can you help hoosier do the camino ... fast

[mateo tenerife]

Hello! What a great site & I am excited to find so much helpful information. I love the concept of physical activity and spirituality ... I think they go together perfectly! I am an experienced marathoner & olympic style racewalker and American from Indiana who has lived in Spain for 12+ years - 10 years in the Canary Islands.

I visited Galicia and all the main cities (Santiago, etc.) 10 years ago and I am soooo excited to go back in a couple weeks. I compete in Spain's national championship for race walking in Pontevedra and then I have mid-day Sunday through mid-day Wednesday to do what I have always wanted to do - el camino!

Though my dream would be to have an open ended 3 months to start the Camino in Paris and end when I feel like it as I stroll & stop often, but I plan to do it at a very quick near race pace (adjusting time to pack weight). I can comfortably run a 3.5 hour marathon & race walk a 4.5 hour marathon (many in hilly terrain and all sorts of weather - cold, heat, rain, etc.), so 113KMs from Sarria to Santiago is within my physical abilities in a short time ... but I am going to try to do it principally in 2 days plus.

I would GREATLY appreciate any advice & help you could give me (an experienced endurance athlete & newbie camino pilgrim) to get the camino done with the time frame I have to work with? Please no advice like ... "cancel this idea and do the camino right in a few years from now when you have the time!" I really humbly do need your help! Any advice on getting this adventure done in a logical & safe ... and even enjoyable fashion would be sooooo appreciated!

My Plan:
SATURDAY, 3 march:
- Depart Tenerife for Pontevedra with my passport/credentials in hand from local Obispado in the Island.
- spend Saturday loafing & top off my fluids & carbs
SUNDAY,4 march:
- compete in racewalk championships in morning, with a good meal & long nap
- 16:00 - 18:30, bus from Pontevedra - Lugo (monbus) ... sleep & hydrate
- 18:35 - 19:10, bus from Lugo - Sarrio ... rest
- stamp passport somewhere in Sarria
- consider getting to first albergue down the camino (10-20kms down the way, eating as I go) ... I have a headlamp, metal blanket, etc. for the very worst case scenario
MONDAY, 5 march:
- start early and try to get in 60kms+
- eating & hydrating as I go & planning to attire in endurance race clothes (tights, etc.) and not hiker garb, no time to look like a real pilgrim
TUESDAY, 6 march:
- start early and finish last kms in time to get to santiago cathedral before the diploma office closes at 20:00
WEDNESDAY, 7 march:
- sleep in late before taking bus to Santiago airport for flight back to Canaries

Can you please help me! Have any of you done it in this short of time ... or faster?

Mateo from Tenerife

 

[sillydoll]

SUNDAY,4 march:
- compete in racewalk championships in morning, with a good meal & long nap
- 16:00 - 18:30, bus from Pontevedra - Lugo (monbus) ... sleep & hydrate
- 18:35 - 19:10, bus from Lugo - Sarria ... rest

This is a very tight change over. If your bus to Lugo is just a few minutes late you will miss the bus to Sarria. However, Lugo is only half an hour from Sarria by taxi so you could still stay on track by getting one from the bus station to Sarria

- stamp passport somewhere in Sarria

Go straight to the church at the top of the stairs or pop into one of the albergues that might be able to sell you one.

- consider getting to first albergue down the camino (10-20kms down the way, eating as I go) ... I have a headlamp, metal blanket, etc. for the very worst case scenario

You could aim for Casa Morgade which is about 11km from Sarria (and 105km from Santiago so you could start there and still earn the Compostela) but you might need to book a bed ahead because there is nothing else around there.

MONDAY, 5 march:
- start early and try to get in 60kms+
- eating & hydrating as I go & planning to attire in endurance race clothes (tights, etc.) and not hiker garb, no time to look like a real pilgrim

You could aim for Ribadiso - ± 62km - which has a large albergue plus a small private albergue. That'll leave you 45km for the next day.

TUESDAY, 6 march:
- start early and finish last kms in time to get to santiago cathedral before the diploma office closes at 20:00

The office closes at 9m so you have a little bit of extra time.


Good luck!

 

[mateo tenerife]

silly doll - THANK YOU for your great advice!!!

~ Both bus connections are with monbus, I am calling them to confirm that connection ... and you are right, I can take a taxi if I had to

~ I hope to get a passport here in Tenerife before going, but thank you for the plan B

~ thanks for the great advice on allergies

... I REALLY want to go VERY light as I want to (have to) do it fast

1.) Can I get by without a sleeping bag at those albergues? Or a private pension/hostal I can book ahead of time that I can confirm I don't need blankets with?
2.) Do you know of a "baggage transfer" service that I can send my pack ahead to Ribadiso and/or onto Santiago? Weight & apace means slower/harder time with chaffing/rubbing when you go fast ... even with the best of equipment. I have a lightweight pack for fluids, power bars, gels, rain gear, Identification, safety gear & sticks that I would love to just use. I can always take off and run for a some kms with that kind of pack and gain some time fast, but a pack to carry a sleeping bag is a whole nother thing - slow and clunky, fine for doing it in 5 days, tough for 2 days though.

 

[sillydoll]

1.) Can I get by without a sleeping bag at those ALBERGUES? Or a private pension/hostal I can book ahead of time that I can confirm I don't need blankets with?

Casa Morgade is a private albergue that also has single and double rooms. They will have blankets so that you don't need a sleeping bag. You can book ahead at 982 531 250 http://www.casamorgade.com

In Ribadiso you can book a bed ahead at Albergue los Caminantes 1 - info@albergueloscaminantes.com http://www.albergueloscaminantes.com (Click on Ribadiso)

2.) Do you know of a "baggage transfer" service that I can send my pack ahead to Ribadiso and/or onto Santiago?

Contact Xacotrans. They charge €3 per stage - but a stage is up to 25km so you will probably have to pay for three stages on the Morgade to Ribadiso section and for two stages to Santiago.
José Luis Vizcaíno xacotrans@gmail.com 608 581 206 or 982 639 300
http://www.xacotrans.com

The terrain is fairly arduos as there are many short steep sections and equally steep downs as you cross many rivers. You are an experienced race walker, but take it easy on the downs. You will be walking through many corriedors of trees and the path is often uneven with roots and rocks.

 

[mateo tenerife]

SillyDoll,

THANK YOU for this clear & great info!!!!!! You do not know how much I appreciate it!! I already feel the camino camaraderie through the patient advice you give to a newbie.

I will start making calls to the places that you mentioned. I have learned from endurance sports that 1.) repetitive motion fatigues the muscles more than changing their use off and on (so I plan to race walk, nordic walk & run) and 2.) that a pack jostles when going fast & long (no matter how great the pack is) and the jostling is almost worse than too much weight as it jars the muscles/joints ... so I want to avoid a clunky pack with a sleeping bag (and get rid of weight too) if I can.

I will let you know what my calls turn up! THANKS again!!

Mateo

 

[sillydoll]

You are welcome.
Perhaps you can let Johnnie Walker (of this forum) who works in the Pilgrim Office know that you are planning to walk in two days as they will be looking for more sellos than just 2 or three!

 

[mateo tenerife]

Silly Doll,

Hello! After some phone calls, it looks like it will be more complicated than I had hoped. It seems many pilgrim services do not start up until April with so few pilgrims right now.

I called Casa Morgade and they are closed for reforms until April. I called Jose Luis from Xacotrans and he said they do not start until April as well. He could coordinate a taxi (which I could do too) for 55 Euros to take it 3 sections (60kms+) which is real expensive.

I will be arriving in Sarria around 19:10 on Sunday (March 4) and I want to knock out 10-15kms that evening, but 20kms might be pushing it ... and I am going to see if what options I might have in Sarria to find a pension that can move my bag on to my next destination (assuming I'd have to stay in Sarria).

Any new creative ideas would be super appreciated. I will try to make some calls and do some research.

THANKS again,

Mateo

PS How do I contact Jonny Walker through the forum?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A reasonable distance from Sarria just before Portomarin:

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergue-mercadoiro

It opens March 1, but a phone call is warranted. There are lots of hotels in Portomarin, and the walk from Mercadoiro is mostly downhill.

Melide has an all-year albergue and many hotels for your midway stop.

 

[mateo tenerife]

FALCON 269,

THANK YOU for this good advice! I will make some phone calls. Someone suggested the primitivo from LUGO and hooking into the French in route to Santiago. I may use that as a plan B.

THANK YOU again for your help!!,

Mateo

 

[mateo tenerife]

THANK YOU for your help! I have my credentials in hand from the local OBISPADO here on our Island. After many calls (and realizing it is harder to do the camino logistically in the "off season"), I have the following Camino Trip Plan. Starting in LUGO and taking the PRIMITIVE and merging into the FRENCH was best for me with the time that I have. I will be traveling light with a running backpack with 1.5L water bladder, that is light enough to move quickly & big enough to carry everything for a day's trip. I will pack gels & power bars to down each hour. I will send my main pack (without important doc.s) ahead each day. I will stay in pensions, so I can get a good nights sleep (and many/most albergues are still closed or only open for large groups). I will let you know how it goes!

Mateo

SUNDAY, 4 march:

- 10:15 compete in 20KM racewalk championships in morning

- good meal & long nap

- 16:00 - 18:30, Monbus, 902.29.29.00 (12E) from Pontevedra -> Lugo (monbus)

... sleep & hydrate

Hostal Mar De Plata Ronda de la Muralla, 5 -6 1º, 27001 Lugo‬ (RESERVED)

982 22 89 10   982 22 10 73 (Fax)   650 11 63 47 (Móvil) 25e indiv.

- facturar backpack with FREIRE (981.58.81.11) at bus station,

- leave before 21:00 on Sunday (or on Monday after 7:00)

- stamp passport somewhere in LUGO & visit cathedral

- get to bed early

MONDAY, 5 march:

- facturar backpack with FREIRE (981.58.81.11) at bus station,

- on Monday after 7:00, or leave before 21:00 on Sunday

- wake & start early

- get to San Roman mid morning -breakfast & stamp

- join Camino Francés at Palas de Rei, 63km approx on the Francés to Santiago.

- get to MELIDE 16:00 -19:00, (53KMs, 9 hours actual walking/running)

~~ another 52kms to Santiago

- pick up backpack at Pizzaria Xoldra, Avda lugo, 25 981.50.79.06

- coordinate with pizzeria, drop off on Mon. night or leave for Tues.

- Pensión Berenguela Calle del Cantón San Roque, 5, 15800 Melide

- 981 50 54 17 , RESERVED, hab. Indiv., 30E

- visit Melide sights

- dinner at pulperia Ezequiel

TUESDAY, 6 march:

- wake & start early early (53 kms to Santiago arriving 16:00-17:00)

- leave backpack at Pizzaria Xoldra or Pension (or leave the night before)

- Arzua, Pedrouzo and get to Santiago arriving 16:00-18:00

- get to cathedral before the diploma office closes at 20:00

- pick up backpack at FREIRE office at bus station

- Hostal Pumar C/ Galera, 28, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, RESERVED, 981 56 35 21

 

[Whalleyranger]

We appear to have a duplicate thread running here:

el-camino-frances/topic12899.html

I'm going to lock this one, please continue your discussion over at the other one.