> in with a where to start three to five days out from St Jean
> Pied-de-Port.  I don't have the time available to start  too far from
> SJPP but I could take advantage of being able to get in some practice
> miles <smiling> before heading up the big hill.  Any suggestions?
>
> Lois