Last year I wrote this post and scheduled it to be published when we were already over in France/Spain doing our modified Camino Santiago. Somehow I messed up and it wasn’t posted, so it’s going in as an anniversary note, of sorts:
“Began real early preparing for our Camino Frances (the popular French route to Santiago de Compostela). First stage was to be through the Pyrenees. I estimated the “lowest freaky possible temperature ever” for our passage on the highest point at Col de Lepoeder (1427 metres above sea level) to be -7 degrees C on April 25 (when we expected to be doing it) My estimate was done by checking the lowest temperature ever recorded for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on that date and subtracting about 0.65 degrees for every 100 m increase in altitude.”
I know, I was a geek. Still am.
We actually crossed the high point on April 26, 2013. The weather was terrible, beginning with serious fog and constant drizzle. It ended in ice pellets, wind and zero C. temperatures. Pilgrims leaving Saint-Jean-Pieds-de-Port were warned not to go. We had stayed overnight on the Camino at Orisson – already 8 kilometres into our route – and were not warned by the hostess not to continue, since they were probably fully booked for the night. Ignorance was “bliss.”
You can find out more about our trip and lots more photos and useful detail here.
Photos: April 25 and 26:
mightyturk 