greetings! yankee pilgrim in canary islands- I NEED help!

[mateo tenerife]

Hello! What a great site & I am excited to find so much helpful information. I love the concept of physical activity and spirituality ... I think they go together perfectly! I am an experienced marathoner & olympic style racewalker and American from Indiana who has lived in Spain for 12+ years - 10 years in the Canary Islands.

I visited Galicia and all the main cities (Santiago, etc.) 10 years ago and I am soooo excited to go back in a couple weeks. I compete in Spain's national championship for race walking in Pontevedra and then I have mid-day Sunday through mid-day Wednesday to do what I have always wanted to do - el camino!

Though my dream would be to have an open ended 3 months to start the Camino in Paris and end when I feel like it as I stroll & stop often, but I plan to do it at a very quick near race pace (adjusting time to pack weight). I can comfortably run a 3.5 hour marathon & race walk a 4.5 hour marathon (many in hilly terrain and all sorts of weather - cold, heat, rain, etc.), so 113KMs from Sarria to Santiago is within my physical abilities in a short time ... but I am going to try to do it principally in 2 days plus.

I would GREATLY appreciate any advice & help you could give me (an experienced endurance athlete & newbie camino pilgrim) to get the camino done with the time frame I have to work with? Please no advice like ... "cancel this idea and do the camino right in a few years from now when you have the time!" I really humbly do need your help! Any advice on getting this adventure done in a logical & safe ... and even enjoyable fashion would be sooooo appreciated!

My Plan:
SATURDAY, 3 march:
- Depart Tenerife for Pontevedra with my passport/credentials in hand from local Obispado in the Island.
- spend Saturday loafing & top off my fluids & carbs
SUNDAY,4 march:
- compete in racewalk championships in morning, with a good meal & long nap
- 16:00 - 18:30, bus from Pontevedra - Lugo (monbus) ... sleep & hydrate
- 18:35 - 19:10, bus from Lugo - Sarrio ... rest
- stamp passport somewhere in Sarria
- consider getting to first albergue down the camino (10-20kms down the way, eating as I go) ... I have a headlamp, metal blanket, etc. for the very worst case scenario
MONDAY, 5 march:
- start early and try to get in 60kms+
- eating & hydrating as I go & planning to attire in endurance race clothes (tights, etc.) and not hiker garb, no time to look like a real pilgrim
TUESDAY, 6 march:
- start early and finish last kms in time to get to santiago cathedral before the diploma office closes at 20:00
WEDNESDAY, 7 march:
- sleep in late before taking bus to Santiago airport for flight back to Canaries

Can you please help me! Have any of you done it in this short of time ... or faster?

Mateo from Tenerife

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is a bit over 115 km from Sarria to Santiago. You have several choices the first evening; Portomarin is about 22 km, but there is a very nice place about 5 km before Portomarin. The next albergue after Portomarin is an uphill 8 km. Stopping in Melide will leave you a long last day, but the next albergue after Melide is another 11 km.

Have fun!

 

[mateo tenerife]

Falcon269, THANKS for your help and great ideas!

Hey pilgrims, any other input to help would be SUPER appreciated!

 

[Tia Valeria]

Wecome to the Forum.
Have you considered walking direct from Lugo on the Camino Primitivo/Camino Francés? 102km.
Lugo to San Roman de Retorta 20km, another 8km to reach Casa de Ponti. Then on the Primitivo to Melide and continue on the Francés or from Casa de Ponti walk down to Palas de Rei (12km) and join the Francés there.
You would need to get your credencial stamped in Lugo before you start.
Buen Camino

 

[mateo tenerife]

Tia Valerie,

THANKS for the great idea! I will look into this. It would get me started sooner on Sunday from LUGO (than SARRIA) if I wanted to get some kms in and it saves me 10kms+ in distance.

Do you have a website you would recommend for info on the camino primitivo (sites, allergies, etc.)?

THANKS again,

Mateo

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola,
One site is http://www.gronze.com/camino-de-santiago/camino-primitivo.htm and you need Etapas 10 and 11.
Another site is http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/etapa-de-lugo-a-melide
These both take you from Lugo through to Melide on the Primitivo. After Melide you have approx 53 kms on the Francés to Santiago.

We have the CSJ guide which gives directions from Casa de Ponte to Palas de Rei. It says:-
At Augas Santas (San Xurxo) To join the Camino Francés at Palas de Rei turn left and head south down the road by the church to Chancela (hamlet 0.6km. At the end of the houses continue forward to join Palas de Rei road (CP29-01)at T-junction, where a left turn is taken and followed through San Vicente de Ulloa and Maceda to Palas de Rei (8.2km from Chancela).
You then have 63km approx on the Francés to Santiago.

Hope this helps you with your choices.

 

[mateo tenerife]

Tia Valerie,

Hello! After quite a few calls, it looks like your advice is by far the best option for me - THANK YOU! I am going to be covering the distance quite quickly and will be carrying fluids, but wanted to know how often I should anticipate being able to get water to fill up ?

THANKS for any thought you might have,

Mateo

 

[mateo tenerife]

THANK YOU all for your help! I have my credentials in hand from the local OBISPADO here on our Island. After many calls (and realizing it is harder to do the camino logistically in the "off season"), I have the following Camino Trip Plan. Starting in LUGO and taking the PRIMITIVE and merging into the FRENCH was best for me with the time that I have. I will be traveling light with a running backpack with 1.5L water bladder, that is light enough to move quickly & big enough to carry everything for a day's trip. I will pack gels & power bars to down each hour. I will send my main pack (without important doc.s) ahead each day. I will stay in pensions, so I can get a good nights sleep (and many/most albergues are still closed or only open for large groups). I will let you know how it goes!

Mateo

SUNDAY, 4 march:

- 10:15 compete in 20KM racewalk championships in morning

- good meal & long nap

- 16:00 - 18:30, Monbus, 902.29.29.00 (12E) from Pontevedra -> Lugo (monbus)

... sleep & hydrate

Hostal Mar De Plata Ronda de la Muralla, 5 -6 1º, 27001 Lugo‬ (RESERVED)

982 22 89 10   982 22 10 73 (Fax)   650 11 63 47 (Móvil) 25e indiv.

- facturar backpack with FREIRE (981.58.81.11) at bus station,

- leave before 21:00 on Sunday (or on Monday after 7:00)

- stamp passport somewhere in LUGO & visit cathedral

- get to bed early

MONDAY, 5 march:

- facturar backpack with FREIRE (981.58.81.11) at bus station,

- on Monday after 7:00, or leave before 21:00 on Sunday

- wake & start early

- get to San Roman mid morning -breakfast & stamp

- join Camino Francés at Palas de Rei, 63km approx on the Francés to Santiago

- get to MELIDE 16:00 -19:00, (53KMs, 9 hours actual walking/running)

~~ another 52kms to Santiago

- pick up backpack at Pizzaria Xoldra, Avda lugo, 25 981.50.79.06

- coordinate with pizzeria, drop off on Mon. night or leave for Tues.

- Pensión Berenguela Calle del Cantón San Roque, 5, 15800 Melide

- 981 50 54 17 , RESERVED, hab. Indiv., 30E

- visit Melide sights

- dinner at pulperia Ezequiel

TUESDAY, 6 march:

- wake & start early early (53 kms to Santiago arriving 16:00-17:00)

- leave backpack at Pizzaria Xoldra or Pension (or leave the night before)

- Arzua, Pedrouzo and get to Santiago arriving 16:00-18:00

- get to cathedral before the diploma office closes at 20:00

- pick up backpack at FREIRE office at bus station

- Hostal Pumar C/ Galera, 28, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, RESERVED, 981 56 35 21

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola Mateo,
Maybe one bar open at Burgo (9km from Lugo)and also at Crescente 6km from Burgo), between Lugo and San Roman. More places along the Francés. Have a great race and Buen Camino.
TerryB and Tia Valeria

 

[Whalleyranger]

This appears to be a duplicate thread. Please continue this conversation here:

el-camino-frances/topic12899.html