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Route Napoleon closures: November-March

For anyone thinking of setting off on the Camino anytime soon just a reminder that the Navarrese Govenmnet closes the Route Napoleon over the Pyrenees from November 1st - March 31st each year (and longer if need be).

Roncenvalles in the snow


The official notification for this (from last year) is below.


Taken from  http://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegrino/prensa/verprensa.asp?PrensaID=11129


The Navarrese Government has established measures to restrict passage through the East of the Camino de Santiago variant in its first stage, at the entrance to Navarra, from November 1, 2017 until March 31, 2018. It establishes its protection regime , which regulates, among other issues, the itinerary of the Camino de Santiago as it passes through the Autonomous Community. 

The first stage of the French Way, at its entrance through Navarre, has two variants: the west that, starting from Saint Jean Pied de Port, passes through Valcarlos and the port of Ibañeta until Roncesvalles, and the east that, starting from the same point, it runs through Huntto, Orisson and the Port of Lepoeder as far as Roncesvalles.

The variant this supposes to overcome more than 1.200 ms of unevenness, in addition to the small intermediate unevennesses. To overcome this unevenness, pilgrims wishing to face this stage must have an adequate physical preparation, a situation that has been proven not to occur in a high percentage of them. To this situation must be added the significant increase in effort required when there is snow or when the weather conditions are adverse, all without prejudice to the material equipment they must carry in these situations, which, likewise, has been proven not to carry on many occasions.

It is the circumstance that this East road enters Navarra at a high altitude, 1,288 m and that the Navarrese section has no loopholes to the Leopoeder pass, 5 km after having entered Navarra. There have been continuous improvement actions in the signaling and a periodic verification of its validity. At present it is thorough and only in blizzard situations can present problems not to be followed.

However, the interventions in this area of ​​the rescue personnel, both professional and voluntary, persist, motivated in many occasions by the faint or lack of information and preparation of the pilgrims, given the hardness of this east route. The very difficult conditions for rescues, including situations of risk for the life of the rescue teams, given the orography and climatology of the area, and the serious difficulties of access, location and evacuation. 

In previous seasons, prior access restriction measures were established for this variant, the experience reveals the convenience of maintaining these periods of restriction of passage in the interest of greater security for individuals and rescue personnel, both professionals and volunteers.

For all these reasons, the Government of Navarre has decided to establish, for reasons of security for people, measures restricting the passage of the east side of the Camino de Santiago in its first stage through Navarra, making transit mandatory, on the dates included. between November 1, 2017 and March 31, 2018, by the western variant of the Camino de Santiago (Valcarlos). 

The east variant will be closed on those dates at the entrance of Navarre, at the point of geographic coordinates 43º3'2.02''N and 1º16'6,04''W, in the vicinity of the Collado de Bentartea. 

These measures will be published in the Official Gazette of Navarra for general knowledge.

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