1st Oct Start from Irun.............is this Wise?

BiggBlue · Sep 28, 2022

Due to a family birthday celebration, I had to delay my planned start on the Norte until 1st October. I read as much as I could and know the route and the potential weather challenges as well. I have 34 days to do it before I have to fly back to London. So having down previous Caminos I realise much as I enjoy the solitude whilst walking I very much look forward to companionship in the evenings and making friends along the trail.
I know that Norte is a quieter route and that Albergues start shutting up in October, it got me thinking that will it be too quiet.
I know the scenery can be spectacular and am looking forward to enjoying it.
Plus as the month goes on sunrise is after 0800 and it gets chilly too so more warm clothes and walking in the dark (as I like 0630 starts)

But I have this nagging doubt, it's not the best option. So, I have had a few ideas and wondered if anyone can give me their input/thoughts/great wisdom or two cents worth.

Options

1. Walk the Norte take a bus/metro through large cities and save two or three days - to remove the possible time constraint and a mad dash over the last week.

2. Walk to Bilbao, then get a bus to Burgos and pick up the French Camino. As it will be busier and more accommodation options, finish in Santiago and continue onto Finisterre, (which I have not done). Then next March/April return to Bilbao and finish the Norte.

3. Play it by ear keep both options open and see how the situation appears when I get to Bilboa.

I am starting on Sat 1st October, and discovered there was not a bed to be had in San Sebastien ( as I think there is a festival going on), fortunately, I managed to get a place but was last room ( if booking.com is to be believed)

Thoughts?

zenofmatthew · Sep 28, 2022

I was making the same consideration last year, my thought was that more services would be open along the Frances, and the thought of that cold sea breeze didn't sit well. But if it is warm....

michal.don · Sep 29, 2022

Sorry, I can't say whether it's wise or not. But if you decide to go for it, we might possibly meet out there, I'm starting on the 8th of October in Bilbao. By then we'll probably know if it was a good idea to go to the Norte in October

lt56ny · Sep 29, 2022

I walked the Norte in October to almost December 1st in 2018. I had really good weather most of the time. Chilly in the mornings on the coast and some rain but never alot. I guess I was lucky. Colder but no snow in Galicia. I was always able to find albergues to stay. I would call ahead to make sure they were open but I never had any real problems. I used Gronze, Wise Pilgrim and Buen Camino apps as no one app has all the places to stay and none are more than about 65% accurate for open/closed dates. Buen Camino

JerryStroebele · Sep 29, 2022

Just be well prepared for rain. Buen Camino

henrythedog · Sep 29, 2022

BiggBlue said:
Due to a family birthday celebration, I had to delay my planned start on the Norte until 1st October. I read as much as I could and know the route and the potential weather challenges as well. I have 34 days to do it before I have to fly back to London. So having down previous Caminos I realise much as I enjoy the solitude whilst walking I very much look forward to companionship in the evenings and making friends along the trail.
I know that Norte is a quieter route and that Albergues start shutting up in October, it got me thinking that will it be too quiet.
I know the scenery can be spectacular and am looking forward to enjoying it.
Plus as the month goes on sunrise is after 0800 and it gets chilly too so more warm clothes and walking in the dark (as I like 0630 starts)

But I have this nagging doubt, it's not the best option. So, I have had a few ideas and wondered if anyone can give me their input/thoughts/great wisdom or two cents worth.

Options

1. Walk the Norte take a bus/metro through large cities and save two or three days - to remove the possible time constraint and a mad dash over the last week.

2. Walk to Bilbao, then get a bus to Burgos and pick up the French Camino. As it will be busier and more accommodation options, finish in Santiago and continue onto Finisterre, (which I have not done). Then next March/April return to Bilbao and finish the Norte.

3. Play it by ear keep both options open and see how the situation appears when I get to Bilboa.

I am starting on Sat 1st October, and discovered there was not a bed to be had in San Sebastien ( as I think there is a festival going on), fortunately, I managed to get a place but was last room ( if booking.com is to be believed)

Thoughts?

virtually every booking on booking.com is one of the last rooms available on their site. That is not the same as being one of the last rooms available - try contacting the accommodation direct. If you don’t speak Spanish (you could be excused for not speaking éuscara) translation software or just phoning and asking if anyone speaks English are options.

poogeyejr · Mar 17, 2023

BiggBlue said:
3. Play it by ear keep both options open and see how the situation appears when I get to Bilbao.

I am starting on Sat 1st October, and discovered there was not a bed to be had in San Sebastien ( as I think there is a festival going on), fortunately, I managed to get a place but was last room ( if booking.com is to be believed)

Thoughts?

3 is the way I would go. I love the Norte and have Walked it end of Sept/Oct so I think there will still be people on the Norte in Oct. The weather for me in 2013 was lovely and warm right up to Oct 20th or so then the cold crept in. But if you start and find you are all alone, then walk some short stages, see if people catch up with you, (maybe a bunch of people start 2 days after you, or a day infront. If you find no community you can switch to the Frances at any time.

Also, if you have a bed in San Sebastian, I got that for two days, and walked my first day Irun to San Sebastian without my bag, (train to Irun to start then walked back to my hostel in San Sebastian) and did the second day leaving from San Sebastian and had a wonderful start.

Buen Camino

trecile · Mar 17, 2023

poogeyejr said:
3 is the way I would go. I love the Norte and have Walked it end of Sept/Oct so I think there will still be people on the Norte in Oct. The weather for me in 2013 was lovely and warm right up to Oct 20th or so then the cold crept in. But if you start and find you are all alone, then walk some short stages, see if people catch up with you, (maybe a bunch of people start 2 days after you, or a day infront. If you find no community you can switch to the Frances at any time.

Also, if you have a bed in San Sebastian, I got that for two days, and walked my first day Irun to San Sebastian without my bag, (train to Irun to start then walked back to my hostel in San Sebastian) and did the second day leaving from San Sebastian and had a wonderful start.

Buen Camino

Thanks for this information that will be helpful for those planning to walk the Norte in October. However, the OP of this thread already completed their October Camino last year:

BiggBlue said:
I set off from Irun on the 1st of October this year. And arrived in Santiago 34 days later.

During that time there were five days when it was wet and chilly, this was more frequent towards the end of the trip as I entered Galicia. In general, the Spanish forecast was fairly accurate in predicting weather conditions in the short term, but not in the long term.

I am originally from Scotland and grew up in a very wet environment where it could rain for days on end in the middle of the summer. There were two schools of thought regards walking in the rain, one was whatever happens you're going to get wet so make sure you stay warm by wearing Marino wool and nonsynthetic layers next to your skin. The other school of thought was you need to buy the best waterproof kit available.

This year in addition to my poncho I took a $300 Gore-Tex waterproof jacket. I still got wet.
If not from the rain then from the sweat/perspiration which is unable to circulate out due to the layers I was wearing.

As this was my fourth Camino, and having tried various combinations of kit to stay dry, I am now firmly of the opinion that a good strong golf umbrella I believe would probably for me be the best solution. I will let you know next year.

Regards waiting for the best time of year to go for weather. I think it's a little bit of a lottery, Pick your date and stick to it, whilst on the Norte I walked for a few days with a very nice fellow from Italy, who was walking it for the second time. He told me he had walked at five years previously where it
rained for 21 out of 33 days he was on the Camino.

poogeyejr · Mar 17, 2023

trecile said:
However, the OP of this thread already completed their October Camino last year

Thank you, been confusing this year for 2022 for days now. I must return to the present!

K

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