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  1. nickymd1

    7 days Irun to Bilbao and Guggenheim, eliminate a stage?

    Hey Howzer, You've gotten plenty of good advice above but some stages are more easily combinable than others so I wanted to mention that I would also say it is 100% possible to do Irun to Bilbao in 6 days (I actually walked from Hendaye and managed it) Here are the stages and distances I did. A...
  2. nickymd1

    Camino del Norte in 28 days. Start in Bilbao or start in Irun and skip some stages?

    I wanted to quickly follow up my earlier post with this video which was filmed around the same time I walked my CdN and Aurimas/Patriot's Day 1 starts exactly where mine did. It is the best video I've seen yet in terms of capturing the feeling of walking the CdN (but in Autumn/Fall rather than...
  3. nickymd1

    Camino del Norte in 28 days. Start in Bilbao or start in Irun and skip some stages?

    Please start in Irun. I walked the Norte in 31 days in 2017. The Basque country (Irun-Bilbao) was my favourite section, even though yes, there are lovely 2-3 stage sections in the rest of the walk. It's the only part I would absolutely not skip if I did the CdN again. If you're willing to walk a...
  4. nickymd1

    Bikers on the Norte

    The bike route on the Norte tends to run parallel rather than on the walking trail. You'll see signs regularly that lead the bici pilgrims one way and the pied pilgrims in another. Particularly in the Basque country, the walking route is not suitable for bikes and, generally, the Norte is very...
  5. nickymd1

    Kettles and kitchens on the Norte

    Hey all, I originally posted back when I was planning my first camino. I will be doing my third camino, the second in Spain, in April/May so am happy to share some experiences on this topic. The fact that a cafe con leche cost about 1.20€ on average when I walked in 2017 was a life saver...
  6. nickymd1

    My Packing List for Summer on del Norte (Yay or Nay)

    Totally OT, but probably starting in Burgos, as I only have about 3 weeks. Apparently, I "have to walk the Meseta" - quite honestly I'm still not sure I won't end up skipping ahead to Leon so I can walk to the ocean at the end... ;) I will second all this; if you are willing to sleep anywhere...
  7. nickymd1

    My Packing List for Summer on del Norte (Yay or Nay)

    I did the CdN July-August last year - and LOVED it. I'm looking forward to my partial CF next year, but I know I'll be back to the Norte soon. I just miss it. So I'm super excited for you that you're giving this one a try! I carried a little more than you did and there isn't a single item I...
  8. nickymd1

    Which 100k route for April 2019?

    Hey there! I walked the Norte last year in the high season and can only recommend it. It's simply gorgeous. The one caveat I would add though is that it's not the ideal route for people on a tight budget wanting really short stages, as the pilgrim infrastructure isn't really set out for that...
  9. nickymd1

    Following the coast from Santander to Boo

    I just wanted to quickly feedback on this, as I never followed up. Thank you so much for the tracks and the idea @Dave! The walk around the 'peninsula' was stunning and the coast around there was much wilder and freer than what I'd seen up until then on the Norte. I'd definitely recommend it to...
  10. nickymd1

    August on the Norte?

    You're going to have an amazing time - and there will definitely be pilgrims on the way for you to hang out with and laugh at the lazy tourists with!
  11. nickymd1

    August on the Norte?

    I walked starting mid-July and finished mid-August. I won't lie, there were times when bed race was an issue, but things actually got better as I got less stressed out about rushing to get a bed and just learned to enjoy the walk. Did I have to book ahead a few times? Yes. But it wasn't more...
  12. nickymd1

    Suggested Camino Del Norte stages in 32-34 days

    Hey Simon, from one Dorrington to another, welcome to the forum! I've just gotten back from the Norte, having set off in Hendaye on 17.07.17 and arrived in Santiago on 17.08.17, with another 3 days thereafter to Fisterre. Walking the Way in 32 days is *very* doable; the German guidebook I...
  13. nickymd1

    Camino from Mondoñedo to Abadín

    Unfortnunately we walked a long day from Mondonedo to Vilalba that day, so there was a fair bit of irritation on arrival o_O No one wanted to walk an extra 6km!
  14. nickymd1

    Camino from Mondoñedo to Abadín

    I walked this leg and on to Vilalba about 3 weeks ago. Not a single peson of the people I spoke to at our coffee stop in Abadin, or at the Albergue that evening managed to find the 'camino real' and travel the shorter of the routes. The arrows/directions leading from the cathedral were...
  15. nickymd1

    LIVE from the Camino Ribadeo

    Late response, I know, but it was closed for "Deep Cleaning" - which in Camino speak means bed bugs. There was quite a run of them recently and I heard that a number of albergues in Cantabria and Asturias were closed for a period over the 6 weeks I was in Spain for the same reason. I (and about...
  16. nickymd1

    How much training do we really need?

    Hey Terry! Just got back to Berlin today so a perfect time to answer this! I walked 35 days from Hendaye to Finisterre with about 7.8kg SOW (6.7kg pack + shoes + change of clothes) and I carried about 2kg of food + water (dietary issues with gluten make the camino fun/interesting!). It was...
  17. nickymd1

    LIVE from the Camino Ribadeo

    Hi all, thanks for those replies. Yes indeed, I meant to type Vilela not Vilalba! Finally got a pension after checking about 15 or 20 - everything within a 30km radius seemed booked out. My friends had trouble finding anything in Tapia (which had been our intended stop for the day) and will...
  18. nickymd1

    LIVE from the Camino Ribadeo

    Hey all, so with Tapia closed for 3 days, a large number of pilgrims are headed to Ribadeo today - what a nightmare! Can anyone confirm or deny that Vilalba (the one 6.8km from Ribadeo) s closed this year?
  19. nickymd1

    The Camino del Norte

    If possible, avoid ending a stage in Gernika. The Albergue is expensive and nothing special.
  20. nickymd1

    From pilgrim to hospitalera in one day (Reposo del Andayón)

    Hey Luka, thanks for the tip! I'll hopefully be seeing you around the 1st! :)

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