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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I agree....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Either way is going to be difficult, but start
early, take your time and enjoy the inferno.... purgatorio and
paradiso follow!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>peace,<BR>Michael B</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=lydiaaBANALES.NET href="mailto:lydiaaBANALES.NET">Lydia Banales</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
href="mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU">GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 09, 2003 8:47
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Drinking water & camping
in the mountains</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I have to protest, because I am one of those unlikely people
who made it. Besides being on the upper end of middle aged, over weight and
out of shape, I had injured my knee the week before we were to walk. We took
the "low" route because it was supposed to be easier and shorter. It was a
little shorter, but there was nothing easy about the second half of it. The
exertion was incredible. The best part is that we could walk it in two nearly
even segments with an overnight in the town of Valcarlos in a very clean small
hotel. I do want to walk the high route once to see the vistas. We mainly saw
the two sides of an ever-narrowing valley. When we got to the Ibaneta Pass, I
wanted to bend down and kiss the ground like the Pope! Either way, you will
arrive in Roncesvalle a seasoned Pilgrim. Buen Camino. Lydia <BR><BR>David
planning Le Chemin de St Jacques/El Camino de Santiago wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="mid200301092106.h09L6Bki025968aserver-f.oakapple.net"
type="cite">
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><PRE wrap="">I will be starting from Saint Jean Pied Du Port. It looks like the first refugio is in Roncavalles, 27 km away. That seems like too much to take on for my first day
</PRE></BLOCKQUOTE><PRE wrap=""><!---->
I believe there is an intermediate village on the French side you could
use to reduce the distance. Also there is a choice of routes - high or low -
and you could take the lower route to reduce the exertion. Having said
that, some pretty unlikely people seem to have made it, with some considerable
pain in some cases.
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