Night stage recommendation?

[KamilJordan]

I was reading somewhere that some of us are doing night walks. As a natural born night owl I would love to do such walk too. Of course I can choose stage by myself (CF). But was wondering if any of you experienced that? Nights are getting warmer in 12 we should have full moon. i’m hoping for some full of stars stage. I love when i’m casting shadow from the moonlight. probably something with open fields. away from cities and forests.

Thank you!

 

[CWBuff]

There was a recent thread on this. While I've never done it myself the suggestions are mostly concerning walks on Meseta

the thread is here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/walking-at-night.12986/#post-87033

 

[Tincatinker]

Someone somewhere is doing something? And presumably read on the internet. That seems a sound basis for a plan and/or an excellent excuse for some adventure. Walking the Meseta at night under a fullish moon or a blaze of stars can be a life memorable experience. The navigation is easy, as are the trail surfaces. No need for head torches or the little blue dot just focus. Which, of course, most cannot do.

Whether many walk at night I don’t know but I doubt it. Where do they sleep? No Albergue and few but the more expensive hotels are going to let anyone register, let alone sleep, at 10:00am. In my romantic youth I walked at night and slept by day. Most wouldn’t sleep in most of the places I did then. Cow byres stink, caves are cold and damp, church porches busy and the cool shade of a bush or copse doesn’t last long. I never walk at night now unless I’m trying to lose someone or stay lost myself.

 

[peregrino_tom]

I have to say, if I wasn't so old, tired, lazy and curmudgeonly... I'd love to set out on a starry or moonlit night across the meseta...
starting anywhere around Tardajos- Hornillos with a full limitless horizon on all sides and a track without car roads nearby - and maybe finish up at the ruins of San Anton, where a big sky is kind of part of the ceiling

 

[J Willhaus]

I just need my sleep. I can watch the stars at home...

 

[CWBuff]

I consider myself old, tired, lazy and curmudgeonly as well... but for "just one time" I might give it a consideration. If, as everyone says, the risks are reasonably minimal (well... as per @Tincatinker - I just need to start focusing...) it can indeed make a memorable experience. (if so then I guess it will rival my Sunrise on Camino Inca standing next to Inti Punku)

 

[J Willhaus]

A few times over Christmas at Granon one year, we had pilgrims tell us they "followed the light in the bell tower" as they walked into the village from Santo Domingo. One was a young pilgrim from Russia walking to get over a lost love. He walked all the way from Logrono in one day and arrived about the time I was heading for bed.

Another who was injured was brought to us in the night by a village resident who found her crying. She was from South Korea and had seen the light in the tower from the bus stop near the highway and lost her way when she got to the edge of town when all the lights and the narrow streets confused her. Not the same as the stars, but the commonality with the nativity story always touched my heart.

Edit: If you have not stayed with us in Grañón, we are located in a several centuries old church and the entrance is through the bell tower...

 

[Tincatinker]

I think we all follow the light. Trouble is it doesn’t always bring illumination.
I’ve been grateful for, and dodged the glow of a border guards cigarette more than once. Not recommended practice in these troubled times. From the middle of Dartmoor, on a clear ish night you can see the street light glow of 2 cities and 5 towns. Choosing which one to walk toward can change your life

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I live on the meseta and like to star-gaze. I have found pilgrims night-walking in the neighborhood. I usually stop and ask them if everything is OK. About half of them are exhausted and lost. The other ones are hardcore pilgrims who carry tents and have the flexibility and savvy to walk when they want. One was a group of young pilgrims who'd been driven outdoors by snorers and mosquitos, and just decided to keep going till they couldn't continue. I think night-walking is best practiced by the young and somewhat tipsy.
Footing is tricky in the dark, even in flat places. Even with a headlight.
But the Meseta sky on a clear summer (or deep winter) night is a real knockout!

 

[CWBuff]

A few times over Christmas at Granon one year, we had pilgrims tell us they "followed the light in the bell tower" as they walked into the village from Santo Domingo. One was a young pilgrim from Russia walking to get over a lost love. He walked all the way from Logrono in one day and arrived about the time I was heading for bed.

so... thats like what? about 45km? OOPH! not for me daylight, nightlight or no light. But as we know it - people walk that some even more. Just that given the area - not flat at all....
I hope he mended his heart (I actually hope he mended his heart IN LOGRONO, and this was just 'to walk off the, shall we say, sediment! )

 

[HBS60]

I live on the meseta and like to star-gaze. I have found pilgrims night-walking in the neighborhood. I usually stop and ask them if everything is OK. About half of them are exhausted and lost. The other ones are hardcore pilgrims who carry tents and have the flexibility and savvy to walk when they want. One was a group of young pilgrims who'd been driven outdoors by snorers and mosquitos, and just decided to keep going till they couldn't continue. I think night-walking is best practiced by the young and somewhat tipsy.
Footing is tricky in the dark, even in flat places. Even with a headlight.
But the Meseta sky on a clear summer (or deep winter) night is a real knockout!

Any bulls pining for the moon in the meseta? (Cultural reference to a song from my childhood in the 1960s, El Toro y La Luna, and yes, I’m THAT old). As long as I don’t run into a bull face to face at night, it might be cool to see “ese toro enamorado de la luna”.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Any bulls pining for the moon in the meseta? (Cultural reference to a song from my childhood in the 1960s, El Toro y La Luna, and yes, I’m THAT old). As long as I don’t run into a bull face to face at night, it might be cool to see “ese toro enamorado de la luna”.

Not many bulls around these parts, but plenty of moon. This is big sky country.

 

[J Willhaus]

so... thats like what? about 45km? OOPH! not for me daylight, nightlight or no light. But as we know it - people walk that some even more. Just that given the area - not flat at all....
I hope he mended his heart (I actually hope he mended his heart IN LOGRONO, and this was just 'to walk off the, shall we say, sediment! )

A very long way. He was still sad when I fed him some reheated soup from supper, breakfast the next morning and when he headed out into the dark morning. He wanted to be alone to walk he said....he did tell me through Google translate that he had been afraid we wouldn't let him into the albergue so late. Of course the door there is never closed so no chance of that.

 

[HBS60]

Not many bulls around these parts, but plenty of moon. This is big sky country.

Ah, too bad (not that I want to run INTO a bull, but the song is very poetic).

Rough translation of “El Toro Y La Luna” is something like this:

The moon was combing her hair on the mirrors of the river
A bull was looking at her hiding in the bushes
When the happy morning comes and the moon escapes from the river
And the bull gets into the water
He charges when he realizes she’s gone
That bull in love with the moon, that leaves his herd at night
Is painted by hibiscus and olives, and a herder puts on him a cowbell
The rosemarys of the mountains kiss him on the forehead
The stars and luceros (celestial bodies) bathe him in silver
That brave little bull of courageous caste
Has legs like a fan of many colors.

(This loses A LOT in the translation, but the image of the bull bathed in silver light feels very compelling to me-they don’t make poetry like this any more).

Anyway, I’m deep into memory lane, and babbling. I look forward to a night walk in the meseta, bull or no bull.

 

[mspath]

In 1988 the day Président Mitterand was re-elected here in France my husband and I were hiking in the mountains. The trailhead refuge keeper had gone to vote so we were alone with the stars above. En-Paris (plateau et revers oriental)
...What splendor. After all these years we still remember that special stary night!

 

[mustang2actual]

My last day on the CF in September began in Lavacolla, and I started early as I was so pumped up to get to SDC. It was very early morning, very dark, and off I went with my little red light. It was tough paying attention to the trail, and then another pilgrim joined at a trailhead with a headlamp, which helped a lot. Gotta say it was so very peaceful with the stillness in the air and all those beautiful stars.

 

[MesaWalker]

Another option, rather than walking all night, especially in the heat, is just to get out at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning and walk 2-3 hours in the morning in the dark. We did that daily during very hot weather in September last year on the VdlP, and we treasured those hours. In the case of the VdlP, we were heading north, and followed the north star and the Big Dipper, which eventually felt like old friends. And the sunrises were glorious.

 

[mlhhome]

I have said this before:
Who is watching if you have an accident in the middle of the night in the middle of Spain?
- other pilgrims are sleeping
- the cafes, bars and businesses are closed
- locals are sleeping
- the roads are vacant
When we walk in the daytime, we are being observed by pilgrims and everyone else on the road.
Why risk your Camino, mobilizing the police, emergency response personnel and placing yourself in a dangerous situation?
It’s your Camino, but since you asked; start a tad before dawn and avoid unintended consequences.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Who is watching if you have an accident in the middle of the night in the middle of Spain?

I prefer not to live my life out of fear.

If the only places that I could go in this world were places where other people were watching me then I would not be long for this world.

I cherish the opportunities that I have to go places where there is no one else. I am so lucky to live in a country where this is not only possible but also relatively easy.

And yes, on one occasion where I was in such a place and got into serious trouble I was lucky enough to have someone come looking for me who then saved my life but I would never give up the opportunity to be alone in nature just so that I could be "safe".

Yes, I realise that not everyone else thinks like me and I certainly don't expect everyone else to think like me but I do expect that other people allow me to be me.

 

[Marcus-UK]

I think we all follow the light. Trouble is it doesn’t always bring illumination.
I’ve been grateful for, and dodged the glow of a border guards cigarette more than once. Not recommended practice in these troubled times. From the middle of Dartmoor, on a clear ish night you can see the street light glow of 2 cities and 5 towns. Choosing which one to walk toward can change your life

When I was young I did the Lyke Wake walk in Northern England. This is around 67KM long and is a challenge walk meant to be completed in 24 Hours. A popular dodge was to start the walk during the night, to allow arriving with plenty of light at the more difficult bits around Ravenscar Cliffs/North Sea/ lost Goths/Vampires from Whitby./Armed guards at Fylingdales etc.

The night time section was actually very beautiful. In the dark sections, the stars were fantastic. However there were not many dark sections. Regularly the sky would light up as the blast furnaces were charged on Teeside. There were a number of larger towns also creating light pollution.

The path was somewhat easy to follow being quite wide with erosion, however later sections during daylight hours were indistinct and through heather moorland and would have been a great trip hazard.

Being older and clumsier I do not think I would attempt any serious night walking again.