2 americans starting Sept 15th

[cooker1200]

Hello Pilgrims, My friend and I will be leaving the states on the 12th and starting in SJDP on the 15th. I have been reading the forums and have gotten a lot of inspiration and good advice. I have been walking in running shoes and now I wonder if these will be fine or if I should get boots. Also, what about poles ? Another question is about weather, we have 37 days to complete the trail, so this takes us up to Oct 20. What is typical ?, I feel what I got packed is for the cold. Any words of wisdom or advice would be great. Thanks all.

 

[jpflavin1]

Cooker1200:

Welcome to the forum and Buen Camino. This forum will provide you with many options on the questions you have asked. That said, I will give you my opinion. I wore merril low cut hiking shoes with vibram soles and smartwool socks. The trails are very rocky and I feel regular runnning shoe soles are not tough enough in most areas.

As far as poles go, I do not use them but many feel they are helpful especially in downhill situations. There is an large thread on this subject.

In regards to clothing, I walk in the spring (March/April). never needed more than a long sleeve silk t-shirt, my fleece and my northface waterproof jacket. You absolutely need rain gear. I wear my jacket and light weight rain pants. Most people wear poncho's. They are more helpful, imo, if your pack does not have an attached rain cover. There is another thread on this subject.

Thirty-seven days should be more than enough time. This year, I walked in thirty-three following the Brierley guide book. He walks one day for every year Christ walked the earth.

There is a lot of advice on this forum. That said, I think there are three key things to remember. Pack as light as possible, you will see many suggestions on this forum that include suggested packing lists. You will probably pack too much. Start slowly, maybe only walk to Orisson the first day (8km and you will need a reservation). The first day usually has an impact on the next few as your body adjust to daily hikes of about 25km. Finally, remember there is no right or wrong Camino. It is your Camino to travel as you choose.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[cooker1200]

Thank you Joe, I appreciate your information. I have considered Orrison on the first night. We leave Minneapolis on Monday and end up in Bayonne on Tuesday around 4 pm. I was thinking about getting a hotel in Bayonne right away, as we will have been traveling a long time and Jet lag. I thought maybe on Wed, we could take a train to STPDP and start the path to Orrison. or just take our time wed, get a hotel in Bayonne Tuesday night, get our barrings and stay in STPDP on Wed night and hit the path to Roncesvalles on Thursday. I am not sure what plan would be the most realistic. I am 40 and in OK shape, training some in VT. The person I am traveling with is in his late 40s and in fantastic shape, and has been train everyday for the past few months. We both just got our packs and havent had anytime with them.

 

[mmm042]

Hi.

Re: shoes, I think that depends on your feet. I'm a runner, and have done very rugged 50km trail races in "regular" running shoes (meaning not sturdier trail running shoes) and been fine. I've also walked many miles on the Via de la Plata in my running shoes. That being said, if you DO choose running shoes, be very aware of the tongue. A lot of shoes have longer/taller tongues that may eventually irritate the tendon that runs down the front of your shin. I got terrible tendonitis (also called shin splints) during one Camino from that. My hiking boots are pretty good, but they tend to give me blisters and aren't as "breathably" nice as my running shoes. The best solution I've found is to bring both shoes along. I alternate walking in my hiking boots one day and in my running shoes the next, and that typically works beautifully for me, as the different shoes stress your feet in different ways, so alternating them relieves pressure spots.

Re: poles, I say bring them. Again, I've done it both ways, and found poles can be very helpful in ways you didn't foresee. For example, the last time I walked there were several very flooded sections where I used my poles for balancing tricky creek crossings on boulders. And the time I developed the shin splints, they became invaluable to letting me finish that trip. They're very light and small, so in my opinion it's worth it to bring them.

Have fun! I'm over in Wisconsin and also leaving soon, but I'll be back on the VDLP.

Melanie

 

[sandyfeetx2]

Hello cooker1200

I too leave the states on the 12th and will start from SJPP on the 15th.........

I started using trekking poles last year and now always use them...... for one thing they keep your hands up, and subsequently keep them from swelling which can get a bit uncomfortable......

As far as your timeline, I agree with the previous poster, should be plenty of time. I allowed a few more days than that just because I want to go to Cape Finisterre and Muxia......

Oh, and If you do not already have some smartwool socks, I would get some, they are tough and more importantly do not stink at the end of the day!

 

[astonjd]

Let's look out for each other - I start fron StJ on 14 Sept, stopping in Orisson that night.

Joanne

 

[sandyfeetx2]

Hi Joanne

I start on the 15th, and will walk through to Roncesvalles, See you there!

Mark

 

[alipilgrim]

Hey Cooker,

For me the poles are indispensible; that's all I have to say on that.

Shoes, I met two pilgrims in May on the Camino that had terrible blisters on the soles of their feet which they contributed directly to having shoes with too insubstantial a sole, ie. not enough support. For me, a shoe-type hiking shoe is ideal. Light, breathable upper and a firm but flexible sole. I found Merrill fit me well, but there's tons of choices out there. Be careful, walking with the weight of a pack day-after-day will sorely test feet in running shoes!

Good luck, alipilgrim

 

[Anniesantiago]

There are as many opinions about shoes on the forum as there are pilgrims. In the end, it's a matter of personal choice.

I've walked the Camino Frances twice, the Aragones Route, the Portuguese and portions of the Norte and Via de la Plata.

I've worn only New Balance trail shoes with Motion Control Inserts. New Balance makes a shoe with a very wide toe box, giving your toes a place to spread and not rub together. The soles are flexible, perfect for 6 hour per day walking. The Motion Control inserts not only protect the sole of your foot, and give extra support in the instep, they support your ankles as well by giving your foot control. You can wear these shoes out of the store and directly onto the Camino with no breaking in. That's how well they fit.

In my opinion, unless you have weak ankles, there is no place on the Camino that warrants hiking boots. More often than not, the trek is a gentle one.

The other reason I like New Balance trail shoes is that they easily dry overnight. Boots are often still wet and stiff next morning.

Lastly, the worst blisters I have ever seen on the Camino were sported by people wearing hiking boots. Often, the blisters were on the ankles or toes. That said, I met a Mexican boy walking the Camino in his cowboy boots!

Do a search. You will find long, long threads on here regarding boots vs. shoes. As I said, in the end it is a personal choice that one must make wisely.

 

[Carla Jean]

One more American leaving Orlando, Florida tomorrow and spending the night in Bayonne 14 Sep and checking into SJPP 15 Sep and Orisson the 16th. After that, El Camino is in charge.

El Camino has been calling me for many years and I'm finally going, to celebrate my 65th y jubilacion. I'm looking forward to the adventure that is calling me and perhaps meeting you somewhere along the way. With a little bit of fear and trepidation, and lots of faith and excitement.

Buen Camino,

Carla

 

[skilsaw]

Good Luck, all of you!
sounds like a nice lot starting Sept 12 to 15.

Remember that Spain is a developed country, and you can purchase anything you need in the cities on route. Last summer I had blisters start on day one. By the tenth day every step was painful. My solution was to mail my boots home, and purchase basic Nike running shoes. My feet healed as I continued to walk.

If you have taken too much stuff, you can mail some home. Or if you need something, you can purchase it enroute.

One of the lessons I learned on the Camino was how little we need to get by in life. Remember in this case, Less is more.

Buen Camino to you all.
David, Victoria, Canada.