You can normally get the credential as well in the Parroquia de P.P Pasionistas (close to the albergue - calle Geltokiko) but I ignore the days and timetables...
Contact the local association per mail :
irunsantiago@yahoo.es
I guess they should be able to help you!
(it seems that especially the way from Puebla de Arganzon to Haro must be very beautiful!).
As to the common parts with my route :
1st day : Irun to Hernani was very long and there were 2 kind of signalisations (yellow arrows and wooden "sticks" with a walker on it) which did not always correspond... You are leaving a city and cross countryside (views on some industrial sites), loose yourself in nature, cross small villages with nice cafés, profit of a beautiful view from the Ermitage on the top of a higher hill (or smaler mountain)... in all it was about 30 kms before arriving in Herani...
(stayed in the pension "Arrobi ostatua" in Santa Barbara arzoa 87 - uphill and a bit outside of the centre)
Then the ways part.
Later on, they come together again around Zegama - already inmidst the Basque Countryside.
Very beautiful as well the nature as the villages.
I can give you some impressions for the days to come :
In Zegama I stayed in the sports hall of a school - keys & stamp in the town hall.
And on the next day went up towards the mountains to cross the famous tunnel. A very beautiful walking day although quite steep at times (to imagine that they organise a mountain marathon each year...) and a hard part on ancient Roman pavements...
I stayed in Salvatierra (Hostal Josemari)
From Salvatierra I went to the monastery of Estibaliz
where I was warmly welcomed ---- well after an eternity that I stayed outside because no one would hear the door bell ring.... (you can go immediately to Vitoria +- 30kms)
Estibaliz to Vitorio (+-10 km) - you can see the town from very far, and their must be still enormous works going on - so finding your way is something
About the
way to/through Vitoria, I wrote this
last year because was asked some information :
There are arrows all over the way, in the fields and as well through Arcaya and till Vitoria - but not always easy to see.... :
In Arcaya, at the end of the village, there was kind of a 'park' and some arrows (a bit hidden) pointed to the left. You had to go under a railway track (kind of primitive under crossing ) and up again and continue leftwards.
There a is the big construction site which must still be there for some years, but they did already the foot-walks which you should find easily. (might be that you have to by-pass some works and fences, but it's not so complicated as it sounds).
NB The row of buildings to be should be on your left.
Then always straigth forward towards Vitoria (at some point you will go right, then left again - but the 'direction to follow' is always straigth forward)
You will come to an Y-junction on a bigger street. There is a petrol station, go on the left of it.
When you cross a double lane just on the next corner (you are in the outskirts of Vitoria), you should see some shells in the floor.
These lead you through the whole city - but they are quite 'unimposing' - I lost the one really close to the centre and turned around for quite a lot of time.
By the way, I slept in the youth hostel and left the town in the next morning without any problem...
SO this section : HANDLE WITH CARE - this is old information
As said, the youth hostel is on the "good" side of the city to leave on the next morning to Puebla de Aranzon. (about 19km only). And in that small village, you should meet an inhabitant who is responsible for the keys of the small albergue in town...
Here, the ways split again...
By the way :it seems that especially the way from Puebla de Arganzon to Haro must be very beautiful!
I keep this camino in very good memory - although very particular because really lonely most of the time and because of few signalisation, albergues etc