Back in 2018 I started my first Camino de Santiago. The Camino is a very famous pilgrims way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and people from all over the world love to walk this way. The french way – the so called Camino Francés – starts in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France

You have to cross the Pyrenees (1400 m, 26 km) on your first day on the Camino.

I have crossed the Pyrenees twice, in 2018 and 2019. In the seconds year I discovered a rescue helicopter after Orisson. My fellow pilgrims and I hoped that the person could be helped. In the evening in Roncesvalles we heard the sad news, that the guy died unfortunately of a heart attack. We where shocked.

Horses and sheep are on their way and sharing the Camino with the pilgrims.

The way crosses the french-spanish Border.

The highest point on that stage is the Lepoeder Viewpoint (1410m) with a spectacular sight of the Pyrenees

Lepoeder viewpoint, Navarra/Spain

I had no experience in hiking and it was challenging for me but the landscape was stunning. A year later I crossed the Pyrenees again.

The pictures above where taken with my smartphone (2018). A friend recommended that I leave the big camera at home to save weight and to concentrate on the trail, the journey, the experience. I was not satisfied with the optical quality of the iPhone, as practical as the small cell phone camera was. The next year I started with a Sony RX100 M5A (2019).