walking in October

[Mikey - camino]

I am considering returning to the Camino in mid October.

Will most of the Alberques still be open or do many close?? Would there be difficulties walking in mid October (from Leon to Santiago)

Thanks for any help

Mike

 

[Former member 104756]

Hi Mike We will be walking the Frances starting from SJPP in mid October. We are anticipating there may be some albergues closed along the way but, if you are starting in Leon, I'd be surprised if you had too many problems with closures.

Best to check out Gronze - the information on accommodation usually includes the dates the albergues open and close.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

All the best.

 

[mspath]

Mikey-camino,

October is a wonderful time to walk the CF with golden days.
Be sure to check out the posts in
this earlier thread re what to expect
in October.

Happy planning and whenever you do go Buen camino.

 

[Former member 104756]

PS There is also a list with albergue information for the winter, i.e. from 1 November. But if starting from Leon, you will likely be in SdeC by then.

@peregrina2000 posted this comment on another thread.

The posted list http://www.aprinca.com/alberguesinvierno/ is still valid. This list is maintained each year from about November 1, through the winter. (The web link remains visible through the rest of the year, but there is no information on the page.)

 

[Becky 59]

I walked that stretch 2 years ago in October ; a few of the albergues were starting to close but plenty were still open. Ditto the previous comments about Gronze. It’s a great time to walk, but shorter days can make it hard to hang out laundry, and the sun is rising pretty late (almost 9 am before Daylight Savings ends, Oct 29 this year).

 

[Albertagirl]

I shall be walking from Oct. 2 to about Nov. 9 this year: the Madrid to Sahagun; the Frances to Ponferrada and the Invierno to Santiago. I walked the same route at the same time in 2019 and had no problems due to closures. The days can, however, be a bit dark and rainy. If there are fewer albergues open on the Frances, there will also be fewer pilgrims competing for them.

 

[AlwynWellington]

I am considering returning to the Camino in mid October.

Will most of the Alberques still be open?

I continued from Estella in mid October 2017 and had no trouble, reaching Compostela a few days before the end of the month.

I understand accommodation generally is responding to demand.

For tops, I suggest you consider merino - odour absorbing and quick drying
For sox (mine are to the knee, I wear the kilt) I suggest polyester - typically hard wearing and quick drying.

And as others have said, Gronze is a good reference.

 

[Wolfsoundz]

Hi Mike We will be walking the Frances starting from SJPP in mid October. We are anticipating there may be some albergues closed along the way but, if you are starting in Leon, I'd be surprised if you had too many problems with closures.

Best to check out Gronze - the information on accommodation usually includes the dates the albergues open and close.

Camino Francés | Gronze.com

El Camino Francés es el Camino de Santiago en el que confluyen la mayoría de las vías medievales de peregrinación europeas, siendo por tanto el camino de mayor relevancia histórica y el más seguido por los peregrinos. Su punto de inicio, hoy en día, tanto puede considerarse Roncesvalles como...

www.gronze.com

All the best.

Hi Pelerina!

Hoping you can help me?
My first Camino. Mid October to mid November.
Wanting to do the Camino Francés but have about 32 days. Is that do-able?

I’m 67, in very decent shape but I wouldn’t say I’m an athlete, though was a runner for years. TMI?

So my questions:

In mid October to mid November, boots or shoes?

Best place to start the CF given my time restrictions?

Would I regret not doing the Pyrenees because of the beauty or…?
Anything else?

Infinite thanks! I’m alternating between excitement and panic, hoping I have what I need.

I’ve been told not to plan too much, to be open. Any tips on that are welcome, too!

 

[Former member 104756]

Hi @Wolfsoundz

Sorry I’ve only just seen your post. We are walking at the moment and I am not looking at the forum very often.

Your questions are mostly things only you can answer I think.

Boots or shoes - I’ve only ever worn shoes, so I can’t compare. Some people prefer boots though I think most would agree they are not necessary for the terrain on the Frances. So I’d wear what you are used to / most comfortable with

32 days from SJPP to SdeC is definitely do-able. Many people walk in fewer days and many people take longer. It’s difficult to know in advance how you will go. If you want to reach SdeC and are concerned you won’t have time you could start in Pamplona to ‘save’ a few days.

Sounds like you’re considering starting in SJPP. I like the town and enjoy the stages to Pamplona. Some on the forum dismiss SJPP as a starting point but many love it, me included I’ve walked the Napoleon route a few times and had both good weather and bad. If the weather is not so good, you won’t see the views anyway. Whether you will regret not crossing the Pyrenees … only you can answer that. I think that’s more of a mindset thing.

Sorry gotta go. Time to begin the day. We are on the Le Puy Way and expect to arrive in SJPP on the 13th and continue on to Spain on the 14tH. Maybe we will see you on The Way. All the best. Buen Camino.