We started late as per usual but finally went back to St. Jean Pied du Port to start our official Camino. Fairly soon after our ride down the Valcares route we turned around and road back up! This route is about 27 kms, mostly up and it's really all about conquering the last third, a series of steep hairpins that will challenge any rider who isn´t fully prepared. The real star today was Klari who was uncatchable and finished a couple hundred metres ahead and earned the title "Queen of the Mountains". The rest of us paced ourselves and all completed a tour quality mountain climb that gave us a taste of what was to come.
Every good climb deserves a good meal so we stopped at the top - back in Roncesvalles - for a Pilgrim lunch for 9 Euros. Generally these lunches are 3 course meals along with wine, water and bread. The concept of having wine during a ride, not to mention the nature of the descents, was difficult to grasp, but we managed....
Our climbing team - the guys aren´t in the picture!
Klari was first up the Pass
How can Nola still be smiling?
Ian on the Valcarlos
Dan reaching the top of the Valcares Pyrenees climb.
Lunch at the top of the Valcarlos
Outskirts of Pamplona.
Our Tapas Bar for dinner in Pamplona. Tonight we had the cured ham, sausage, octopus, egg w/mushrooms, alittle beer, a little Sangria,....okay...lots of beer and lots of Sangria...
Always lots of help from strangers. This became a large part of our camino both from need and because we truly enjoyed the exchange.
Street art depicting the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Street art depicting the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona.
Ian wearing his do-rag, still cleaning his cleats from the Napoleonic route escapade.
Our last view of Roncesvalles earlier in the day as we left for Pamplona. Quite a contrast to the fog on our arrival two days before.
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