New member - advice welcome

[gmarkle]

Hi. I'm leaving to do the Camino in a couple of weeks. I had been planning to do the Camino Frances - mainly because that's the one I'd heard about, friends had done it, and I have the book. Then I heard about the Camino del Norte. It's late in the day to change my plans, but it sure looks appealing.
I'm not a city person, and I'd like time for self-reflection (after all, that's why I'm going).

I'm Canadian, living on the west coast, female, 58 and small. But I'm pretty fit, do a lot of hiking and kayaking. I'm used to being in the bush on my own.

My concerns are:
Finding places to stay. How are they in terms of spacing and cost?
What gear (clothing, sleeping bag, etc.) is absolutely essential? (Gotta keep the weight down.)
How much road walking? I'm not great walking on hard surfaces (I spend most of my time on trails and bushwhacking.)
Are hiking boots necessary, or would good walkers do?

Thanks so much!
G

 

[jeff001]

You can use the "Search" function to find lots of information on all of the topics you mention.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hi G

Welcome to the Forum. You must be excited that you are setting off in a few weeks. I can understand your reservations about the busy ness of the Camino Frances - but for many people that is part of its joy. If you look at this section of the forum you will find lots of relevant information:

el-camino-del-norte/

I'd also advise you to look at the Confraternity of St James website - http://www.csj.org.uk They have lots of information and guides available.

Please also see: http://www.gawthorpe40.freeserve.co.uk

Both answer many of your questions and I am sure other users here will too.

As for boots/shoes - I'd say go with what you are used to and what you have broken in.

Best wishes

John

 

[Deirdre]

Hi G,
Welcome to our little forum group! So many Canadians walking this year it seems! That is wonderful! You have a wonderful Canadian Pilgrims group in Canada!

Johnnie Walker is right - all your questions have been addressed in various postings to the forum...I would only add that I did my Camino last summer (I was 53 and began alone). I would just suggest that you go with your original plans for the Francés for your first. You can minimize the numbers of people by adjusting your "etapas" or sections per day and staying in the albergues that are in the smaller towns and villages. You get a great sense of the comraderie of the Camino that way and in doing so I never wanted for a bed until the very end... and I was in walking in the very heaviest months.

Additionally, I would venture to say that the people you meet are an integral part of the Camino, but if you wish to be alone, it is quite possible to be so.

Also, I walked in hiking shoes, not boots and had no problems - at least not with the shoes themselves... the feet? Now they were another story! :wink:
Buen Camino,

 

[gmarkle]

Thanks, everyone. I'm still learning how to navigate this website, so I didn't know there was a search function that could pinpoint answers to my questions.
I talked to a Basque woman last evening, and she gave me lost of helpful info about the area. In the end I think I'll start on the Camino Frances and then, if I'm finding it too busy, head up to the Camino del norte part way along. Maybe that way I can have my cake and eat it too.
Re. all the other people. It's not that I'm antisocial. It's that if there are other people around, I'm likely to start babbling and not stop until I get to Santiago. If I'm alone, I'm more likely to take time to reflect.
G

 

[sillydoll]

Hola G,
You will have many moments to reflect!
33 days X 24 hours in each day X 60 minutes in an hour = 47,520 minutes!!
Most small women have a step length of about 75cm so just imagine, 75cm X 800km = over 1million steps along the way!
In June last year 15,157 pilgrims got a Compostela. The majority of pilgrims started in Sarria so you won't have too many thousands of pilgrims on the first 700km stretch.
Go with the flow - see how you fare on the Frances and if you are loving it, keep following the flechas amarilla all the way to Santiago!
Hugs,