Elme Oosthuizen
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- starting my camino on the 19th of June!
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You have plenty of time. 25 km per day is sort of an average day for many.Hello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
Love that.It kind of depends on the slope
… I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
thank you so much for the helpful reply and the tips, will definitely use themHi, @Elme Oosthuizen, welcome to the forum.
This may sound unhelpful but the opposite is intended. Do not try and plan your camino based on what other people do. There are members of this forum who will walk 30 - 40 Kms per day, every day, for ever: there are members who walk 10 - 15 because that is all they are physically capable of; or, more likely, inclined to do.
The better question is how far can you walk day after day with a loaded rucksack? And the probable answer is - you don't know.
There are easy resolutions to this conundrum. Practice walking with your camino loaded pack. Take a look at a few of the excellent websites such as www.Gronze.com where you can discover the distances between the available accommodations on the Camino Frances and see how that fits to your capacities.
For comfort: 3 weeks Leon to Santiago for a 22 year old average fit and healthy will be very comfortable provided you don't set off like a hare. Start slowly, Santiago isn't going anywhere. 4 weeks gives you ample time to walk to Fisterra and Muxia and time in Santiago.
If it helps your perspective I'm in my late 60's with a heart condition and some muscular- skeletal issues. Some days I walk 15km somedays I'll walk 35+. It kind of depends on the slope
thank you very much for the detailed reply - taking it to heart. good luck on your next camino!I let my body clock control the distance I walk each day. I get up when the bag rustling starts which is around 5, 6 or 7. I have usually packed my pack the night before and sleep in the pants/shorts and t-shirt I plan to walk in the next morning. If there is a cafe open that is a plus because I need my cafe con leche; otherwise I walk for an hour or so and hopefully will find myself lucky enough that one has just opened around 9. I air out my feet and then walk a few more hours until around noon to one I call it a day. I put my bag in the queue for the albergue, grab a beer and wait for it to open, followed by a shower, then washing my stuff and then go out for the menu del dia. So depending on the terrain and the weather conditions, because I hate walking in rain, that may have been 12km or that may have been 25km.
Mind you I have been doing this for 10 years and I don't walk much faster than 3 to 4 k/h; I will be 73 on this Camino.
thank you very much, i appreciate the detailed reply and the useful tips! hopefully i'll be well prepared!Hi Elme: Your plan seems very doable in 3-4 weeks. Leon-Santiago is about 300 kms + 90 kms to Finisterre =19 kms/day over 3 weeks or 14 kms/day over 4 weeks. Many people seem to walk 22-28 kms per day, while I met some that only walked 10-15 and others regularly did 30-40. Set your own pace. I like doing about 25-33 kms/day on avg. (with a few big days around 35-45 kms when I feel inspired).
Being 22 years old, average fit and healthy are all good, but not everything. I met several healthy 20 somethings with foot problems due to minimal preparation, inadequate foot care, wrong size and type of footwear and heavy packs. Be prepared and have fun.
thank you very muchI completely second @Tincatinker . On my Caminos and especially on Frances I've seen many more youngsters dropping out than oldies. No disrespect meant(I'm somewhere in the middle with 49)
I think the reason is that they feel so strong and powerful nothing is impossible for them. But first few stages with 40+ km covered will result most possibly in blisters if not something more devastating. Take it slow the first few days and then you'll see how your body reacts.
For example, my body is very angry with me first few days and I can almost hear it saying "WTF you are doing to me? You were sitting at the computer 10 months and now you want me to do all this!!!" And after completion it's ranting all over again: "WTF you are doing now? First you forced me to walk two months with this backpack and now suddenly you decided that's it. I'm having cramps during the night!!!"
Yep. True conversation
Hello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
thank you for the detailed reply! i appreciate, will take to heart!Hi, @Elme Oosthuizen, welcome to the forum.
This may sound unhelpful but the opposite is intended. Do not try and plan your camino based on what other people do. There are members of this forum who will walk 30 - 40 Kms per day, every day, for ever: there are members who walk 10 - 15 because that is all they are physically capable of; or, more likely, inclined to do.
The better question is how far can you walk day after day with a loaded rucksack? And the probable answer is - you don't know.
There are easy resolutions to this conundrum. Practice walking with your camino loaded pack. Take a look at a few of the excellent websites such as www.Gronze.com where you can discover the distances between the available accommodations on the Camino Frances and see how that fits to your capacities.
For comfort: 3 weeks Leon to Santiago for a 22 year old average fit and healthy will be very comfortable provided you don't set off like a hare. Start slowly, Santiago isn't going anywhere. 4 weeks gives you ample time to walk to Fisterra and Muxia and time in Santiago.
If it helps your perspective I'm in my late 60's with a heart condition and some muscular- skeletal issues. Some days I walk 15km somedays I'll walk 35+. It kind of depends on the slope
fantastic, thanks! will definitely start off slowly...buen camino!!Regardless of how much you can walk, I recommend that you begin slowly UNLESS you are an avid hiker/walker. It will allow your body to adjust to hours of walking each day. Then as you feel like you are better adjusted, begin to walk more each day.
You have plenty of time to accomplish the entire walk you have planned. You will succeed by taking care of your body that first several days.
Cheers and buen Camino
I’m starting on April 26 at SJPP, and I’m following your lead. I’m 74 with the usual panoply of age related issues. I’m ready to go!I let my body clock control the distance I walk each day. I get up when the bag rustling starts which is around 5, 6 or 7. I have usually packed my pack the night before and sleep in the pants/shorts and t-shirt I plan to walk in the next morning. If there is a cafe open that is a plus because I need my cafe con leche; otherwise I walk for an hour or so and hopefully will find myself lucky enough that one has just opened around 9. I air out my feet and then walk a few more hours until around noon to one I call it a day. I put my bag in the queue for the albergue, grab a beer and wait for it to open, followed by a shower, then washing my stuff and then go out for the menu del dia. So depending on the terrain and the weather conditions, because I hate walking in rain, that may have been 12km or that may have been 25km.
Mind you I have been doing this for 10 years and I don't walk much faster than 3 to 4 k/h; I will be 73 on this Camino.
This may sound unhelpful but the opposite is intended. Do not try and plan your camino based on what other people do. ...
I did mine on CF, one step at a time, one day at a time, in 4/2017. I will do it again on CP this May, one step at a time, one day a time.
I'll listen to my "senses" and "re-act" accordingly. I will gratefully enjoy whatever happening along the Way.
It kind of depends on the slope
Love that.
That will definitely beat my record of 6km in a dayI plan 3km a day... Anything more is a bonus and I put it down to being an over achiever.
thank you very much for the detailed reply en the tips - will take it to heart. this helps a lot! thanksTwo peregrinos will have at least three opinions on this issue. As a stout, overweight fellow, now in his mid-60s, I find that my walking pace is as follows:\
For daily planning I figure on the midpoint, 4 km per hour, and assume an approximate 6-hour walking day. Typically, I rise at 0600, depart my overnight lodgings by 0700, and stop for the day around 1300 - 1400. The time in excess of 4 km per hour is basically the time I am stopped having coffee or a snack at a cafe, or raking a shade break.
- On flat or down slope paths - 5 km per hour.
- On undulating ups and downs, with not steep climbs - 4 km per hour
- On an uphill slog, or a really long but continuously up segment - 3 km per hour
While I am walking I pace myself using a old school wristwatch, with arabic numbers, by clocking / counting one km per 15 minutes. That tells me how far I've come, and how far or how long I have to go to get where I am aiming...
That is usually when the sun is the hottest, not from 1000 to 1400, as in North America, but from 1200 to 1600. This aptly explains why siesta remains popular. The hot sun can be an issue even in the 'hip' seasons of May and September.
After six Caminos, this pattern has been repeatedly borne out for me. Everyone is different. I have met folks, mostly form northern Europe who can easily walk 50 km daily. That is not for me. I KNOW Santiago is not going anywhere and will be there when I arrive.
So, I plan around a 25-km day, and accept the variances due to accommodation availability. I do not usually stay in albergue my personal choice. I I sometimes have to walk up to 30 km - I dislike doing this, or as little as 18 or 19 km. Not fond of the latter either.
Hope this helps.
For me, the sweet spot is 20-25 km/day, though I can go longer. If I get down under 20, I start feeling lazy (not that I am completely unwilling to do so). When I was walking with my teenage son, his blisters started getting really bad when we hit a sustained series of days 25 km/day or more. When we dropped back under 25, it was much better for his feet. That was us, though.Hello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
There is no one size fits all advice. I found that my feet are much happier in hiking sandals and would never wear boots.You need good boots that you’ve worn around home for 8 hrs a day
Let’s put it this way, I am 70 and reasonably fit. I don’t train and I can walk 15 to 20 k a day. Go for it and enjoyHello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
That reminds me of the argument I had with my feet one day. I did my Camino Frances in stages. On the Burgos to León leg: day one I arrive in Hornillos del Camino and the argument went something like this:I completely second @Tincatinker . On my Caminos and especially on Frances I've seen many more youngsters dropping out than oldies. No disrespect meant(I'm somewhere in the middle with 49)
I think the reason is that they feel so strong and powerful nothing is impossible for them. But first few stages with 40+ km covered will result most possibly in blisters if not something more devastating. Take it slow the first few days and then you'll see how your body reacts.
For example, my body is very angry with me first few days and I can almost hear it saying "WTF you are doing to me? You were sitting at the computer 10 months and now you want me to do all this!!!" And after completion it's ranting all over again: "WTF you are doing now? First you forced me to walk two months with this backpack and now suddenly you decided that's it. I'm having cramps during the night!!!"
Yep. True conversation
Hi I’m also walking Leon to Santiago perhaps fisterre. I arrive late on its June. I am allowing myself 4 weeks averaging 12-15 Kim’s per day with hopefully a few days rest when I come to somewhere that just calls for some time out. Be good to meet you if your around that time.Hello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
Leon to Santiago via the Salvador followed by the Primitivo could be a great option for you given the time you have. That’s what I’m trying actually in June and July as well. Buen Camino!Hello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
That reminds me of the argument I had with my feet one day. I did my Camino Frances in stages. On the Burgos to León leg: day one I arrive in Hornillos del Camino and the argument went something like this:
My head "I'll stop here for something to eat and go on".
My feet "we're going no further today ".
My head "But that's only 18km, we continue on to San Bol"
My feet "No we're not, what about the three hours walking about Burgos this morning around the museum and to the cathedral etc?"
My head "But that wasn't really on the camino so that didn't count"
My feet "they counted!"
My head "...but..."
My feet "We're stopping here!"
Needless to say we (my feet and I!) stayed in Hornillos. The moral of the story is, in any dispute your feet have the deciding vote. That being said I did put in a few 30+km days later in the week, but remember the feet are the boss!
Hi ElmeHello fellow camino fanatics
I'm planning on walking the camino June/July and it's time for the final planning.
What is the doable/healthy/average/slightly challenging kilometers per day? I'm 22 years old and would see myself as average fit, and healthy.
I'm planning to walk from León to Santiago (and depending on time and fatigue hopefully to Finisterre) and giving myself between 3 and 4 weeks.
Thank you in advance !
Elmé
True, sandals would be great in the summer.There is no one size fits all advice. I found that my feet are much happier in hiking sandals and would never wear boots.
Crazy!!!! I walked 15-20 kilometres a dayYou have plenty of time. 25 km per day is sort of an average day for many.
If you follow Brierly's stages, and many people do, the average is just under 25 km per day.Crazy!!!! I walked 15-20 kilometres a day
I don't want to follow a book! I want to follow my heart, my inner spirit. I think you need to follow your inner being, not what others did or what a book says. buen caminoYou have plenty of time. 25 km per day is sort of an average day for many.
Just clarifying my statement that 25 km per day is average for many, but by all means is not required. Some average 30 - 35 km per day, others 10 - 20. It's all good !I don't want to follow a book! I want to follow my heart, my inner spirit. I think you need to follow your inner being, not what others did or what a book says. buen camino
I average 32-38 km per day, some days are short especially when arriving in Pamplona, Burgos and Leon where I like to spend a full day. Some days are over 40 km. It all depends on how I feel. Be interested to know. Who has walked 50 Km?Just clarifying my statement that 25 km per day is average for many, but by all means is not required. Some average 30 - 35 km per day, others 10 - 20. It's all good !
I did it once. Coming up from the south on the CP, I walked 46 kms to reach Santiago at about 7pm (don't ask me why). I was very tired. I checked in to my hotel, had a shower and went for dinner. About 10pm I started thinking how close I was to 50 kms so I went back to my hotel, grabbed my backpack and walked 4 kms around Santiago just to experience what 50 kms feels like.. . . Who has walked 50 Km?
Hospital de Orbigo to Riego de Ambros - 56km - about 11 hours walking with a short break in RabanalBe interested to know. Who has walked 50 Km?
Terrific!to experience what 50 kms feels like.Won't do that again but it felt very satisfying at the time and gave me closure to another great Camino experience.
Hospital de Orbigo to Riego de Ambros - 56km - about 11 hours walking with a short break in Rabanal
Fantastic!!!Barbadelo to Arzua approx 70k started 6:30am finished around 11pm
Hospital de Orbigo to Riego de Ambros - 56km - about 11 hours walking with a short break in Rabanal
Barbadelo to Arzua approx 70k started 6:30am finished around 11pm (called a casa rural from melide to make sure I would have a bed). I was definitely fatigued for the next day walk to SDC.
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