walking the camino

[carlbiston]

can anyoone please advise me if there is anything i need to be aware of or any places to avoid while walking alone?
thanks
carl

 

[cher99840]

can anyoone please advise me if there is anything i need to be aware of or any places to avoid while walking alone?
thanks
carl

I walked alone most of the time (67 year old female) in September and October 2013. I never once felt threatened in any way. There was nothing or no place that I felt the need to avoid or rush thru.

 

[RobertS26]

With the exception of the small town in which I live, I have never felt safer than when I am on the Camino. And I am not just comparing my town to the Camino. I have traveled to over 20 countries around the world and have been to 43 of the 50 states in U.S. You truly have nothing to fear.

Also, you are never really "alone" on the Camino. On the Camino Frances there will always be a few dozen pilgrims with a kilometer of your location. And the locals watch out for you too. Take a wrong turn and you'll hear one of them whistling to get your attention. The people of Spain have been hosting pilgrims for hundreds and hundreds of years and they are very good at it.

 

[SYates]

can anyoone please advise me if there is anything i need to be aware of or any places to avoid while walking alone?
thanks carl

Yes, the weather! As others have said the Camino is very safe to walk alone, so no need to worry about that, but try to walk in a group / with others if the weather is bad in the Pyrenees. You will find them in your first albergue in SJPDP or in the restaurant or even on the way itself. Two more things: If you are not well trained it is a good idea to break the first day up by staying in Orisson and always follow the advice given in the pilgrims office about which route to take.
Buen Camino! SY

 

[maggiescotland]

can anyoone please advise me if there is anything i need to be aware of or any places to avoid while walking alone?
thanks
carl

I too am setting out about the same time - on my own - lady of a certain age but looking forward to the challenge!! Maybe see you on the way!

 

[dougfitz]

can anyoone please advise me if there is anything i need to be aware of or any places to avoid while walking alone?
thanks
carl

Everyone walks their own camino, and the question is too big to answer sensibly. If you want some simple advice:

• pack as little as you can. It will still be too much, but better only a bit too much than a lot too much.
• don't try and cross the Pyrenees in one day - take two.
• slow yourself down, especially on the first few days.

I like the plan in your profile, but would like to know if you are walking on 16 Mar 2015 as well

walking from st jean de port to santiago then to finiterre then to muxia then back to santiago on march 15th 2015

 

[Al the optimist]

It is easy to find someone to walk with at any point in the Camino. Just ask someone if you can join them for a while. I would be very surprised if someone refused, it's just how people are on the Camino. Try not to fret too much. Read the forum and gain reassurance. Buen Camino

 

[carlbiston]

Everyone walks their own camino, and the question is too big to answer sensibly. If you want some simple advice:

• pack as little as you can. It will still be too much, but better only a bit too much than a lot too much.
• don't try and cross the Pyrenees in one day - take two.
• slow yourself down, especially on the first few days.

I like the plan in your profile, but would like to know if you are walking on 16 Mar 2015 as well

walking from st jean de port to santiago then to finiterre then to muxia then back to santiago on march 15th 2015

hi, yes i am flying out on 15th and start my 40 day walk on 16th of march any advise would be gratefull
many thanks

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

if you mean your personal safety, the Camino is as safe as it comes, even the long stretches across castile or the wooded areas in galicia. depending on the time of the year, you will most likely have a friendly pilgrim/s close behind you or ahead of you. likewise, the only assaults i have read associated with the Camino have had to do with unwanted attention+alcohol and in larger towns or cities. your main concern may be Spanish drivers and their lack of consideration for pedestrians.

buen camino!

 

[paul.ferris]

If you are travelling the Camino Frances on those dates you will not be walking alone - unless you make a real effort to do so. Otherwise you will meet a host of great people from all over the world with whom you will share many great life long memories.

 

[scruffy1]

Walking the Camino may be extremely dangerous! One small stage, a quick hike through Navarre or Rioja or Leon/Castile, a bit of Palencia, and Galicia and you may be hooked for life, finding yourself returning year after year, season after season, in order to re-experience that triumphant entry into Santiago. You have been warned!

 

[dougfitz]

hi, yes i am flying out on 15th and start my 40 day walk on 16th of march any advise would be gratefull
many thanks

A good post to read as a newcomer is here. Aside from browsing topics in the forum sections, you might also use the search function to see if there have been recent discussions on something that specifically interests you, and then shape a specific question if you want further information. There are many people here who are willing to help you - help them by asking for something more specific than 'any advice'.

 

[Ice]

I walked alone - and by alone I mean I started my journey alone and met lots of amazing people. I never felt unsafe (I'm 30).

 

[jeffnd]

While the danger is relatively low on the Camino, that doesn't mean it's some sort of paradise free of bad things. Pilgrims are targets for thieves, sometimes those thieves are even other pilgrims. Keep an eye on your stuff and you'll be fine. Heed the warnings about weather and trail conditions from the locals and you'll be fine.

 

[Scott Sweeney]

The wine is incredible.

 

[Al the optimist]

As Scott says the Camino is full of opportunities for both kinds of wine/whine! In fact I recall listening him having one of the later when we met! Still he had regained his spirit by SDC.

 

[mspath]

I walked alone - and by alone I mean I started my journey alone and met lots of amazing people. I never felt unsafe (I'm 30).

Ditto, except I am 75! At any age discretion and no bling are good protection. However, never leave unwatched what you can't afford to lose. Like many other pilgrims I sleep with any valuables within my sleeping bag beneath my feet and NEVER tell anyone where and what they are!! A few years ago in Trinidad de Arre an actor from LA who was bunked next to me asked anxiously "Where do you have your money?" As if on cue I rolled my eyes and answered "Why in the bank! And you?"

For further advice re camino wariness/vigilence read these earlier Forum threads with useful tips on camino security and caution.

Buen camino,

MM