brief preperation questions

[janehope]

i am planning on starting the Camino in st jean at the very end of September this year, and am giving myself 45-50 days as a time frame hoping to me done by 2nd week of November. i have never done anything like this before, but feel ready to do so at this point in my life. any helpful tips would be gratefully appreciated. i am planning on doing it alone, i am a woman in her early 20's, i haven't prepared physically and am not extremely athletic , but i am healthy and young. is my time frame appropriate ? and how will late Sept, Oct, and early November be in regards to climate? is accommodation something that should be planned out ahead of time? and how strenuous and safe is the journey to be making alone in the autumn ? thanks ever so much for any replies and buen Camino !

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - welcome to the forum. Your questions:

1 With 45 - 50 days you have plenty of time. In all probability you will reach Santiago in under 40 days (or less ) giving you the option of walking on to Finisterre/Muxia if you wish. With this timescale you may also wish to linger in cities or other places along the way.

2 The common advice would be to do at least some training/practice before setting out - walk with the shoes or boots you will use and with your rucksack packed focussing on trying to get it as light as possible. Walk at your own pace for distances with which you are comfortable - your stamina will quickly grow.

3 On the Camino Frances you won't be alone for long. Setting out from St Jean at the end of September there will be plenty of other pilgrims on the way.

4 Weather - who knows? Walking in October I'd have good rain gear and clothes that I can layer as it can be cold in the early mornings and late evenings. I'd also be prepared to buy sunscreen Look at the long range forecasts before you leave. I would not expect extremes of weather at that time of the year.

5 Accommodation - the albergues will still be open end of September beginning October although progressively some start to close for the season or to give hopitarleros a break or for work to be done. I set out from St Jean on 11th November three years ago and there were enough albergues along the way to satisfy demand - there are more now! My advice would be to take each day as it comes - there is no need to plan ahead any more than the day in front of you. In my experience of winter walking the albergues in Galicia (from O Cebreiro to Santiago) will be open and heated. Take a guidebook with details of accommodation if you wish.

6 For someone young and mildly fit (you will be by the end!) the Camino Frances is not inordinately strenuous - it is also very safe. In saying that all normal rules about personal safety and the security of your belongings apply.

You will be leaving for St Jean in around 4 weeks. Have fun preparing. Take as little as you can - light is good!

Have a wonderful camino and please let us know how you get on.

Buen Camino

John

 

[k-fun]

Congratulations on you upcoming Camino.

I walked the Camino last year in September and October with my husband. I was 61 yrs. old and it took us 41 days. That included an extra day in the Pyrenees (we walked both over the mountain and through the valley) and three days rest when I got tendonitis (shin splints). To avoid getting injured, I recommend a light load and a slower pace at the beginning. Once you find your walking stride and the body adjust to the the pounding steps, you should be find.

September was lovely, weather-wise. October was cold in the mornings and I wore fleece pants and jacket until the sun was high...late mornings. Once, I wore everything I had—fleece clothing, rain gear, and thin gloves—just to stay warm.

It is dark in the mornings in late October; sun-rise is after 8 am. Be sure to have a good head lamp.

As JohnnyWalker stated, train by walking with your loaded pack. I also recommend step-exercises or squats. These will prepare you for the Pyrenees. That first day from St.-Jean_Pied_de_Port to Roncesvalles is long, perhaps ten or more hours. Be sure to take plenty of food and water. Once over the Pyrenees, you will be walking from town to town, so you won't need to carry as much food and water.

Be sure to get good maps and guide books. We started out with only a guide book and got lost a few times. Once we had the maps, it was a lot better.

Since you have time, don't forget to stop and visit places of interest along the way. Have fun.

Buen Camino