[Gocamino] Difficult Day

[Sil]

Joanie,
There is no rush for beds on the Aragones in April!
I am going to be walking the Aragones route in June and I want to walk the
actual route - the route pilgrims and gypsies of old traversed in the middle
ages.  I want to see the monuments written about by  Linda Davidson,
Georgiana King and Walter Starkie.
I am not really interested at this stage in spending my limited time (and
money) on being a tourist in northern Spain exploring other places.  Perhaps
one day - but for now I am a camino junkie!
un abrazo

2009/4/18 <jethess777 at aol.com>

>
>  Seems that once people arrive and find a problem, they should have the
> common sense to go to "Plan B"
>
> There is absolutely no need whatsoever to walk in from any particular
> point.  Even those granting the compostela know that.  Why these people seem
> so overwhelmed by a spirit of adventure to put themselves -- and others-- at
> risk is beyond my comprehension.  They could have started form a safer
> point.  And if the found that they had days left over, they could have used
> them to explore sites in some of the areas.  Seems that the rush to get a
> bed each day defeats the purpose of the camino to begin with.
>
> "The camino provides" is one thing.  But weather can be unforgiving!
>
> -Joanie
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pat Rush <PatRush1 at verizon.net>
> To: Charles O'Brien <chasobrien at gmail.com>; hme347 at aol.com
> Cc: gocamino at oakapple.net; peregrino_05 at hotmail.com
> Sent: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 7:45 am
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Difficult Day
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  I don't know where the rescued peregrinos were from, but I do know that
> flatlanders have no idea about mountain weather--how treacherous,
> changeable, unpredictable it can be and frequently is, especially in the
> spring and fall.  The rescued pilgrims were very lucky--people have died
> making that crossing.
>
> Patricia, from slightly warmer and very dry upper New York state.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Charles O'Brien" <chasobrien at gmail.com>
> To: <hme347 at aol.com>
> Cc: <gocamino at oakapple.net>; <peregrino_05 at hotmail.com>
> Sent: Saturday, April
> 18, 2009 9:54 AM
> Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Difficult Day
>
>
> I'm truly torn on this issue. I admire the sense of adventure that gets a
> few of us to drop our remote controls, lift our flabby cabooses off the
> couch and  actually do something physically arduous with an element of
> risk. I've walked the Camino in my 50s and 60s [once when 100 pounds
> overweight] and if that's not stupid enough, I continue to road bike in a
> state where motorists see bicyclists as acceptable targets, much like
> prairie dogs.
>
> That being said, when these adventurous types--I repeat, whom I
> admire--misstep, misjudge, or just do something just plain foolish, to whom
> do they turn? Who bails them out?  The Ski Patrol, Sheriff's Posse
> Volunteers, Mountain Rescue, or in this case, SOS Navarre and Navarre
> Agency
> Emergency personnel. Now other men and women must put themselves in danger
> to save them. Stepping out of bounds with one's own life is one thing,
> playing at 'Blanche DuBois" is something else again. as I said, I'm torn.
> Oh
> well . . .
>
> Sitting here in my warm home, drinking hot coffee while cold rain falls
> outside, I wish Glenn all the luck in the world. Buen Camino.
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 18, 2009 at 7:21 AM, <hme347 at aol.com> wrote:
>
> > Don't these pilgrims check weather reports or talk to locals before they
> > attempt such a treacherous journey? Again, why do they insist on going
> this
> > time of year? It's like driving a car after drinking alcohol.
> >
> >
> >
> > Howard Mendes, NYC
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
>  >=2
> 0From: Sil <sillydoll at gmail.com>
> > To: Glenn Jilek <peregrino_05 at hotmail.com>; Gocamino <
> > gocamino at oakapple.net>
> > Sent: Sat, 18 Apr 2009 7:57 am
> > Subject: Re: [Gocamino] Difficult Day
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Glen - 8 pilgrims were rescued in one day.
> > http://www.diariode navarra.es/ <http://www.diariodenavarra.es/>
> reports:
> >
> > Troops of the Fire Service of the Government of Navarre rescued eight
> > Camino
> > de Santiago pilgrims this afternoon near Roncesvalles who were in
> > difficulties because of intense storms occurring during the whole day in
> > the
> > Pyrenees of Navarre.
> > The rescues were carried out in three different incidents, because when
> the
> > first troops were rescuing a pilgrim of 45 years, they were asked by
> > another
> > pilgrim to help three other companions who were about 4 miles from
> > Roncesvalles and showed signs of exhaustion and mild hypothermia.
> >
> > Then, at about 18.16 pm, the Fire Service was called out to help four
> > French
> > pilgrims who had lost their way on the same route.
> >
> > The SOS Room 112, Navarre received the first call at 14.51 hours about a
> > pilgrim of 45 years who was about 3.6 kilometers from the Collegiate
> Church
> > of Roncesvalles and could not continue his way because he suffered cramps
> > in
> > his legs. At 15.51 hours the troops mobilized located him and moved him
> to
> > a
> >
> > hostel in Roncesvalles.
> >
> > An hour later, when the troops returned to their headquarters they were
> > alerted that three other pilgrims were also in distress and disoriented.
> >=2
> 0They were located in Burguett at 1720 hours and moved to the hostel where
>  > they would spend the night.
> >
> > Finally, at 18.16 hours, four French camino pilgrims requested assistance
> > of
> > the SOS Navarre and Navarre Agency Emergency personnel moved back to Park
> > Burguete and its location for later recovery.
> >
> > Not a good time to be on el camino!
> > Sil
> > 2009/4/17 Glenn Jilek <peregrino_05 at hotmail.com>
> >
> > >
> > > From: peregrino_05 at hotmail.com
> > > To: ramirez_amor at hotmail.com; chascingold at aol.com;
> > > blicbliketybloch at yahoo.com; maritjanse at aol.com; e.vrijer at chello.nl;
> > > ebsweetfire at gmail.com; glkubala at prodigy.com;
> elizabethpeulen at hotmail.com
> > ;
> > > guha2005 at hotmail.com; gregory.rawlings at fhwa.dot.gov;
> jollyczar at gmail.com
> > ;
> > > cstohs at windstream.net; daroczia at hotmail.com; peredamontero at yahoo.com;
> > > g.janse at kpnplanet.nl; rjilek at aol.com; jose.sepulveda at insightbb.com;
> > > szonyikatalin at t-online.hu; ushaluna at hotmail.com;
> mudworks at insightbb.com;
> > > betsy.cupp at ky.gov; daszenka at yahoo.com; gjohnson1940 at yahoo.com;
> > > h.reither at t-online.de; palomapedraza at yahoo.com; wesrita at comcast.net;
> > > m.carlshields at insightbb.com; jessicavillalobos at yahoo.com;
> > > brentsweger at yahoo.com; l.spenser at insightbb.com; roachie_76 at hotmail.com
> ;
> > > katherinewatkins at alumni.pitt.edu; bbarbera at lexmark.com;
> vpopera at aol.com;
> > > jimpierce6 at yahoo.com; bbbramlett at aol.com; david.gordon at insightbb.com;
> > > pieterpannevis at gmx.net; judithamtmann at verizon.com; chawla393 at aol.com;
> > > rosborne at roadrunner.com
> > > Subject: Difficult Day
> > > Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:54:45 -0400
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I had one hell of a=2
> > 0day yesterday!!!!
> > >
> > > I arrived in Jaca by bus
>  from Pamplona and settled in for the night in a
> > > very nice refugio.  I met two Germans who grew up in Spain.  They came
> > here
> > > two weeks ago to walk, but found that Somport, the starting place
> higher
> > up
> > > in the Pyrenees, was snowed in.  So they started at the nearest village
> > > about 6 km below.  They returned to Jaca and wanted to do that section
> to
> > > complete the Camino Aragon.  That night there was thunder, lightning
> and
> > > pouring rain.  They said that probably that meant snow in the upper
> > > altitudes, but we all made it to the lower village.  There we met a
> > Spaniard
> > > and a Frenchman who also wanted to go to Somport.  When the bus came to
> > take
> > > us up, the driver said that there was much snow and the Germans dropped
> > out.
> > >  We decided to see for ourselves.  Yes, the driver was correct...in
> fact
> > a
> > > blizzard was still going on. The Frenchman took a bus back, but the
> > > Spaniard, with more grey hair than I and mischievious eyes said "Let´s
> > try".
> > >  He bought me a cup of coffee, and somehow I saw some wisdom in his
> eyes
> > and
> > > decided to trust his judgement.
> > > We left and started walking but there were about 6-8 inches (16cm) of
> new
> > > wet snow.  We could not even see the path, so walked the road down.
> >  There
> > > were few cars to dodge, and it was only a bit tense when the snowplows
> > came
> > > by.  I took a couple of Photos but not more because
>  of the wind and
> snow.
> > >  It
> > was really beautiful when you could raise your head to look.  It was a
> > > very steep decline so gravity helped us down.  It took a bit less than
> 2
> > > hours with some stops to talk about the sites and try to photograph
> them.
> > > The Spaniard, Jose, had left a bicycle at the hotel at the village
> > Canfranc
> > > Estacion and would continue on by bike.  Canfranc Estacion, he told me,
> > was
> > > used in the filming of Dr Zhivago, and is a grandiose trainstation of
> the
> > > early 1900´s.  I continued by myself.  The snow had become just cold
> > rain.
> > >  The path was a still very steep downhill trek made of rocks of various
> > > sizes from pebbles to small boulders.  This made it very difficult to
> > keep
> > > your balance, especially since the rain and runoff from the tops of the
> > > mountains turned some stretches into little streams of water.  My
> ankles
> > > would be going one way, my knees another, and my hips still a different
> > > direction to keep balance.  Along with this being my first day of
> > walking, I
> > > was quickly becoming very tired and hurting a bit.  I knew I would not
> be
> > > able to make it back to Jaca, and saw that there were accommodations in
> > > Villanúa.  This meant only 16 km that day, but they were strenuous
> ones.
> > >  Just as I got to the town, the temperature dropped, and a strong wind
> > came
> > > up.  Then it began to hail...pea sized hail.  To my d
> ismay, I found the
> > > first Refugio closed...and the second...and to my horror the only
> hostel
> > in
> > > town was=2
> > 0closed.  I stopped in a bar and asked about a place to stay and
> > > they told me of some hotels on the main highway.  By this time the hail
> > was
> > > thickly frozen on my hat causing the brim to droop. I walked on to the
> > > highway.  Then I saw a door open and a repairman was there talking to a
> > lady
> > > (Isabel).  I went up to them and told them of my situation.  The lady
> > > invited me in, perhaps the frozen look of desparation spured her
> > compassion.
> > >  She and her husband (Felix)from Logroño were there on holiday.  They
> > made
> > > me hot tea and he phoned around to find that even the hotels on the
> > highway
> > > were closed.  He explained that the last day of ski season was Easter
> and
> > > that was probably the reason that everything was closed.  It didn´t
> > explain
> > > the refugios being closed...but then there were obviously not many
> > > "pilgrims" around.  After sitting and warming up and getting refreshed.
> > > The weather had cleared up a bit, and Felix called the next village,
> > > Castillo de Jaca, and secured a room for me.  Any room would have done,
> > but
> > > this one had a tub...a rare and welcomed feature during my time in
> Spain.
> >  I
> > > soaked for a half hour.  What a delight!!!!
> > >
> > > All emotions that I experience here on the Camino, are more intense
> than
> > > no
> rmal.  This is especially true when I experience these random acts of
> > > kindness like I did from Felix and Isabel.  There seem to be a lot of
> > > mysteries on the Camino, and  one is tuned to
> > interpret them mystically.  I
> > > chose to think that the hardships of that day set me up to have the
> peak
> > > experience of the  kindness shown to me by these two EX-strangers.
>  That
> > is
> > > what I will take back with me from this difficult day.  That is what
> will
> > >  remain in my heart forever.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Glenn
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Windows Live™: Life without walls. Check it out.
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you.
> > >
> > >
> >
>
> http://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Storage2_042009
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Gocamino mailing list
> > > Gocamino at oakapple.net
> > > http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Sil
> > http://amawalker.blogspot.com/
> > www.vfpilgrims.blogspot.com
> > www.csjofsa.org.za
> > _______________________________________________
> > Gocamino mailing list
> > Gocamino at oakapple.net
> > http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Gocamino mailing list
> > Gocamino at oakapple.net
> > http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Gocamino mailing list
> Gocamino at oakapple.net
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamin
> o
>
> _______________________________________________
> Gocamino mailing list
> Gocamino at oakapple.net
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Gocamino mailing list
> Gocamino at oakapple.net
> http://mailman.oakapple.net/mailman/listinfo/gocamino
>



-- 
Sil
http://amawalker.blogspot.com/
www.vfpilgrims.blogspot.com
www.csjofsa.org.za