Walking The Way

Sept 7- So to say that today’s walk into Roncesvalles was ‘challenging’ is an understatement. I had known this would be the hardest of the entire journey and it proved itself to be.

I started the 8-mile walk this morning with a light breakfast and a cafe’ con leche, greeting my Spanish couple again, who were also about to begin their walk. I bid them a ‘Buen Camino’ and off I went down the road following pilgrim signs.

This entire walk was an incredibly steep uphill climb today and had to climb from 1100’ in elevation to 4,600’ at the peak of the Pyrenees. The walk started on the roads, so I was hitting the pavement, literally. Ultimately, the pilgrim path veered off into a forested area canopied by giant birch trees and a beautiful creek. While the walk was kicking my ass, I was fortunate to have an overcast day and a nice breeze. I never saw a soul the majority of my walk.

I was blessed with amazing scenery today, a cool breeze, and an overcast sky, so I found it hard to complain about the steep climb with this day clearly made for the walk. The steepness of the climb did make me really listen to my body, something several people had advised me to do. I took a couple quick breaks at the steepest areas to catch my breath, but my heart was good, my lungs were clear, and my legs and feet were telling me to keep moving.

At about the halfway point, the path I was taking came back up to the road. Within a few minutes a car pulled over and my Spanish friends invited me to take a ride to Roncesvalles. They found the steepness of the walk too difficult and had hired a ride. For MY walk, this wasn’t an option and I bid them a farewell and continued on by foot as planned.

Eventually, the trail wound back into the forest for the last 4 miles, which were the most difficult. The word ‘difficult’ doesn’t even describe it really. But my choice was to move forward. There really was no other option for me and I found that my body was doing great. It was my mind that kept telling me this was too hard. I also had what I affectionally called the “keep walking flies” swarming around my face because of the sweat coming off my forehead. The flies would swarm around me every time I stopped, so that made me ‘keep walking’.

I saw my last yellow arrow in the forest that directed me up an even steeper hillside. However, I pushed on knowing there had to be an end to this thing and that would be my reward. When I reached the top of the hillside it hit me. I had made it to the top of the Pyrenees mountains. I had done it, and it brought me to tears. All the pain and suffering to get there was worth every step.

As I left the mountaintop, I saw my first of many pilgrims now merging with my path. They were all those that had taken the other route. The remainder of todays walk consisted of going downhill a half mile walking through a field of horses out in the pasture. They were beautiful and clearly were used to us pilgrims coming through their space.

After that difficult walk, I arrived at the Camino Alberge in Roncesvalles and checked in, got my bed assignment for the night and of course my Camino passport stamped. I’ve met some really nice people so far, my bunk mate is a young man from Italy. I’ve already had a nice hot shower and dinner will be served at 7pm. There are hundreds of pilgrims staying here tonight.

Tomorrow, which is my birthday. I will walk 22km (14 miles) to Zubiri. This leg is entirely downhill, so my calves will love me by the end of the day… but the hardest leg (today) is over.

My thoughts today: The Camino de Santiago is different for each person. It is YOUR walk and yours alone. How long it takes, where you walk to, and whether you choose to take a shortcut like my Spanish friends did, is all up to you. For me, I would have felt like I was cheating. My self talk today told me to keep moving, to not give up (although in the forest completely alone, there was no choice anyway) and to take it at my pace and my time because this is MY journey and MY Camino. I find myself incredibly grateful to be here, to have the time to take this journey, to see the country I am blessed to see, and to meet others on their own journey along the Camino.