Camino Inglés Ferrol to A Croña to Santiago question.

[Parisian]

Plan to start the Camino Inglés in Ferrol. Can one walk to O Coroña then to Santiago and qualify for the certificate? Trying to avoid A Malata touted as the highest peak of all the Camino routes. Thanks for any advise.

 

[mylifeonvacation]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean about the highest peak. On the Ingles, the highest point is as you approach Bruma, and you will make the climb coming from either the Ferrol or the Coruna. It's about 450 meters which isn't even the highest peak in Galicia (O Cebreiro is about 1300 meters).

My concern would be that there isn't any sort of marked route from Miño or Betanzos (the two towns where you could most efficiently divert over) to A Coruña, so that could be a big challenge.

Take a look at the elevation maps out there to really get a feel for the elevation changes. I'm not sure if they are attached somewhere in here, but you can find them in Johnny Walker's guide. www.gronze.com/camino-ingles is another good resource. Click on "ver perfil de la etapa" to drop down the elevation map for each stage.

Hope you find what works for you, it's really a beautiful walk! Buen Camino!

 

[VNwalking]

Can one walk to O Coroña then to Santiago and qualify for the certificate?

From Ferrol?
There wouldn't be much of a point to that, because you have to go up whichever route you take.
You can start in A Coruña, but if so you need to walk a further 25kns to get a compostela.
There are a number of threads here about the 'Celtic Camino,' which is one way of doing that.

 

[KinkyOne]

Oh, now it's Celtic Camino and no longer Camino Ingles?
OK, I'm fine with that

 

[VNwalking]

Oh, now it's Celtic Camino and no longer Camino Ingles?

No. Actually (as I understand it - others feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) it's only the Ingles/Ireland combo that is the Celtic Camino.

 

[hel&scott]

As above, if you start in El Ferrol then the Camino is long enough to qualify for the Compostella. It doesn't go through A Corona, your would have do a detour along the coast to include this which would probably be interesting.

If you start in A Corona it's too short to qualify for a Composella unless you demonstrate you walk an additional 25km.

The English / Celtic Way, what ever you call it, doesn't include any big hills. The main hill climbs are form when you are coming across Spain and that have to haul yourself up into Galicia. Then it's a week of up and down valleys before reaching Santiago... This route is more gentle, main problem can be the rain beating in off the coast.

 

[Pelegrin]

Plan to start the Camino Inglés in Ferrol. Can one walk to O Coroña then to Santiago and qualify for the certificate? Trying to avoid A Malata touted as the highest peak of all the Camino roues. Thanks for any advise.

A Malata is not a peak. it is a cove

 

[Parisian]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean about the highest peak. On the Ingles, the highest point is as you approach Bruma, and you will make the climb coming from either the Ferrol or the Coruna. It's about 450 meters which isn't even the highest peak in Galicia (O Cebreiro is about 1300 meters).

My concern would be that there isn't any sort of marked route from Miño or Betanzos (the two towns where you could most efficiently divert over) to A Coruña, so that could be a big challenge.

Take a look at the elevation maps out there to really get a feel for the elevation changes. I'm not sure if they are attached somewhere in here, but you can find them in Johnny Walker's guide. www.gronze.com/camino-ingles is another good resource. Click on "ver perfil de la etapa" to drop down the elevation map for each stage.

Hope you find what works for you, it's really a beautiful walk! Buen Camino!

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean about the highest peak. On the Ingles, the highest point is as you approach Bruma, and you will make the climb coming from either the Ferrol or the Coruna. It's about 450 meters which isn't even the highest peak in Galicia (O Cebreiro is about 1300 meters).

My concern would be that there isn't any sort of marked route from Miño or Betanzos (the two towns where you could most efficiently divert over) to A Coruña, so that could be a big challenge.

Take a look at the elevation maps out there to really get a feel for the elevation changes. I'm not sure if they are attached somewhere in here, but you can find them in Johnny Walker's guide. www.gronze.com/camino-ingles is another good resource. Click on "ver perfil de la etapa" to drop down the elevation map for each stage.

Hope you find what works for you, it's really a beautiful walk! Buen Camino!

Thank you for your information. The information about this huge mountain/ mole hill is all over the map as far as difficulty. Recently I read that the Camino was diverted to make it easier and avoid said mammoth mountain. There is nothing better than hearing from one whom has had boots on the trail. I will worry no more. With gratitude. Elin.

A Malata is not a peak. it is a cove

A Malata is not a peak. it is a cove

A Malata is not a peak. it is a cove

 

[Parisian]

Peregrin: more confusion. Reference to the A Malala segment from Betanzos-Hospital de Bruma from Correos postal site about the part. " The next section, from San Paio de Vilacoba to A Malata, is extremely hard. 4/5. Once you reach A Malata, the highest peak in the Camino, pilgrims walk through the mountain towards Mesía to reach Bruma in about half an hour..". https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/camino-ingles-the-english-way/betanzos-hospital-de-bruma.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

As above, if you start in El Ferrol then the Camino is long enough to qualify for the Compostella. It doesn't go through A Corona, your would have do a detour along the coast to include this which would probably be interesting.

If you start in A Corona it's too short to qualify for a Composella unless you demonstrate you walk an additional 25km.

The English / Celtic Way, what ever you call it, doesn't include any big hills. The main hill climbs are form when you are coming across Spain and that have to haul yourself up into Galicia. Then it's a week of up and down valleys before reaching Santiago... This route is more gentle, main problem can be the rain beating in off the coast.

Depends on your definition of "big hill". Certainly I found the "gentle slope" out of Pontedeume taxing enough.

 

[Pelegrin]

Peregrin: more confusion. Reference to the A Malala segment from Betanzos-Hospital de Bruma from Correos postal site about the part. " The next section, from San Paio de Vilacoba to A Malata, is extremely hard. 4/5. Once you reach A Malata, the highest peak in the Camino, pilgrims walk through the mountain towards Mesía to reach Bruma in about half an hour..". https://www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/camino-ingles-the-english-way/betanzos-hospital-de-bruma.

Sorry but I only know one A Malata in Ferrol that is cove.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean about the highest peak. On the Ingles, the highest point is as you approach Bruma, and you will make the climb coming from either the Ferrol or the Coruna. It's about 450 meters which isn't even the highest peak in Galicia (O Cebreiro is about 1300 meters).

My concern would be that there isn't any sort of marked route from Miño or Betanzos (the two towns where you could most efficiently divert over) to A Coruña, so that could be a big challenge.

Take a look at the elevation maps out there to really get a feel for the elevation changes. I'm not sure if they are attached somewhere in here, but you can find them in Johnny Walker's guide. www.gronze.com/camino-ingles is another good resource. Click on "ver perfil de la etapa" to drop down the elevation map for each stage.

Hope you find what works for you, it's really a beautiful walk! Buen Camino!

Make sure you get the latest version of Johnny's book as significant changes to the route were made this spring. Certainly the route shown on the Correos webpage entering Sigüeiro is wrong but it IS well marked.

 

[mylifeonvacation]

"The next section, from San Paio de Vilacoba to A Malata, is extremely hard. 4/5. Once you reach A Malata, the highest peak in the Camino, pilgrims walk through the mountain towards Mesía to reach Bruma in about half an hour"

Ah, that explains it! There are so many place names in Galicia that they don't all make it onto maps. (When you google A Malata, it shows a cove near Ferrol)

When I think of the names of the places we walked through, the "top" of the hill is in Vizoño. It's a small mountain, tho. For context, I think that people of average fitness walked from Casa Julia to Vizoño in about 45 minutes on the old route. Me, not being of great fitness, it took me an hour and 10 minutes. My profile photo is actually from that point in Vizoño, I was so proud to have made the climb! That being said, the new route doesn't go that way and is 2km shorter and somehow the climb is gentler. I haven't walked it to compare. People shouldn't worry about the route changes, the camino is SO well marked now, since they have made a lot of improvements to the signage over the past year. As mentioned above, getting the latest version of Johnny Walker's guide is a great idea! Buen Camino!

 

[VNwalking]

The information about this huge mountain/ mole hill is all over the map as far as difficulty. Recently I read that the Camino was diverted to make it easier and avoid said mammoth mountain. There is nothing better than hearing from one whom has had boots on the trail. I will worry no more.

It's a small mountain

The Himalaya are mountains. The Alps are mountains. Mauna Loa in my natal backyard is a mountain. That climb is a long hill. But it is a climb, and perceptions are relative. A Dutch person and a Swiss person would see it differently. Not to mention relative fitness, and whether people are experienced walkers or not.
So YMMV, @Parisian. Not to overthink or overplan it. One step at a time will get you to the top and whichever direction you approach it you'll get there and be glad for it as @mylifeonvacation so nicely expresses.
Buen Camino!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Plan to start the Camino Inglés in Ferrol. Can one walk to O Coroña then to Santiago and qualify for the certificate? Trying to avoid A Malata touted as the highest peak of all the Camino routes. Thanks for any advise.

Sorry , but thats no peak thats a hil.
I would say try to do your home work .

Peter.

 

[Parisian]

Sorry , but thats no peak thats a hil.
I would say try to do your home work .

Peter.

My "try at homework" gave conflicting information thus the question on this platform. I am grateful for those who clarified current information.

 

[peb]

As others have said above, the stage from Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma on the Ingles is much easier now that the Ingles has been rerouted. The walk up to Hospital de Bruma is an hours quite gentle uphill walk on forest roads until you come up on the main road by an electricity sub-station and you join the route from A Coruna. All the time I walked up it, I was worrying, 'where's the steep hill?' But there isn't one. So do not worry about the big hill on the stage to Hospital de Bruma. It isn't there anymore.

The one thing that you do need to be prepared on that stage from Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma is that it is long (28km) and between Presedo and Bar Avelina (about 13km), there are no bars, shops or restaurants; just you and the countryside. You need water and provisions to keep you going. However, apart from out of Cos, where the guidebooks send you over the road to Presedo and the waymarks which send you left on the path alongside the road to Presedo (and you should walk along the road for about 3km down the hill and round the bends until the waymarked path goes left to Presedo, but be aware that the waymarks keeping you following the road sometimes only appear every 1/2 km or so), this stage of the Ingles is well marked.

The two steep hills on the Ingles are out of Pontedeume and Betanzos, two 20 minute uphill slogs, but at the start of the day, when hopefully, you are rested and well nourished.

 

[Parisian]

As others have said above, the stage from Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma on the Ingles is much easier now that the Ingles has been rerouted. The walk up to Hospital de Bruma is an hours quite gentle uphill walk on forest roads until you come up on the main road by an electricity sub-station and you join the route from A Coruna. All the time I walked up it, I was worrying, 'where's the steep hill?' But there isn't one. So do not worry about the big hill on the stage to Hospital de Bruma. It isn't there anymore.

The one thing that you do need to be prepared on that stage from Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma is that it is long (28km) and between Presedo and Bar Avelina (about 13km), there are no bars, shops or restaurants; just you and the countryside. You need water and provisions to keep you going. However, apart from out of Cos, where the guidebooks send you over the road to Presedo and the waymarks which send you left on the path alongside the road to Presedo (and you should walk along the road for about 3km down the hill and round the bends until the waymarked path goes left to Presedo, but be aware that the waymarks keeping you following the road sometimes only appear every 1/2 km or so), this stage of the Ingles is well marked.

The two steep hills on the Ingles are out of Pontedeume and Betanzos, two 20 minute uphill slogs, but at the start of the day, when hopefully, you are rested and well nourished.

Thank you so much for your most helpful current information. Best to you, with gratitude, Elin

 

[André Walker]

The Himalaya are mountains. The Alps are mountains. Mauna Loa in my natal backyard is a mountain. That climb is a long hill. But it is a climb, and perceptions are relative. A Dutch person and a Swiss person would see it differently. Not to mention relative fitness, and whether people are experienced walkers or not.
So YMMV, @Parisian. Not to overthink or overplan it. One step at a time will get you to the top and whichever direction you approach it you'll get there and be glad for it as @mylifeonvacation so nicely expresses.
Buen Camino!

Being Dutch, I can assure you that VNwalking is right: the perception of a hill or mountain is indeed relative.
In fact, what we in Holland call a hill, is often referred to by other nationalities as 'bridges'.

 

[VNwalking]

@André Walker ...

Yeah, you're right there....