Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Francescalignumvitae]

Hello All, solitary newbie heading out mid September 2012, walking through October to Santiago. Your thoughts on weather/whether sleeping bag liner or sleeping bag for this route / time of year appreciated; unable to sleep if cold. Input invited on lightweight women's rucksacks (lightweight everything). Have been hungering to do this journey for some time. Like a migratory bird, am feeling restless--almost ready to go. Any and all help from the greater 'flock' that has made this journey of heart, spirit and sole before, is warmly welcomed.

Originally from California, living (and buying necessary bits) in England. Blessings to all, Francesca

[tyrrek]

Hi Francesca!

As you feel the cold at night this is an easy one. Sleeping bag. You can supplement it with blankets in most albergues if required.

Also have a fleece for that time in the evening when the sun has gone down and it's getting cool but you don't want to leave your cafe terrace and go indoors. (Or maybe you do but nobody else does! )

Buen Camino!

[vagabondette]

unable to sleep if cold = must have a sleeping bag.

[Sedona2012]

Traveling St Jean to Santiago Mid September through all of October. Will a Fleece Jacket be enough or do I need something warmer?

So excited 3 months minus and counting...

[annakappa]

We have walked 3 times from mid-sept, the last date of arrival in Santiago was 23rd October. Although the weather was incredibly hot last year (temps regularly around 30 deg. And once reaching a high 36 deg), once you hit the mountains, say after Astorga, you will find that evening temps drop considerably. You will need (in my opinion): sleeping bag,fleece, wind jacket, gloves (for the early morning) and something for your head.Anne

[falcon269]

You can look at the almanac section of this site and see the daily weather for past years. This year will repeat, but on different days! There is no single answer on the weather, so you will have to look at Pamplona, Leon, Burgos, Lugo, and Santiago to get a good cross section.

It gets cooler in October, and albergues begin to close at the end of the month.

http://www.wunderground.com/

[Sedona2012]

Thank you to Falcon and Anna.

[Francescalignumvitae]

Hello and thanks to those who replied. Attempting to hedge bets against increased weight / decreased warmth. Will now start hunting for lightest s-bag. Still hoping for input re women's rucksacks. As for refugios/albuerques closing in October . . . more info would be helpful . . and reassuring! Blessings to all, Francesca

[vagabondette]

Still hoping for input re women's rucksacks.

read the forum. there are hundreds of posts on the topic - and pretty much any other you might be curious about...

[mspath]

... As for refugios/albuerques closing in October . . . more info would be helpful . . and reassuring! ...

Francesca,

The autumn months are wonderful for walking the Camino. However you must be prepared for varied weather. Nights can be chilly or cold and freezing rain or even snow might occur during October. Be prepared!

Since the crowds of summer are past you will find the welcome at those albergues which are open to be most sincere. Not all albergues will be open but the hospitaleros usually know who is open on the next stage. Most that are open will either be heated or have blankets.

You can get a rough idea of which months each albergue is open by using the Eroski web site http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es./albergues/ and for each albergue clicking on the
Ficha completa del albergue which cites its availability Disponibilidad del albergue

Don't worry; you will be able find places to stay. During seven Caminos in autumn and winter I always found some albergue open each night. However, all were not heated.

Buen Camino!

Margaret

[falcon269]

the hospitaleros usually know who is open on the next stage

In early March I was surprised how often this was NOT the case. They don't know; they don't communicate; they don't want to make a phone call; or they are simply unhelpful. The Eroski website is useful, but albergues do not live up to the information that they supply. Quite a few that say "open all year" are not open all year. You may need to call ahead to find out if a place is open. In towns with more than one albergue, there is almost always one open.

Mundicamino also shows hoteles and hostales in addition to refuges.

http://www.mundicamino.com/ingles/rutas.cfm?id=15

[willysmom]

Hi Francesca
I'm walking mid September too but only for 15 days. Maybe we will cross paths.
Buen Camino
Carolann

[Aussiemum]

I am excited about starting my 1st camino from Leon around the 16th Sept 2012. I am travelling alone from Australia and hope to meet many wonderful people. I am encouraged by how many helpful people there are here on the forum. I trust it is a sign of what to expect from others.
I will be sure to pack a jacket after the talk of cold mountain nights.
Might see some of you along the way
Deanna

[tyrrek]

I will be sure to pack a jacket after the talk of cold mountain nights.

Hi Deanna!

On my Caminos I found it useful to have a separate fleece for warmth and a rainjacket (with no warmth) for the wet. You can wear them together if it's both cold and wet! It worked quite well for me, but there's no right or wrong. There are expensive jackets that combine both and can be attached/detatched to each other, but my rainjacket just cost £10 from a discount store and worked perfectly well. Have a great time!

The only mountain nights you'll experience will be in somewhere like Acebo (optional) and somewhere around O Cebreiro or Alto do Poio. They're not high mountains and you won't freeze!

Buen Camino!

[Francescalignumvitae]

Hello All,

Have been off forum for a long while, but getting ready all the same. Devouring websites looking for gear....

Margaret thanks for the site re the alberques--will come in handy; appreciated.

Looking to fly out to Biarritz around the 19th of September and start from SJPDP within two days. Have resolved sleeping bag issue with a lifeventure downlight 660, (668 grams) already treated for bedbugs, mozzies and bacteria. Here in the UK this sleepingbag is under £90. If the weather is warm will use it as a pad with a silk liner.

Backpacks: Have settled on the Osprey Talon 33L one of their lightest in this litre size.

Shoes are still confounding me, or more to the point the reams of info on the forum re shoes! However, St Jacques is always helping: went into an outdoor gear shop other day and one of the guys had walked the camino from SJPDP to Santiago this last April. He had used heavy duty hiking boots and said he wouldn't do the same again, but use a hiking shoe and not even ankle support one.

He said the only places the ankle support is helpful is first couple of days coming down from SJPDP to Roncesvalles/Pamploma, and then later in one area. This has me rethinking the whole shoe thing.

I picked up a couple of merino wool tops base layers and this chap said they were fantastic, as they don't need to be washed for a few days. He thought one of those and a fleece would be fine. Am taking a rain jacket or possibly ordering one of the Altus ponchos to pick up in SJPDP at the start.

Getting VERY excited, but glad things are coming together. Am tempted to take an old pair of timberland boots (really old), as they know my feet very well and I know them and how they move/react very well. Still time to chew on it. Pretty sure they want to go on this trip though. (!)

To all you other Sept/Oct folks: hope your plans are all coming together well, and hope to cross paths in a few weeks (!!!!) time!

Blessings to all,

Francesca