Camino primitivo November 16th

[Marcel234]

Hi everybody. This November I'll be on the Camino for the 7th time. First a week with my father and sister on the Frances from Logrono to burgos. Then I'm taking the bus with a friend. I can go from Astorga Tot Finisterra in 11 days.

BUT i would love to do the primitivo. I read a lot about this route and therefore my hopes are low.

Is this route doable in November (from the 16 t h)?. My fitness level is really good. But if i cannot walk because of snow my fitness level will not help me. Can anybody advice me?

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

I think it is difficult to foresee as we are talking about the weather.
So far weather in europe this autumn seems to have been good, so if this hold up, you may have some wonderful fall colours on the trees and clear skies with sun.
Or weather may change and the whole area could be covered with snow or heavy rain.

Maybe you should wait with deciding until you are near the dates so you can see what the forecast will be?

These threads gives some information about the weather on the Primitivo.
In the first thread Rebekah warn that the whole area was engulfed in snow in November 2009, so.. expect anything really.

Lastly, when walking in November another issue is to be remembered, which is the diminishing daylight hours.
Prepare yourself to start early and end at late. A good headlamp will come in handy.

On the Primitivo there is an optional one day route called Hospitales, which goes up in remote mountain area. Especially in winter/ bad weather, this is a route not to be taken alone, as it is an area without any population.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/walking-in-november-on-primitivo.7108/
http://www.iberianadventures.com/we.../2013/02/WEATHER-on-our-Camino-Trips-LONG.pdf
http://www.elcaminosantiago.com/Weather-Camino-Primitivo-Climate.htm

Good planning and Buen Camino
Lettinggo

 

[ebrandt]

I am not directly familiar with the Primitivo in November, but I live in an area of Idaho that is at about the same altitute as much of the Primitivo and is just a little further north in latitute. We are much dryer than Spain. Still, our november weather can turn on a dime. We can be 45 F and sunny during the Morning and 30 and snowing at 3 pm. Three years ago my porch flowers were still blooming the second week in November -- untouched by frost. The third week in November is was -10F. I guess what I am saying is that moun tain weather is a thing unto itself. I know that around here I would not attempt a mountain walk without good snow gear and without an escape plan!

 

[angulero]

Te digo lo mismo que Lettingo, consulta los partes meteorológicos antes de decidir entre un camino y otro. Como mucho, cuatro o cinco días antes, ya que a partir de esos días, los partes meteorológicos ya son mucho menos fiables.
En noviembre es difícil que nieve en la mayor parte del primitivo, pero no es tan difícil que lo haga en las zonas más altas, como puede ser la zona del puerto de ElPalo. De todas formas, por esas fechas, la nieve no debería de aguantar mucho. Lo que sí que te deberías encontrar es bastante lluvia.

You say the same thing Lettingo, see weather forecasts before deciding between a road and another. At most, four or five days before, and that from those days, and weather forecasts are much less reliable.
In November snow is difficult for most of the primitive, but it is not so difficult to do so in the higher areas, such as the harbor area El Palo. Anyway, by that time, the snow should not take much. What you should find itself is enough rain.

I am not directly familiar with the Primitivo in November, but I live in an area of Idaho that is at about the same altitute as much of the Primitivo and is just a little further north in latitute. We are much dryer than Spain. Still, our november weather can turn on a dime. We can be 45 F and sunny during the Morning and 30 and snowing at 3 pm. Three years ago my porch flowers were still blooming the second week in November -- untouched by frost. The third week in November is was -10F. I guess what I am saying is that moun tain weather is a thing unto itself. I know that around here I would not attempt a mountain walk without good snow gear and without an escape plan!

Te cuento un poco. Buena parte de Europa está influenciada por la Corriente del Golfo, por lo que su clima es oceánico, lo que supone que las temperaturas son más suaves y las precipitaciones abundantes en la fachada atlantica. Por eso, mientras en Nueva York es habitual la nieve en invierno, en Santiagode Compostela pasan años sin ver la nieve, pese a estar Santiago a más latitud.
Otra cosa es la montaña. En invierno, cuando entra una borrasca, lo normal es que la nieve se sitúe entre los 800 y 1200 metros de altura. Es habitual que entre diciembre y marzo haya días que la nieve baje a los 400-600 metros de altura. Lo que ya no es tan habitual (aunque ocurre) es que la nieve llegue al nivel del mar. La última vez que nevó y cubrió en mi pueblo fue hace cuatro o cinco años. Te hablo de Asturias, pero para casi todo el norte es igual.

I tell a little. Much of Europe is influenced by the Gulf Stream, so the climate is oceanic, which means that the temperatures are milder and abundant rainfall on the Atlantic facade. So while New York snow is common in winter in Santiago de Compostela spend years without seeing the snow, despite being more latitude Santiago.
Another thing is the mountain. In winter, when a storm comes, it is normal that the snow is between 800 and 1200 meters. It is common between December and March are days that snow down to 400-600 meters. What's not so usual (although it occurs) is that the snow reaches the sea level. The last time it snowed and covered in my town was four or five years ago. I speak of Asturias, but for most of northern equals.

 

[ebrandt]

I tell a little. Much of Europe is influenced by the Gulf Stream, so the climate is oceanic, which means that the temperatures are milder and abundant rainfall on the Atlantic facade. So while New York snow is common in winter in Santiago de Compostela spend years without seeing the snow, despite being more latitude Santiago.
Another thing is the mountain. In winter, when a storm comes, it is normal that the snow is between 800 and 1200 meters. It is common between December and March are days that snow down to 400-600 meters. What's not so usual (although it occurs) is that the snow reaches the sea level. The last time it snowed and covered in my town was four or five years ago. I speak of Asturias, but for most of northern equals.

[/QUOTE]
Angulero -- It looks like the bad weather really comes in January. I am in the Western US. Most of our weather comes from the Pacific Ocean -- very much like the Gulf Stream. So we have the same conditions you describe -- not much precipitation and temperatures near freezing (32F/ 0C at lower elevations. But above 3000 ft/1000m, the weather can be quite unpredictable! I have not always lived in the mountains, but since I moved to Idaho, my respect for mountain weather has been great!

Angulero - Parece que el mal tiempo realmente viene en enero. Yo estoy en los EE.UU. occidentales. La mayor parte de nuestro tiempo proviene del Océano Pacífico - muy parecido a la Corriente del Golfo. Así que tenemos las mismas condiciones que usted describe -. No mucho precipitaciones y temperaturas cercanas a la congelación (32F / 0C en elevaciones más bajas, pero por encima de 3000 ft / 1000 m, el clima puede ser bastante impredecible no siempre he vivido en las montañas, pero ya! me mudé a Idaho, mi respeto por el clima de montaña ha sido genial!

 

[Marcel234]

Thank you for your advice. I will make a plan for the Primitivo but will look at the weather forecast days before. The week before the 16th I'll be on the camino Frances with my father and sister, so I decide at the last moment. If i stay in the Frances i will walk from Astorga to Finisterra. And i will have a look at the 'del Norte'.