padre eric
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances 2016
Frances 2019
Portugues 2022
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There is! Keep looking.if there was already a thread on this topic
Get EMDR therapy for your friend. I had to in order to counter my fear of flying. Can't get to Europe easily any other way.Hi All,
We are planning to walk the Camino via the Frances route. One member of our small groups has a terrible fear of bridges or steep drop offs. Does anyone have information regarding what we will be encountering? Descriptions and pictures would be great. I do apologize if there was already a thread on this topic, tried searching but didn't find one. Many thanks.
I, too, hate high bridges. Each time that I have walked the Camino Frances one section that I have particularly dreaded and even feared involves crossing varied bridges just before entering Leon. In the past we pilgrims walked on a narrow medieval bridge at Villarente in frightening competition with on-coming contemporary lorry traffic. The traffic usually won. Luckily in 2012/2013 a dedicated pedestrian-only bridge was added. What a relief it now is to gently stroll along this elegant low wooden way without fearing being hit or run over!
Closer to Leon amidst industrial sprawl a recent pedestrian bridge carries pilgrims high above the auto-route. When I got there in 2010 the wind was so terrific that at first I could NOT MOVE! Seeking help but seeing no other pilgrim I backed down the ramp and calmly walked into a nearby car showroom. After I explained that I needed assistance to cross the slightly astonished but very elegant manager put on his coat and took my arm. Eventually we both made it across, wind-blown and breathless! With a casual 'Adios' he further added that he had never walked the Camino and if it was all like this crossing he certainly never would! ...Now whenever I have successfully crossed this bridge I smile in great relief!!
Anyone afraid of drop offs should never contemplate the el Salvador.
Anyone afraid of drop offs should never contemplate the el Salvador.
portomarín, especially towards the end of the summer or if the embalse has been emptied, can be bad (narrow walking area between railing and car lanes). the bridge over the railway coming into santiago city after monte de gozo with it's rotting wood planks.Hi All,
We are planning to walk the Camino via the Frances route. One member of our small groups has a terrible fear of bridges or steep drop offs. Does anyone have information regarding what we will be encountering? Descriptions and pictures would be great. I do apologize if there was already a thread on this topic, tried searching but didn't find one. Many thanks.
And the winner is...the bridge at Portomarin! I generally don't have a fear of heights, but must admit that for some reason that one seemed a little spooky, even to me. Nearly everybody I talked to said the same thing. The other one that may be of concern to anyone with acrophobia is the pedestrian railroad overpass as you just start coming into Astorga -- it's a big, spindly, erector set-like structure with long switchback ramps up both sides. It's not very high, but I can imagine anyone who is uncomfortable with heights might feel a bit uneasy on this one, especially if one of those high-speed trains happens to come by while you're on the bridge.
Acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Here's a link:I haven't done the Frances - but I do sympathise with your friend. Sometimes a fear is possible to lessen with experiencing the thing feared - but often it is a phobia - and you just do not have any control over it. I speak as one who when we broke down on honeymoon - I literally crawled (sobbing) over the Col de Tournalet on my hands and knees. On Camino thru Portugal the bridge over the Foz was my nemesis! I used many 'coping' strategies to cycle across it - but still ended up having a massive panic attack and crashed my bike on the far side - my husband had to administer diazepam and brandy...
All you can do is plan to have coping strategies - rescue remedy/counting steps/meditate beforehand - anything that you find might help you at least get started. But also things like - can one of your friends run with you if that helps - or get a lift across - or start the day with a soberano brandy as well as a café con leche...! Make sure you have anything with you that might help - I think the above advice to say to yourself - 'in a minute it will be history' is great too. At the end of the day - there will always be bridges/heights/ drop-offs - so you just have to screw your courage up and go for it. Good luck. (Also =- appreciate all the things you CAN do - don't just dwell on the yucky stuff...)
What is EMDR therapy Annie G? sounds interesting...
i am planning to walk the camino frances next year starting at sjpd and am wondering if there are stages between sjpd and logrono that involve steep narrow high areas where you may slip and fall from a height !There is! Keep looking.
The bridge into Portomarin is probably the worst. There are some steep slopes in several sections, so it will depend quite a bit on what triggers the fear.
is the walking path going up the pyrenees fairly wideNo. Any elevation gain is because the entire countryside is gaining altitude as you walk up the path. Unless you actively seek out such alternative routes, there is zero risk of slipping off a cliff. When folks talk about “falling” they are referring to tripping over tree roots and rocks, or slipping in wet muddy conditions.
"Coming into Roncesvalles, if you take the Valcarlos route. After you leave the highway, there are some sketchy parts where you need to watch where you step. The path is fairly close to the edge in some places. Actually, until you get to Pamplona, there are quite a few places in the Pyrenees where Camino takes you up the side of a hill and has a steep drop-off."It was pouring rain and driving wind when I had to cross that! Funny, I even remember the car dealership! Heights don't bother me at all, but yes, that was a pain in the butt to get over with the wind. When leaving Leon, they also have those pathways that go over the railroad tracks too.
Astorga has that goofy track crossing too. The one that zig-zags back and forth.
Other places that stick out in my mind:
Coming into Roncesvalles, if you take the Valcarlos route. After you leave the highway, there are some sketchy parts where you need to watch where you step. The path is fairly close to the edge in some places. Actually, until you get to Pamplona, there are quite a few places in the Pyrenees where Camino takes you up the side of a hill and has a steep drop-off.
Some of the foot bridges can be "high" (depending on your definition of high) but you can cross them quickly.
The bridge coming into Logrono is fairly high off the water and it's long too. Most of the Roman and medieval bridges can be "high" (depending on your definition of high) but you can cross them quickly.
Hospital de Orbigo is another one that is high and is looooooong! But that one is pretty cool!
As others have mentioned, Portomarin has the granddaddy of all bridges going into town.
Going up and coming down from O'cebreiro, you run into the same issues of a narrow path on the side of hills. Watch your step!
is the walking path going up the pyrenees fairly wide
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