Camino de Levante April 2013 / Who will join?

[Knip Dyolf]

Hey Peregrinos/Peregrinas,

I will walk the Levante in spring 2013 (start approx 5-15.April in Valencia).

Actually, I walk my caminos alone, but I enjoy company in the evenings
In April/May 2011, I walked my first one, the "Via de la Plata", in October 2011 the "Frances", in May 2012 the "de la costa/del norte",
and recently in October 2012 the "Via de la Plata" again.

Yeah, and the next one will be the "Levante", from Valencia via the La Mancha to Zamora and evtl. to Astorga or even to Santiago,
but the "Levante" is very lonely, so it would be nice to have any fellow pilgrims around.

So if you are interested, please give me a note, ...

Jürgen / Germany/Baltic Sea

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Knip,
I can't leave the US till May 1, so I'll be a bit behind you. I'm hoping there will be others, but so far my posts haven't exactly stirred up a storm of walkers.

Kevin O'Brien walked in April a couple of years ago and told me it was really cold in parts. Want to wait till May?!

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[bjorgts]

My husband and I plan to start in Alicante (or may be in Valencia) and walk Lana/Levante for two weeks from around 20. of April.
Bjørg

 

[Kevin F. O*brien]

Just a small comment to Laurie and Bjorg. It was horribly cold on the Levante between April 10th and April 22nd (approx) this year. There was a very cold wind blowing. If you could find shelter from the wind the temperature was up around 25 degrees, but the chill factor, especially in the mornings was severe. Out of Higueruela on the 17th of April the temp sign at the Farmacia noted minus 4 degrees. I had a Norwegian wind jacket and trousers fleece jacket, and thermal underwear with woollen gloves and cap and didn't freeze, but two Italians I met had to break off to wait for better weather. It came around the 25th of April. That said the locals said they had never experienced anything like it so late in the year so it will probably be warmer in 2013.
Bjorg. I met a German guy near Zamora who surprised me by stating that, for once, the German guide was not very good. We used "Outdoor" on the Norte and were very impressed, but, according to my German friend the one for the Levante is not nearly as good as the Amigos version.
Buen Camino para todos,
Kev

 

[bjorgts]

Thank you, Kevin. Then I will bring the Amigos guide as well.
The weather: I smiled a bit, reading about the cold wind on Levante in April. I walked Via de la Plata from Cadiz to Finisterre this spring - two months. I have been walking in Spain in April every year for 10 years. I have had all sorts of weather from 30C+ to 3C-, but never strong wind, cold wind, frozen earth, heavy rain, snow(!) - and so on - for a whole months like this spring. (Well, there were some good days in between.) I was very happy for my Norwegian wool. On the 30th of April I past into Galicia, seeing nothing because of the snow falling. Then passing over from A Gudiña to Laza, still seeing nothing because of fog, and then some days when we felt that we nearly drowned. So may be it was a bad spring in most of Spain this year. It seemed that for the walkers coming from the French route, the bad weather had even started earlier than for us who were coming from the south.

So I am optimistic! I think there will not be two Aprils like that after each other. But may be it will... After all, I always bring my wool in April.
Bjørg

 

[Knip Dyolf]

Hey Peregrina2000 / Hey guys,
I am sure, weather will be ok in April
It's not a problem, if tempereature in the morning is around 2C, because it heats up lateron.
I trust the spanish seasons
@ Peregrina 2000: No chance for you to start a bit earlier?
Cause I have to be back mid of May in Germany,

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Remember to take warm clothes for the cold mornings: and remember April can be the rainy month, so take good rain gear!
Buen camino!

Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[bjorgts]

I can assure you: Last April on the Via de la Plata it did NOT always heat up later on! I For a month I could not sit down outside one single day to eat something in the middle of the day; most because of the strong wind, but the temperature were not good either, and often it was raining. I have never been so wet so many days in a month in my whole life. After all I had everything I needed both for wind, cold temperature and rain, but I felt sorry for many walkers. Some gave up and went home.

So, sorry, I am not THAT optimistic. I know there can be problems, but I bring what I need for wind, cold and rain. I have had so many wonderful Aprils during the last ten years in Spain (and two bad and one partly bad) that I am optimistic...

Bjørg

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Knip,
I wish I could start earlier, but I can't. I am planning to leave the US the very earliest I can, which is May 1. So it looks like I'll be walking in your footsteps. Hopefully, we'll both find that the Camino de Levante is enjoying a surge of popularity so we won't always be alone! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Knip, if you take your time I bet Laurie will catch up to you. She is an amazing long-distance walker!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Knip and Bjorts,

Just want to alert you to this great blog on the Camino de Levante in case you haven't seen it. Sil had posted a link earlier, but there is lots of good info and the blogger is walking now.

http://leadchangesspain.blogspot.com/

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Knip Dyolf]

Hey Laurie,
thanks for that hint, very interesting

 

[Knip Dyolf]

Now it's serious,
will arrive at Seville 13th April, moving for the first etappe 14th of April.
Still no fellow pilgrims ???
Hey Girls/Guys, if you are there, give me a note please
Wish you a moving 2013 :mrgreen:

 

[giorgio]

Don't expect a lot of company on the Levante, in may 2010 we only met three walking and a few Spanish cycling...in turn ,the weather was really hot. If so take water as i don't recall many places to refill..
Buen Camino
Giorgio

 

[nathanael]

Camino Levante sounds nice but not sure I will be able to do a Camino this year my mom is not well and time will tell. I have done Camino Frances 2 1/2 times( once from Lourdes France to santiago) Norte, La plata. although la plata was difficult would definitely do it again. I thank the monks at Monasterio de Santa Maria la Real de Oseira, for their kindness I stayed there 5 days. Fray Alphonso and his cousin and friends form Sevilla were true friends. :arrow: :lol: :roll:

 

[andy.d]

I've just written a little account of what it was like walking it solo in September 2009 here:

http://pilgrimpace.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... journey-2/

Andy

 

[Nitgu]

Om det är någon som läser det /kan -förstår svenska. Min fru och jag gjorde Camino Frances 2010 enda till Finisterre och vi gick Via de La Plata/ Camino Sanabres 2012. Vi tänkte eller vi planerar nu att vandra Camino de Levante 2014 . Börja någångång slutet av April...38/40 dagar och tänkte gå till Finisterre, även denna gång . Från Zamora tänkte vi att vi ska fortsätta på Via de la Plata och Sanabrese..sedan till Orense...Santiago och vidare.

Är detnåt vi behöver rusta med oss extra eller annorlunda..Är det nåt annat vi bör tänka kring tex avstånden mellan stationerna, vatten, skog...albergues?

Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the link to your reflections on the Levante, Andy. I think that though the vegetation will be different and hopefully the temperature lower, my Levante will probably be a lot like yours. I have under a month now, and am starting to get those pre-Camino nerves.

Knip, are you walking from Sevilla or Valencia? Not too many days for you. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[andy.d]

Go well Laurie. It's quite a special route, at least for me. If I can help at all, let me know.

Buen Camino

Andy

 

[Kevin F. O*brien]

Hei Nitgu. Du, jeg er i Spania og gaar naa, men jeg kan ta kontakt naar jeg kommer hjem. Jeg gikk El Levante ifjor og har en del informasjon som kan kanskje hjelpe deg. Tar kontakt i slutten av April. Skal proever aa bruke "Private messages" hvis det er greit. Ha det fint.
med hilsen,

Kevin O^Brien