- Time of past OR future Camino
- Several and counting...
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Your first sentence shows this is no spur of the moment camino, and I am happy to see you have been able to make the space for it.These days, for various reasons, it takes me a lot of logistical planning at home to head off to walk, but I am happy to say everything has finally aligned and after looking at a lot of possibilities I have chosen the Camino Ignaciano. I tend to favour quieter routes and it does seem on the main Santiago routes the quieter routes (or quieter times) are getting fewer.
The Camino. Ignaciano is relatively recent - set up about 20 years ago - and retraces the journey of the Catholic saint, Ignatius of Loyola (there is also an Ignatius of Antioch) from his family home in Loyola in the Basque Country to Manresa which is near to Monserrat and Barcelona. He later continued onward to Rome. This was in 1522.
He is one of the saints who have had most impact on the Catholic Church both in terms of individual spirituality and theology and as founder of the Jesuits who have made major contributions in the fields of pastoral care, education and social engagement (especially with refugees). The Jesuit order, which flourished in his lifetime, met opposition for a while and flourished again to this day. Pope Francis is a Jesuit - the first Jesuit Pope.
There is a very useful website https://caminoignaciano.org/en/the-ignatian-way/ which has a corresponding (largish) book in both Spanish and an English version, and a recent small guide in the Bradt series by Murray Stewart, described as a ‘secular guide’. It is a very practical book with a nice ‘flavour’ of writing.
The website, and the books are excellent and necessary for planning as this is not a camino where you can just ‘turn up’. There are some long days and a few places where finding accommodation requires some judicious planning - because there nothing there!
You will notice that this subforum gets little traffic, but my own observation is that (sometimes) quality is in inverse proportion to quantity - in some forums. The quality here is high! So let me give a shout out to @MichaelSG whose magnificent blog of the full camino in 2015 - the first post here - has been an invaluable encouragement.
I flew to Biarritz on Saturday morning and took a bus to San Sebastián and another to Loyola. Very simple and easy to find online.
Right at this moment I am about to set out on Day 2 - ‘the most difficult day of the Camino’ - from Zumarraga to Arantzatzu. The hour going back has given some useful daylight prior to 8am.
I will catch up when I can.
I have been thinking of doing part of the Ignatian camino next June so I'll be very interested to hear about your progress. Buen Camino. Keep safe and happy. AnneThese days, for various reasons, it takes me a lot of logistical planning at home to head off to walk, but I am happy to say everything has finally aligned and after looking at a lot of possibilities I have chosen the Camino Ignaciano. I tend to favour quieter routes and it does seem on the main Santiago routes the quieter routes (or quieter times) are getting fewer.
The Camino. Ignaciano is relatively recent - set up about 20 years ago - and retraces the journey of the Catholic saint, Ignatius of Loyola (there is also an Ignatius of Antioch) from his family home in Loyola in the Basque Country to Manresa which is near to Monserrat and Barcelona. He later continued onward to Rome. This was in 1522.
He is one of the saints who have had most impact on the Catholic Church both in terms of individual spirituality and theology and as founder of the Jesuits who have made major contributions in the fields of pastoral care, education and social engagement (especially with refugees). The Jesuit order, which flourished in his lifetime, met opposition for a while and flourished again to this day. Pope Francis is a Jesuit - the first Jesuit Pope.
There is a very useful website https://caminoignaciano.org/en/the-ignatian-way/ which has a corresponding (largish) book in both Spanish and an English version, and a recent small guide in the Bradt series by Murray Stewart, described as a ‘secular guide’. It is a very practical book with a nice ‘flavour’ of writing.
The website, and the books are excellent and necessary for planning as this is not a camino where you can just ‘turn up’. There are some long days and a few places where finding accommodation requires some judicious planning - because there nothing there!
You will notice that this subforum gets little traffic, but my own observation is that (sometimes) quality is in inverse proportion to quantity - in some forums. The quality here is high! So let me give a shout out to @MichaelSG whose magnificent blog of the full camino in 2015 - the first post here - has been an invaluable encouragement.
I flew to Biarritz on Saturday morning and took a bus to San Sebastián and another to Loyola. Very simple and easy to find online.
Right at this moment I am about to set out on Day 2 - ‘the most difficult day of the Camino’ - from Zumarraga to Arantzatzu. The hour going back has given some useful daylight prior to 8am.
I will catch up when I can.
Well you know what day 2 was like today!!!! I could have used those extra helps. But ready for sightseeing now.I did this in October 2017: the first week (and the hardest walking) the easy way, with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays providing leaders, baggage transfer, and taxis where the accommodation was a few km off-route, and then when they went home I carried on walking. Enjoy!
Thoughtful and well thought out post. I walked Zaragosa to Logrona in 2019 with an additional walk from Montserrat to Manresa. Met only two other pilgrims: two Jesuits monks who walked without money or phones. My wife and I made no plans ahead of time for meals or beds. Mostly flat following the Ebro river into Logrona. I'm sometimes ambivalent when people start posting about unexplored and quiet Caminos because of course that's how they become popular and thenThese days, for various reasons, it takes me a lot of logistical planning at home to head off to walk, but I am happy to say everything has finally aligned and after looking at a lot of possibilities I have chosen the Camino Ignaciano. I tend to favour quieter routes and it does seem on the main Santiago routes the quieter routes (or quieter times) are getting fewer.
The Camino. Ignaciano is relatively recent - set up about 20 years ago - and retraces the journey of the Catholic saint, Ignatius of Loyola (there is also an Ignatius of Antioch) from his family home in Loyola in the Basque Country to Manresa which is near to Monserrat and Barcelona. He later continued onward to Rome. This was in 1522.
He is one of the saints who have had most impact on the Catholic Church both in terms of individual spirituality and theology and as founder of the Jesuits who have made major contributions in the fields of pastoral care, education and social engagement (especially with refugees). The Jesuit order, which flourished in his lifetime, met opposition for a while and flourished again to this day. Pope Francis is a Jesuit - the first Jesuit Pope.
There is a very useful website https://caminoignaciano.org/en/the-ignatian-way/ which has a corresponding (largish) book in both Spanish and an English version, and a recent small guide in the Bradt series by Murray Stewart, described as a ‘secular guide’. It is a very practical book with a nice ‘flavour’ of writing.
The website, and the books are excellent and necessary for planning as this is not a camino where you can just ‘turn up’. There are some long days and a few places where finding accommodation requires some judicious planning - because there nothing there!
You will notice that this subforum gets little traffic, but my own observation is that (sometimes) quality is in inverse proportion to quantity - in some forums. The quality here is high! So let me give a shout out to @MichaelSG whose magnificent blog of the full camino in 2015 - see the first post in this subforum - has been an invaluable encouragement.
I flew to Biarritz on Saturday morning and took a bus to San Sebastián and another to Loyola. Very simple and easy to find online.
Right at this moment I am about to set out on Day 2 - ‘the most difficult day of the Camino’ - from Zumarraga to Arantzatzu. The hour going back has given some useful daylight prior to 8am.
I will catch up when I can.
Yes that is a risk!! I was hesitant to share my experience on Ruta Baztan some years ago for that reason…but I did!!I'm sometimes ambivalent when people start posting about unexplored and quiet Caminos because of course that's how they become popular and then
lose their solitude. Good luck on your journey.
Have a wonderful month! XI'll miss most of this, since tomorrow night I enter a 1-month silent retreat. But looking forward to catching up with your journey on the other end.
So a very buen camino to you, Tim! Reading between the lines I'm imagining it's very well-deserved.
What is it about Madonnas stuck in trees? There is a shrine in Belgium we passed on the Via Monastica with a story like that.“You, in a bush?”
Is it a sacred meme??So glad to see this before I disappear.
On the map you look not far from the Tunel San Adrian on the Vasco. That's no small climb too.
What is it about Madonnas stuck in trees? There is a shrine in Belgium we passed on the Via Monastica with a story like that.
So glad you referenced the above before you disappeared! Lots of new information, and plenty to ponder over, regarding past belief and practice. Sorry if this is slightly hijacking the OP. It is still about pilgrimage!So glad to see this before I disappear.
On the map you look not far from the Tunel San Adrian on the Vasco. That's no small climb too.
What is it about Madonnas stuck in trees? There is a shrine in Belgium we passed on the Via Monastica with a story like that.
Pretty widespread phenomenon. One not far from me in Wales who couldn't be pulled out of her tree by eight oxen!What is it about Madonnas stuck in trees? There is a shrine in Belgium we passed on the Via Monastica with a story like that.
Tim, I created the profiles for SJPdP to Roncesvalles. Comparing them to the profile you supplied you have a steep uphill of about 700 meters extending for about 6 km from the 10 km mark to 16 km. That's about an 11% to 12% grade.So here are the two side by side. Although the Lepoeder gets higher it does this over a significantly longer horizontal distance and also the descent to Roncesvalles is not as great.
Excellent info! Thanks.Tim, I created the profiles for SJPdP to Roncesvalles. Comparing them to the profile you supplied you have a steep uphill of about 700 meters extending for about 6 km from the 10 km mark to 16 km. That's about an 11% to 12% grade.
Here's what I wrote about my SJPdP profiles:
On both the Napoleon and Valcarlos routes there are 3 km stretches that average a 15% slope. On the Napoleon from the 4.0 km mark to the 7.0 km mark (with an elevation gain of 450 m). The same elevation gain can be seen on the Valcarlos route between the 18.5 and 21.5 km marks. Also note that, although the Napoleon reaches a higher elevation, the cumulative elevation gains are about the same (N=1398 m, V=1359 m).
So, your steep part of the slope isn't a steep as the steepest on stage one of the CF but it's close and it goes twice as far.
How I love the sound of Arantzazu!Quick update.
I am still alive(!) (people do wonder) and still walking. Today is Day 17 I think, Tuesday 14 November. I reached Zaragoza on Sunday and it is the half way stage. I had a day off on Monday and am starting again today to walk to Fuentes de Ebro and then….into the desert the following day.
I will update the Live blog when I get time. Long days and not always good wifi have got in the way. And I have to admit was distracted yesterday by political shenanigans in UK.
It is proving to be wonderful solitary walk, full of interest. I met just one person coming in the other direction - someone I knew. The meeting was an entirely unexpected. The couple I met on the way to Arantzazu finished up (for this year) in Logroño.
The weather is balmy and more - it was 26 in the afternoon here yesterday. Hoping for a little bit less for the days in the Monegro desert. Effectively no rain and none of the troublesome storms affecting other parts of Europe and other parts of Spain.
Quick update.
I am still alive(!) (people do wonder) and still walking. Today is Day 17 I think, Tuesday 14 November. I reached Zaragoza on Sunday and it is the half way stage. I had a day off on Monday and am starting again today to walk to Fuentes de Ebro and then….into the desert the following day.
I will update the Live blog when I get time. Long days and not always good wifi have got in the way. And I have to admit was distracted yesterday by political shenanigans in UK.
It is proving to be wonderful solitary walk, full of interest. I met just one person coming in the other direction - someone I knew. The meeting was an entirely unexpected. The couple I met on the way to Arantzazu finished up (for this year) in Logroño.
The weather is balmy and more - it was 26 in the afternoon here yesterday. Hoping for a little bit less for the days in the Monegro desert. Effectively no rain and none of the troublesome storms affecting other parts of Europe and other parts of Spain.
Quick update.
I am still alive(!) (people do wonder) and still walking. Today is Day 17 I think, Tuesday 14 November. I reached Zaragoza on Sunday and it is the half way stage. I had a day off on Monday and am starting again today to walk to Fuentes de Ebro and then….into the desert the following day.
I will update the Live blog when I get time. Long days and not always good wifi have got in the way. And I have to admit was distracted yesterday by political shenanigans in UK.
It is proving to be wonderful solitary walk, full of interest. I met just one person coming in the other direction - someone I knew. The meeting was an entirely unexpected. The couple I met on the way to Arantzazu finished up (for this year) in Logroño.
The weather is balmy and more - it was 26 in the afternoon here yesterday. Hoping for a little bit less for the days in the Monegro desert. Effectively no rain and none of the troublesome storms affecting other parts of Europe and other parts of Spain.
Hello! Sorry for some reason I missed this when you posted.Tim - Thank you for your detailed account of your first few days on the Ignaciano. I had planned to walk it starting 9 November 2023 but the weather looked too challenging with high wind warnings that week, so I walked the Camino del Interior instead. I'm currently planning to start the Ignaciano March 1. Those first few days, well, not day one, but day 2, 3 and 4 worry me a bit, with those very big hills to go up and down, so I appreciate your detailed account.
Did you ever write up much of the rest of your journey, perhaps in a blog somewhere? Just curious. And are you the Tim who wrote an article in the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome about the southern continuation of the VF from Rome to Brindisi - another walk I hope to do some day?
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