Camiño de Inverno wooden signs

[Athena Atterdag]

I came across quite a lot of these, and I wonder who made them?



I was, of course, very glad to see every arrow and every mojón and very appreciative of the people who did the way-marking, but these wooden signs felt somewhat special, perhaps because it was much easier to imagine them being carved and installed all by human hands. A very heart-warming feeling, especially on such a solitary Camino as the Invierno!

 

[KinkyOne]

I came across quite a lot of these, and I wonder who made them?

View attachment 50637

I was, of course, very glad to see every arrow and every mojón and very appreciative of the people who did the way-marking, but these wooden signs felt somewhat special, perhaps because it was much easier to imagine them being carved and installed all by human hands. A very heart-warming feeling, especially on such a solitary Camino as the Invierno!

As I remember they are just on the stretch from A Rua to Quiroga so I guess Asun's Asociation or local TO made and placed them.

 

[Athena Atterdag]

This one is a few kilometres beyond Quiroga, but just a few

I thought that they might be made and placed there by local Camino friends, and it's especially nice that they're obviously well-maintained!

 

[t2andreo]

The Camino de Invierno was only formally accepted into the Camino de Santiago network a few years ago (2015 IIRC). This followed a lot of research and review by the relevant authorities governing such an accession. So, much of the signage and directional arrows are dynamic.

Over time, the ubiquitous, painted yellow arrows will likely emerge as being dominant. For the moment, the locals are being creative and proactive, to get their villages established on the Camino de Invierno as soon as possible. I happen to like the woden signs, but standardization is the way to go, at least IMHO.

Another example of differences on this route is that the mojones (distance markers) are made of black slate when you are in the Bierzo region. Yet, all dimensional features and markings are standard. As soon as you cross the river into Galicia, the markers change to the granite type we are all more familiar with.

The first time you see the black ones coming out of Ponferrada, you scratch your head and wonder. That is, until you realize that slate quarrying is a major industry in the Bierzo, while granite quarrying is dominant in Galicia. Makes perfect sense to me...

Insofar as I know from my experience last spring, the practice of "pirating" pilgrims using misdirection and vandalizing signs has not yet spread to the Camino de Invierno. As this route becomes more used, this cynical practice will likely creep in. Just be aware...

Be patient and have a secondary means of navigation. A guide book or app fills this need nicely.

Hope this helps.

 

[peregrina2000]

I totally agree with you, Athena. Those wooden markers were there in 2011 when I first walked the Invierno. I think Kinky is probably right that Asún and her group had something to do with that. At that time, there were reularly placed standard granite camino “bollards” from Ponferrada to Puente Domino Flórez, but when you entered Galicia it got very spotty. And many of the ones that were there, were misplaced. An elderly woman who lived in Camiño Grande, which was after what used to be a pretty treacherous part with lots of brambles, no markings, tons of mud, told me that one day. In 2010 the Xunta showed up with a truckload of mojones and just plopped one down with no regard for which way it was pointing. The same was true for several leaving Chantada, so our guide was maybe more helpful then!

Recently the Xunta has been back and the errors seem to have been corrected, and aside from leaving the river walk at Lalín and the stretch after Soldón things are all clear, is that right? Would love to hear your overall thoughts on a Winter Camino Invierno, with stages and accommodation if that isn’t asking too much! Buen camino,Laurie

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Tom, when you mentioned the black mojos, I too, remembered all the dark slate walking both near and in Ponferrada. It was especially apparant on all the black slate roofs seen from the castle lookouts from above....I loved those views!

 

[Athena Atterdag]

Recently the Xunta has been back and the errors seem to have been corrected, and aside from leaving the river walk at Lalín and the stretch after Soldón things are all clear, is that right?

Yes, these were the only places on the entire Invierno where I (almost) got lost!

After Soldón everything is fine - it's in Soldón itself where things get a bit complicated: when you emerge from under the national road before entering the village, you have the road to your left and some houses to your right, and no arrows at all until you dive into the narrow alleyway between the houses. I stopped and re-read the guide and figured out that since I was supposed to cross the river under the national highway, the highway itself just couldn't the right way. When I walked into the alleyway, I saw an arrow almost immediately and so knew I was on the right track.

Would love to hear your overall thoughts on a Winter Camino Invierno, with stages and accommodation if that isn’t asking too much! Buen camino,Laurie

Yes, I was thinking about sharing my experience on this forum! Now I'll definitely do it