First Time Camino Walker.

[kevhan84]

Planning on walking the Camino mid April to late May 2015, any advice welcome.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

The first thing you can do is by a guide about the Camino. Try to reed as much as possible. And than wich backpack, shoes etc. to use. I wish you happy planning and a Buen Camino.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

any advice welcome

Read the content of the Forum!!

Start with the FAQ's, I suggest.

 

[fsg ken]

remember to begin walking and hiking, get yourself reasonably fit , get the shoes run in, and pack light - buen camino

 

[notion900]

Pack your bag with everything you think you will take. Then walk with it for 15 miles. Then take a load of stuff out!!

 

[Ice]

My biggest mistake was not doing long hikes in my boots multiple days in a row - compounded by my mistake to not bring any antiseptic (thank goodness the camino provides). My heels were nasty - like infected, destroyed nasty... still were eaten by my boots in Finisterre six weeks later so no breaking them in would have done it. On the other hand, I did bring my summer hiking sandals (Chaco) so while my feet were recovering I still had great hiking shoes. So - wear those babies for a few days because day hikes in the Rockies were enough for me to know that my boots didn't work.

 

[mralisn]

Something a bit different....have chocolate each day and an extra orange to share.

One never knows when the opportunity may arise to lift another's spirit no matter how simply. Words are rarely needed. Both translate well.

Trust in the arrows,
Simeon

 

[scruffy1]

Mid April means you will be missing Easter, April 5, on the Camino, a special experience but decidedly cool this year since Semana Santa comes early next year. The weather has been a'changing but you should enjoy cool mornings and evenings, mid-day temperatures very comfortable for walking. Expect anything, anything at all from beautiful sunny days to magnificent cloud formations over the mountains on the horizon, to mist and rain, to deluge, to snow, and blizzards. It's a great time to walk but the weather is hard to predict anymore. More importantly, you will follow the Spring across Spain. starting in Navarre the vineyards will be only dried looking sticks, as you progress those sticks sprout leaves and the roses planted at the head of each row to attract the bees will blossom and bloom, the first wild-flowers will appear so prepare yourself for a delight of wild cyclamens and crocuses (croci?), wild lilies and gladiolas, bee orchids and others of the wild orchid family, hillsides of blue lobelia, yellow broom, and secretive primroses (the primavera is a protected plant!), and finally poppies. The towns and villages will be blooming with pansies, lilies, iris, roses, and my favorite wisteria.The strange knobby looking things in gardens are all that remain of berza, that is collard greens, which are needed for the lifesaving caldo Galego, a so-called vegetable soup with the greens and despite the name, chunks of meat. Weather allowing, it should be glorious. Look for first wines now coming out of the barrels and through Navarra and into La Rioja watch for farmers off to the side of the Camino collecting snails-those which have walked on asphalt or stone considered inedible, you may find them in your salad or your soup – if you think this is a good thing yum yum if not you have been warned! Buen Camino

 

[Kanga]

@scruff1 what a delightful post! Yes, @kevhan84 it is a lovely time to walk. I had some days with cold rain on my early spring Camino on the Frances, but truly the flowers were spectacular.

My best bits of kit for an early spring camino are ski gloves and a pashmina (silk/wool scarf). Plus the usual stuff (see gear lists).

 

[kevhan84]

remember to begin walking and hiking, get yourself reasonably fit , get the shoes run in, and pack light - buen camino

.

My biggest mistake was not doing long hikes in my boots multiple days in a row - compounded by my mistake to not bring any antiseptic (thank goodness the camino provides). My heels were nasty - like infected, destroyed nasty... still were eaten by my boots in Finisterre six weeks later so no breaking them in would have done it. On the other hand, I did bring my summer hiking sandals (Chaco) so while my feet were recovering I still had great hiking shoes. So - wear those babies for a few days because day hikes in the Rockies were enough for me to know that my boots didn't work.

My biggest mistake was not doing long hikes in my boots multiple days in a row - compounded by my mistake to not bring any antiseptic (thank goodness the camino provides). My heels were nasty - like infected, destroyed nasty... still were eaten by my boots in Finisterre six weeks later so no breaking them in would have done it. On the other hand, I did bring my summer hiking sandals (Chaco) so while my feet were recovering I still had great hiking shoes. So - wear those babies for a few days because day hikes in the Rockies were enough for me to know that my boots didn't work.

I have started too break in my boots,, I will check out a good pair of sandals as well, Thanks for the tips ;-)

 

[kevhan84]

Mid April means you will be missing Easter, April 5, on the Camino, a special experience but decidedly cool this year since Semana Santa comes early next year. The weather has been a'changing but you should enjoy cool mornings and evenings, mid-day temperatures very comfortable for walking. Expect anything, anything at all from beautiful sunny days to magnificent cloud formations over the mountains on the horizon, to mist and rain, to deluge, to snow, and blizzards. It's a great time to walk but the weather is hard to predict anymore. More importantly, you will follow the Spring across Spain. starting in Navarre the vineyards will be only dried looking sticks, as you progress those sticks sprout leaves and the roses planted at the head of each row to attract the bees will blossom and bloom, the first wild-flowers will appear so prepare yourself for a delight of wild cyclamens and crocuses (croci?), wild lilies and gladiolas, bee orchids and others of the wild orchid family, hillsides of blue lobelia, yellow broom, and secretive primroses (the primavera is a protected plant!), and finally poppies. The towns and villages will be blooming with pansies, lilies, iris, roses, and my favorite wisteria.The strange knobby looking things in gardens are all that remain of berza, that is collard greens, which are needed for the lifesaving caldo Galego, a so-called vegetable soup with the greens and despite the name, chunks of meat. Weather allowing, it should be glorious. Look for first wines now coming out of the barrels and through Navarra and into La Rioja watch for farmers off to the side of the Camino collecting snails-those which have walked on asphalt or stone considered inedible, you may find them in your salad or your soup – if you think this is a good thing yum yum if not you have been warned! Buen Camino

You make it sound like it will be an very enjoyable experience, I am looking forward to it, thanks ;-)

 

[kevhan84]

@scruff1 what a delightful post! Yes, @kevhan84 it is a lovely time to walk. I had some days with cold rain on my early spring Camino on the Frances, but truly the flowers were spectacular.

My best bits of kit for an early spring camino are ski gloves and a pashmina (silk/wool scarf). Plus the usual stuff (see gear lists).

I had'nt thought about a good pair of gloves,, thanks ;-)

 

[CaminoCruiser]

Mid April means you will be missing Easter, April 5, on the Camino, a special experience but decidedly cool this year since Semana Santa comes early next year. The weather has been a'changing but you should enjoy cool mornings and evenings, mid-day temperatures very comfortable for walking. Expect anything, anything at all from beautiful sunny days to magnificent cloud formations over the mountains on the horizon, to mist and rain, to deluge, to snow, and blizzards. It's a great time to walk but the weather is hard to predict anymore. More importantly, you will follow the Spring across Spain. starting in Navarre the vineyards will be only dried looking sticks, as you progress those sticks sprout leaves and the roses planted at the head of each row to attract the bees will blossom and bloom, the first wild-flowers will appear so prepare yourself for a delight of wild cyclamens and crocuses (croci?), wild lilies and gladiolas, bee orchids and others of the wild orchid family, hillsides of blue lobelia, yellow broom, and secretive primroses (the primavera is a protected plant!), and finally poppies. The towns and villages will be blooming with pansies, lilies, iris, roses, and my favorite wisteria.The strange knobby looking things in gardens are all that remain of berza, that is collard greens, which are needed for the lifesaving caldo Galego, a so-called vegetable soup with the greens and despite the name, chunks of meat. Weather allowing, it should be glorious. Look for first wines now coming out of the barrels and through Navarra and into La Rioja watch for farmers off to the side of the Camino collecting snails-those which have walked on asphalt or stone considered inedible, you may find them in your salad or your soup – if you think this is a good thing yum yum if not you have been warned! Buen Camino

Fabulous post! Your description of the flora makes it sound breathtaking. I'm walking end of March through end of April so I am especially looking forward to the trees and wild flowers as my walk progresses (I realise end of March will probably be a bit soon for any flora).

 

[november_moon]

Regarding boots - I would also recommend getting really good insoles. We did a lot of hiking in our boots before our Camino, but were not prepared for the toll that road walking takes on the feet while wearing hiking boots. Most of our mountain trails around here are fairly soft, so I didn't notice that my insoles were kind of hard. We trained a lot on roads too, but I wore my tennis shoes, which had plenty of cushion. It seems obvious in hindsight, but I never thought about it until I had achey feet on the Camino. I bought soft insoles along the way and it was fine, but it would have been nicer to have them from the beginning .