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Hi Yall,
Long time reader, first time poster.
I’ll be walking the Primitivo stating Sept 2nd and finishing Sept 10th. I work full time, and have a very limited time to do this walk. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for about 15 years, so this year, I’m doing it by adding it to the tail end of a family vacation. I was able to take several other poster’s stages (Laurie the moderator’s guide was very helpful) and create my own.
I have a few questions, and would be grateful for any answers.
1) Has anyone walked this in early September? I’m from TX, so for me that means normally 90’s to 100, but I see that on the Primitvo this could be 60’s to 70’s, which is November/December weather for me, long shirts, pants. While understanding I should pack for all manner of weather, generally, by experience, what’s the weather like in Sept? Shorts and t-shirt? Hoodie in the morning?
2) I’m fairly active, I run about an hour every other day, 5-6 miles. My plan calls for anywhere from 15 miles (minimum) to 31 miles (maximum) per day. I’ve seen a few posts by people who finished in 7-8 days. Has anyone attempted this in Sept? Will weather be an issue on my ability to do 31 miles in a day (rain/mud)?
3) I plan to be on the road by 8am and go till 7-8pm, if need be. I’ve read dinner’s run late, would it be an issue finding dinner at 8-9pm?
Lastly, as I’ve said, I’ve been reading this forum for years now. I’m not trying to poke a bear or stir a hornets nest with this part, I promise.
I’ve planned my route, and will be staying at hotels along the way. I understand that the majority on here prefer the communal stays. For me, this is a very personal trip, in memory of a loved one who passed, everyone grieves differently, and I just prefer solitude at night. I made my itinerary myself, called ahead/booked online, at each hotel. If anyone wants me to post my stages/hotel, I’d be glad to post to help others who prefer hotel rooms. I couldn't find too much info on hotels along the way on this forum, so let me know.
Thanks in advance for any replies, yall have helped me plan my trip without even knowing it.
Buen Camino!
Jerry
I did the Primitivo in '17, starting on September 3rd. It was 26°Celsius in Oviedo. However I took three times longer than you plan, because I'm ancient, wanted to see places (& I'm self employed.) But over this huge period it just rained on 4 days. The rain can have a fair bit of wind behind it. The Hospitales hill is bare & exposed.
When hiking I had long pants, often rolled up, vest & travel shirt- all synthetic. Maybe a thin fleece in the evening. However I'm from the North of Scotland !
I didnt see much mud. Certainly not once you cross the boundary into Galicia, because any bit that isnt roadway is new gravel.
I suppose you could skip stages & use taxi etc. if pushed for time. Its very up & down until you pass Lugo.
Hi ShubertJ,Jerry,
What part of Texas are you from? There is a very large group of APOC (American Pilgrims on the Camino) in Houston with many of our members who have walked or plan to walk the Primitivo and would be glad to share info. I with 2 others will be walking it in less then a month from now.
Having run numerous marathons and walked several Caminos your 30 mile days seem rather ambitious especially for the Primitivo. As mentioned by Mark above, you really need to train in order to be able to walk 20 + miles with full back pack several days in a row, just running won't prepare you for walking 8+hours a day.
Hi Jerry,Hi ShubertJ,
I live in Austin, would be grateful for any group info, always willing to listen to those that came before me. Yeah, the 30 mile days aren't ideal, for sure. I only have 2 of them, sandwiched in-between 15-20 mile days, so hopefully, it works out. There's a 10 mile trail around the lake out here that I run/walk around, I plan on increasing the loops, so that I get up to a 30 mile day, to see. I've only done the 10 mile so far, but i've got time. The feedback on here has definitely made me change my plans and I'll be increasing my training to walk 10, to 15, to 20, to 25 and to 30, in the upcoming months. Good luck on your upcoming walk, Buen Camino!
You don't say where you are starting from - Oviedo is easier to get to and will save you some 40km (get used to thinking in kms not miles) over Villaviciosa
There's no point asking for weather forecasts now for September - but at the end of your vacation just look at the forecast for the week ahead and then decide what clothes/raingear you need - try to bring as much merino wool as you can (can cope with great variation in temperature and doesn't need washing) - one pair of shorts and two t-shirts will be enough
Mud is a problem in May but much less likely in September - there was quite a lot of morming mist in May
Don't commit to walking the Hospitales route - a night in Pola would give you more choices of accomodation
There's lots of uphill and downhill each and every day - use something like the Wise Pilgrim app or book to plan possible stages - there's no need for a couple of short stages - plan to walk the same distance / duration each day
I live on 2-4 litres of liquid during the day and a couple of bars of chocolate - bread, meat and fruit from supermarket for the evening - beware few shops might be open on Sundays
Hi Jerry,
I suggest you go walk the Barton Creek greenbelt trails in Austin Its 14-15 miles from end to end and you get a variety of terrain, including the "Hill of Life" at the Scottish Woods trailhead.
Buen Camino!
Thanks Bob, it's been a long time, but I finally pulled the trigger!Jerry,
Congrats on finally getting it done. Enjoy!
Hi JimmyC,I walked the Primitivo in September last year. The weather was perfect. Warm but not too hot. Shorts and Tshirt every day.
Not sure how you will go with long distances every day as most of the path is very mountainous until to get to Lugo.
Hi Laurie,I think the Primitivo in September is a great idea. BUT... do not think there is any need to walk a 31 mile stage. That’s 50 km!!!! As you can see from many posts here and gronze.com, no 50 km stages necessary.
The last time I walked the Primitivo, I formed a loose group of about 15. Only three of us had ever walked another camino. We all arrived fine in Santiago. This is not a technical mountain walk! It is a beautiful walk that gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself without going crazy. Buen camino, Laurie
Oh, I didn’t realize you had an 8 day limit. That means you should throw away my stages and look at @BeatriceKarjalainen She walked in 8 days.Hi Laurie,
When I started planning this walk, I used your post with your stages, that is pinned to the forum, thanks for helping me get started! The problem I had was my 8 days though. Right now, there are 2 days where I walk 31 miles. 1) From Tineo to Grandas De Salime and 2) A Fonsagrada to Lugo. I extended the Gronze routes to cut out a couple days. I'll give it another look though, the feedback on here has been really helpful.
Wow, that really helped. I already switched some of my days up, got rid of those 31 mile days! Thanks for the help!Oh, I didn’t realize you had an 8 day limit. That means you should throw away my stages and look at @BeatriceKarjalainen She walked in 8 days.
Buen camino, Laurie
Agreed. They're different terrain. Luckily, Walsh Camino commented earlier about a place near me with a good 14-15 mile hike that I can train on. I run just for exercise/enjoyment, I plan to start hiking the greenbelt that was suggested to build up my walking.From my experience running 6 miles in flat terrain is not enough to walk very long distances in mountanous terrain with backpack several days.
We are doing part two of the Primitivo in May and have precooked accommodation in Lugo, Ferreira, Melide, Ribadiso, A Rua and Santiago. Did it all on Booking.com. Let me know if you want me to send you namesHi Yall,
Long time reader, first time poster.
I’ll be walking the Primitivo stating Sept 2nd and finishing Sept 10th. I work full time, and have a very limited time to do this walk. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for about 15 years, so this year, I’m doing it by adding it to the tail end of a family vacation. I was able to take several other poster’s stages (Laurie the moderator’s guide was very helpful) and create my own.
I have a few questions, and would be grateful for any answers.
1) Has anyone walked this in early September? I’m from TX, so for me that means normally 90’s to 100, but I see that on the Primitvo this could be 60’s to 70’s, which is November/December weather for me, long shirts, pants. While understanding I should pack for all manner of weather, generally, by experience, what’s the weather like in Sept? Shorts and t-shirt? Hoodie in the morning?
2) I’m fairly active, I run about an hour every other day, 5-6 miles. My plan calls for anywhere from 15 miles (minimum) to 31 miles (maximum) per day. I’ve seen a few posts by people who finished in 7-8 days. Has anyone attempted this in Sept? Will weather be an issue on my ability to do 31 miles in a day (rain/mud)?
3) I plan to be on the road by 8am and go till 7-8pm, if need be. I’ve read dinner’s run late, would it be an issue finding dinner at 8-9pm?
Lastly, as I’ve said, I’ve been reading this forum for years now. I’m not trying to poke a bear or stir a hornets nest with this part, I promise.
I’ve planned my route, and will be staying at hotels along the way. I understand that the majority on here prefer the communal stays. For me, this is a very personal trip, in memory of a loved one who passed, everyone grieves differently, and I just prefer solitude at night. I made my itinerary myself, called ahead/booked online, at each hotel. If anyone wants me to post my stages/hotel, I’d be glad to post to help others who prefer hotel rooms. I couldn't find too much info on hotels along the way on this forum, so let me know.
Thanks in advance for any replies, yall have helped me plan my trip without even knowing it.
Buen Camino!
Jerry
Hi Jyrki Wahlstedt,FWIW, I walked Primitivo last year ending Sep 1st, so a bit earlier, but perhaps not too much. Weather: no rain days, but fog in the morning, and some drizzle, mornings are cool, especially higher up, temperature rises with the sun… Sun coming from the left, i.e. south, take care of sufficient sunscreen, burning one's skin is as irritating as blisters.
If one intends to walk 40 km a day, I'd suggest a very light backpack, mine weighed ~6 kg, water included.
Hi Chica 36,We are doing part two of the Primitivo in May and have precooked accommodation in Lugo, Ferreira, Melide, Ribadiso, A Rua and Santiago. Did it all on Booking.com. Let me know if you want me to send you names
Hi Chica 36,
Good luck to you on your camino! Yes, I'd be grateful for any info on accommodations you've booked. When I originally posted I had pre-booked all hotels. But, based on feedback and help from posters, I've already changed my distance per day and changed some reservations from hotels to albergues (which originally I had none). This far out I'm able to switch places and change my plans, just not my days. Thanks for the information and Buen Camino!
Hi ShubertJ,
I live in Austin, would be grateful for any group info, always willing to listen to those that came before me. Yeah, the 30 mile days aren't ideal, for sure. I only have 2 of them, sandwiched in-between 15-20 mile days, so hopefully, it works out. There's a 10 mile trail around the lake out here that I run/walk around, I plan on increasing the loops, so that I get up to a 30 mile day, to see. I've only done the 10 mile so far, but i've got time. The feedback on here has definitely made me change my plans and I'll be increasing my training to walk 10, to 15, to 20, to 25 and to 30, in the upcoming months. Good luck on your upcoming walk, Buen Camino!
Hi The Kolbist,Hi Jerry,
Im from Dallas and Ive done 3 caminos (nothing compared to some if not most people in this forum). Although, I dont believe you can compare the elevation gain and loses of the Hill country with the mountains of primitivo, it is prolly the only viable option for camino training. Ive read somewhere on this forum that when they train, they come close to their day’s distance of walking in the camino with the actual backpack (geared up) on their back. So in your example, if you plan to walk 30 miles in one day in primitivo, the training with the actual backpack on your back might need to be 30 miles too with enough elevation gain and loses as a simulated training done in one day. This is what i’ve read. Dont know if this applies to you too. Btw, the mountains in the camino, in my experience, have their own weather system. Apps might tell you differently. In our push to O’cebreiro last Oct 2017, it rained so hard that there was flood on the trail that and the heavy downpour really slowed us down. Mud and floodwater might be hard to do 30 miles in the mountains of Asturias and Galicia.
Buen Camino!
Hi Jerry,Hi Yall,
Long time reader, first time poster.
I’ll be walking the Primitivo stating Sept 2nd and finishing Sept 10th. I work full time, and have a very limited time to do this walk. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for about 15 years, so this year, I’m doing it by adding it to the tail end of a family vacation. I was able to take several other poster’s stages (Laurie the moderator’s guide was very helpful) and create my own.
I have a few questions, and would be grateful for any answers.
1) Has anyone walked this in early September? I’m from TX, so for me that means normally 90’s to 100, but I see that on the Primitvo this could be 60’s to 70’s, which is November/December weather for me, long shirts, pants. While understanding I should pack for all manner of weather, generally, by experience, what’s the weather like in Sept? Shorts and t-shirt? Hoodie in the morning?
2) I’m fairly active, I run about an hour every other day, 5-6 miles. My plan calls for anywhere from 15 miles (minimum) to 31 miles (maximum) per day. I’ve seen a few posts by people who finished in 7-8 days. Has anyone attempted this in Sept? Will weather be an issue on my ability to do 31 miles in a day (rain/mud)?
3) I plan to be on the road by 8am and go till 7-8pm, if need be. I’ve read dinner’s run late, would it be an issue finding dinner at 8-9pm?
Lastly, as I’ve said, I’ve been reading this forum for years now. I’m not trying to poke a bear or stir a hornets nest with this part, I promise.
I’ve planned my route, and will be staying at hotels along the way. I understand that the majority on here prefer the communal stays. For me, this is a very personal trip, in memory of a loved one who passed, everyone grieves differently, and I just prefer solitude at night. I made my itinerary myself, called ahead/booked online, at each hotel. If anyone wants me to post my stages/hotel, I’d be glad to post to help others who prefer hotel rooms. I couldn't find too much info on hotels along the way on this forum, so let me know.
Thanks in advance for any replies, yall have helped me plan my trip without even knowing it.
Buen Camino!
Jerry
Hi Nomadpeah,Hi Jerry,
I know I am late to the string, but a fellow Texan, runner, and, Camino veteran here.
I am glad to read that you adjusted your distance and time table. I have found the number of hours on my feet’s is the best measure, not distance - especially with mud and hills. My experience has been 7-8 hours seems to be the point at which it’s time to stop for the day (not including breaks.) I know as runners we think about distance on the whole, so that was an adjustment for me. 8 hours in the hills is a lot day in and day out, even for the most fit among us.
I know it’s tough to have limited time for the trip and want to plan out each stage prior to arrival. I would also like to suggest that you stay open to the experience and the environment as you go - we can’t plan for how we react physically each day or of course the weather+terrain combo. So if you need to modify your original plan, I hope you don’t feel a sense of let down or failure - some the magic happens because we adapt along the way. Pushing too hard is not usually enjoyable and can lead to injury (which I did on my first trip.) Sincerely, the joy is not solely about the finish line or getting to an end point - it’s honestly the experience along the way, too.
In term of hills - it’s tough to train outdoors for that with our elevation! Long hikes are good, but even with stair repeats, I didn’t feel like I trained well enough for the hills in my first Camino. I added squat variations (with and without weights) and core strengthening exercises before my second trip and it helped. And a hiking pole or two.
Lastly, with the clothing options, I warm up really fast and don’t mind a bit of a cold start, so I hike with light layers. In 45°F+ I’m in short sleeves after 15 minutes or so. 60°+ and I would mostly likely be in shorts as well. Rain gear is great for wind cover too with light layers to stay warm. Hiking pants are preferable with there concern about mud or protection from scratches.
For packing - I like the phrase not to pack your fears or bring too many what ifs. If I don’t plan to use it daily, I don’t pack it. The one exception is my compact first aid kit.
For clothes I would bring:
One long sleeve and one short sleeve tech shirt does it for me. Maybe a second short sleeve for long trips.
Usually a light puff and a comfy cotton tee for evening wear.
One pair of hiking pants and a pair of hiking shorts.
One pair of comfy cotton pants for evening (since it cools off at night).
3 pairs each undergarments and hiking socks.
Hiking rain coat, a hat, and a buff.
A light load of laundry each afternoon/evening was not a big burden for us.
I will be on the Primitovo a few weeks after you in September - wishing you all the best.
Hi, we did part two of the Primitivo in May. Check out my fab page for accommodation details https://www.facebook.com/Lugo2019/
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