Introduction

[sachibear18]

Hi - my name is Gordon McGregor from Auckland New Zealand. I intend commencing my walk from Pamploma around 16th December 2013. I would like to make contact with anyone else looking to travel around this time as I understand that pilgrims are very rare at this time of year due to the weather.

 

[fraluchi]

... I understand that pilgrims are very rare at this time of year due to the weather.

Welcome to the forum :!: The winter months are pretty grim in the North of Spain (Pamplona, etc.) and there are very few pilgrims walking until April. You should consider staying in hostals or hotels (HR*) since many albergues will not be open. Check them out for central heating and a good supply of blankets (mantas). It's a budget rather than a "can do" question. If the weather is adverse you can always take a bus to the next city and do the sights :lol:

 

[mspath]

sachibear18,

As fraluchi notes the winter months on the camino can be pretty grim!

Not all albergues will be open but the hospitaleros usually know who is open on the next stage. You will find the welcome at those albergues which are open to be most sincere; generally they will either be heated or have blankets, but not all.

The best advice is to BE PREPARED for extreme and varied weather. Nights can be bitter cold with freezing rain or snow; it is important to read the sky for possible storms. Regarding the state of the path and weather forecasts be sure to ask the locals and watch TV reports.

In bad weather many steep descents on the camino would be treacherous and following smaller parallel roads might be necessary. During winter and early spring 2013 the Napoleon route from SJPdP to Roncevalles was been blocked with several meters of snow and in effect closed to pilgrims thus necessitating the use of the Valcarlos alternate. You can read about this in the Forum topic. >> el-camino-frances/topic16961.html

Since you plan to start in Pamplona you would avoid that section; however other difficult stretches on the CF after future storms might be from Najera to Santo Domingo de la Calzada or across the Montes de Oca from Villafranca as well as Monte Irago and, of course, O Cebriero.

Sillydoll who is a Forum member has compiled encyclopedic information on Winter Walking at >> http://amawalker.blogspot.fr/2009/10/walking-in-winter.html Another good account of winter walking on the CF by a Forum member is the recent 2013 blog http://agoodwalkunspoiled.blogspot.com/.

Happy planning, stay safe and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[sachibear18]

I'm not sure how this works as I thought I had replied to the first message.

I just want to thank both of you for taking the time to respond with helpful hints.

Well done I say.

My more recent reading suggests the camino is becoming more popular in the winter so it might not be as desolate as I first thought.

Still, would be nice to touch base with someone travelling at the same time so we could correspond up to departure and perhaps on the journey itself

Again thanks to all

Gords