Camino del Norte April-May

[ccasey5]

I'm planning on starting the Camino del Norte in mid-late april and will finish at the very end of May, and I'm wondering what the weather and temperature will be like then. Also, will it be warm enough to wear shorts or should I bring a pair of pants and a pair of shorts?

 

[Tia Valeria]

We have walked in late April through May and always plan to dress in layers.
T-shirt, long sleeved shirt, underwear, zip-off trousers, fleece. One set to wear, one set in pack; plus socks and raingear etc.
It might be cold - layer up, which has included both fleeces! It might be hot - wear less and roll sleeves up (or down to prevent sunburn), zip off trouser bottoms if you like shorts.
Being realistic anything can happen. Late May is likely to be hot but we have seen bitter cold in mid-may after a very warm late April
Buen Camino

 

[ccasey5]

Thank you so much! I'll definitely take your advice.

 

[slarti]

We have walked in late April through May and always plan to dress in layers.
T-shirt, long sleeved shirt, underwear, zip-off trousers, fleece. One set to wear, one set in pack; plus socks and raingear etc.
It might be cold - layer up, which has included both fleeces! It might be hot - wear less and roll sleeves up (or down to prevent sunburn), zip off trouser bottoms if you like shorts.
Being realistic anything can happen. Late May is likely to be hot but we have seen bitter cold in mid-may after a very warm late April
Buen Camino

I'm a bit curious as I'm walking del Norte in may, what do you consider bitter cold?

 

[Tia Valeria]

Freezing (frosty) first thing in the morning and hot in mid afternoon ie between 1 or 2 C early morning to 22C after lunch.

 

[slarti]

Freezing (frosty) first thing in the morning and hot in mid afternoon ie between 1 or 2 C early morning to 22C after lunch.

That doesn't sound too bad. I'm more afraid of the rain but then again I had almost three weeks of rain on Francés last year so I think I'll manage.

 

[Peregrina 2013]

ccasey5, if you live in the frozen tundra of the U. S. the concept of cold may be quite different I, too, will be on the Camino del Norte beginning of May to middle of June. The only jacket in my pack will be an ultralight down MontBell w/hood, which weighs 12.7 oz (360 grams), an ultralight Patagonia Houidini 3.6 oz (102 grams), rain jacket and pants, 1 long sleeve light shirt, 2 Icebreaker tees, 2 pairs of RailRider pants - the lightest I've ever had, they wash well and dry in no time, 2 sets Ibex underwear, 3 pair of socks, ultra light SmartWool longs johns and top, a pair of SmartWool gloves. Of course I will have my sleeping quilt, a bug liner, a camera, toiletries -shampoo bar for hair, body & clothes, shower sandals etc. Don't plan on having more than 12 lbs (5.4 Kg)
So, if you are accustomed to cooler weather you might not need to carry more than you'll wear. Like my backpacking friends say: You take care of the ounces and the pounds take care of themselves - or substitute grams and kilos.
Hope this helps a bit!

Ultreia,

Mary

 

[Frank.B]

I'm also walking El Norte from April-May and my biggest fear isn't the cold but the rain! Ireland has been the closest thing to tundra that I can think of. It hasn't been above 10 degrees here over the past 6 months, brrrr!!! My must bring is a good, lightweight poncho. Keeps you and your bag dry, acts as a windbreaker and doubles up as an emergency pillow. Hopefully bump into some of you guys along the way.

Buen Camino!
F.

 

[peregrino_tom]

just a quick note about current waymarking.
In the woods after Deba we found (a couple of weeks ago) that the camino is on diversion because of a landslide. There is red and white tape across the path and new directions sending you left.
If things haven't changed since then, you'll come up to a T junction and see no waymarks. But if you look carefully you may see some that have been painted over. These point right. Follow these up the hill to a further T junction then turn sharp left and go down the road (not the track up to the 2 houses). You may see further painted over waymarks here. A few hundred metres down the hill look for a small path on the left where the yellow arrows begin again. About 5 mins on this path takes you up to the Ermita del Calvario.
Some peregrinos turned left at the first T junction. They found their way back onto the camino but missed out the Ermita. We turned right. A group of us congregated at the 2nd T junction and scratched our heads. Eventually a white van drove by. We asked the driver for the Camino de Santiago. He said "There is no Camino de Santiago here and there never will be!".
"However if you want to visit our Ermita, going down the hill, turn left etc etc..."
We reckon he might just have been out one night with a pot of dark paint