Solo female in October safety

[TheWanderingAngel]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

 

[Sailor]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

Welcome aboard, your first post! You will have plenty of company, including a good number of forum members walking during the month of October [my wife and me included]. See the attached for a listing of forum members walking in September and October. Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sept-oct-2017-pilgrims-check-in-part-two.50575/

 

[C clearly]

would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

Welcome!

There are usually plenty of people, and you'll start meeting them in Roncesvalles! At least 100 people will leave Roncesvalles between 7 and 8 a.m. on the morning that you do. Many of them will have already walked a day together, so you should make a point of engaging them in conversation the evening before, and in the morning. From then on, it will be easy.

During the following days, you are almost certain to be within sight of others if you leave in the morning at the same time as most people leave the albergues, usually soon after it is light. If you are staying on your own in private accommodation, try to leave at that same time, rather than sleeping in because you can. Watch for the cafe where others pick up their first breakfast and leave when they do.

I enjoy walking alone and also taking my time in the morning, so I often left later. Even so, I virtually always met others in rest stops during the day and could easily have timed my walking to stay within sight of them.

What I'm trying to say is that during October, you actually have a lot of control over whether you have people around, even if you are not walking right with them.

 

[HedaP]

There is a facebook site called Camigas were it is possible to buddy up with another woman before starting. Haven't used it myself but met a woman who had and she said it was a great way to get started. Alternatively just ask any kind looking pilgrim if you can set off with them the next morning. Most will happily say yes. I met a pilgrim in 2015 who asked that question and we walked several stages together. We are still friends despite living a world apart.
Buen camino, peregrina. Have a wonderful time.

 

[Multipurpose]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.[/QUO
My friend Sammi and I are leaving St. Jean Oct 3 and should be stopping just past Roncesvalles on Oct 4. We are both from California and would help any pilgrim we saw in trouble on the El Camino. It's just the way we are.

 

[Thornley]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

Relax and in 3 weeks please write and let us know what a relaxing , safe Camino you are having.
Safer there than home

 

[EmwoodAus]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

HI! I had the same concerns (another solo female walker) I'll be there the same time and from what I've seen on this forum there are lots of people walking in October!

 

[ranthr]

Buy a pilgrim meal/dinner in one of the two restaurants when you arrive at Roncesvalles and you will join with at least ahundred that starts the next morning.

 

[ranthr]

After having walked nearly alone through France from Le Puy I arrived at Roncesvalles end of September some years ago and met the hords in Roncesvalles. Quite a shock after some days seeing just some hunters in the woods of France. Enough people to feel safe in Spain up to end of October to reach SdC. Also walked there last year's end of October beiing surprised of the lot of people walking on to Santiago when I stopped in Leon.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

This thread, or a similar one, occurs about weekly. I never quite understand it, particularly if any research is done on previous threads. I don't know if it is a search for knowledge, or just a cry for assurance. I mean that sincerely and without judgement. The Forum can tell you that it safe, and provide facts why it is, and occasionally reports of when it is not. The answer to the search for facts is that it is safe. However, only you can deal with insecurities, which are not really fact-based, even if you have had a horrible experience in your life. There is a current thread about an assault and robbery on the Camino Portugues. Even if it is an isolated experience, it is devastating. It will deter many insecure people who will ignore that it is one event out of thousands who walk annually without event. I, a male, have been flashed outside Puente la Reina. I have been mugged. I have been robbed. I have been shot at and rocketed. I walk alertly at night in Spanish cities, and even put on my backpack cover in a Spanish bus station because everyone looked like a mugger. I do things that are not logical based upon facts, but I do not live my life in fear.

The Camino comes without guarantees, of a bed or of safety. I endorse the chorus of those who say it is safe. That is the fact of the situation. Whether that is enough to assure, I do not know. Please have a fun buen camino.

 

[Biana]

Welcome aboard, your first post! You will have plenty of company, including a good number of forum members walking during the month of October [my wife and me included]. See the attached for a listing of forum members walking in September and October. Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sept-oct-2017-pilgrims-check-in-part-two.50575/

Hi, I am also concerned about safety. Do you have a list for the CP? I will start my first Camino 2 October from Tui..., Biana

 

[KinkyOne]

This thread, or a similar one, occurs about weekly. I never quite understand it, particularly if any research is done on previous threads. I don't know if it is a search for knowledge, or just a cry for assurance. I mean that sincerely and without judgement. The Forum can tell you that it safe, and provide facts why it is, and occasionally reports of when it is not. The answer to the search for facts is that it is safe. However, only you can deal with insecurities, which are not really fact-based, even if you have had a horrible experience in your life. There is a current thread about an assault and robbery on the Camino Portugues. Even if it is an isolated experience, it is devastating. It will deter many insecure people who will ignore that it is one event out of thousands who walk annually without event. I, a male, have been flashed outside Puente la Reina. I have been mugged. I have been robbed. I have been shot at and rocketed. I walk alertly at night in Spanish cities, and even put on my backpack cover in a Spanish bus station because everyone looked like a mugger. I do things that are not logical based upon facts, but I do not live my life in fear.

The Camino comes without guarantees, of a bed or of safety. I endorse the chorus of those who say it is safe. That is the fact of the situation. Whether that is enough to assure, I do not know. Please have a fun buen camino.

Well, well, you're still alive and kicking

 

[C clearly]

Hi, I am also concerned about safety. Do you have a list for the CP? I will start my first Camino 2 October from Tui..., Biana

These lists develop because one of the forum members posts a thread with a title such as "Who is walking the Camino Portuguese in October 2017?" Then others see it and respond, and the person who started the thread might update a list by editing the first post. As @KinkyOne says, if you start a thread like this, you are more likely to get a response than by burying a post in a thread on safety.

The list mentioned above (click here) in the Camino Frances forum is "part 2 of 2" because the person who started it has already left for the camino, and handed over the updating of the list in the first post, to someone else.

 

[Sailor]

Hi, I am also concerned about safety. Do you have a list for the CP? I will start my first Camino 2 October from Tui..., Biana

Regretfully, we do not have a list for CP, however, we do have several forum members walking or planning to walk CP [hello, anyone out there with a good LIVE update from CP?]. Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

p.s. And now we return to the original thread of "Solo female in October safety"

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I walked CF October 1 through November 11, 2015. There were many occasions when I was walking in isolation, on my way up O'Cebreiro and many, many days I walked seeing people in the morning, and at night, but very rarely during the day. Some women I'd been walking with walked less after a few experiences in Leon---a man followed us and "seized" me (don't worry, folks, he got pushed hard and flew backwards, as I've mentioned before) and my friend's backpack got stolen.

These minor incidents, while annoying, influenced them to start bussing. I did not. I kept walking. That's what I'd come to do.

In another instance, a very courteous gentleman pilgrim passed me, walking quickly. He greeted me and moved by. A half minute later, a man without a pack kind of stepped out of the bushes and looked like he was perhaps up to no good, so I called loudly, "Juan Jose', espera! [wait for me!}" to which the gentleman who'd just passed me called back, "okay! right here!"

Keep your wits about you. People are mostly genuine, kind people. There is that idiot here and there---just like everywhere in the world.

And as others have mentioned, if you want to be with others, you can be---but there were times when I wished others were around, and the trail becomes much less populated in late October and the first ten days of November. At least that was the case in 2015. This was my experience, recorded honestly. Your mileage may vary.

 

[cathn]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

I am 73 and walked the Camino solo last September/ October from St Jean and always fealt safe.
There are still plenty of people walking, you will soon find companions.

 

[Satírico]

Greetings! I am a 60 year old female from the USA and plan to walk the Camino Frances solo starting the end of September 2017, starting in Roncesvalles. I am a bit concerned about safety and would like to know if there are usually enough people walking the Camino in October so that I would not be alone on the Camino.

Enjoy your adventure. You should prepare yourself for being inside your own head for long stretches. I met a woman in Los Arcos and she was uncomfortable with the thoughts bubbling up to the surface. The risk of robbery or other mischief is miniscule.

 

[Marbe2]

AS a woman, you always need to be alert! You know this already! In your cell phone- do carry one- put in the emergency number for police 112. They have folks who speak English. I also carry a whistle, which I put on my back pack strap in such a way that I can reach it at all times while walking. The sound travels further! Do leave when others are departing your town. This will give you comrades nearby for much of the trip. If you leave later there could be fewer pilgrims. If you are anticipating a more isolated section, such as parts of the Mesata, try and hook up with a few folks. In March we left early in the morning and another woman asked if she could come along. It was unseasonably warm for the last 100 km from Sarria so we had left before sunrise. She walked with us for several hours before going off on her own. BTW I have been mugged once in my life and it turns out it was on the ground of a monastery in the USA! Buen Camino!

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

Welcome!

There are usually plenty of people, and you'll start meeting them in Roncesvalles! At least 100 people will leave Roncesvalles between 7 and 8 a.m. on the morning that you do. Many of them will have already walked a day together, so you should make a point of engaging them in conversation the evening before, and in the morning. From then on, it will be easy.

During the following days, you are almost certain to be within sight of others if you leave in the morning at the same time as most people leave the albergues, usually soon after it is light. If you are staying on your own in private accommodation, try to leave at that same time, rather than sleeping in because you can. Watch for the cafe where others pick up their first breakfast and leave when they do.

I enjoy walking alone and also taking my time in the morning, so I often left later. Even so, I virtually always met others in rest stops during the day and could easily have timed my walking to stay within sight of them.

What I'm trying to say is that during October, you actually have a lot of control over whether you have people around, even if you are not walking right with them.

Thank you for your detailed response! It is very helpful. I too enjoy walking alone but would like to have people within sight and company at times.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Please don't let fear dominate your walk. As a male I & most men would not be upset to have a women shadow us, as we move along. You can observe men as you go & get a pretty good idea who is safe. I noticed many woman who did just that. I also had 2 along my way during separate times walk with me, even tho we could not comunucate due to language barriers.
Yet it was obvious they were stressed. Once they caught up or found a person they could communicate with they no longer followed.
Keith

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

Enjoy your adventure. You should prepare yourself for being inside your own head for long stretches. I met a woman in Los Arcos and she was uncomfortable with the thoughts bubbling up to the surface. The risk of robbery or other mischief is miniscule.

Thanks for your response! The best part of walking alone is the chance to be "inside your own head" without all the distractions.

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

Please don't let fear dominate your walk. As a male I & most men would not be upset to have a women shadow us, as we move along. You can observe men as you go & get a pretty good idea who is safe. I noticed many woman who did just that. I also had 2 along my way during separate times walk with me, even tho we could not comunucate due to language barriers.
Yet it was obvious they were stressed. Once they caught up or found a person they could communicate with they no longer followed.
Keith

Thanks, Keith! I appreciate your understanding of the situation!

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

AS a woman, you always need to be alert! You know this already! In your cell phone- do carry one- put in the emergency number for police 112. They have folks who speak English. I also carry a whistle, which I put on my back pack strap in such a way that I can reach it at all times while walking. The sound travels further! Do leave when others are departing your town. This will give you comrades nearby for much of the trip. If you leave later there could be fewer pilgrims. If you are anticipating a more isolated section, such as parts of the Mesata, try and hook up with a few folks. In March we left early in the morning and another woman asked if she could come along. It was unseasonably warm for the last 100 km from Sarria so we had left before sunrise. She walked with us for several hours before going off on her own. BTW I have been mugged once in my life and it turns out it was on the ground of a monastery in the USA! Buen Camino!

Thanks for the insight! I do have a personal alarm but I figure it wouldn't do any good if no one else was around.

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

Welcome aboard, your first post! You will have plenty of company, including a good number of forum members walking during the month of October [my wife and me included]. See the attached for a listing of forum members walking in September and October. Good luck, y que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/sept-oct-2017-pilgrims-check-in-part-two.50575/

Thanks, Sailor! I hope to meet you somewhere along the Camino!

 

[TheWanderingAngel]

There is a facebook site called Camigas were it is possible to buddy up with another woman before starting. Haven't used it myself but met a woman who had and she said it was a great way to get started. Alternatively just ask any kind looking pilgrim if you can set off with them the next morning. Most will happily say yes. I met a pilgrim in 2015 who asked that question and we walked several stages together. We are still friends despite living a world apart.
Buen camino, peregrina. Have a wonderful time.

Good info, Thanks, Heda!