Camino difficulty rating—but why?

[Mobilemejen]

Y’all are freaking me out a bit saying the Le Puy is significantly harder than the CF.
Why is it?
Hard on your feet with rocky paths/hard surfaces?
Hard in the legs with lots of ups?
Hard in the knees w lots of downs?
Lonely if you are not a French speaker?
Lack of books/info/apps to plan?
Should I have rest days or shorter distances?
Planning to walk alone (female) late August, managed CF —fairly fit for 58 —but still 58.

 

[petro]

Hi Mobilemejen, please don't worry. I walked the Le Puy route last year aged 64. I did not know a lot of French - only the basics. Yes, there are lots of ups and downs but if you managed on the CF and you are fairly fit you should be ok. I just took it easy for the first few days - first stop Montbonnet. You will find lots of information in the Le Puy section of this forum (Routes in France) regarding guide books, apps, rest days, distances, etc. It is such a magnificent route, there is beauty everywhere, friendly people and good food. I loved it and plan to do it again next year.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I think it's mostly harder on the pocketbook?

 

[Kitsambler]

Hard on your feet with rocky paths/hard surfaces?

Yes, there are considerable (~1 km) stretches where the path is exceptionally stony, due to a non-switchback/non-water-management trail construction practice inherited from the Romans, in which the pathway becomes a streambed in the rain, and an eroded dry wash in the sun.

Hard in the legs with lots of ups?

A few, quite memorable.

Hard in the knees w lots of downs?

Several, equally memorable

Lonely if you are not a French speaker?

It can be, depending on how many Canadians, Swiss, Germans, and Dutch pilgrims are traveling your week. MMD lists English-speaking lodgings, and making reservations there in advance is a help - they fill up fast.

Lack of books/info/apps to plan?

There's an adequate supply of information available. You may need to learn a few words of French; but you'll need to do that anyway.

Should I have rest days or shorter distances?

Not necessarily; the Germans will habitually walk 30-40 km days. But you are traversing the South of France, eating home-cooked French meals guilt-free. Why rush through it?

Planning to walk alone (female) late August, managed CF —fairly fit for 58 —but still 58.

At 58 on the Le Puy in September, you'll count as a spring chicken.

 

[JulieandPeter]

I'm glad you asked this question! We are walking the Le Puy route a few days after my 58th birthday in mid-August. We did the TMB a couple of years ago and found it really difficult - mostly the ups and downs. Has anyone done both the Le Puy route and the TMB who can compare the two? We have a steep hill near us that we are training on, but we live at sea level, so we can't train for altitude (the altitude on the TMB made things more difficult than we expected). Thanks again for your question and the helpful answers so far!

 

[Mobilemejen]

Hi Mobilemejen, please don't worry. I walked the Le Puy route last year aged 64. I did not know a lot of French - only the basics. Yes, there are lots of ups and downs but if you managed on the CF and you are fairly fit you should be ok. I just took it easy for the first few days - first stop Montbonnet. You will find lots of information in the Le Puy section of this forum (Routes in France) regarding guide books, apps, rest days, distances, etc. It is such a magnificent route, there is beauty everywhere, friendly people and good food. I loved it and plan to do it again next year.

Thank you!

 

[Mobilemejen]

I think it's mostly harder on the pocketbook?

Excellent catch!

 

[Mobilemejen]

Yes, there are considerable (~1 km) stretches where the path is exceptionally stony, due to a non-switchback/non-water-management trail construction practice inherited from the Romans, in which the pathway becomes a streambed in the rain, and an eroded dry wash in the sun.

A few, quite memorable.

Several, equally memorable

It can be, depending on how many Canadians, Swiss, Germans, and Dutch pilgrims are traveling your week. MMD lists English-speaking lodgings, and making reservations there in advance is a help - they fill up fast.

There's an adequate supply of information available. You may need to learn a few words of French; but you'll need to do that anyway.

Not necessarily; the Germans will habitually walk 30-40 km days. But you are traversing the South of France, eating home-cooked French meals guilt-free. Why rush through it?

At 58 on the Le Puy in September, you'll count as a spring chicken.

Thank you so much for the specific feedback. I do guilt-free French meals really well and have missed—-for a couple of decades, being a spring chicken! These replies are giving me comfort and encouragement

 

[Kitsambler]

the Le Puy route and the TMB who can compare the two?

I have not walked the Tour de Mont Blanc, but here is comparison info I hope you will find useful.
The TMB is nearly alpine, and at elevation. The first half of Le Puy crosses the Massif Central, an ancient volcanic plateau that is relatively level at 1000m, except where it is crossed by several deeply eroded river valleys. In short, the Le Puy, while it is not flat, is by no means alpine. French retirees walk it with no difficulty. Fit Germans, used to hiking, slice through it like a hot knife through butter. No need to worry about any lack of high-altitude training opportunity. You can do this.

 

[JulieandPeter]

I have not walked the Tour de Mont Blanc, but here is comparison info I hope you will find useful.
The TMB is nearly alpine, and at elevation. The first half of Le Puy crosses the Massif Central, an ancient volcanic plateau that is relatively level at 1000m, except where it is crossed by several deeply eroded river valleys. In short, the Le Puy, while it is not flat, is by no means alpine. French retirees walk it with no difficulty. Fit Germans, used to hiking, slice through it like a hot knife through butter. No need to worry about any lack of high-altitude training opportunity. You can do this.

Thank you! That is very helpful!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Chemin de St. Jacques crosses ridges for a couple of weeks of walking. Up the hill, then right back down. Repeat up to four times. Even when you have reached "fitness," it is exhausting, mentally if not physically. Think Sisyphus several times each day.

On the Camino Frances, you climb, then maintain the elevation gain, or go down just once. It rarely has you go up, then down, then up, then down, then up, and then down!

 

[lt56ny]

Yes it is harder with all you mentioned and harder on the pocketbook as someone said. SO WHAT!!!! I walked it at 61. As someone else said you will be a spring chicken as it seems everyone walking is retired or close to it. Take your time at the beginning. Listen to your body. And you will get stronger and stronger as the days go by. The scenery is fantastic it just gets better and better. I don’t think I met more than five people who spoke English the whole way. I barely met anyone during the day. I like that very much to walk in solitude. At night you’ll meet wonderful people and have incredible dinners that you remember for a lifetime in the Gites. Don’t worry it’s just one step at a time.

 

[jouffroy47]

If you chose to walk the Célé valley variant, which is gorgeous, and definitely worth it, it is very stony trek with lots of coarsely crushed rock. It is the road less traveled, so it can be lonely at times, and you will need to take your food with you at times for lunch.

 

[NavyBlue]

We are walking the Le Puy route a few days after my 58th birthday in mid-August. We did the TMB a couple of years ago and found it really difficult - mostly the ups and downs. Has anyone done both the Le Puy route and the TMB who can compare the two?

Hi Julie and Peter,

I did both, at 62 and 63. There is no comparison, the Le Puy route is way easier, with (much) shorter ups and downs.

Some may be steep and rocky (e.g. from Rochegude to Monistrol) and you will be better off with walking sticks.

The secret(?) is to manage short stages at the beginning, for instance :
- Le Puy-Montbonnet
- Montbonnet-Monistrol
- Monistrol-Saugues
- Saugues-Le Sauvage
- Le Sauvage-Saint-Alban

rather than :
- Le Puy-Saint-Privat
- Saint-Privat-Saugues
- Saugues-Saint-Alban (or even Saugues-Les Faux)

In other terms, don't get fooled by apparently short distances, such as 18 km. In this Massif Central area, said to be one with more ascents than descents, kilometers are more than 1000 m!

 

[JulieandPeter]

Hi Julie and Peter,

I did both, at 62 and 63. There is no comparison, the Le Puy route is way easier, with (much) shorter ups and downs.

Some may be steep and rocky (e.g. from Rochegude to Monistrol) and you will be better off with walking sticks.

The secret(?) is to manage short stages at the beginning, for instance :
- Le Puy-Montbonnet
- Montbonnet-Monistrol
- Monistrol-Saugues
- Saugues-Le Sauvage
- Le Sauvage-Saint-Alban

rather than :
- Le Puy-Saint-Privat
- Saint-Privat-Saugues
- Saugues-Saint-Alban (or even Saugues-Les Faux)

In other terms, don't get fooled by apparently short distances, such as 18 km. In this Massif Central area, said to be one with more ascents than descents, kilometers are more than 1000 m!

Thank you Navy Blue! We have only planned the first five days and the stages you listed are what we have planned so far . . . . The first day of the TMB (Les Houches to Les Contamines) which is "only" 16 km. was quite a shock! We arrived at our hotel after 9:00 p.m. although the hotel was another 1.5 km. beyond Les Contamines which was not a very happy discovery when we arrived in Contamines after a long, steep day. Fortunately, they kept the kitchen open for us. We stayed there an extra day to recover (we did that a lot on the TMB!). I guess the possibility of the same thing happening is what I am trying to prepare for. Thanks again for your help.