Surely we can find an older pilgrim on this forum

[spursfan]

The British grandmother, 82, whose Spanish stroll became a 440-mile mountain trek and attracted a host of local admirers

• Elena Mansell visited granddaughter in Pamplona and set off for a walk
• Keen rambler from Garstang, Lancashire, decided not to stop walking
• A month later she arrived in Santiago de Compostela, 440 miles away
• Was dubbed 'Grandma of the Camino' and greeted by dozens of locals

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ntain-trek-attracted-host-local-admirers.html

 

[mountaingoat999]

Spursfan

hardy folk from Garstang..proper country people..

I like it when she said

There were loads of big burly men dropping like flies because of injuries but I didn't understand what they were complaining about.

 

[jsalt]

Nice one!

“Ms Mansell - a member of the Garstang Ramblers - walked over 25 miles a day. Her journey lasted from August 28 until September 27.”

25 MILES a day??!!

And a photo with the sea on the right??!! The map clearly shows they are on the Camino Frances.

Some amateur journalism here, but a nice story.

So, IS there someone on this forum over 82?

Jill

 

[spursfan]

Nice one!

“Ms Mansell - a member of the Garstang Ramblers - walked over 25 miles a day. Her journey lasted from August 28 until September 27.”

25 MILES a day??!!

And a photo with the sea on the right??!! The map clearly shows they are on the Camino Frances.

Some amateur journalism here, but a nice story.

So, IS there someone on this forum over 82?

Jill

You can't really expect the Daily Mail hacks to spot anything quite so obvious - glad you also spotted their picture of the coast despite their map of the route going nowhere near the coast - surprised such a super-hero didn't just keep on walking to Finisterre!

 

[MTtoCamino]

Hmm will the forum keep me interested until I am 82 & will I be alive in 27 years? Or for that matter able bodied enough to still walk ? Regardless I respect it.

 

[VNwalking]

Her's is a wonderful story, even though the DM botched a few details.
I would have really enjoyed meeting this lady.
And have to admit that I am also curious...Do we have any 80+ YO pilgrims here?
Or is it just you 70-something youngsters in your 8th decade?

 

[gittiharre]

My husband walked with me in 2012 from Le Puy to Roncesvalles. He was 81 then. 45 days in total plus 2 rest days. He did so well. It was a wonderful journey for us as a couple. He has now had open heart surgery and walking around the house has been exhausting for him, even weeks later. How quickly life changes!
Our blog with links to photoalbum is here www.gittiharre.blogspot.com

 

[VNwalking]

How quickly life changes!

So true, gittiharre, so true. Sometimes in an eyeblink....as you know all too well.
I am glad you were able to walk together, and hope all your family's health challenges resolve happily and soon. You've had quite a ride.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hmm will the forum keep me interested until I am 82 & will I be alive in 27 years? Or for that matter able bodied enough to still walk ? Regardless I respect it.

Go for it.
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

My husband walked with me in 2012 from Le Puy to Roncesvalles. He was 81 then. 45 days in total plus 2 rest days. He did so well. It was a wonderful journey for us as a couple. He has now had open heart surgery and walking around the house has been exhausting for him, even weeks later. How quickly life changes!
Our blog with links to photoalbum is here www.gittiharre.blogspot.com

Sorry to hear this.
Wish you both all the best for the future , Peter.

 

[Jetgirl]

During my camino in 2014 85 was the oldest I ran across and 3 months old was the youngest .....

 

[wayfarer]

I'll see your 82 year old pensioner and raise you an 82 year old Japanise man with a prosthetic right leg who passed us on the way in 2012 and who we didn't see again until Finisterre. This was his third Camino.
I was greatly impressed and inspired by this lovely man whom we had the pleasure of meeting at the lighthouse in Finisterre.

 

[VNwalking]

I'll see your 82 year old pensioner and raise you an 82 year old Japanise man with a prosthetic right leg who passed us on the way in 2012 and who we didn't see again until Finisterre. This was his third Camino.

Wow. Now there's a role model! Banzai, Peregrino-san!

 

[Tia Valeria]

There was a 90 year old lady walked in 2012 and we met an over 80 year old lady who walked annually from Sarria. Both were at Brea when we saw them. I don't know where the 90 year old had started but remember that she was warmly welcomed in Santiago. @sillydoll walked the camino Inglés with Uncle Bob who was, I believe, 90 at the time.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

My views on the Daily Mail (right wing British newspaper) can be summed up in

BUT . . . In July 2003 a Dutch lady pitched up at Rabanal. While taking tea on the terrace (do they still do that?) I asked the usual questions . . . how is you walk going? where are you from? where did you start from?

She said "Amsterdam".

But where did you start your walk?

Amsterdam . . . So you've walked across the Netherlands, Belgium and France to get here?

Yes!

It transpired she was a little bored at home, grandchildren growing up, GREAT grandchildren growing up so she decided to walk the Camino.

When asked how old she was she proudly declared 83! and showed me a photo of a large Dutch family: her, her husband, children, grandchildren etc. except the lady in photo was quite large whereas the lady in front of me was quite sylph like.

She tugged up her teeshirt to reveal shorts cinched by a piece of rope and said she was going to dump all her clothes in Ponferrada and get new ones.

Now comes the kicker. Having successfully walked to Santiago she turned around and walked all the way back to Amsterdam!

 

[Kiwi-family]

My father-in-law, while not on the forum, is 83 and has walked part of the camino in his recent past. In fact, that walk gave him an interest in walking having been an avid cyclist his whole life. Earlier this year he had spinal surgery which has stopped his cycling activities (other than using a recumbent trike) and he is delighted to be able to be walking now. Unfortunately, walking is still very painful for him and so our plans to walk another camino together are being pushed out a wee bit as he is not ready to commit to it definitely for next year....but it IS (God willing) going to happen. That means he'll be about 85 when he next walks;-)

 

[annakappa]

[QUOTE="Tia Valeria, @sillydoll walked the camino Inglés with Uncle Bob who was, I believe, 90 at the time.[/QUOTE]
My husband Adriaan ( fraluchi) accompanied the same Uncle Bob in 2013 and he was just coming up to 89! They walked from Sarria.

 

[Castilian]

14 pilgrims 90 or more years old stayed at the Carbajalas albergue in León on 2014. The oldest was 92 years old. Most of these 90 or more years old pilgrims started in SJPP and the rest of them further away. The most far away was a 90 years old pilgrim that started in Rome. For more info: www.ileon.com/actualidad/049935/leon-segundo-punto-de-partida-preferido-por-los-peregrinos-del-camino-de-santiago

In 2013, 2 pilgrims 90 or more years old stayed at the Carbajalas albergue in León. Both of them started in SJPP. For more info: www.caminodesantiagoleon.es/documentos/estadistica2013.pdf

www.caminodesantiagoleon.es makes statistics about pilgrims staying in León since the late 90's so if anyone is interested in data from other years might get in touch with them.

 

[JabbaPapa]

In 2014, I heard of a Japanese lady pilgrim who was ~100. One hears of the 90-year-olds from time to time, but that was the *only* time I ever heard of anyone even older.

 

[Kiwi-family]

I so hope that is me in five and a half decades!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I met a Frenchman, 85, and his wife walking their last camino. He had emphysema and did not expect to live much longer. He was using a pack transport service (his wife was not), and walked faster than I!!

 

[Castilian]

It seems that Habib Miyan, the oldest pilgrim to Makkah the Honored (aka the Holy City of Mecca), went when he was (well) more than 120 years old (for more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habib_Miyan)... I doubt anyone on the camino is/was close to him (in age).

 

[sillydoll]

Uncle Bob walked the Camino Ingles last year and is on my list to do a Slow Walk to Rome next year in July. I think he wants a Testimonium certificate to add to his many Compostela's. He'll be two months shy of 91 years old!

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

All these mails make me feel so young! Next May I'm walking the Primitivo and I'll be 77. Well - that's the plan, anyway!
On all my walks I thank God that I CAN do it - so many younger folk simply can't.
Blessings from a young guy in Suffolk ......

 

[fraluchi]

Uncle Bob walked the Camino Ingles last year and is on my list to do a Slow Walk to Rome next year in July. I think he wants a Testimonium certificate to add to his many Compostela's. He'll be two months shy of 91 years old!

You wouldn't believe it, but at one stage of our 2013 "Caracoles" walk (Sarria to Santiago) he outpaced the group beyond an intended meeting point. I had to run quite a distance to catch up with him and invert his "speedy Gonzalez" track. He's an outright amazing Camino fan at his age (91 ?)

 

[sjhannes]

In Sept/Oct of 2013 we met Mike from Florida who was 92. He walked from St Jean to Santiago. One stage he took a bus because of an injury, but went back and walked that stage after he completed his pilgrimage.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Wow. What a great thread. I feel like printing it out and framing it to look at on those days I feel old!

 

[mdelag]

We met a spanish man in Portos, at the albergue, who had just turned 83. He had walked part of the Camino 2 years ago and had to go back to Madrid in Sarria So this past september he took the train to Sarria, a taxi to the spot where he stopped and started again....and walked as if he was 30. It took him 5 days to get to Santiago, we attended the same peregrino mass. Great man Seferino was his name.