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Crossover from Primitivo to Norte: O Camiño Verde

notion900

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Just to remind fellow pilgrims of the freshly updated status of the unofficial crossover from Lugo on the Primitivo to Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte: José Manuel Sánchez Grande from Friol @xmsg updated the whole route last autumn and repainted the green arrows.

Resource link. with links to José's blog, directions, wikiloc routes etc.

Link to the most recent thread on this subject.

If you have questions, I can try to help, I am not sure how often José logs into this forum, but a PM should alert him via email.

Help support alternative routes, as they spread the economic benefits of pilgrimage more fairly for the Spanish people.

@ivar any chance of a pin on this post?
 
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I think many Primitivo pilgrims are using this link!

When I arrived at Sobrado dos Monxes in October while walking a very quiet Norte there were many pilgrims there!

buen camino
 
@norelle do you mean in the regular dorms? I know Sobrado hosts people in the upstairs rooms and the gatehouse as well, on different programs.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
yes @notion900, in the regular dorms! It may have been that we caught up with Norte pilgrims as (for some reason) we walked 40kms that day!!??

As we arrived late I didn't get to chat to many pilgrims but I do know that some were from the Primitivo.

Vespers was offered in one of the upstairs rooms I recall. I really wish we had arrived earlier as I would have liked to explore a bit more.

buen camino
 
I know Sobrado is a honeypot - people walk fewer or more km just to stay there. But very encouraging to hear that some were from the Primitivo. Wow!

It's really a worthwhile thing to try to start up different routes. The local authorities can be really unhelpful - I got no info whatever from the two pilgrim offices in Lugo or the albergue there. And José has to show the mayor of Friol the positive comments on his blog to get any support! But when you see how people can be economically struggling and villages just dying, off the caminos, it brings it home that some people are making a lot of money and many more are not. It's my dream that Spain is criss-crossed with routes, so everyone can choose to be alone or in company, people can start up albergues and make a living, and everyone benefits. Instead of treating the French Way like some kind of funnel of humanity.
 
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I'm convinced! I will start Primitivo from Oviedo on 01 April 2017, then from Lugo I'll start looking for Camino Verde's green arrows. Thanks for the inspiration.

Keith
 
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Just to remind fellow pilgrims of the freshly updated status of the unofficial crossover from Lugo on the Primitivo to Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte: José Manuel Sánchez Grande from Friol @xmsg updated the whole route last autumn and repainted the green arrows.

Resource link. with links to José's blog, directions, wikiloc routes etc.

Link to the most recent thread on this subject.

If you have questions, I can try to help, I am not sure how often José logs into this forum, but a PM should alert him via email.

Help support alternative routes, as they spread the economic benefits of pilgrimage more fairly for the Spanish people.

@ivar any chance of a pin on this post?
Thanks so much for posting this! I've been at a loss to find much information on this section, as wanted to go there from the Primitivo.
 
Just to remind fellow pilgrims of the freshly updated status of the unofficial crossover from Lugo on the Primitivo to Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte: José Manuel Sánchez Grande from Friol @xmsg updated the whole route last autumn and repainted the green arrows.

Resource link. with links to José's blog, directions, wikiloc routes etc.

Link to the most recent thread on this subject.

If you have questions, I can try to help, I am not sure how often José logs into this forum, but a PM should alert him via email.

Help support alternative routes, as they spread the economic benefits of pilgrimage more fairly for the Spanish people.

@ivar any chance of a pin on this post?

I am walking the Primitivo later this month on a fixed schedule but would like to consider this if it is quieter than the CF.

Does it involve more stages than the more usual route linking up with the CF?
 
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@gns my stages last year were Lugo>Friol>Sobrado>Boimorto>Arca-Pedrouzo>Santiago.
I also missed out Arzúa by taking the alt route from Boimorto straight to Arca-Pedrouzo.

If you are worried about it taking an extra day to use the Verde, here are some options:

Conventional C del Norte route:
Sobrado to Arzúa 21km
Arzúa to Arca-Pedrouzo 19km
Arca-Pedrouzo to SDC 19km

My route:
Sobrado to Boimorto 12km (Boimorto albergue is v quiet as it's too close to Sobrado)
Boimorto to Arca-Pedrouzo via alt route 25km
Arca-Pedrouzo to SDC 19km

Another option:
Sobrado to St Irene or A Brea (via alt route but not staying at Boimorto) approx 30-33 km
A Brea to Santiago 25km
This makes up the lost day I think, but check my km calculations.

There is a pension at A Brea run by a nice British couple - I have not visited but they were very kind to me last year, sending me some lost property I left in Pedrouzo.

Either way, the Boimorto alt route means only one night on the CF.
 
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@gns my stages last year were Lugo>Friol>Sobrado>Boimorto>Arca-Pedrouzo>Santiago.
I also missed out Arzúa by taking the alt route from Boimorto straight to Arca-Pedrouzo.

If you are worried about it taking an extra day to use the Verde, here are some options:

Conventional C del Norte route:
Sobrado to Arzúa 21km
Arzúa to Arca-Pedrouzo 19km
Arca-Pedrouzo to SDC 19km

My route:
Sobrado to Boimorto 12km (Boimorto albergue is v quiet as it's too close to Sobrado)
Boimorto to Arca-Pedrouzo via alt route 25km
Arca-Pedrouzo to SDC 19km

Another option:
Sobrado to St Irene or A Brea (via alt route but not staying at Boimorto) approx 30-33 km
A Brea to Santiago 25km
This makes up the lost day I think, but check my km calculations.

There is a pension at A Brea run by a nice British couple - I have not visited but they were very kind to me last year, sending me some lost property I left in Pedrouzo.

Either way, the Boimorto alt route means only one night on the CF.

Thanks for the excellent information.

This sounds great but I am not going to get ahead of myself. When (or if) I make it to Lugo I'll decide. The knees held up pretty well last year but there seem to be losts of steep ups and downs before Lugo!

Buen Camino
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Thanks for the excellent information.

This sounds great but I am not going to get ahead of myself. When (or if) I make it to Lugo I'll decide. The knees held up pretty well last year but there seem to be losts of steep ups and downs before Lugo!

Buen Camino

It's not hard, really. I was dreadfully unfit last year and I took the supposedly 'horribly steep' route via Pola instead of the Hospitales route, and really it was easy peasy. People tell you it's steep to get you to stock up on their sandwiches and take the allegedly 'less steep but very adventurous' Hospitales. Both are just like what we would call a normal walk in the Lake District. Be careful of a slippy gravelly section just after the pass, especially if you've visited the beer van up there.

Don't miss walking round the walls of Lugo, it's just the coolest thing. There's even a lift to get up there if you can't face the stairs. People jog and walk their dogs up there!
 
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Just to remind fellow pilgrims of the freshly updated status of the unofficial crossover from Lugo on the Primitivo to Sobrado dos Monxes on the Norte: José Manuel Sánchez Grande from Friol @xmsg updated the whole route last autumn and repainted the green arrows.

Resource link. with links to José's blog, directions, wikiloc routes etc.

Link to the most recent thread on this subject.

If you have questions, I can try to help, I am not sure how often José logs into this forum, but a PM should alert him via email.

Help support alternative routes, as they spread the economic benefits of pilgrimage more fairly for the Spanish people.

@ivar any chance of a pin on this post?
Morning notion900, thanks for the posting, it has really helped me out in deciding which route I want to take, but I have one problem. I cannot down load the route from Jose's link, it just shows up for me "Drop box error 404". do you have a tip for me what I can do to down load the routs from Lugo - Friol - Sobrado? Thanks for any assistance, and wish you a great day.
 
@Terry R oh dear - I just tried to download the routes and the same happened. I suspect José has moved things around in his Dropbox and forgot to update the link. I just sent him a private message - he does not log into this forum very often but the PM should trigger an email to him. There is also the book mentioned in the Resource page if you speak German. However there are likely to be small differences between the book and the arrows, since José had to make a few small changes last year. I will update the resource links as soon as I hear from José.
 
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@Terry R oh dear - I just tried to download the routes and the same happened. I suspect José has moved things around in his Dropbox and forgot to update the link. I just sent him a private message - he does not log into this forum very often but the PM should trigger an email to him. There is also the book mentioned in the Resource page if you speak German. However there are likely to be small differences between the book and the arrows, since José had to make a few small changes last year. I will update the resource links as soon as I hear from José.
Thank you very much, I really appreciate it.
 
Hi!
@Terry R - I have just sawn your message. Sorry, but last month Dropbox has removed the Public folder, where I had saved my files about the "camiño verde".
But the problem is solved already.. I hope :)
If you have any problem more, pleaste contact me.

@notion900 - I hope see you next August in Friol, do you think is it possible?.
 
Hola José @xmsg great to hear from you - yes absolutely! Would you like to walk the route? Just send me a PM with a suggested date.
Have you seen what @norelle said above about meeting people in Sobrado who had come from Lugo?
Also there are some nice comments on the old thread and the resource.
 
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Hi Sarah!!
I will be in Friol most of August. But I think it will be difficult for me to to go from Friol to Santiago, although perhaps I could go from Friol to Sobrado. But now I could not specify the date. Perhaps between 4th and 12th. It is sure I can not on the 15th. When you have decided the dates, tell me and I could try to adapt.
Next week I will be in Canterbury, from 9th to 13th. May be we could meet...

Best regards from Seville
 
@xmsg I am working all that week, what time do you arrive in Canterbury on Sunday 9th? Do you fly into Gatwick?
Alternatively I am in Seville on night of 15th Holy Friday and Holy Saturday morning. I have to be in Villafranca de los Barros for Saturday evening, to continue the Via de la Plata, which I started 3 years ago.
 
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Hi!
@Terry R - I have just sawn your message. Sorry, but last month Dropbox has removed the Public folder, where I had saved my files about the "camiño verde".
But the problem is solved already.. I hope :)
If you have any problem more, pleaste contact me.

@notion900 - I hope see you next August in Friol, do you think is it possible?.
Thank you José for all your time and effort. You have really helped me out a lot. Take care, and have a great day!!!!
 
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€83,-
It's not hard, really. I was dreadfully unfit last year and I took the supposedly 'horribly steep' route via Pola instead of the Hospitales route, and really it was easy peasy. People tell you it's steep to get you to stock up on their sandwiches and take the allegedly 'less steep but very adventurous' Hospitales. Both are just like what we would call a normal walk in the Lake District. Be careful of a slippy gravelly section just after the pass, especially if you've visited the beer van up there.

Don't miss walking round the walls of Lugo, it's just the coolest thing. There's even a lift to get up there if you can't face the stairs. People jog and walk their dogs up there!
Hi there again notion900. Sorry to bother you, for I am sure you have more important things to do than answer my questions, but one last one. Which of the two routes do you like better, the Hospitales, or the steeper route via Pola, and why? I am interested in the route that offers more solitude and beauty, the strenuousness of the path doesn't bother me, Thanks for any Input. Take good care
 
Hi @Terry R I haven't done the Hospitales route, I was comparing what people will tell you about the elevation profiles and difficulty.

For solitude, the Pola route is undoubtedly much quieter. I didn't meet anyone all morning. It's very lovely, coming up through a pristine wooded valley with a cute little wooden bridge at one point. Hospitales apparently has views opening up all the way, whereas Pola you get the views suddenly where the two paths meet at the top of the pass. The Hospitales is more exposed to the wind, as it comes up a bare hillside, so weather could be a factor in deciding I guess. There's also little point doing the Hospitales in foggy weather, as it's all about the views.

Accommodation factors are also relevant if you like solitude. The small number of people who do the Pola route stay at Pola, and that majority of people who do the Hospitales nearly all stay at Borres. At Borres there is only one albergue (apparently good but very busy and necessary to book), whereas I found the Pola municipal albergue to be great and not at all crowded. Nearly everyone coming off both routes stays at Berducedo (so all accommodation there is very busy - book ahead), or you can walk on 5km to the very simple albergue at La Mesa.

You can stay at Pola even if you want to do Hospitales, by getting a taxi back to the trail junction. This also has the moral benefit of spreading the economic benefits more fairly, as Pola is a nice town but obviously struggling.

There are several threads on here devoted to the question - search on 'Hospitales' and tick the box for Search Titles only.
 
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@xmsg I am working all that week, what time do you arrive in Canterbury on Sunday 9th? Do you fly into Gatwick?
Alternatively I am in Seville on night of 15th Holy Friday and Holy Saturday morning. I have to be in Villafranca de los Barros for Saturday evening, to continue the Via de la Plata, which I started 3 years ago.

Sarah, I have answered your email not to occupy this thread with issues that are not of general interest.
 
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Hi @Terry R I haven't done the Hospitales route, I was comparing what people will tell you about the elevation profiles and difficulty.

For solitude, the Pola route is undoubtedly much quieter. I didn't meet anyone all morning. It's very lovely, coming up through a pristine wooded valley with a cute little wooden bridge at one point. Hospitales apparently has views opening up all the way, whereas Pola you get the views suddenly where the two paths meet at the top of the pass. The Hospitales is more exposed to the wind, as it comes up a bare hillside, so weather could be a factor in deciding I guess. There's also little point doing the Hospitales in foggy weather, as it's all about the views.

Accommodation factors are also relevant if you like solitude. The small number of people who do the Pola route stay at Pola, and that majority of people who do the Hospitales nearly all stay at Borres. At Borres there is only one albergue (apparently good but very busy and necessary to book), whereas I found the Pola municipal albergue to be great and not at all crowded. Nearly everyone coming off both routes stays at Berducedo (so all accommodation there is very busy - book ahead), or you can walk on 5km to the very simple albergue at La Mesa.

You can stay at Pola even if you want to do Hospitales, by getting a taxi back to the trail junction. This also has the moral benefit of spreading the economic benefits more fairly, as Pola is a nice town but obviously struggling.

There are several threads on here devoted to the question - search on 'Hospitales' and tick the box for Search Titles only.
I walked Hospitales and loved it. Very quiet in early April. Cheers, Keith
 
Hi there again notion900. Sorry to bother you, for I am sure you have more important things to do than answer my questions, but one last one. Which of the two routes do you like better, the Hospitales, or the steeper route via Pola, and why? I am interested in the route that offers more solitude and beauty, the strenuousness of the path doesn't bother me, Thanks for any Input. Take good care

Hi, Terry, this thread will give you more opinions on this eternal question. You just can´t go wrong, though, because they are both beautiful. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/hospitales-or-pola-de-allande.28334/


Buen camino, Laurie
 
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For an update from José on the section of the Green Way (crossover) just after Lugo, please refer to my post on this thread dated 11.04.17.
Fantastic - and I think you'll enjoy meeting the monks at Sobrado - one is British!

Hi Sarah,

I did it - big thanks to Jose for his work, and to you for posting about it. I'm pleased to have done three caminos-in-one (sort-of): Primitivo, Verde and Norte. I was also happy to do the Hospitales route and loved the quiet solitude and views from lofty heights. I went through in early April 2017 under an unseasonably warm sun. I had to hike way off the path to find a bit of snow, just so I could say I touched some :) Sobrado was a real treat. The only part of this route that I did not like was when I lost the path somewhere after Boimorto. Roads and villages blurred together and by asking locals to point to Santiago, I stumbled my way to highway N-634. It was a soulless walk from there to Lavacolla (I didn't know where to stop, so walked over 40km that day, mainly along the side of that highway.) My advice to anyone else trying to do this route - and trying to avoid the CF - get a map (I didn't have one), watch out for false arrows (bike races also spray paint arrows everywhere, in any colour); and, be prepared to sleep in the woods (I was, but I didn't have to in the end). I would walk the same route again, but would take way more care to get it right after Boimorto!

Cheers,

Keith
 
My advice to anyone else trying to do this route - and trying to avoid the CF - get a map (I didn't have one)

This is when having MapsMe installed on your phone comes in so handy when you are offline. I used it after Boimorto to find a side road near the far end of the Verde, that would bring me onto the CF at Salceda. I had lunch at the Cafe Verde t-shirt bar, and continued on to O Pedrouza.
Jill
 
Ahh Jill,

The difference between a woman and a man (or an ant vs a grasshopper) :) I will check this thing you call "MapsMe" out, and discard my rune sticks if it proves better. As I wandered the back roads, I toyed with the idea of just bulling my way forward across the N634 and hoping for the best, then realized I might not find a hostel. As I stomped my way over 40km that day, I started considering quiet pockets of woods where I could roll out my bivvy bag for the night, and cook soup over a fire. In the end, I made it to Lavacola and found a real bed. Where were you when I needed sensible advice? For those reading this note, learn from Jill. Get a map! (Or if you want an adventure, don't.)

By the way, staying in O Pedrouzo vs Lavacola means more time spent in the zoo they call CF :) Not really trying to be pejorative here, but after my night in Lavacola, and after only a few hundred metres of walking, I found myself in a human river walking the final stretch to Santiago.


Cheers,

Keith
 
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