Crushed rock fills the Camino Primitivo in Galicia

[Pelegrin]

One more thing, if you want to protest environmental destruction in Galicia, start with the eucalyptus issue. You might notice that in eucalyptus plantations there is no wildlife, no birds, nothing. It's also a massive fire hazard.

The eucaliptus plantations are private. The Xunta is trying to reduce them. Now, many land is classified as not allowed to plant pine trees or eucaliptus after cutting. From June it's compulsory 4 metres clean from the road. Those rules have made land price to drop dramaticaly. In my case I have 1 Ha in 6 pieces and only one of them (1400 m2) is allowed to plant, So with the 4 mts requirement I'm going to start selling the whole thing for almost nothing.
I agree that those rules were necessary but are going to have economic impact on rural fanilies .

 

[peregrina2000]

One more thing, if you want to protest environmental destruction in Galicia, start with the eucalyptus issue. You might notice that in eucalyptus plantations there is no wildlife, no birds, nothing. It's also a massive fire hazard.

Totally agree. Years ago, on my first walk to Finisterre, I was with a mushroom expert from a Galician university, and he just went on and on and on about how the eucalyptus trees had killed off most of the varieties of hongos. There are many ongoing protests on this issue, too! In fact, I believe that the Xunta has prohibited them in the urban fringe, though it’s mainly for fire prevention rather than because of their environmental impacts. But there are efforts to restore and reforest, probably with as long a time frame as what it might take to stop the hormigón.

 

[Tincatinker]

Further to my comments above.. in a damp climate like Galicia on PERMEABLE path materials the vegetation WILL grow back in a few years.

Vegetation will grow back in a few years in environments where the permeable pathing material is not subject to succesive and continuous foot-fall. In those circumstances new growth is continually crushed and broken, the material migrates outwards in response to continuous random pressure; migrates into the ditches and causes blockages that require further "maintenance".

Additionally compaction, over time, seriously impedes the permeability of the material leading to accumulation and run-off. If you look at sections of the Frances that were "improved" a decade or more ago, such as some of the stretches between Roncesvalles and Zubiri the long-term damage is evident. Alien mineral overspill into the environment has encouraged alien plant species and created run-off scarring that has changed water transmission. The response has been to try and manage the run-off, distributing the mineralisation over an extended areas and necessitating the introduction of further amounts of alien material.

None of which has anything like the impact of a single Kilometre of 'new' road. Nevertheless the 'management" of our environment currently reflects, on the whole, the management of our economies. Its short term, blind and incompetent.

 

[Bradypus]

Years ago, on my first walk to Finisterre, I was with a mushroom expert from a Galician university, and he just went on and on and on about how the eucalyptus trees had killed off most of the varieties of hongos.

One side effect of importing eucalyptus was importing a particularly bizarre fungus along with it: devil's fingers. Looks like something from a sci-fi horror film I've seen it a few times in Galicia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrus_archeri

 

[Tincatinker]

Seen that one in the Dordogne as well. Apparently attributed to the importation of Pinus Sylvestris clones from the States. Oh well, once we've saved it all we can put it all in a museum and go to look at it from time-to-time [pace Joni Mitchell]

 

[peregrina2000]

One side effect of importing eucalyptus was importing a particularly bizarre fungus along with it: devil's fingers. Looks like something from a sci-fi horror film I've seen it a few times in Galicia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clathrus_archeri

It’s alternative name is octopus stinkhorn according to that link, but I like the more sinister nickname. I had never heard of suberumpent eggs before— oh, the things you learn on the forum!

 

[tomnorth]

I may be in the minority on this, but here’s my take. Trails are meant to be walked. My favorite walking surface is crushed limestone. I would much rather walk crushed limestone than a rutted dirt path that turns to deep mud when rained on. I would also much rather walk on crushed limestone than blacktop or certainly cement, which is my least favorite walking surface. I haven’t looked at all the before and after photos, but my sense is that the upgrading of trails has been going on for ages. I suspect that if the ancients could have used crushed limestone they would have.

 

[notion900]

Vegetation will grow back in a few years in environments where the permeable pathing material is not subject to succesive and continuous foot-fall. In those circumstances new growth is continually crushed and broken, the material migrates outwards in response to continuous random pressure; migrates into the ditches and causes blockages that require further "maintenance".

I don't believe many of these paths were without surfacing material in the first place, it was just overgrown. Where there is no surface material, but the path is used, the path turns to deep mud in winter.

All tracks with ditches require cleaning out of the ditches, because the ditches are there for a reason, ie to prevent erosion. In days of yore, people cleaned out the ditches every winter, hence the phrase 'hedging and ditching'. There would have been more footfall and more stuff kicked into the ditches, because there would have been more movements of livestock. Now what few cows there are, are often kept indoors (which I disagree with btw).

Additionally compaction, over time, seriously impedes the permeability of the material leading to accumulation and run-off. If you look at sections of the Frances that were "improved" a decade or more ago, such as some of the stretches between Roncesvalles and Zubiri the long-term damage is evident. Alien mineral overspill into the environment has encouraged alien plant species and created run-off scarring that has changed water transmission. The response has been to try and manage the run-off, distributing the mineralisation over an extended areas and necessitating the introduction of further amounts of alien material.

I don't know the areas you are referring to near Zubiri, I do agree that brought-in material changes the species composition of the marginal vegetation. What I have seen of the work in Galicia seem to show that run off is being managed as part of the original works (ie the granite channels).

 

[JillGat]

I think quite a bit of the original Camino is currently paved over now, because it was the best route.

 

[Oppis]

Arrived from both Primitivo and Norte a few days ago. There were not any working to be seen on Primitivo, but Works of driving crush were going on on Norte after Vilalba, in Guitiriz county.

 

[fouad2001]

The Foro do Camiño, composed by 30 ONGs from Lugo, has denounced the works made by the Xunta de Galicia in Camino del Norte and Primitivo before ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body of UNESCO). The Foro says (my poor translation) that under euphemisms as conditioning, recovery and improvement, the traditional appearance of the historic pilgrimage routes is being modified with purposes essentially related to tourism.
The Foro supports its arguments with a law protecting the Caminos since 1996, which defines those Caminos as FMovies YesMovies SolarMovie cultural goods associated with a historical territory, and not as regular roads or tourist attractives (the legalese is difficult to translate, it is "no como caminos funcionales de tránsito o de mercado turístico-comercial" in Spanish). Also, some testimonials from pilgrims that criticize the new conditions of the Camino have been included in the document.
See "El Diario", here
(Note: edited to correct the url)

We had a beautiful day in early May 2016 walking the Hospitales route. But a pilgrim friend following us walked the route just one day after we did, had so much fog that he could not even see the path markers (approx. 1 ft. high) at the top. He became rather disoriented and almost lost his way.
I'd be very cautious this time of year and heed the advice of wherever you are staying the night prior about which route to take when heading out the next morning.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I must really walk with "my head in the sand" and although I have taken the time to read only a smattering if these posts with varying opinions I can only say this...I walked the Primitivo via the Hospitales route in May 2016. The only gravel type paths I recall were once on a steep upclimb, although not dangerous, and then the one that was truly treacherous for me was heading downward on the other side later on. The gravel that had been laid down was huge pieces the size of eggs along the power lines and at a very steep decline. Don't know how I'd have managed without my poles as the rocks wanted to roll and tumble as I stepped! I did end in Lugo so cannot speak for the path beyond there.

All that to say this. I am always joyous to be walking on Camino. I never look at the path as I walk and think it should be "this or that". I enjoy the many changes along the way, whether the paths be eroded with roots, dirt, muddy, tractor paths, gravel, whatever (except of course busy roads with lots of traffic). I just put one foot in front of the other and am thankful to just "be". I am a guest and accept the come what may underfoot, whatever the decisions of the local governments to either improve or leave "as is". In fact, prior to reading this thread, I'd never given any of this a thought at all.

 

[peregrina2000]

This is what the Xunta is destroying.

Holloways: Roads Tunneled Into the Earth by Time

Appearing like trenches dragged into the earth, sunken lanes, also called hollow-ways or holloways, are centuries-old thoroughfares worn down by the traffic...

www.atlasobscura.com

 

[JillGat]

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Very interesting article, Laurie. When I've walked through those paths on the camijos, I always wobdered if they truly were ancient as it seemed almost impossible that they could be, yet hoped they were original. I like knowing that they are! Thanks for posting the link. I hope they do not keep getting destroyed in Galicia.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I think quite a bit of the original Camino is currently paved over now, because it was the best route.

Half or more of nearly all of the original Camino pathways throughout Western Europe are now main roads used daily by motor vehicles -- in some places, they've even become motorways or similar (the Aurelia in Italy is egregiously unhikable along much of its length for this very reason, so that the Way there now goes along some alternative routes instead).

On the Francès, most of the main carretera between about Pamplona and about Astorga is the old Camino, though the two do part ways over certain lengths quite frequently, i.e. where the original Camino was and is not suitable for heavy motor vehicle traffic.

 

[KinkyOne]

Well, about those holloways, of course they were "made" through times but they actually were sometimes dug in a little bit just to give shelter for the transportation. Same reason why they are lined with trees for decades, on and on after old trees fall down. But nevertheless I don't want to be in one of them in storm or (like going up to O'Cebreiro) meeting whole bunch of cows going down

BTW they are definitely not something Celtic. There were Celts in my area too but not for long and definitely not from like 1689 until today and there are still same holloways existing

 

[JabbaPapa]

It's always hard for me to "get with the program" of "doom and gloom" over this Camino modernisation push -- except in certain particular cases, egregiously bad, where the original pathway is replaced by a thick layer of naked concrete.

Very often, the crushed rocks versions of these paths are among the easiest ones to hike on, which I liked in my younger days when I was very fast because I could really eat up the K on such surfaces, and I like in my present situation of being a handicapped person because of the more reliable and less risky surface they provide.

As for tiny little footpaths, they could and can sometimes be OK for me for both purposes, old and new, but that would depend entirely on the quality of the overall terrain, so that's hardly a given ; however, in most cases, these paths used to slow me down and so led to longer hiking days, they nearly always have a risk of being nasty, wet, and muddy, and today from my handicap they can sometimes even be difficult for me to walk at all, so that quite frequently such paths can force me to go and hike on the tarmac alternative instead.

Muddy paths can also be particularly bad for me personally due to my heavy body and size 14 boots.

I'd agree that in some cases, and particularly in drier areas like the Languedoc or much of Catalonia, or Castilla y Léon, it is very often better to leave the Camino relatively "unmodernised" where it still exists in an "original" state, in the spirit of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" ; but elsewhere, well, it simply isn't any default "truth" that such "original" states must be superior to the modernised ones.

And particularly not in places with such heavy rainfall as Galicia, which can turn any "natural" pathway into an impraticable length of mud pits, flowing streams, and mud-bottomed depths of rainwater.

Of course there's never been that much "natural" about the Camino in the first place, after it began all those hundreds of years ago along the pathways of the old network of Roman roads. It's mostly where nature has reclaimed the old Roman and mediaeval paved roads that the original Camino routes are now dirt tracks.

And as for the "holoways", in my lengthy experiences several times through France on multiple different routes all over the country, and in Spain on the Francès, Aragonès, and Catalan, I've only rarely seen those having been "destroyed" by anyone or anything, but frankly in the vast majority of cases it is through massive degradation by heavy farming or logging machinery ; not resurfacing for hikers. And where they have been resurfaced, in my experience it's mostly for those machines and against any more destruction by them, little to do with any hikers.

 

[VNwalking]

Thank you for this interesting article, Laurie.
May this trend not spread to the Invierno.
(Although there does seem to be some of it around Lalin...)

 

[Kathar1na]

I don’t think it matters to the majority of people whether holloways are 5000 years old, 500 years old or 50 years old. Or how “pilgrimage authentic” or “original” they are. It has been pointed out many times that we often don't walk on any "original" pilgrimage road because that road is under the tarmac road used by cars today. The footpaths used by us in Galicia and elsewhere - not all of them are holloways - are not made for mass traffic, not made for being patrolled daily by police, not made for quick access for ambulances in an emergency. What matters to many people is that they don’t look as pretty as before when their surface is covered with new material.

Galicia is preparing for a Holy Year in 2021 and the next one isn’t too far away. Numbers of Camino walkers don’t cease to increase nor does the publicity for it. This forum and many of its members are a (small) part of this.

 

[VNwalking]

I don’t think it matters to the majority of people whether holloways are 5000 years old, 500 years old or 50 years old. Or how “pilgrimage authentic” or “original” they are.

True enough. More people probably care that there are bars and albergues every 5km. (Sorry, a cynical moment slipped out...)

I for one really get a kick out of it when I stumble across a part of a camino that actually is the unimproved remains of an old road - and I could care less if it's muddy, uneven, or even a PITA to walk on. These places are where you can directly feel the history of the Camino, and it's worth slowing down for them. But I guess I'm in the minority.
The Invierno had many moments of joy about old roads - as did the tunel stage of the Vasco, and the last stage of the Via de Bayona into Burgos. Long may none of them succumb to gravel.

 

[Kathar1na]

True enough. More people probably care that there are bars and albergues every 5km. (Sorry, a cynical moment slipped out...)

It's not what I meant, of course. I meant to say that the path or the road just has to look old and feel camino-y/ancient pilgrimage like, it doesn't matter to many people whether it really is one of the two or both.

 

[VNwalking]

It's not what I meant, of course.

Ah, I get it. Yes...you're right, that's likely true.
(And what I said was tongue in cheek, at least partly - though I have to admit to the part that wasn't.)

 

[Kathar1na]

My understanding is that holloways in particular are the result of erosion, caused by the kind of soil in the area, by rain and water flowing down the path, by intensive usage by cattle and carriages, ie human economic activity, and due to the fact that they are unpaved. They have largely fallen into disuse because roads with better (paved) surfaces were built nearby. So they are in areas where further erosion will take place if intensive usage by humans starts again for whatever reason ... unless they get paved. ☺

 

[VNwalking]

They have largely fallen into disuse because there are roads with better surfaces nearby.

That's for sure.
Even stone - like the Portico de la Gloria - will wear down with too much use.
There was a short stretch of the Invierno that was so impressive, because there were cartwheel tracks worn into the stone of the track.

But I can't imagine there would ever be enough pilgrim feet there to wear the stone down.
And it seems that bulldozers and gravel would do a good deal more damage than feet ever could.

 

[Kathar1na]

And it seems that bulldozers and gravel would do a good deal more damage than feet ever could.

As I said, I suspect (but don't know) it's because camino pilgrims hope to be safe and secure while walking, hence increased police patrols on motorbikes in recent years (at least that's what I've seen a few times when walking on the Camino Frances) and they hope to be helped quickly and transported to a hospital quickly when they have an accident or a heart attack on the way (which does happen, and the higher the number of walkers the more frequently such incidents happen).

 

[Bradypus]

As I said, I suspect (but don't know) it's because camino pilgrims hope to be safe and secure while walking, hence increased police patrols on motorbikes (at least that's what I've seen a few times when walking on the Camino Frances) and they hope to be helped quickly and transported to a hospital quickly when they have an accident or a heart attack on the way (which does happen, and the higher the number of walkers the more frequently such incidents happen).

A tricky balancing act there. How far to "improve" a path for valid safety reasons without destroying its essential character? And what level of risk is deemed acceptable in what appears to be becoming a very risk-averse world? I often find myself walking alone in quite remote and little-visited areas and simply have to accept that careless actions on my part or a totally unforeseen event may leave me stranded with little prospect of immediate help. Part of the deal. But that is not what most people who walk the Caminos have signed up for or can reasonably be expected to find.

 

[VNwalking]

Well, they're apparently only doing this in Galicia.
And I suspect it has nothing to do with safety and more to do with something else (that I'd rather not speculate about because I have no idea why the Xunta would be doing this). Otherwise, they would have dealt with the descents into Zubiri, Uterga, and Acebo/Molinaseca in the same way a long time ago.

I often find myself walking in quite remote and little-visited areas and simply have to accept that careless actions on my part or a totally unforeseen event may leave me stranded with little prospect of immediate help. Part of the deal.

On the less traveled caminos that is often the case. There is no easy rescue if you are not careful...as you say, part of the deal. It's actually precious, that uncompromising lesson nature can teach.

 

[Bradypus]

And I suspect it has nothing to do with safety and more to do with something else (that I'd rather not speculate about because I have no idea why the Xunta would be doing this). Otherwise, they would have dealt with the descents into Zubiri, Uterga, and Acebo/Molinaseca in the same way a long time ago.

I do not think that the Xunta is going to claim responsibility for the three areas you mention - all of them quite a long way from Galicia. Enough internal political strife in Spain at the moment without any land grabs by the top-left corner....

 

[Kathar1na]

And I suspect it has nothing to do with safety and more to do with something else (that I'd rather not speculate about because I have no idea why the Xunta would be doing this).

Why not spell it out since it is often enough mentioned here? Politics, nepotism etc. etc. I have no actual knowledge and I give them the benefit of the doubt. Galicia "owns" the Holy Years, Galicia has the absolute highest number of Camino walkers/pilgrims in every given year, and most likely the highest number of those that are not used to long distance walks in remote nature anyway (ie not conditioned for it which is not necessarily the same as unfit).

BTW, I once emailed about the descent to Uterga and they replied, very kindly, that they were aware of the problem but it was a question of private property rights and they could do little about it. Oh, and me personally? I considered the descent as easy and fun and was pretty fast coming down. ☺

 

[VNwalking]

I considered the descent as easy and fun and was pretty fast coming down.

Wow. You have better ankles and knees than I, Katharina!

Why not spell it out since it is often enough mentioned here? Politics, nepotism etc. etc.

Yes, well...
We pilgrims have no control of whatever the agenda is around all this. So whatever. Not to mentiom short-sightedness.

Oh, and @Bradypus - of course I'm well aware of that. I should have been clearer.
.

 

[Pelegrin]

Well, they're apparently only doing this in Galicia.
And I suspect it has nothing to do with safety and more to do with something else (that I'd rather not speculate about because I have no idea why the Xunta would be doing this). Otherwise, they would have dealt with the descents into Zubiri, Uterga, and Acebo/Molinaseca in the same way a long time ago.

Zubiri and Uterga is Navarra and Molinaseca is Castilla León. The Xunta can't do anything there.
I must say that I definetely prefer the old paths but I think the Xunta is doing this in Galicia for two reasons: To make it easier for pilgrims and to get votes from the rural.
Galician rural is the main source of votes for the party in power in Xunta (PP). The new paths are also used by the locals to bring their cows to the fields or simply for walking.The mud is not good for either the cows and the old people who live in the rural.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Ten years ago in Cantabria the workmen paving a section of the Camino said that it would eventually be paved all the way to Santiago. ..... Personally we like tracks and not paving, but numbers, wear an tear and local needs bring change for both good and bad. Some like the crushed granite, others hate it to walk on but if it is done with sensitivity to the old trackways with their stone boundaries then it might help to prevent erosion etc and maintain the paths for the good of all.

 

[Former member 49149]

I do not think that the Xunta is going to claim responsibility for the three areas you mention - all of them quite a long way from Galicia. Enough internal political strife in Spain at the moment without any land grabs by the top-left corner....

a quick hijack: are you almost back to full circle, bradypus? (avatar) sorry for so doing... almost.

 

[Bradypus]

a quick hijack: are you almost back to full circle, bradypus? (avatar) sorry for so doing... almost.

Been back home for a few weeks now. Right way up

 

[JabbaPapa]

without destroying its essential character

So what's the "essential" -- that it's a route of pilgrimage, or that it's a hiking trail ?

 

[VNwalking]

So what's the "essential" -- that it's a route of pilgrimage, or that it's a hiking trail ?

Essential in this context means 'essence,' rather than 'important.' In other words, it's intrinsic nature or
quintessence, soul, spirit, ethos, nature, life, core, heart...etcetera.

 

[JillGat]

Somebody said, earlier on this thread, that most walkers couldn't care less whether the Camino path they are walking on is 1000, 500 or 50 years old. It doesn't bother me that much, that some of the Camino has been re-routed or even improved with gravel, so there is less mud. But I am gleeful when I see evidence that the path I'm walking on is ancient and - even without such evidence - I often like to imagine that I follow in the footsteps and cartwheels of thousands before me.

My fascination could stem from a report I wrote when I was 10 years old in the 4th grade (US). We had to pick a random topic out of a hat that the teacher came up with. I randomly picked "Early Roads." My mother, who was a librarian and loved more than anything to help me research my reports, laughed with me while I moaned about ending up with the absolutely most boring topic of all that were available.

Then I started reading about the ancient indigenous trails through the US that were later traveled by covered wagons and many of which are now highways. I learned about the Camino Real from Mexico City north to Santa Fe, New Mexico, that existed for hundreds of years even before the Spanish arrived, as indigenous tribes traded with each other along its route. Some parts of it still look almost the same as they did 400 years ago, and some of the towns it passes through are populated by people with the same last names as the original northbound settlers.

I studied the ancient Roman roads; how they were built in complicated layers and how many of them still exist today and sometimes you can even still see the ruts from the Roman carts. I ate all of this up! It was the most interesting subject I ever learned and wrote about and here I am, all these years later, hiking the Camino in Spain and also have walked some of the ancient trails in North America.

So, maybe some part of the Camino is just a modern detour because the original route is now paved over. But walking on the newer trail, I'll still hear Celtic flutes, "see" pre-historic stone markers, feel the presence of Roman traders and imagine religious pilgrims, walking with donkeys toward Santiago.

I don't care what you say.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Essential in this context means 'essence,' rather than 'important.' In other words, it's intrinsic nature or quintessence, soul, spirit, ethos, nature, life, core, heart...etcetera.

I wasn't exactly pondering the meaning of the word "essential" in that question ...

OED 2nd Edition 2009 suggests "1.A.1 In various senses related to essence n. 1–4. a.A.1.a That is such by essence, or in the absolute or highest sense."

But more deeply, the "essential" is that which is in a thing that is of the being itself of that thing (essence is from a Late Latin (*)Essentia, from Esse, the Infinitive of To Be + -ens, a very little used present participle of To Be, so that it literally means "the character of being of the beingness of something that is") -- as opposed most typically to its external accidents and transient characteristics and/or states and/or changes.

BTW the "nature" of a thing is most often different to is "essence", as a "nature" concerns more its origin and destiny or purpose, its evolution and its "spirit" if you like, not the beingness of its intrinsic reality outside of all those conditions that its "essence" refers to.

 

[VNwalking]

I don't care what you say.

Me neither.
Jill, beautiful post, thank you. You just said what I was thinking, and said it much better than I could have.
My experience exactly - which is one reason why I loved the Invierno as much as I did.
And the Vasco/Via de Bayona.
Both are very old roads that are in many places still more or less intact, speaking loudly of the countless feet and wheels that have traveled them.