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Via de la Plata or del Norte early March

TimH

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances April 2016
Le Puy route May 2017
Camino Norte June 2017
St Francis Way Sept 2018
Hi Everyone
My wife and I are looking to walk another Camino starting the first week of March next year. We have time constraints so Early March is it. We have walked the Frances starting mid March, with both quite a bit if snow and rain, and the Le Puy Route, starting late April but again with quite a bit of snow and rain. We have also walked from Irun to Bilbao in June with extreme humidity. We are tossing up whether to continue the del Norte or walk la Plata. We would expect that del Norte could be pretty wet and that la Plata could be very cold with the potential for snow. We would appreciate any advice you might have.
Many thanks
TimH
 
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Hi Everyone
My wife and I are looking to walk another Camino starting the first week of March next year. We have time constraints so Early March is it. We have walked the Frances starting mid March, with both quite a bit if snow and rain, and the Le Puy Route, starting late April but again with quite a bit of snow and rain. We have also walked from Irun to Bilbao in June with extreme humidity. We are tossing up whether to continue the del Norte or walk la Plata. We would expect that del Norte could be pretty wet and that la Plata could be very cold with the potential for snow. We would appreciate any advice you might have.
Many thanks
TimH

No advice but I too am considering El Norte next March 2018. I walked SJPDP to SDC on to Fisterra and Muxia starting March 19 2017.....only 2 half days of rain and "snow showers" (I'm Canadian). I too would appreciate the most recommended Caminos for a March start (4-5 weeks timeframe). Thanks
 
Since you are asking opinions, mine would be to finish the del Norte, especially as you are already seasoned veterans of inclement weather. Then it's off your mind and on to thinking of new "fish to fry", such as the Via de la Plata next time.
 
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I would say go for the Plata instead of the Norte but this is purely based on my experience on both of these Caminos.

One never knows from year to year but coastal weather is very unpredictable and rainier and damper than in Andalucía and Extremadura.

Save the Norte for later in the year - slipping on muddy inclines and declines is not my idea of fun! The Plata is pretty much flat so this would be less of an issue. And I don't see where you would encounter snow. I walked Sevilla-Salamanca in February and it wasn't cold, we did have to wade through some creeks though. The following year at the same time it was much drier! One just never knows.

Happy planning!
 
I would say go for the Plata instead of the Norte but this is purely based on my experience on both of these Caminos.

One never knows from year to year but coastal weather is very unpredictable and rainier and damper than in Andalucía and Extremadura.

Save the Norte for later in the year - slipping on muddy inclines and declines is not my idea of fun! The Plata is pretty much flat so this would be less of an issue. And I don't see where you would encounter snow. I walked Sevilla-Salamanca in February and it wasn't cold, we did have to wade through some creeks though. The following year at the same time it was much drier! One just never knows.

Happy planning!
Your observations sound like good advise too. I've not walked the Via, but on the Norte I encountered very little rain. I started in early April last year, had lots of sun, and temps were great for walking. Just goes to show you we can never predict what the weather will do on any given month on any route.
 
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That is for sure @Camino Chris. I had better weather on the Norte in October than this past June when it was cloudy for days and days then was 39c degrees arriving in Santiago. Can you believe it, a heat wave in Galicia!
Hi. I walked the via de la plata Sevilla to Santiago via Sanabres February to march 2014. Prepare for everything. I had 3 rain days There were areas that were flooded. It was a mental and physical challenge to reach Santiago. Real obstacle course! Had to find alternate routes when areas were unpassable. There were some hot sunny days when I would wish for a cold breeze. My water tubing/straw froze at one point. An old lady warned me not to go through the forest as the wolves were hungry. I walked on pavement that day on my way to Castro Dozon.
Burn Camino.
 
Hi. I walked the via de la plata Sevilla to Santiago via Sanabres February to march 2014. Prepare for everything. I had 3 rain days There were areas that were flooded. It was a mental and physical challenge to reach Santiago. Real obstacle course! Had to find alternate routes when areas were unpassable. There were some hot sunny days when I would wish for a cold breeze. My water tubing/straw froze at one point. An old lady warned me not to go through the forest as the wolves were hungry. I walked on pavement that day on my way to Castro Dozon.
Burn Camino.

Well I guess you followed my tracks @Filipina as I left Sevilla on February 8, 2014!

The first few days I walked with a German, an American and two Spanish. Eventually we splint except for one from Barcelona and myself. As we stopped in Salamanca I guess that we missed the cold you talked about although we of course walked through Puerto de Bejar which is quite high. The only snow we saw were on top of the mountains.

Wading through the arroyos was almost a daily occurrence. I just kept my socks and shoes on - too much of a hassle taking everything off. My walking companion did the same after he saw how easy it was! My limit was just above my knee. Going into Guillena the Arroyo de Molino was so high that the water was chest level! The German and American actually crossed! The rest of us took a detour.
 
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Thanks for all of the advice, but I am not sure that you have made this decision any easier. Of course if my wife saw the part about hungry wolves, that would be it for the Via de la Plata!! Any further advice would be great.
Tim
 
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Thanks for all of the advice, but I am not sure that you have made this decision any easier. Of course if my wife saw the part about hungry wolves, that would be it for the Via de la Plata!! Any further advice would be great.
Tim


Don't let my experience deter you as I would do it all over again! It was really no big deal, just part of the adventure. As I said previously, the following year at the same time it was dry and no need to wade through water. And wolves??? Can't imagine! Just cows, pigs and the occasional dog.
 
We saw 2 wolves on Sanabrese route this year. One was very close to the track. It was a wonderful experience to see them. Also saw wolf prints in the mud. You are walking through an area where they have been rereleased.
 
We are heavily into nature conservation. It would be awesome to see a wolf, as long as it isn't hungry!!
 
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Two comments. First, I walked the VdlP beginning March 1st this year. Perfect weather almost every day, as you follow the spring as it moves north. Of course each year is different. Secondly, wolf-human attacks are extremely rare. It is much more dangerous to walk along the N-525 highway than it is to walk through the forests of Galicia. Pilgrims have died from auto-human encounters. I'm confident no pilgrim, in recent years, has been harmed by a wolf in this region. Buen Camino.
 
The wolves were very wary and bounded onto a ridge where they watched us!
 
:):):):)I appreciated everyone's comments on this thread since I'll be walking the Via de la Plata in mid March of 2018. I walked the del Norte and Primitivo in May and the weather was really mixed. I started in rain with lots of mud, but later found myself enjoying cool weather with some sun. The Primitivo was also a combination of rain, wind, and some sun. I'm guessing every year is a bit different, but I always opt for cooler weather since I don't do hot weather well. That's the main reason for the Via de la Plata in March. Oh, and I would love to see some wolves. I'm guessing you'll have a great walk which ever you choose.
 
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€83,-
I too may finally be headed for Seville in March 2018! A late March start on the CF in 2017 yielded great hiking weather, so I'm hopeful starting farther south earlier in the year will work out fine, reaching SdC late April.
 

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