Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[Ajda]

I know - boring... But i need to ask.

Last year i walked Camino Frances alone. It was great, I feel safe almost all the time.
Ever since i came home, I'm dreaming of Camino. First i was thinking of camino frances again. But, i don't like crowds. I assume that camino frances will be very busy this year.

So, I was thinking of walking Camino Ingles. Discovered that this is a very solitary way. I wonder - it would be more pilgrims in the summer (july, august) on C. Ingles? What impact will have a holy year?

Is it safe for young woman to walk camino ingles?

Thank you for your answers.

[aleesha]

Apologies, Ajda, I don't have an answer, but a question to add to yours...
Is it also safe to walk alone on the Mozarabe?
Aleesha

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Aleesha and Ajda,

I have walked the Camino Ingles and part of the Vdlp (59 year old female). On the Ingles, I was technically walking with my husband but on several occasions he hopped into a bus or cab and met me at the destination. We saw no other walkers, but I never felt threatened in any way while I was alone.

Last April (mid month), I started the Vdlp in Sevilla but only made it to Caceres because of heel problems. I was by myself, but frequently met up with others. There are many more walkers on the Vdlp, in fact last the albergues were sometimes full. Not to worry, though, because there was ample private accommodation. I've also walked the Salvador and Primitivo, sometimes alone for days. In fact, in two places I was the only person in the albergue. But no problem ever. I remember one day leaving Cornellana on the Primitivo around 7:30, it was still dark and totally in the woods, and up in the distance I saw the burning butts of two cigarettes. The two men gave me a nice "buenos dias", made some comment about the good weather, and on I went. It didn't occur to me until later that I would have been freaking out if this had happened to me in the US.

So I guess that's a long way of saying that although I never walked alone until 2009, I am now a big fan, because it opens you up much more to the community and gives you much more flexibility. I have seen flashers about three times, always on the Camino Frances, and always when I was walking with another woman, so I don't know what that means.

I'd say you should not be anxious at all. Laurie

[aleesha]

Thanks Laurie. Much appreciated. I walked the frances sola, and feel I will manage the Via (fingers crossed and with all the usual provisos!), but have had a fluttery nervy feeling in my tummy about the Mozarabe. Not sure why. Is it about being alone, I ask myself, or is it the fact that there seem to be so few folk who have done/are planning the Granada section, and I'm afraid of the loneliness. And the lack of refuges. I'm someone who actually LIKES the roughness of the albergues!
I can't yet discern what the nerves are about, and whether or not they are a sign that I SHOULD do it, or a little voice saying not to...
Ah instinct, intuition and the mind. How it does play with us.
Thanks again.
Aleesha

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Aleesha,
I think I know exactly how you feel. I was lucky because when I went on the totally un-traveled Camino del Salvador, I started out with Javier Martin (from this forum) and his sister -- they left after two days but by then I was in the groove. After they left, between Pajares and Oviedo, I never saw another walker and was alone in albergues, but it was an amazing experience. What I found during the days I was totally alone was that the people were open and kind and helpful. If your Spanish is good, I would say that you will find that doors open when you need them to. Without Spanish, it will be more difficult, and I can't give you much insight on that. But I think that with a positive mindset, it will be an amazing experience. How good is your Spanish? Laurie

[aleesha]

Hi laurie,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
My Spanish is pretty basic. Italian is better. But I can certainly get by. And I don't actually think it is the loneliness that troubles me so much as the aloneness in terms of safety, and finding accomodation. I was just reading the "Mozarabe in Holy Week" thread and the comments there about the lack of accomodation made me a bit nervy. I walked over 40kms several times on the Frances, and it didn't trouble me, but as a woman alone, I am kind of attached to the idea of a roof over my head of an evening - I think I'd feel unsafe just sleeping out, even if the weather allowed...
Still pondering. I'm going to do the Via, but the question I'm still floating is whether from Seville or to start from Granada, which I would really love to do.
I'll keep testing the fears!
Aleesha

[Iacobam]

I was a woman alone walking the Camino Ingles during Holy Week 2010. It was my first time on the Camino. I am English but I live in the USA, so because of the time change I did not start walking until 10 am or so for the first two days. I never saw another pilgrim until the third day in the afternoon. I would never walk alone like this in the USA, but I felt completely safe on the Camino. There was only one incident when I was really scared. Nothing happened except I was in a forest and I felt an incredible sense of evil. I stopped walking and stood and prayed for 10 minutes or so and the feeling finally passed, and I carried on walking. Everyone I met was incredibly kind, even though I did not speak Spanish. Although the Camino Ingles is short by comparison to other caminos, I felt I got an intense experience because I was alone and because I didn't see other pilgrims and because the weather was a little difficult at times (Mar 30-Apr3). I hope to do it again next year. I was blessed in so many ways. I really recommend walking alone. When I did meet up with pilgrims after a while the talking got in the way. 5 days walking is very convenient for North Americans with little vacation time. And 2 nights in Santiago is a great finale.

[Rayuela]

Hello.
I am going to make the way. I am a woman alone walking the Camino Ingles about 8 oj June. I am Spanish and It will be my first time on the Camino.

Thank you to everybody, every advice or experience are very important to me.

Sometimes I travel alone around Europe, and always I felt save, but now I don´t konw. I am 49.

Thank you again. This forum is very interesting.

If someone need something about languages or something like that, please write me.

Regards

Rayuela.123@hotmail.com

MARIA

[peregrina2000]

Just a quick note from a 60-year old female currently walking from Sevilla to Santiago alone. I am in Zamora now and have never felt scared, threatened, nervous, or anxious. I do speak good Spanish, though, which helps a lot since I can ask a farmer for help if I am lost.

I have walked several caminos alone (the primitivo and the Salvador) and several others with another female, but have never found cause for concern. Go for it! Laurie

[Javier Martin]

Hi everybody,

I've met many women walking alone, at all ages, and usually they don't talk about problems from their loneliness.

In this sense, the Camino is much safer than most big cities.

Laurie, it would be great to share with you a weekend walking in La Plata, but it's been imposible, I can't walk since last January!

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.

[vjpulver]

I'm "pushin' 60" and I walked the Camino from Roncevalles to Santiago last year (40 days - April-June 2009). I went with no companions. I am glad I did it.

There were days when I met amazing people and had wonderful conversations. There were days when I was blissfully happy, walking all day across mountains that were mine alone. And there were days when I was as lonesome and scared as a little girl and wandering what I was thinking when I "signed on" for this adventure.

I came home from my trip tired and proud and a little confused about what I had learned and why I had done it. I am still processing the lessons from the road. I am so glad I took the risk and did it. I am so glad I did it on my own.

Wishing you a happy adventure...

"Ginn"
Peregrina Pulver in Sunny Santa Fe

[PacoB]

Hi! i´m thinking about doing part of the english way on August..perhaps we could get together for a while...
By the way...i´m a spanish 47 years old man from Seville with great fancy of getting good experiences walking along ...
It´s my firts time on doing that but i´m not worry about however i get your concerns...
I want to meet with people to practise my english too...