Our intrepid explorers have returned from their 1000 mile walk for Macmillan Cancer Support, and we are pleased to announce that we have raised nearly £500 for the charity.
Dean Pratt and Andrea Wright set out on their walk from the Cathedral at Le Puy-en-Velay in France on 13 March 2012 and walked for 79 days in total.
They climbed up and down in the mountainous province of the Rhone-Alps for several days before encountering snowy conditions on the flatlands of the Aubrac at 1200m above sea level. The weather caused problems with visibility as well as walking through 3 feet of snow.
After 5 weeks in France they reached the border town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (French for “Saint Jean at the foot of the mountain pass”), standing at the base of the Roncevaux Pass across the Pyrenees. At this point, both were in pain from tendonitis and took a few days break to recover, before attempting the climb over the Pyrenees into Spain.
Once in Spain, they were joined by hundreds of other pilgrims on the walk, and accommodation was now in venues with dormitories for 50-200 people. A few days after crossing the Pyrenees and entering Spain they reached their halfway point, Pamplona. The city is famous for the running of the bulls, but not in April!!
They continued walking through the hilly regions of northern Spain, encountering different iconic structures made to honour the pilgrim route, before reaching Santiago de Compostela on 24 May 2012. The Pilgrim’s Mass the following day was the perfect excuse for a day’s rest. Most people end their pilgrimage at Santiago while many others continue on to Finisterre, which was thought to be the end of the world in years gone by.
100 km later, and not a moment too soon, Dean and Andrea walked into Finisterre, exhausted but satisfied at completing their 1000 mile quest.
All that was left to do was to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean and give Dean’s boots a final send off, as they had reached the end of their life!
Well done to both of them!
If you would like to make a donation to this worthy cause, please visit :
