Camino Dragonte

[Ian Afloat]

Hello fellow pilgrims.
I'm leaving for SJPDP, by train all the way from the UK, on Thursday and starting to walk on Friday morning. When I leave Villafranca, I'm hoping to follow the Camino Dragonte, my plan being to walk through to La Faba (other plans are available!). Has anyone here done this detour and is it worth the risk of getting a bit lost?

TIA

Ian

 

[Ian Afloat]

Guessing that's a no then!!!

 

[SabsP]

Please give people the time to react...it is only ten hours ago since you made your OP.
Try the search function. I remember some threads where people discussed the Dragonte variante.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Guessing that's a no then!!!

Very few walk it. It is poorly marked and nearly everyone gets lost. If you need the challenge, give it a try. The Brierley book has as good a map as you will find.

 

[Ian Afloat]

Very few walk it. It is poorly marked and nearly everyone gets lost. If you need the challenge, give it a try. The Brierley book has as good a map as you will find.

Thanks!!

 

[jsalt]

Hello fellow pilgrims.
I'm leaving for SJPDP, by train all the way from the UK, on Thursday and starting to walk on Friday morning. When I leave Villafranca, I'm hoping to follow the Camino Dragonte, my plan being to walk through to La Faba (other plans are available!). Has anyone here done this detour and is it worth the risk of getting a bit lost?

TIA

Ian

Hi, it’s doable if you are very fit. One of my “camino family” walked it. When we met him later he said he was exhausted when he got to Herrerias, but the albergue there was full, so he had to carry on up to La Faba. But he really liked the detour and was glad he did it. Good luck! Jill

 

[Travellingman]

I walked the Dragonte route in October 2013. It is very strenuous, remote and beautiful. The waymarking is OK - if you follow one of Brierley's older guidebooks you will have no problems. (the newer map books don't even show the route)
I met 5 people all day - all locals, and according to the hospitalero at Villafranca I was only the second pilgrim that year that he knew of,to take this route. I imagine it's like the Camino was about 30 years ago.
You do need waterproof footwear, as in places streams have taken over the path, and some wading is necessary. Plus carry all your water and provisions, as there are no facilities until Herrerias.
I would walk it again, and if time allows, will do so this September on my way to SdC.

 

[Ian Afloat]

I walked the Dragonte route in October 2013. It is very strenuous, remote and beautiful. The waymarking is OK - if you follow one of Brierley's older guidebooks you will have no problems. (the newer map books don't even show the route)
I met 5 people all day - all locals, and according to the hospitalero at Villafranca I was only the second pilgrim that year that he knew of,to take this route. I imagine it's like the Camino was about 30 years ago.
You do need waterproof footwear, as in places streams have taken over the path, and some wading is necessary. Plus carry all your water and provisions, as there are no facilities until Herrerias.
I would walk it again, and if time allows, will do so this September on my way to SdC.

Thanks for that. I am using a 2011 vintage Brierley, so the route is described pretty well. If I'm in good nick when I get to Villafranca and rain is not forecast, I'll probably give it a go.

 

[Tincatinker]

Ian, the search facility should have lead you to this thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/posts/93498/ Gunnars route description and the account of his journey should help your decision and your route finding.

Buen Camino

 

[Icacos]

Ian, the search facility should have lead you to this thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/posts/93498/ Gunnars route description and the account of his journey should help your decision and your route finding.

Buen Camino

Thanks for this link, @Tincatinker; I've watched Gunnar's video. I've been curious about this route ever since I first learned of it. I thought it would be lots of forest trails, but most of it, it seems, is on gravel road. However, towards the end, there seems to be a bit where the trail is hardly visible at all. I sure like that old church.

 

[Tincatinker]

For those who do not wish to view the entirety of Gunnar's splendid video (well there might be some) his account of his venture on the Dragonte starts at minute 12:00 or thereabouts. And note he bailed-out about two-thirds along this spectacular route. That said, for seekers of the way less travelled this bit of the Way is much less travelled than most.

 

[Icacos]

.......he bailed-out about two-thirds along this spectacular route.

Aaah, thanks for that too. That was there in the video too, but it hadn't fully registered with me.

 

[Franco]

Hello fellow pilgrims.
I'm leaving for SJPDP, by train all the way from the UK, on Thursday and starting to walk on Friday morning. When I leave Villafranca, I'm hoping to follow the Camino Dragonte, my plan being to walk through to La Faba (other plans are available!). Has anyone here done this detour and is it worth the risk of getting a bit lost?

TIA

Ian

Hi how much did it cost to go by train from the UK? I fancy this option as well .can u give us a guide to the cost also if possible . Many thanks

 

[Ian Afloat]

Hi how much did it cost to go by train from the UK? I fancy this option as well .can u give us a guide to the cost also if possible . Many thanks

Hello,
Yes I got an early Eurostar train to Paris which cost £34 single, and then the train to St Jean cost me just under 70 Euros. You have to go across Paris between the Eurostar and the TGV from Gare Montparnasse, so allow time for that. I enjoy train travel, so the 11 hours it took wasn't a problem. The line between Bayonne and St Jean is being repaired, so of you go before October at least part of it will be a bus.

 

[Franco]

Hello,
Yes I got an early Eurostar train to Paris which cost £34 single, and then the train to St Jean cost me just under 70 Euros. You have to go across Paris between the Eurostar and the TGV from Gare Montparnasse, so allow time for that. I enjoy train travel, so the 11 hours it took wasn't a problem. The line between Bayonne and St Jean is being repaired, so of you go before October at least part of it will be a bus.

 

[Franco]

Thanks, seems better than flying no probs with checking stuff in etc. Not sure if I'll be going this year. Not physically or mentally or equipment prepared as of yet!!!

 

[Ian Afloat]

Hi,
Well the Camino Dragonte is all a bit academic now as I had to fly home yesterday due to the state of my feet, which went rapidly downhill on days 5 & 6.
Resting them now and will accompany the missus from Sarria in a couple of weeks. Hope to complete my Camino Frances from Viana to SdC next year

 

[Kanga]

Sorry to hear that but @Ian Afloat hope you do "float" down the Camino next time. My knowledge of the Dragonte comes from our @Rebekah Scott who walked it back in 2001. Very, very hard going and she got lost at one point and found herself on a blackberry covered precipice from which she had to scramble backwards. Her attempt finished with a dog bite in a village where the local curs were obviously not used to pilgrims.

 

[vanjohn]

Hi,
I did this way in 2010 and found it beautiful with only one local person along the way until Herrerias. I was delighted to do it and it is not to be missed. My stage was Villafranca to O'Cebreiro and found it invigorating at the time.
In 2008 I had hoped to travel that way but got lost as we took an early turning, on reflection my companion might have found the way difficult had we gotten on the correct path, so perhaps we were lucky.
I for one hope that the way does not get "lost" as it is arguably the best detour of the way. There was only one time when I had difficulty, when starting the decent to Herrerias the route was overgrown in brush but passable once the correct route was identified. A Brierly Guide of 2010 was used.

 

[JanosJuhasz]

I walked the Dragonte route in October 2013. It is very strenuous, remote and beautiful. The waymarking is OK - if you follow one of Brierley's older guidebooks you will have no problems. (the newer map books don't even show the route)
I met 5 people all day - all locals, and according to the hospitalero at Villafranca I was only the second pilgrim that year that he knew of,to take this route. I imagine it's like the Camino was about 30 years ago.
You do need waterproof footwear, as in places streams have taken over the path, and some wading is necessary. Plus carry all your water and provisions, as there are no facilities until Herrerias.
I would walk it again, and if time allows, will do so this September on my way to SdC.

Travellingman, I'm walking from SJPDP in September and planning to walk on Dragonte route. I have Brierley's guidebook published in 2012. Did you use this book also or an older one? Can you suggest me some further maps about that region? thanks, Janos

 

[Travellingman]

Sorry, I can't remember which edition, and it's long lost now. But it had a good description of the route, including the section where streams have taken over the paths, and waterproof shoes are useful! I found the waymarking OK - the only thing I didn't find was Celia's Bar, which must be quite well hidden.
I hope you get on OK, and we might even meet, as I'm away again early September, and might walk the Dragonte again, if time allows.
Buen camino!

 

[JanosJuhasz]

It's ok, thanks. Wish you buen Camino, Janos