Chapter 6: St. Jean to Borda – All at once it began.

Well, the day has finally arrived and we are walking. It is snowing in April for the first time in thirty years for what we’re being told. At breakfast, everyone seemed interested in tips and tricks to stay warm in the snow. There is a woman here from the Yukon who did not ask us, oddly enough. We did our best to offer layering advice, but the reality is, that we recognize that there is no advice we can give with our natural acclimation to the cold.

We began walking shortly after 8 AM. Because of our general Canadian-ness, we decided to take the higher elevation route and walk through the snowy conditions. Along the path through St Jean and our of town, locals waved us at from their windows and yelled “Buen Camino” at us, wishing us a good Camino. It really felt like the beginning of a huge journey.

We’re happy to have the company of our friend Gary, along the way. Gary is from Australia, and snow is fairly novel to him. It’s great for us that he came – the further we walked, the more snowy the conditions. We tried to follow the Camino arrows and signs, but most were covered by snow about 2 KM into our walk. Gary had an app that’s been an absolute life saver and helped us navigate the trails more than once.

As you can see the snow began to really accumulate as we climbed higher and higher. I was absolutely the slowest walker – the inclines were so steep and never ending. Gary and Blake stopped and waited for me every quarter KM, but we kept trudging along.

At one point – about 3 KM from our Auberge – we really started to doubt our decision. The snow was about 8 inches thick, we were all tired, cold and wet with sweat. Gary brought a portable bunson burner and made us some hot coffee in covered area along the way. We drank the coffee, tried to bolster our resolve – and lo and behold our Auberge was just 1 KM from where we almost called it quits. When in doubt, Just keep walking.

Our Auberge is spectacular. A beautifully renovated old Shepard’s Barn run by a local host Laurent. Beds are dorms style, with communal bathrooms and a shower on a timer – everyone is given one shower token at checkin that allows for a 5 minute shower. This is to conserve the water supply as the accommodation is completely off grid. Laurent made his 7 Pilgrims a beautiful meal – traditional Basque food (soup, cheese and bread, meat and potatoes and a tart for dessert and unlimited wine). Before dinner time Laurent instructed each of us around the table to introduce ourselves and explain why we walking the Camino. Everyone had their own heartfelt reasons, and it was a really touching moment. We took a group photo in the snow – Laurent grew up in this region and has never seen snowfall like this in Borda, regardless of the time of year.

The communal area with beautiful wood heat. Welcomed reprieve.

Next up is walking from Borda – down the mountainside – to Roncevilles. Unfortunately more and more snow keeps accumulating, so today is likely to be just as challenging as yesterday. But we are so excited and motivated to keep going. Wish us luck guys. We will keep the updates coming as long as wifi allows.