Best walking strategy for July?

[Mark2012]

I'm expecting it to be busy when I start walking the Camino Frances from July 3, and so I'm wondering how best to deal with that, in terms of my walking strategy.

Based on previous Caminos (slightly earlier in the year in 2012 and 2013), I've come to realise that I enjoy walking earlier in the day. Tumbling out of an albergue by 6.30am doesn't feel like a hardship to me. I quite like the idea of clocking the kms early in the day and ideally reaching my stop point by around 2-3pm. Aside from being content to start early, there's also a practical consideration, given that I'm fair-skinned and so really shouldn't be exposing myself to peak daily sun if I can avoid it.

Also, while I find the Brierley guide useful, I'm very much aware that it's not a good idea to be a slave to the stage suggestions, and would be wiser to almost make point of stopping short or just beyond those recommended stop points.

So, I'm just wondering, for those with insight on this issue, would the combination of early starts & finishes combined with choosing stop points that break with the Brierley guide be a good idea to avoid possible problems with meeting the dreaded 'completo' signs at albergues? And I'd also be more than happy to hear any other suggestions!

 

[christian527]

I'm expecting it to be busy when I start walking the Camino Frances from July 3, and so I'm wondering how best to deal with that, in terms of my walking strategy.

Based on previous Caminos (slightly earlier in the year in 2012 and 2013), I've come to realise that I enjoy walking earlier in the day. Tumbling out of an albergue by 6.30am doesn't feel like a hardship to me. I quite like the idea of clocking the kms early in the day and ideally reaching my stop point by around 2-3pm. Aside from being content to start early, there's also a practical consideration, given that I'm fair-skinned and so really shouldn't be exposing myself to peak daily sun if I can avoid it.

Also, while I find the Brierley guide useful, I'm very much aware that it's not a good idea to be a slave to the stage suggestions, and would be wiser to almost make point of stopping short or just beyond those recommended stop points.

So, I'm just wondering, for those with insight on this issue, would the combination of early starts & finishes combined with choosing stop points that break with the Brierley guide be a good idea to avoid possible problems with meeting the dreaded 'completo' signs at albergues? And I'd also be more than happy to hear any other suggestions!

Hi

My second camino was during July and August of last year and I never had problems finding a bed. Let me explain why

I'm not really an early bird and most of the times I would be the last one leaving the albergue and probably the last one leaving the town because I refuse to walk without having a proper breakfast

I always plan where I would like to walk the next day and check my guidebooks for some information about the towns ect, if I want to stay somewhere I just call and make a reservation ...some people find this cheating or not spontaneous enough...well maybe is not spontaneous , but I enjoy my day so much this way.
You can have as many breaks as you want, smell the roses and why not...take a nap whenever you want

While taking it easy I see people stressing out so much about a bed...how can you enjoy the camino when the only thing you think about is a bed

Just make a reservation and enjoy smelling the roses

 

[Felipe]

You may also consider other options than Camino Frances. Guides are useful, but they have given the wrong idea that there is an only "official way" to Santiago. There are many interesting options, much less crowded, in Spain, Portugal and France, well signposted and with albergues availability.
Buen camino!

 

[scruffy1]

How about a solar power air-conditioner under your hat? You would never know it now after this long cool wet Spring but come July August you should be ready for the heat - drink often and drink plenty of water - drink until you need to find a tree - you can't drink too much, headache dizzy talk funny? just drink and fill your water bottle whenever you see the aqua-potable sign but always check to see if there is water in the pipe before fiishing off whatever is left or dumping the hot water from the bottle!- there are many cafe/bars along the Camino which can help and the owners will often put up a sign Cafe/Bar -> 150 meters, the Golden Rule is if you can't see the place don't go since the owners are not so good at measuring distance! - a hat with a good wide brim and not an American style baseball cap, a real hat a real brim (see me to the left!), a rest break in the sun is great for your tan but if you want to rest in the shade please, easy if you follow a few rules, Buen Camino.

 

[Mark2012]

Hi

My second camino was during July and August of last year and I never had problems finding a bed. Let me explain why

I'm not really an early bird and most of the times I would be the last one leaving the albergue and probably the last one leaving the town because I refuse to walk without having a proper breakfast

I always plan where I would like to walk the next day and check my guidebooks for some information about the towns ect, if I want to stay somewhere I just call and make a reservation ...some people find this cheating or not spontaneous enough...well maybe is not spontaneous , but I enjoy my day so much this way.
You can have as many breaks as you want, smell the roses and why not...take a nap whenever you want

While taking it easy I see people stressing out so much about a bed...how can you enjoy the camino when the only thing you think about is a bed

Just make a reservation and enjoy smelling the roses

When I walked the Frances in 2012 and Portugues in 2013, I made a conscious decision not to reserve albergues. I preferred having the freedom to decide where I was going to stay "on the track" and, for me, it would have felt a bit like cheating and I would have felt a little uncomfortable to think that making a reservation and then taking my time might see someone else turned away from a given albergue who didn't make a reservation. I made no judgements against people who opted for reservations, there is no wrong way after all, but it wasn't something I wanted to do myself.

Having said that...

I may feel a little different about things in 2014. As it is, I've already sent a reservation query to an albergue in Zariquiegui, with an eye on trying to deal with the Pamplona/San Fermin issue. Other than that, though, hopefully I'll feel able to walk without making reservations. Aside from anything else, it just feels easier to me. Yes, there's freedom in smelling the roses and not being conscious of the time, but there's also freedom in not necessarily knowing where you're going to finish the day when you start walking in the morning.

Besides, as I said, I quite like early starts and given my skin tone I would be wise to avoid the peak sun hours outdoors or at least not walking. I can handle the idea of dealing with the sun while drinking beer at the end of my walking day!

If it turns out that I'm hearing "completo" more than I'd like and having to walk on to neighbouring towns, then I may well look at the reservation solution, but certainly for the first week or so I'll see how it's developing before opting for that solution!

 

[Mark2012]

You may also consider other options than Camino Frances. Guides are useful, but they have given the wrong idea that there is an only "official way" to Santiago. There are many interesting options, much less crowded, in Spain, Portugal and France, well signposted and with albergues availability.
Buen camino!

I walked the Frances in 2012, but then walked the Portugues from just outside Porto in 2013. I enjoyed the Portugues, but there were aspects of the Frances "experience" that I found myself missing when walking last year. This year will probably be my last chance (for a while) to spend several weeks walking in one go, so, I decided to do the Frances again, as I figure it's a safe bet that I will enjoy it. I'd prefer to be walking either a little earlier or a little later in the year, but that's not feasible for me. That said, I'm absolutely looking forward to it, but I'm a planner and organiser by nature, so it's inevitable that I'll spend time thinking about how busy it's likely to be and how best not to let that 'interfere' with me!

 

[Mark2012]

How about a solar power air-conditioner under your hat? You would never know it now after this long cool wet Spring but come July August you should be ready for the heat - drink often and drink plenty of water - drink until you need to find a tree - you can't drink too much, headache dizzy talk funny? just drink and fill your water bottle whenever you see the aqua-potable sign but always check to see if there is water in the pipe before fiishing off whatever is left or dumping the hot water from the bottle!- there are many cafe/bars along the Camino which can help and the owners will often put up a sign Cafe/Bar -> 150 meters, the Golden Rule is if you can't see the place don't go since the owners are not so good at measuring distance! - a hat with a good wide brim and not an American style baseball cap, a real hat a real brim (see me to the left!), a rest break in the sun is great for your tan but if you want to rest in the shade please, easy if you follow a few rules, Buen Camino.

Most of that advice feels very familiar to me having walked the Frances previously... especially that point about the 150 metres signs!!! ;-)

 

[mikevasey]

Hi

My second camino was during July and August of last year and I never had problems finding a bed. Let me explain why

I'm not really an early bird and most of the times I would be the last one leaving the albergue and probably the last one leaving the town because I refuse to walk without having a proper breakfast

I always plan where I would like to walk the next day and check my guidebooks for some information about the towns ect, if I want to stay somewhere I just call and make a reservation ...some people find this cheating or not spontaneous enough...well maybe is not spontaneous , but I enjoy my day so much this way.
You can have as many breaks as you want, smell the roses and why not...take a nap whenever you want

While taking it easy I see people stressing out so much about a bed...how can you enjoy the camino when the only thing you think about is a bed

Just make a reservation and enjoy smelling the roses

If and when I get onto the Frances from the Arles route this is going to be my plan, I don't mind walking/napping under a hot afternoon sun and as long as I know there is a bed ahead, getting in late afternoon is not a problem for me. I realised that after a few days of walking the Arles route that the best days are where I don't keep company while walking but got into my own inner spaces, the evenings are for good company which is just as important but a different need.

 

[Thomas1962]

If it turns out that I'm hearing "completo" more than I'd like and having to walk on to neighbouring towns, then I may well look at the reservation solution, but certainly for the first week or so I'll see how it's developing before opting for that solution!

This would be my solution too. Don't worry before, but see how it goes and react only to that. I also like to see where to sleep as I walk. If it gets too bad, you can always start to make reservations.
Never had a problem myself, although I haven't been on the busiest parts on the most busiest time. In another thread I asked if anyone ever experienced not finding a bed themselves (and not by having heard this from other people).
It seemed like no one experienced this. There always seems to be a solution in any village or a nearby village.
Go man!

 

[tyrrek]

Sharing private rooms in hotels/hostals has worked well for me at times. Three or four sharing a room brings the cost down significantly. (If you can get over the guilt of such decadence, of course.)

 

[domigee]

I don't know, my 2 caminos were done in July, because that is the only time I had free.
Yes it's very busy (i have no idea how to compare since it was my only experience!).But I never went without a bed.
No-one else I knew were left without a bed. Please don't worry.
For instance, in Pereje... My second year. We arrived late but were put up in the attics.. One of our best nights! Yes, the showers had only cold water by then, but hey!
Fear not, honest!

 

[Tigerandahalf]

I'd be tempted to walk in July/August but the heat would be a big deterrent. It can be very hot - over 30c. With a big bag on your back you are going to be sweating a lot. It depends on how you handle the heat. I would find walking in anything over 25c too uncomfortable. Others can handle the heat and don't sweat as much. I'd imagine the hostels would also be very warm at night. I guess if you start walking at 6am and finish by 12pm, you would be avoiding a lot of the heat. I'm thinking of doing some walking on the Camino Ingles or the Camino Norte to avoid the summer heat.

 

[thetravellingpen]

I'd be tempted to walk in July/August but the heat would be a big deterrent. It can be very hot - over 30c. With a big bag on your back you are going to be sweating a lot. It depends on how you handle the heat. I would find walking in anything over 25c too uncomfortable. Others can handle the heat and don't sweat as much. I'd imagine the hostels would also be very warm at night. I guess if you start walking at 6am and finish by 12pm, you would be avoiding a lot of the heat. I'm thinking of doing some walking on the Camino Ingles or the Camino Norte to avoid the summer heat.

Love the heat! Starting 10 July in Pamplona. I live in Thailand and have been training in 36c+ temps. Don't do cold...

 

[Mark2012]

I'd be tempted to walk in July/August but the heat would be a big deterrent. It can be very hot - over 30c. With a big bag on your back you are going to be sweating a lot. It depends on how you handle the heat. I would find walking in anything over 25c too uncomfortable. Others can handle the heat and don't sweat as much. I'd imagine the hostels would also be very warm at night. I guess if you start walking at 6am and finish by 12pm, you would be avoiding a lot of the heat. I'm thinking of doing some walking on the Camino Ingles or the Camino Norte to avoid the summer heat.

Even though I'm Irish and fair-skinned, I'm not afraid of the heat. I wouldn't want to be out in it during the peak hours all the time, but I'm not worried about it. I walked the Frances in May and June 2012 and found the temperatures very manageable. We had some heat, but nothing unbearable. The worst of it, as I recall, was walking to Los Arcos without shade with the sun beating down, and I coped reasonably well. I know July/August is probably going to mean more heat and more often than May/June, but I suppose there's still a lottery element to it. The weather on the Camino is famously eccentric!

 

[Mark2012]

Love the heat! Starting 10 July in Pamplona. I live in Thailand and have been training in 36c+ temps. Don't do cold...

I think I'd find walking in 36c+ a bit challenging! You shouldn't have to worry about cold, though. I recall from my walk in May/June 2012 that over 5 weeks, there was only one night when I felt even close to cold. Of course, cold is a relative feeling, I'm willing to bet definitions differ between Ireland and Thailand.

I expecting to be passing through Pamplona on July 6, so I'll be a few days ahead of you. Not a long gap per se, but quite a distance in Camino terms!

 

[thetravellingpen]

I think I'd find walking in 36c+ a bit challenging! You shouldn't have to worry about cold, though. I recall from my walk in May/June 2012 that over 5 weeks, there was only one night when I felt even close to cold. Of course, cold is a relative feeling, I'm willing to bet definitions differ between Ireland and Thailand.

I expecting to be passing through Pamplona on July 6, so I'll be a few days ahead of you. Not a long gap per se, but quite a distance in Camino terms!

Well I will be in Pamplona from 9th... but spending a day even though it will be crazy as I will never have the chance again. You never know... I might just catch up to you! Not likely...

 

[Mark2012]

Well I will be in Pamplona from 9th... but spending a day even though it will be crazy as I will never have the chance again. You never know... I might just catch up to you! Not likely...

You never know! If I smell all the flowers and you power walk, you could catch me somewhere between Logrono and Burgos!

 

[Tigerandahalf]

It depends on the person. Fair skinned people want to avoid sun on the skin but some can handle its heat quite well. I tan but can't handle the heat. Trying to sleep in a very warm albergue would also be tough for me. I'd be outside my comfort zone and I think to really enjoy the camino, you need to feel comfortable.
It is quite likely, from reading posts here, that people will be getting up as early as 4.30am to avoid the heat. Thus you may not get a huge amount of sleep.
However, a huge amount of people do the camino at this time of the year. Being cold should not be a problem. Make sure you have the right footwear and good socks. Changing them during the day may be a good option. When I walked I had bought bridgedale socks but felt they were too heavy (my feet sweat). I ended up wearing 1000 mile socks which are double lined but light enough at the same time. They also only come upto the ankle so let your feet breathe that bit more.