Zubiri to Pamplona
No bull - we are in Pamplona! It was a pretty easy hike today with a modest incline. I say that, but my Apple Watch indicates we climbed 1,200 feet. The walk was 12.8 miles and it took four hours and 21 minutes to complete. We left the hotel in Zubiri around 7:30 am, and it was quite cool on the trail. Even now, sitting in our hotel room in Pamplona at 3:00 pm, the windows are open and it’s a beautiful 73 degrees with a nice breeze.
The beginning of the trail was wooded and followed a fairly large stream for a good part of the way. There were damp leaves covering the path and with the coolness in the air, it reminded us that fall is not too far away. One of our observations is that the Spanish are not big fans of switchbacks. They’re common on U.S. trails so they are not too steep. Steep trails are more of an issue for us going downhill, as it is easy to slip or injure your knees. Well switchbacks, apparently, are for wussies, and the Spanish won’t stand for it. They have some steep trails! The last part of the hike was walking through a city called Burlada. It was a striking contrast to the wooded trail. For the most part we just walked a straight line through the city. At one point, we crossed an intersection and continued forward. A guy on a bike stared at us, whistled, and pointed to my right. I was like, “What?” He waived his arm some more and continued to whistle. Duh. We missed a turn, and he was just being helpful. We quickly got back on track and made it to Pamplona in time for lunch. It might be because it’s Saturday, but Pamplona is hopping! There are tons of people around, the bars and restaurants are full, and the energy is high. We have a day off tomorrow, so have the opportunity to really explore the city.
4 Comments
Bernard
8/28/2021 08:29:38 am
“Switchbacks are for wussies”...that made me laugh out loud.
Reply
Greg
8/28/2021 10:07:04 am
Thanks, Bernard!
Reply
John Q
8/28/2021 08:21:21 pm
The overview looked like you were walking through ruins of some sort. Is that true, or was it just the high level view of houses and such? Are tourists the chief economic engine in these cities? What a hike!
Reply
Greg
8/28/2021 11:22:01 pm
The two pictures in this day’s post are on top of bridges. The bridge Jim is on goes into Zubiri, and the bridge I am on goes into Pamplona. Yes, I would say tourism is a big part of their economies. Some of the villages are very small. But Pamplona of course is pretty big. Lots of restaurants and bars here.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsGreg and James live in Pleasanton in Northern California and are on a pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago in Spain. Their adventures are captured in this blog. Archives
October 2021
Categories |