Today’s walk was a lesson in “where there’s a will, there’s a way”… as long as you have the help of overly optimistic strangers and the Spanish civil guard.
We didn’t intend on climbing Alto del Perdon. This was the last stretch for awhile that we fully expected to taxi. The elevation map looked intimidating, and the descent, as I remembered it from walking solo in 2014, is steep and uneven. We didn’t plan to climb the mountain until we were on the mountain.
We set out from Pamplona early and walked through Cizur Menor, a quaint town just outside of Pamplona. While Addie played at a playground there, we consulted our guidebook. 6 kilometers ahead was a town, and we would stop for breakfast and consider catching a taxi to Uterga, the town at the bottom of the mountain on the other side.
Most of the climb to Alto del Perdon was in that 6 kilometer stretch. We reached the town exhausted, but proud. And the path hadn’t been bad. Steadily uphill, yes, but wide and reasonably flat. The windmills at the summit waved to us, now so close. We were only 2.5 kilometers away.
So we began to walk. We figured we would follow the path up, and avoid the descent by retracing our steps and calling a taxi from the same town.
It wasn’t long before the path cut up a steep incline. Sandra and I stood at the bottom wondering if we should just turn around now. We started up the hill, and three kind men offered to help us out, pushing the stroller up the massive slope. Once we reached the top of that incline, we felt committed.
The problem was, the path narrowed. We continued about ten steps before we resigned to the fact that we were going to have to reverse course.
A man named Bill, from Kansas, saw us and pointed out what looked like an alternate route. He essentially grabbed the stroller and forged ahead, until we met back up with the main path, ahead of the narrow section and mere meters from the peak.
From that point, there was no choice but to reach the top. I was nervous about the descent, since retracing steps now seemed impossible too, but that was a problem for after we reached the peak.
Soon the metal pilgrim statues came into view, and we pushed the stroller up to the summit, met with a round of applause and a giant sense of accomplishment. We took photos with Bill, and then a few photos as a family.
A member of the Spanish civil guard – the pilgrim’s mobile police station – came over and gave Addie a coloring book and congratulated her. They asked us if we were walking the Camino, and stressed that we could call if we needed anything. “Even if she needs water.”
We asked if it would be better to take the path down or the road, and chaos erupted. We had planned to take more photos and sit for a minute, but the next thing we knew, we were being whisked down the mountain in a police car while they pushed the stroller down the mountain (taking selfies and videos as they did so). They insisted on driving us down to Uterga and pushing the stroller there themselves. The officer who drove us put on the sirens for Addie, and took photos with Eloise while we waited at a playground.
Our stroller was the main concern, so the fact that it was still walked down the mountain tells me it was probably possible, and the road was pretty remote and seemed fine to walk, but they were determined to get us down the mountain, and in the end, we were grateful to not walk the descent.
From Uterga, we still had about 7 kilometers to walk to Puente la Reina, but we stopped for lunch before walking the final stretch. We arrived in Puente la Reina tired but exhilarated.
We are staying in Albergue Jakue, which offers lovely private rooms, however the booking did not indicate that the ceilings of the building are canvas tents, and there is 0 soundproofing between the rooms. Our greatest hope for the night is two quiet children so we don’t wake all of the others.
Oh Lord I do love that enthusiastic Spanish hospitality! I am so glad you all got to experience it in such a fun way and with a great story to tell!
The hospitality has been incredible
What a great story! Sending Bill good vibrations from here in Canada. I bet Addie loved all the attention.
I bet the Spanish civil guards don’t see a lot of toddler and baby pilgrims!