- Time of past OR future Camino
- 2013,2015,2017,2022
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
Any advice would be appreciated. How does the Invierno compare to the Primitivo or to the Vasco in difficulty?
I thought the views on the invierno were better than the Frances overall. But that’s a generalisation. Shorter climbs in 35c Heat with no shade are tougher than longer climbs in inclement weather. Everything depends on circumstancesI might offer a dissenting opinion, but... I skipped 2 sections: A Rua to Montefurado (10 km by train) and Quiroga to A Ponte (21 km by taxi). Maybe they were the hardest and/or most beautiful parts, so my opinion isn't valid, but I think there is too much hype about the route, among the forum fan club. Don't get me wrong - it is an excellent route and a very good alternative to the Frances especially if you don't want the crowding and social pressure.
Aside from the issues in a couple of places, of getting stages of reasonable length, I did not find it particularly hard. I am not super fit, and I like 20 km days, but I just go slowly on hills. I walked two 30-km days, and I did Monte Faro, but not Pico Sacro since it was cloud covered. However, it only takes a few metres of bad surface to cause a problem for bad knees.
Liz - Don't feel pressured to "achieve" this! It's just another route to Santiago. Maybe I'm a grump, but I didn't find it stunningly beautiful. Las Medulas was stunning/ dramatic, but you could do that by other means. The descent to the Rio Minho was my favourite part, but nobody recommends that for you, this time. I think a boat excursion and/or winery tour around there would be fun!
I'm sorry if I'm creating confusion here, but I think there is too much emphasis on specific viewpoints, hills, landmarks, etc. For me, the route was a very good 2-week Camino, but I wouldn't rave about it except for the joy that I had in walking with my new 3 amigos. I liked the Vasco better for "beauty" and interest.
Glad you’ve decided to move ahead. You’ve already received some good, recent advice, but I thought I’d chime in as well.Thank you all for such good and varied impressions. I think we will go ahead and do this. In the end, the key for Tom is the availability of pack transport. He is going to start carrying his pack again after Leon, but if this aggravates his knee we wanted to know it would be available. I suppose the pressure for me is not to do any particular route but to try something new. And the crowds on the last 100 km May been significant so it would be nice to avoid this! The Frances seems so busy some days compared to the Vasco. It’s actually been a hidden benefit to Tom’s knee injury that we have had to slow down. We have stayed in quieter places and, after all the gun no types have galloped past us, have walked a bit quieter route.
Thank you for this post @C clearly Interesting for me. I’m hoping to walk the Invierno some time - and I think I may be one of those in danger of having ‘great expectations’ of the Invierno. It’s a good reminder to me to keep those expectations in check.I might offer a dissenting opinion, but... I skipped 2 sections: A Rua to Montefurado (10 km by train) and Quiroga to A Ponte (21 km by taxi). Maybe they were the hardest and/or most beautiful parts, so my opinion isn't valid, but I think there is too much hype about the route, among the forum fan club. Don't get me wrong - it is an excellent route and a very good alternative to the Frances especially if you don't want the crowding and social pressure.
Aside from the issues in a couple of places, of getting stages of reasonable length, I did not find it particularly hard. I am not super fit, and I like 20 km days, but I just go slowly on hills. I walked two 30-km days, and I did Monte Faro, but not Pico Sacro since it was cloud covered. However, it only takes a few metres of bad surface to cause a problem for bad knees.
Liz - Don't feel pressured to "achieve" this! It's just another route to Santiago. Maybe I'm a grump, but I didn't find it stunningly beautiful. Las Medulas was stunning/ dramatic, but you could do that by other means. The descent to the Rio Minho was my favourite part, but nobody recommends that for you, this time. I think a boat excursion and/or winery tour around there would be fun!
I'm sorry if I'm creating confusion here, but I think there is too much emphasis on specific viewpoints, hills, landmarks, etc. For me, the route was a very good 2-week Camino, but I wouldn't rave about it except for the joy that I had in walking with my new 3 amigos. I liked the Vasco better for "beauty" and interest.
We made reservations and were glad we did. Another pilgrim with us one day had to call four places until she found accommodations for the night.@QuailHiker I’m completely new in this forum (this is the first time I write something in here) and I also consider walking the Invierno this July from Ponferrada. Would you recommend calling/writing the albergues on beforehand to make reservations, or is there sufficient amount of accommodation relative to the amount of pilgrims?
Thanks
@C clearly, my preference is 20km days, as well.Aside from the issues in a couple of places, of getting stages of reasonable length, I did not find it particularly hard. I am not super fit, and I like 20 km days, but I just go slowly on hills. I
I had trouble focusing on the blog (well, it is always a bit of a chore) and gave up for awhile. I have now almost caught up, but think I will go back and do some editing to make it more informative, now that I'm home (just arrived last night). I will also post some info here.blog documenting your walks, and am wondering if you have added in your recent Invierno Camino,
Thank you for your quick answer. I'm surprised that it is necessary on a fairly quit route. But maybe it is also a good idea to make calls in order to make sure whether the different albergues is open/closed/closed for good? Is it possible to make reservations with municipal albergues?We made reservations and were glad we did. Another pilgrim with us one day had to call four places until she found accommodations for the night.
That was me. It had little or nothing to do with there being many pilgrims, because there were not! It was 5 pm on a Sunday afternoon in A Rua; there was a fiesta in O Barco, which could have been a factor. But maybe the owners had no other guests and did not want to bother changing all their Sunday afternoon plans at the last minute. (In fact one person essentially said to call back if I couldn't find something else.) I did find a room and there was no evidence of crowding anywhere.Another pilgrim with us one day had to call four places until she found accommodations for the night.
Perhaps it is preferable because it is a quiet route. I found that along the Invierno, there are few enough pilgrims, that accommodating them is very much a sideline rather than steady business.I'm surprised that it is necessary on a fairly quit route. But maybe it is also a good idea to make calls in order to make sure whether the different albergues is open/closed/closed for good? Is it possible to make reservations with municipal albergues?
I agree. It does seem counter-intuitive but this was very much the case on the Chemin du Piemont. We saw 3 pilgrims in 3 weeks - and two of them were walking just for a few days. Still, we realised after the first two days that we needed to book ahead as there was often just one- or maybe two - options. Welcoming pilgrims was not a full time occupation and understandably so. Sometimes people said 'Sorry we can't take you tomorrow night as our family are visiting or we will be away etc'. If you turned up after a long day expecting a bed and couldn't find one - it could be a LONG walk to the next.Perhaps it is preferable because it is a quiet route. I found that along the Invierno, there are few enough pilgrims, that accommodating them is very much a sideline rather than steady business.
Thank you for elaborating on the subject. It makes perfect sense! This is so different from the C. Francés where the reason for booking in advance has a very different reason.I agree. It does seem counter-intuitive but this was very much the case on the Chemin du Piemont. We saw 3 pilgrims in 3 weeks - and two of them were walking just for a few days. Still, we realised after the first two days that we needed to book ahead as there was often just one- or maybe two - options. Welcoming pilgrims was not a full time occupation and understandably so. Sometimes people said 'Sorry we can't take you tomorrow night as our family are visiting or we will be away etc'. If you turned up after a long day expecting a bed and couldn't find one - it could be a LONG walk to the next.
It makes perfect sense, thank you for letting me knowThat was me. It had little or nothing to do with there being many pilgrims, because there were not! It was 5 pm on a Sunday afternoon in A Rua; there was a fiesta in O Barco, which could have been a factor. But maybe the owners had no other guests and did not want to bother changing all their Sunday afternoon plans at the last minute. (In fact one person essentially said to call back if I couldn't find something else.) I did find a room and there was no evidence of crowding anywhere.
Perhaps it is preferable because it is a quiet route. I found that along the Invierno, there are few enough pilgrims, that accommodating them is very much a sideline rather than steady business.
If I were doing it again, I would certainly book a day or two ahead, because just showing up in town does not necessarily work best for anyone - either the pilgrim or the host. I think the owners of the family-run hostales prefer to know in advance so they can plan around your arrival. They are not staffed full-time!
It is funny because I was discouraged with the apparent difficulty/uncertainty of getting accommodation, and I couldn't figure it out. Once I realized that it is a favour all round to collaborate with the lodging operators by making arrangements in advance, I became much happier with the situation.It makes perfect sense, thank you for letting me know
I am a big fan. It keeps all reservations in order by date and totally simplified my 25+ cancellations in 2020 due to covid in a matter of minutes.If they have chosen to use booking.com, then I am more than happy to use it too. Even if I reserve and cancel, the process is clear and simple for everyone.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?