Walking from Le Puy to Santiago (hopefully into Portugal) this December

[Jade]

Hey, I'm planning to meet a friend in Toulouse and from there follow up the camino that starts from Le Puy, I want to de it in December (so in a couple of weeks!)

Got most of my gear, bought a tent and good sleeping bag and small cooker, planning to camp out for most of my journey and carry on after the camino

My questions are mostly about what shoes I should take, i read that there will probably be snow in some parts, so would boots be better than strong walking shoes? I would prefer walking shoes as they are much lighter and allow more flexibility for my feet, however I have never done long periods of walking in winter (snow) so feel that I might need something thicker???

I've done the camino before about 3 years ago, absolutely loved it - open many doors about how I felt about travelling and since then I have been trying to push myself in the slow motion of moving and experiencing things outside my comfort. This is the first year of finishing my degree so i have no time barriers! I'm aware that the journey might take more than 3 months (if i want to do the walk in Portugal too) and hope that my spirit will still be up to carry on from there!

I'm aware that the weather conditions will be hard an unpredictable which will cause my ideas to change as I go along I feel that that is part of the challenge alongside how it will be a lot more isolated than when i did it in July! I look forward to seeing how I cope! haha

If anyone has walked in the winter or has any advice and comments please feel free to also email me on jhpomar@hotmail.com I will be looking at my email as I'm away too

buen camino y buenos animos!

 

[Kanga]

The Le Puy route does not go through Toulouse. The Arles route does, it goes from Toulouse to Auch, Morlass, Ste Marie Oloron, meets the Camino Aragonés at Somport, and eventually joins the Camino Frances at Puente de la Reina.

I've walked the section in France, it is very beautiful, but I could not imagine walking the Somport pass in winter. It is skiing country. Please be careful. Talk to some knowledgeable folks before you start out.

Here is a website with lots of photos from Toulouse on (but all taken in summer) :
http://chemindarles.free.fr/phpwebgallery/category.php?cat=15

 

[cecelia]

Hey, I'm planning to meet a friend in Toulouse and from there follow up the camino that starts from Le Puy, I want to de it in December (so in a couple of weeks!)

My questions are mostly about what shoes I should take, i read that there will probably be snow in some parts, so would boots be better than strong walking shoes? I would prefer walking shoes as they are much lighter and allow more flexibility for my feet, however I have never done long periods of walking in winter (snow) so feel that I might need something thicker???...
I'm aware that the weather conditions will be hard an unpredictable which will cause my ideas to change as I go along I feel that that is part of the challenge alongside how it will be a lot more isolated than when i did it in July! I look forward to seeing how I cope! haha

If anyone has walked in the winter or has any advice and comments please feel free to also email me on jhpomar@hotmail.com I will be looking at my email as I'm away too

Oh my goodness Jade. The question is not whether there will be snow but whether you will ever be out of it! I walked in the spring of 2013, starting on April 2nd from Le Puy. At that point there was no snow in Le Puy but we had several inches of fresh snow up on the Aumont-Aubrac plateau. Those who had shoes on instead of boots were in serious trouble. Again because it was spring, we were only in the snow for 3 or 4 days.

You would be well advised to look at weather patterns on the Aubrac Plateau. I was watching them for a month before I started and the temperatures in March were 20 below zero with very high winds. That's definitely not shoe weather. Even in April there was no way to avoid cold, wet feet. That week of the path on the plateau could be life threatening if you are not very careful. There is really no one up there for long distances to help you and no one will know where you are.

Please be very careful and take clothes for serious winter weather. As you mentioned it is unpredictable but monsoons are unlikely. I just checked. The current weather is -2 degrees and it is snowing.

Have a safe and wonderful camino.
Cecelia
PS. I'm sorry if this sounds overly-dramatic but it could be extremely serious for you.

 

[SYates]

Hey, I'm planning to meet a friend in Toulouse and from there follow up the camino that starts from Le Puy, I want to de it in December (so in a couple of weeks!)

Okey, dokey. That is quite a bunch of stuff to answer, so I do it by bits. First of all, the way from Toulouse isn't the Le Puy route, it is the Arles route. Or are you planning to travel from Toulouse to somewhere on the Le Puy route?

Got most of my gear, bought a tent and good sleeping bag and small cooker, planning to camp out for most of my journey and carry on after the camino

First of all, wild camping is not allowed in many parts of Spain, including the Camino. Second, do you have any previous experience in winter camping? It is quite a different beast ...

My questions are mostly about what shoes I should take, i read that there will probably be snow in some parts, so would boots be better than strong walking shoes? I would prefer walking shoes as they are much lighter and allow more flexibility for my feet, however I have never done long periods of walking in winter (snow) so feel that I might need something thicker???

Yes, boots, without any doubts! You will be crossing the Pyrenees, which are very serious mountains. Plus you will need also serious winter gear as in adequate walking trousers/gaiters, warm tops/jacket etc. Crossing the Pyrenees in winter is not for the faint of heart nor for the badly prepared.

If anyone has walked in the winter or has any advice and comments please feel free to also email me on jhpomar@hotmail.com I will be looking at my email as I'm away too

I have crossed the Pyrenees at Somport in January several years ago. I prefer to answer your questions here as that might benefit more people than doing so by email. I can only repeat, it is not for the faint hearted, does require good equipment and general and specific outdoor knowledge. Buen Camino and stay safe, SY

 

[Magnara]

I agree with everyone's comments - we want you to arrive safely! There are other threads that will also give you good information about walking in the winter months. Even if you don't get to Spain until February it will still be very cold, so if you read those posts you will be able to be well prepared.