January-February-March?

[Voyager58]

Experiences during those months? Please only reply/share if you were there. "I heard that..." or "Why would you.." replies only waste time and bandwidth!

 

[jpflavin1]

Walked in March twice. Perfect weather in 2010. Only four wet days. Very wet in 2011 with only about 7-8 dry days.

 

[mspath]

Voyager58,

I have walked in winter several times; February /March 2006,2007, January /March 2008, 2009, and 2010

Be sure to read what other pilgrims and I have written about winter walking in this earlier Forum thread.

Sillydoll who is a Forum member has compiled encyclopedic information on Winter Walking at >> http://amawalker.blogspot.com/ Another good account of winter walking by a Forum member is the earlier 2013 blog http://agoodwalkunspoiled.blogspot.com/ .

The best advice is to BE PREPARED for extreme and varied weather. Nights can be bitter cold with freezing rain or snow. Learn 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. Not all albergues will be open but the hospitaleros usually know who is 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.

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

Twice walking during winter caminos I have sat out true blizzards; in Villafranca Montes de Oca, February 25, 26, 2006 and Foncebadón, March 5,6, 2009. Even late last November the climb up to O Cebriero was packed with snow. You can see the snow and read my blog accounts of these three memorable stormstorms at >> http://mermore.blogspot.fr/2011/04/aavmo.html. Luckily open albergues offered welcoming shelter, heat and companionship.


Have a safe and warm Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[SYates]

As requested: Yes, I have walked the Camino in January ;-) Additionally to the excellent advice already given: Don't underestimate how (freshly fallen) snow can obscure the way marking, especially where they are painted on the ground / trees ect. Less a problem when there are signs ect but if the arrows are on the ground / trees they can be covered already by relatively little snow.
Buen Winter Camino! SY

 

[Kialoa3]

I will second SYates comment as my wife and I strolled around a blank white field enroute from Santibanez de Valdeiglesia (Hospital de Orbigo to Astorga) with no clue where the camino was. We eventually retraced our steps and encountered David, a local camino guardian and our camino angel for the day, hanging bright yellow arrows to mark the way. He had set out earlier that day knowing that some pilgrims were likely to get lost in the freshly fallen snow. We did not disappoint. What a great guy!

 

[Voyager58]

Thank you all.......I can't wait!!! Seems my wah wah wah forecasting is coming true, albeit slowly...I had said that 100 days after my last day at work, I would take my first step on the Camino...as my employer who makes that fruity smart phone (not the apple variety) chose to dismiss me and 5000 of my peers this past week, and with no other friends left in my life after ex of 25 years left me for another woman 6 years ago, no relatives except my 2 adult sons; dumped by the last long term girlfriend who a year ago chose to be with a man without ADHD and PTSD over me after nearly 4 years (imagine that) , the time has come to take on this challenge that has been on the back burner for a couple of years.
I need to sell my house and possessions, bank the money, do the walk, and figure out where life will take me next. There is nothing left for me here...

 

[TheTinkerBell]

Thank you all.......I can't wait!!! Seems my wah wah wah forecasting is coming true, albeit slowly...I had said that 100 days after my last day at work, I would take my first step on the Camino...as my employer who makes that fruity smart phone (not the apple variety) chose to dismiss me and 5000 of my peers this past week, and with no other friends left in my life after ex of 25 years left me for another woman 6 years ago, no relatives except my 2 adult sons; dumped by the last long term girlfriend who a year ago chose to be with a man without ADHD and PTSD over me after nearly 4 years (imagine that) , the time has come to take on this challenge that has been on the back burner for a couple of years.
I need to sell my house and possessions, bank the money, do the walk, and figure out where life will take me next. There is nothing left for me here...

Well, you've got more reasons than most to go searching for some headspace. Go for it!

 

[Bernard duffy]

I hope your choice of path is better than your choice of woman )

Buen Camino.