- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances Roncesvalles to Sahagun Oct 2016
Sahagun to SDC April 2017 Burgos to SDC April 2018
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) |
---|
Yes.Every source and site I visit seems to have a different number.
Perhaps the differences that you have noticed are because the notion of an 'official distance' is rather meaningless.
I made a comment recently about the futility of seeking clear and definitive answers to some questions. In my view, the question you have asked is an example of such a question. Let me explain:It was a general interest question from someone relatively new to the community. Thanks for your help!
I made a comment recently about the futility of seeking clear and definitive answers to some questions. In my view, the question you have asked is an example of such a question. Let me explain:
If it helps, the Pilgrim Office distance certificate for the Camino Frances will suggest that you have walked 775 km.
- suggesting that there might be an official distance indicates that you think there might be an agency that is the one single source of the truth that would be able to settle you question,
- that would have measured accurately the exact route and its many established or recognised variants,
- or perhaps you would be satisfied with the measurement of the shortest variants, noting that these might vary for walkers, cyclists, etc.
- and keeps doing this every time the route has to be adjusted as the route is adjusted for any number of reasons but importantly as the urban landscape changes in towns and cities.
- none of which represents the actual distances that you will walk in any case, because you will not follow the 'official route' for any number of good reasons.
If you can rely on Brierley, his distance is 751. BUT as SY says there are a number of diversions that a pilgrim may take so if may differ for each. Is this what you were hoping to see????
Well you could actually continue for another 80 km (say 50 miles) to reach the Atlantic Ocean - but do not try to swim home to Nth America!!!SYates and Saintmike II Thanks, both helpful answers. My experiences in walking the Appalachian Trail, West Highland Way and the Wicklow Way, among others, have provided me with set distances. In reading about the Camino Frances and seeing a number of guides..I was not aware that it was not a set distance but had "variances", hence my confusion with the myriad of distances. Thanks, I'll stop walking when I get to Santiago
Well you could actually continue for another 80 km (say 50 miles) to reach the Atlantic Ocean - but do not try to swim home to Nth America!!!
I recall seing a marker with 843km, but then Eroski gives 753, so do the various bars that indicate how many km. are left. Pili Pali say 788. The answer "yes" was not so wrong ;0).
Yes, but a trivial confusion, as the Camino is not about the distance, but what you experience as you head towards Santiago. Some would argue that the longer the better, others that the shorter the better. I can see the upside in both: more time to live this outatanding experience vs less time in painHence the confusion
Yes, but a trivial confusion, as the Camino is not about the distance, but what you experience as you head towards Santiago. Some would argue that the longer the better, others that the shorter the better. I can see the upside in both: more time to live this outatanding experience vs less time in pain.
The bottom line is, the pilgrim himself makes the distance.
Wish you all well, Peter.
Or like my gran always said : " The time you talked about doing this , you could have actually done it already "....
SabineP....time spent talking and planning get me through many a long winter prior to re-doning the pack and starting a new adventure
As you are discussing distances and accuracy: why are the distances on the new way markers in Galicia indicated with 3 digits after the decimal comma? Does anyone know?
I know but I'm not sure how to word it... Let's see if it's enough with this: The distance showed on the marker on your picture is 74 kilometers and 601 meters.
....time spent talking and planning get me through many a long winter prior to re-doning the pack and starting a new adventure
Thank YOU, @Bumpa , for providing a venue for this discussion. Detail and planning a trip are almost as enjoyable as the actual trip IMHOThanks to all who took the time to reply
As you are discussing distances and accuracy: why are the distances on the new way markers in Galicia indicated with 3 digits after the decimal comma? Does anyone know? I recall seeing this only once before, a long time ago, in the Highlands where a distance on a footpath marker was given as 2 miles/3,218 km.
PS:
No rolling of eyes if it would have been 2,000 miles / 3,218 km (2.000 miles/3.218 km for those using the decimal point notation).
And smiling because the intention was a good one, aiming to cater for the foreign visitor from abroad.
View attachment 28737
I can only guess that it was a bad bureaucratic decision by someone who either had no understanding of measurement accuracy and significant figures, or ignored the appropriateness of data. Maybe some instrument measured to that accuracy, but it is very silly to give these numbers. I found it jarring to be walking a medieval route, seeing old fashioned concrete markers, and trying to round those numbers to an appropriate level!As you are discussing distances and accuracy: why are the distances on the new way markers in Galicia indicated with 3 digits after the decimal comma?
Thank YOU, @Bumpa , for providing a venue for this discussion. Detail and planning a trip are almost as enjoyable as the actual trip IMHO
Buen Camino!
That gave me a good laugh, as I immediately imagined a team of bureaucrats with rulers and string arguing about whether to round up the last fraction of a meter to make it .601As you are discussing distances and accuracy: why are the distances on the new way markers in Galicia indicated with 3 digits after the decimal comma? Does anyone know? I recall seeing this only once before, a long time ago, in the Highlands where a distance on a footpath marker was given as 2 miles/3,218 km.
PS:
No rolling of eyes if it would have been 2,000 miles / 3,218 km (2.000 miles/3.218 km for those using the decimal point notation).
And smiling because the intention was a good one, aiming to cater for the foreign visitor from abroad.
View attachment 28737
Bumpa raises a very interesting question and the lack of a definitive answer can seem at first frustrating. So too is the disparity between distances given in different guidebooks for apparently the same section of a route.
In the beginning I assumed that like other long walking paths for the Camino there was a governing body that set distances, standards, licensed Albergues, authorised credentials, cleared up litter etc. I learned that there isn't.
I thought that the routes were based on well researched and evidenced medieval historical records. Then I discovered that this is only somewhat true and the line of routes has as much to do with legend, religious belief, economic development and often simply the activities of bar, restaurant and albergue owners.
For guidewriters there are significant variables to take into account - identifying starting and stopping points where there is no standard, diversions and rerouting and often where to measure the start of a detour and where to record when the detour returns to the main route. In the main guidewriters will take the distance from the municipal Albergue however in some places the main square or the church are more natural points. Generally though overall distances should be approximately similar - but in 800 kms does it matter if there is a small variance?
In my guides I use a combination of Gps, maps, and timings of walking speed to determine distances and I still prefer to describe distances as "approximate".
I hope that this helps - walking the Camino is hugely rewarding but it isn't a uniformly organised thing - just like us pilgrims.
John
Thank you Bumpa, for your calm,measured,thoughtful answers to respondents when you might,at first, have been thinking''blimey ,these are a testy lot, I would not want to really upset them! '' But the discussion settled down into a great collection of interesting and helpful answers.SYates and Saintmike II Thanks, both helpful answers. My experiences in walking the Appalachian Trail, West Highland Way and the Wicklow Way, among others, have provided me with set distances. In reading about the Camino Frances and seeing a number of guides..I was not aware that it was not a set distance but had "variances", hence my confusion with the myriad of distances. Thanks, I'll stop walking when I get to Santiago
Thank you Bumpa, for your calm,measured,thoughtful answers to respondents when you might,at first, have been thinking''blimey ,these are a testy lot, I would not want to really upset them! '' But the discussion settled down into a great collection of interesting and helpful answers.
I hope you enjoy your walk and I am sure you will do it within your 38 days.
Good luck,
Joe
The lack of definite distances is an issue with trails and walking paths everywhere...just about the only thing you can guarantee when a guidebook says X km is that you will invariably measure something other than X with your GPS. Even little measurement variations between measurers can add up significantly over long distances.
How important is precision on the Camino?
Too true, SY ! I certainly have been there!! But maybe for this thread I was thinking in broader terms... if broader terms of precision isn't too much of an oxymoron...At the beginning of day - not much ;-) But at the end of the day 500m more or less can make a huge difference to my mood and feet ;-) Buen Camino, SY
It's not, the Camino is al about having a great time . Where to, how many days or km. that's what the pilgrim decide for him/her self.How important is precision on the Camino?
Very true. Even high-grade commercial and military GPS requires accurate, fixed reference data to get to sub-meter accuracy on a measurement...and a few meters here or there per measurement adds up over the long haul. So, yeah, even with a good GPS device you end up just another person with a questionable numberHowever standard "domestic" gps devices are not necessarily more accurate than other ways of measuring distances - just because your phone app says the distance between two points is a kilometre longer than it says in the guidebook doesn't make it so!
I can only guess that it was a bad bureaucratic decision by someone who either had no understanding of measurement accuracy and significant figures, or ignored the appropriateness of data. Maybe some instrument measured to that accuracy, but it is very silly to give these numbers
Buen Camino, Bumpa.
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?