"Doctor, I've hurt my Pyrenees"

We're a few days in and we've really just started our first step of the journey along the Camino. After a morning in Saint Jean Pied de Port (where the coffee and chocolate eclairs are even better than you'd imagine), we made our way to the van for a wild ~20 km ascent up the Pyrenees mountains. A quick question to our barista revealed that the most difficult path up the mountain was known as "The Napoleon Route" or more simply "The High Path". The path gets its name due to its use during the Napoleonic Wars, where Napoleon was crossing into Spain using the Roman road, the Via Triana. Charlemagne in the first century is also said to have taken the same path during the Battle of Roncevaux Pass (two emperors for the price of one van ride is a pretty good deal when you look at it).
Despite the mild motion sickness that comes with about 12 miles of switchbacks, the view from the top of these mountains sobers you up real quick. At the apex of our journey we were greeted with a small chapel (that was closed at the time), a monument commemorating the aforementioned Battle of Roncevaux Pass, and of course, a breathtaking view of the Pyrenees Mountains. All this considered, we had the easy way up. The Napoleon is a brutal hike for anyone that chooses to take it, so much so that it is closed between October and March generally for safety reasons. That said, as we explored the surroundings of the pass, several pilgrims came up and rested as they finished their long and difficult climb. The most fascinating thing about them was not only that they had made this incredible first step along the camino, but that they all had a smile on their face despite the difficulty they faced. Again: this is considered one of the most difficult parts of this Pilgrimage, almost a proving ground to show that you are truly willing to face the hardships that await you between here and Santiago.

Enjoy the pictures below and stay tuned for our next posts!