Did you change daily walking distances your 2nd (or 3rd, 4th etc. ) Camino ?

[Dutchwalk53]

So....YAY the decision is made. After 3 months of post Camino withdrawal, I'm giving in to the urge to walk it again and will do so in Spring of 2017. (it will take a lot of patience to wait that long but a great reason to keep walking here at home in the meanwhile) I talked to my husband who is NOT a walker and explained my "need to go again" He supports it 100% and thinks its a great and healthy "hobby" to have. So it may be that I will become one of many that walks the Camino over and over again.

I know there have been previous posts about this but can't find them anymore.
My question is : What did you change walking your 2nd (or 3rd ) Camino?

I am thinking about taking a bit more time and maybe walk only 15 miles max a day and not pushing on to keep up with the usual stages.

 

[mspath]

The second and later times I often stopped at different spots along the CF. Of course since I am old walking very slowly is the norm always taking time to smell the roses or throw a snowball. At 76 I do not wish to hurry into eternity. For comments/posts re changes in kit over the years see what several of us repeating veterans have written here.

 

[mla1]

Hi Dutchwalk53 - I think the more long walks you do, the more you will find what draws you to them. I have walked two caminos and a number of other long walks in the UK and France. For me, what I appreciate more and more is the possibility to just keep moving. My work is very sedentary, so for me it is wonderful to have the chance to be outside and moving through the landscape all day, and now I tend to walk further than I used to. I also know better what my legs and feet can handle.
Enjoy the planning of your next camino!
Mary Louise

 

[zammy]

Main change- switched to private albergues, espacially those who serve dinner and a good dinner.
Switched lo lighter hiking shoes, even sneakers all-terain
Carried less first aid.
Took more videos then still photos.
Spend more time in Santiago
walk the 3.5 days to Finister

 

[Marc S.]

On my 2nd and 3d CF I tried to stay overnight in different places & walk different stages. It sometimes gave a completely different perspective to walk
a stretch in the afternoon that I had previously walked in the early morning. Staying in different villages and towns also made it a different experience somehow (although of course I did stay again in the places I really loved). I also tried to walk slower & do more detours, but did not really manage to do so. (conclusion: I have to walk a 4th time).

 

[Camembert]

We walked 3 times to Santiago. The difference was that every time we walked a different camino.we kept on our daily distance of 20 kms max.We carried the same gear with us -7 kgs backpack.

Buen camino

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Had my backpack better organised, including with a hanging toilettry bag so I would not have to keep digging for stuff i often use. Also started to use vaseline on my feet and antichaffing ointment in some key areas. Also decided not to bring any proper clothes even if I am to spend a few days in civilization before and after the Camino. Oh, and no longer use plastic bags that make so much noise.

 

[annakappa]

Definately tried to stay in different villages and different albergues, apart from a handful of favourites. On the Camino Francés, we once started in Jaca, instead of Roncesvalles and it was really worth it, especially to be able to visit S.Juan de la Peña.
We always try to keep to the 20/22 kms per day, unless there is nowhere to stay.

 

[jpflavin1]

So....YAY the decision is made. After 3 months of post Camino withdrawal, I'm giving in to the urge to walk it again and will do so in Spring of 2017. (it will take a lot of patience to wait that long but a great reason to keep walking here at home in the meanwhile) I talked to my husband who is NOT a walker and explained my "need to go again" He supports it 100% and thinks its a great and healthy "hobby" to have. So it may be that I will become one of many that walks the Camino over and over again.

I know there have been previous posts about this but can't find them anymore.
My question is : What did you change walking your 2nd (or 3rd ) Camino?

I am thinking about taking a bit more time and maybe walk only 15 miles max a day and not pushing on to keep up with the usual stages.

Dutchwalk53:

Everyday I have a plan and most days it changes based on weather, who I meet along the way, how I feel, type of terrain etc. I have walked as little as 18K and as far as 52K.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[bsmorgan]

We have just finished our 3rd Frances, then on to Muxia and Finisterre. We definitely changed to shorter distances. About 22km per day up to Leon. We then did some 25-30km for a few days then back to 20-25km whenever possible. Did from Santiago to Muxia in four days and broke the walk to Finisterre at lires. We felt fantastic the whole way. Longer stages would have been possible but we know now that our comfortable distance is about 22km.

 

[scruffy1]

I'm with mspath on this one. The more you walk the more you have experienced and have had time to learn. Definitely change your stopping places but I find myself attracted to many places which are usually simply passed by. There is so much nature, art, architecture, human kindness along the way that the Camino for me today is more enchanting then actually arriving in Santiago. Besides, should I bring another Compostela, of Fisterra, or Mucia home and try to hang it on the wall, the Better Half will certainly have an opinion on that subject!

 

[tyrrek]

Hi! My distances stayed pretty much the same on my second Camino Frances. Like others I just stayed in different towns, albergues etc. I guess the advantage of already knowing a particular route is that you know an 'easy' 25kms from a 'more challenging' 25kms, for example. However, even that can change from one Camino to the next. I know that hill after Castrojeriz wasn't half as bad second time round, i.e. when I was expecting it!

 

[EL Guapo]

I am in the scruffy camp on this one. It is not the distance from point A to point B , but what is in between that is interesting to me. I usually travel 25 to 30 km a day and on some days I enjoy looking at what's off of the path and taking lots of photos as well as meeting other travelers etc. even when I walk slower and spend time looking at barb wire and spider webs, not to mention some of the mechanical contraptions along the way, I still manage to cover the same distance but a lot more relaxed if that makes any sense. This last camino I took over 2000 photos. Thank goodness for SD cards. to answer your question, I guess I do walk a little slower than the previous caminos, but I don't really notice it at the end of the day, because I still get to point B. It is kinda like the car that passes every one on the road and when you stop at the intersection that car is in front of you at the traffic lite. Duh!

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

The second and later times I often stopped at different spots along the CF. Of course since I am old walking very slowly is the norm always taking time to smell the roses or throw a snowball. At 76 I do not wish to hurry into eternity. For comments/posts re changes in kit over the years see what several of us repeating veterans have written here.

Hey! Good for you ... I thought it was only me who had those thoughts!
15 miles a day? A bit too far for me! I tend to average around 20 kms [11 miles] but 24 kms [14 miles] is my maximum. I'm not worried about what other peregrinos do - they can happily walk 40-50 kms and good for them. But not me. Some days I only walk 10 kms!
What did I change after my first camino?
Firstly, I got rid of the idea that occasionally taking a bus or even taxi is "cheating". If the distance between food stops or accommodation is over 30 kms, or if I have severe blisters [normal for me] then I take a bus and maybe take a day off.
Secondly, being of a certain age [identical to mspath] if I fancy a night or three on a cheap hostal, then I go for it! Top bunks are definitely not for me!
Thirdly, I always read "guides" but am not fixed on covering their recommended "stages".
Whatever you do, wherever you go, enjoy your camino!

 

[Kiwi-family]

First camino we walked as little as 5 or 10km in a day (had a six year old and 80 year old Grandpa). Second camino when Grandpa stayed home and the six year old was two years older we "planned" an average of 18km days but the kids wanted to walk further and we ended up doing many days over 30 (as much as 36km) and ended up walking 1,500km instead of our anticipated 1,000. This year hubby and I tried to do a "slow" camino with stages under 20km. It just didn't work for us - we stopped to enjoy bars and cafes, but simply were not ready to stop walking before lunchtime and so put in a few hours after lunch each day too. I think one of the nicest things about camino-ing for me is the flexibility to be spontaneous and do *whatever* on any given day.

 

[fraluchi]

... I think one of the nicest things about camino-ing for me is the flexibility to be spontaneous and do *whatever* on any given day.

I'm sure this will appeal to many of us "steady" walkers. And when walking I prefer distances in kilometers, instead of miles: they add up much quicker

 

[annakappa]

I'm sure this will appeal to many of us "steady" walkers. And when walking I prefer distances in kilometers, instead of miles: they add up much quicker

Definitely prefer kilometers!

 

[Deise]

Looking back on first camino (frances) it seems to me now that Santiago was like a chequered flag and almost felt a need to race to destination.
Of course I did enjoy people and places along the way but on the VDLP this year i adopted a completely different pace tho not always short days.
If you can take time to enjoy the journey.

 

[JabbaPapa]

My daily rate has fluctuated wildly, and I've concluded it's a big mistake to plan for any particular mileage in advance.

1st Camino, probably 20-25K like most people

2nd 40k average daily (crazy)

3rd 15-65 per day, average probably 35

4th 15 at start, 25 towards the end

---

In my experience, daily speed tends to be determined by who you're walking with (including alone), daily unexpectedness, experience, potential, and limitations.

All of these things are variables, including on a day-to-day basis.

Keep an open mind, and hopefully an open ticket, and there'll be nothing too serious to worry about mileage-wise.

 

[HeidiL]

I am walking on my own for the first time (after 7 walks with family members) and am looking forward to pleasing only myself this time. If I'm tired, I'll walk 10 km - if I feel strong, 35 is fine. I have promised myself that this time I will let my wonky knee decide my daily distances, but ideally, I'd like to try some new places to stay.

What I'm really looking forward to is being able to get up early - my husband's difficulty in getting up has assured us the status of last-people-out almost everywhere. This time I'm hoping I won't have to read in my sleeping bag until His Highness deigns to open his eyes.

 

[Rellrog]

Yes! We walked the Le Puy route this time and purposely tried to slow down and walk shorter distances. When we walked the Frances in 2013 we walked relatively quickly. Jokingly we called it keeping up with the Germans...my wife is mostly German by ancestry. We also walked distances of 25 km to 42 km each day. In the last half we probably averaged 30 kms a day. This time we wanted to smell the roses... Probably averaging 20-25 kms a day....with a few 30s. These were not at our choosing but due to the distance where we could find accommodations. We also took a number of days of...where on the Frances we only took one day off in Burgos...to see the Museum of Human Evolution. On the Le Puy we tried to remember that this is first a pilgrimage and second a vacation...and not a race!

 

[tpmchugh]

So....YAY the decision is made. After 3 months of post Camino withdrawal, I'm giving in to the urge to walk it again and will do so in Spring of 2017. (it will take a lot of patience to wait that long but a great reason to keep walking here at home in the meanwhile) I talked to my husband who is NOT a walker and explained my "need to go again" He supports it 100% and thinks its a great and healthy "hobby" to have. So it may be that I will become one of many that walks the Camino over and over again.

I know there have been previous posts about this but can't find them anymore.
My question is : What did you change walking your 2nd (or 3rd ) Camino?

I am thinking about taking a bit more time and maybe walk only 15 miles max a day and not pushing on to keep up with the usual stages.

First big change I made was to start in St Jean instead of Pamplona. At 66 now maybe Pamplona should have remained my starting point. Glad I did it but tougher than I thought it would be. Second change was to try to stay in different albergues. Generally worked out fine but one or two were not as good as I had hoped. I did not walk slower, any slower than first time is called 'stopped' but I agree, take it slower this time. Last change was to use the new albergue in Santiago 'the Last Stamp' because the one I used last time had a bar and it was very noisy at night. This one is right behind the Cathedral and they ring the bells all night long. So the change I will make next time is to stay out of town or save up in advance to stay in the Parador

 

[AlwynWellington]

I did my first Camino de Santiago in 2015. I had been in Ypres in Belgium and between Albert and Le Quesnoy in France visiting the WW1 battlefields for Aotearoa-New Zealand. Then to northern Spain for a tour by car with the idea to do a Camino. And on seeing all ages spilling out of albergue early in the morning I decided. Starting from Sarria the stages were pretty much determined for me by custom and my limited knowledge. The day I enjoyed most was the 20 km from O Pedrouzo with a light drizzle to keep us all cool.

Starting April 2016 I intend to start at Le Puy, having allowed myself more than four months to get the job done. I hope to be like Ferdinand the bull and take time to smell the roses, or visit some churches. And, from Pamplona, take side trips to Barcelona (Gaudi) and Bilbao (a certain museum building). And up a side road from just beyond Mansilla to see the untouched remains of a priory/monastery in an older style. And yes, take some days off in mid-range accommodation to make up for the nights when I've slept in my tent because I couldn't be bothered racing to the next town, especially in France. For me, I will try to keep the journey (the pilgrimage) to the fore with the only arrival that matters being at SdC.

PS: my pack fully loaded, including the tent, weighs just on 5 kg, with only water to be added.

http://KiwiOnCamino.blogspot.co.nz/