Poekhali! — is a Russian word famously used by Yuri Gagarin at the start of the first manned space flight on April 12, 1961. It roughly translates to Let’s go! In English or C’est parti! In French. Since then, it has become a symbol of excitement, adventure, and new beginnings.
On Monday, upon my arrival in St. Jean, I went to get my pilgrim’s passport stamped – because if it’s not stamped, did you even did the Camino? No sooner had I stepped inside than the skies unleashed a thunderstorm with hail, as if to say, “Welcome to your journey!”. The rain continued on and off for the rest of the evening and into the night.
The morning brought no relief from the downpour, but as we say in Russia: “You’re not made of sugar, so you won’t melt.” I donned my rain jacket and rubber shoe covers and headed out into the rain.
The first 27 kilometers are essentially one long uphill climb over the Pyrenees. I had been dreading that stretch ever since I decided to embark on this pilgrimage. We’re talking about a 900-meter elevation gain between St. Jean and the Ibañeta summit. On top of that, I hadn’t been cycling much for over a year. The rain—sometimes heavy—and the dropping temperatures as I climbed made my worst nightmare come true. By the time I reached Roncesvalles, the Spanish equivalent of St. Jean, I was thoroughly soaked, shivering like a leaf, and my legs were on fire.
Usually, I take a lot of photos on the road, but not this time—I was convinced if I stood still, I’d turn into an icicle. At that point, I still had 45 kilometers to go; the only consolation was that it was mostly downhill from there.
As I got closer to Pamplona, the rain finally let up and temperatures began to rise, and my clothes were slowly drying on me. By the time I reached the hostel, I was practically dry—except for my shoes. Somehow, they got wet despite being covered.
I’ve been to Pamplona once before—I don’t remember the occasion—but I missed the bull run then as well. The closest I got to any bulls was a statue in the city center. No risk of getting trampled.
I hope my legs recover by tomorrow and that the weather shows some mercy.
Today in numbers:
76 km — distance cycled
74 BC — the year Pamplona was founded by the Romans
875 m — bull run distance during Saint Fermin festival
10 060 kg — weight of the Pamplona Cathedral’ bell, 43rd on the list of heaviest European bells
778 — the historic Battle of Roncesvalles when Basques ambushed Charlemagne