5 days with an 80 year old

[Chuckie]

Hi there. I am planning to walk the Camino for 5 days (100km) with my very fit but 80 year old father at the end of March this year. I have heard that the Camino Ingles requires a fair bit of walking along the roadside (I don't know if that is correct or not) We are looking for a beautiful part of the Camino that is not too steep but keeps us more in nature and Dad doesn't really care about getting a Compostela so not concerned about ending up in Santiago on foot necessarily. Can anyone suggest a good route - I feel a little overwhelmed with all the options! Thank you so much! Sharlene

 

[Camembert]

Sharlene. The camino Inglès has some serious climbings. For example out of Pontedeume, Betanzos and the steep hill from Bar Julia to hospital de Bruma but there you could take a taxi or call Antonio of hostal o Meson Novo and he takes you if you stay in his hostal for the night.

Alternative could be the caminho Portuges from Valença/Tui but you'll meet some steep hills downwards beyond Pontevedra so walking poles are a good aid and I saw some people zig zagging downwards.

 

[Chuckie]

Sharlene. The camino Inglès has some serious climbings. For example out of Pontedeume, Betanzos and the steep hill from Bar Julia to hospital de Bruma but there you could take a taxi or call Antonio of hostal o Meson Novo and he takes you if you stay in his hostal for the night.

Alternative could be the caminho Portuges from Valença/Tui but you'll meet somesteep hillsdownwards beyond Pontevedra so walking poles are a goodaid andI saw some people zig zagging downwards.

Thank you Albertinho!

 

[Anniesantiago]

There are many places along the Camino Frances that would be good and possibly easier to access.
If you go in early May it's not so busy.

Also, if you do not go in summer, much of the Via de la Plata is flat walking, as is much of the Camino Madrid.

 

[grayland]

It may be useful to know that many of us here are very near the same age and walk "full" Caminos every year. (By "full" I mean from the nominal starting point such as SJPdP, Irun, Seville, etc.).

My experience is that we seem to manage with about the same effort and ability as those younger Pilgrims...the average would be about the same if the older person is actually fit.

Many of these caminos average 800 km (more or less) and are comprised of all types of surfaces and elevations.

You have said that your father is "fit". You may be underestimating his ability.
Start a bit of a training program now to judge his ability. start slow and work up to 10 miles or so.
His age should not be the factor. Like everyone else...his physical condition will be the issue.
Keep an open mind and don't let the age alarm you. You (and your father) may be surprised.

 

[Anniesantiago]

You may want to read the thread on here entitled "60 and Over" and maybe talk to some of the 75 and up folks like camino david.

 

[Tia Valeria]

@sillydoll took a 90 year old on the Camino Inglés last year, with a slow group. If you check out the posts on the 'Camino Inglés in 11 days' it might help you with your decisions. If a Compostella is not important this is a good route in many ways. However there are some serious hills, some of which could be avoided maybe. Check out Johnny W's guide (see Resources), the latest version has elevations, and also Gronze.com which has distances and elevations etc for all the Caminos.

 

[Silverton]

Hi Chuckie,
I agree with the others--the question really isn't about age, but about a fair level of fitness. My 80 year old friend is going to join me for several days in March too--I'm only 74, but she's apt to wear me out! You haven't mentioned where you will be travelling from. Access points can be fairly important in the spring, before some of the seasonal airline routes are operating. (I had hoped for us to walk from Leon to Samos, but the logistics of returning to Dublin by bus/hotel/train/plane seemed extraordinarily tedious--so we'll walk from Logrono to (I hope) Frómista--with trains to and from Madrid.) Although you mention not feeling the need to arrive in Santiago, if you have easy access to the city, then I agree with Albertinho that the Camino Portugués--5 days from Tui--could be a good choice. That was our route with my late-septuagenarian sis and br-in-law last spring. No steep challenges and easy accommodation. (As it is just over 100km, it does merit a compostela--but it's not obligatory!) Happy planning, and buen camino to you both!

 

[Jan_D]

Hi Sharlene, hopefully you won't be more confused than ever after reading all these suggestions! If it's your first time on the Camino I would recommend the walk from Pamplona to Logrono on the Frances: it's a beautiful stretch through the Navarran landscape and Riojan vineyards, through some wonderful historically important Camino towns. Also, at this stage you'll have with just the right amount of pilgrims for company. It will no doubt tempt you to come back and do the rest sometime!

(p.s. if you're short on time and access is an issue: I'm not sure if you're coming from the UK, but if so there should be cheap flights and ferries directly to Santander, where you could walk a few days along the beautiful coastline of the Camino del Norte!)

 

[Tia Valeria]

(p.s. if you're short on time and access is an issue: I'm not sure if you're coming from the UK, but if so there should be cheap flights and ferries directly to Santander, where you could walk a few days along the beautiful coastline of the Camino del Norte!)

If you do this it is worth taking the FEVE 'cercania' from Santander out to Barreda and avoid spending a day walking through the industrial zone. It is a half hourly service, takes about 20 minutes and you pick up the Camino as it passes the station in Barreda and go from there to Santillana del Mar......

 

[JohnMcM]

You may want to read the thread on here entitled "60 and Over" and maybe talk to some of the 75 and up folks like camino david.

Chuckle,
Good piece of advice here methinks
BUEN Camino

 

[camino-david]

Hi,
I don't know whether I am the David that Anniesantiago is referring to, but I walked the Frances in 2010 from St Jean to Santiago and Finisterre at the age of 79, and again in 2011 from Somport (860 kms), and again in 2013 from Pamplona (720 kms) plus Camino Portugeuse from Porto (240 kms). So as others have said, age is no limitation, just fitness and some stubbornness (and stupidity!)
David

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi,
I don't know whether I am the David that Anniesantiago is referring to, but I walked the Frances in 2010 from St Jean to Santiago and Finisterre at the age of 79, and again in 2011 from Somport (860 kms), and again in 2013 from Pamplona (720 kms) plus Camino Portugeuse from Porto (240 kms). So as others have said, age is no limitation, just fitness and some stubbornness (and stupidity!)
David

Yup, it was YOU! ::laughing::