I'm not seeing anyone mention this by name yet, so let me introduce the concept of a "camino family":
https://www.caminoadventures.com/blog/what-is-a-camino-family/
You won't *really* be alone, Ilsa. So that part you definitely don't need to worry about.
Personally, I don't think this choice of dates will make much of a difference, they're just too close together. Just pick whatever's more convenient for you. But if you want to over-analyze the weather aspect, you can use CaminoWeather.
Historical data for Sept 12 - Sept 19
Historical data...
You can check out CaminoWeather to look at exact stats from previous years for that date. Here's their report for a May 9th start: https://caminoweather.com/frances/?startLocationId=000&endLocationId=209&startDate=2024-05-09&lengthType=stages
I think you're assuming that everyone else will be doing the "standard" stages, so I guess around 37 days? This is absolutely not true for the Frances. The amount of albergues in towns between stages is big enough that nobody *needs* to stick to them. Because of that, daily distances will...
26 days is going to be tiring, but if you're fit then you'll be fine. I've seen people do 45km/day, so there's that. Be careful about how much daytime you have though, and consider headlamps.
As for the weather, you can look it up on caminoweather.com. Here's a link for Nov 12 - Dec 8 on the...
1. It's probably going to be kinda rainy. Here's a site where you can check what the weather was like in previous years.
2. Shoes ultimately come down to "what works best for your feet", but generally neither hiking shoes nor waterproof shoes are recommended. Hiking shoes are bulky, heavy, and...
Here's my take on the amount of people on the del Norte that time of year:
Yes, it's true that there are very few pilgrims there compared to the CF. But that's only in comparison. I know a couple who started the del Norte just a few weeks ago. They thought there were loads of people doing...
Here's a website where you can look up the November weather on the CF in previous years. You'll want to edit the forecast to choose your start point and date, though. And keep in mind that this year is hotter than in the past.
Another method is to order something off Amazon.es, and have it delivered to an "Amazon Hub Locker" in Pamplona.
It's a pretty new trick, but my wife and I used to restock on rare supplies on the VldP this year. Worked well enough.
I would say that, under normal use, your arms shouldn't get tired.
If you're using the poles to compensate for an injury, that's a different story. But you'd presumably have bigger problems at that point.
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