Has anyone walked late June-July from lePuy to St.Jean?

[peregrina2000]

I am a spring walker, but this year I will not be able to start to walk until mid or late June. I will have no more than 5 weeks, so that knocks some of the longer Caminos off my list. I have walked from Le Puy to St. Jean, but in different stages of about two weeks each, and I always thought I wanted to go back. So I'm thinking about this route, along with the Norte and the Camino Olvidado.

I have read about a lot of people in "off-peak" times this year with a lot of crowds. I wonder if June/July will likely be crowded too. I would really prefer not to reserve, which is one thing that drew me to this route originally -- everyone always said that unless you walk in May, you don't need to reserve.

So, what does the collective wisdom say about walking at that time? And if you have an opinion as to which route will be more crowded, the Norte or LePuy, I'd love to hear it. I walked the Norte in May and we didn't reserve much at all, but I'm not sure how it will be 6 years later and later in the year.

And do you think that there is likely to be enough difference between the 2011 Miam Miam Dodo and 2014 to warrant buying the new one?

Buen camino and thanks for your patience with all my questions! Laurie

And p.s., millions of thanks to Gitti, GuyA and dustytracks for the great info on all of your blogs!

 

[Kitsambler]

I haven't walked during that time period but will offer some info to tide you over until someone else answers up. According to my recollection of conversation with the owners of Gite Ultreia in Moissac, late June is pretty light. School is out 1 July, and vacations are universal in August, so those months are more popular ... except .... Late July and August are also really hot (90's F).

I know you hate to reserve, but you should consider calling ahead to make sure the establishment is open during your target dates, even if you don't reserve. It's not uncommon for gite owners to take a week off here and there during the summer, even if they don't close down altogether.

Having walked in consecutive years, I've had the opportunity to compare consecutive editions of Miam Miam Dodo. In my experience, it seemed there were about 10% changes each year, so that really adds up over a three year period! Changes include email addresses, phone numbers, availability dates and amenities, as well as the basic listing. It's certainly worth the price for updated information.

Bon chemin!

 

[Thomas1962]

In 2012, I started the 4th of july from le Puy. As I don't like to reserve either, I never reserved. One time I found a full place, but in the same village there were more albergues. Two times I slept in a full place. Most of the people I met didn't reserve, although I met people who did reserve every day. The full places I discibed happened in the weekends, there seemed to be more people walking in the weekends.
So these are the facts I remember. More people tend to walk every year, but I'm sure every year there are new albergues as well.
It seems to be a personal choice for everyone what to to prefer, actually I never met or heard about a pilgim who just didn't find a place to sleep and had to sleep outside.
Happy to be able to share some of my information with you Laurie, after the information you gave to me and camino guides you wrote for all of us

 

[dalston999]

I walked it in June this year, mostly booking ahead a few days but rarely was there much problem or pressure on beds, enough pilgrims and walkers around for company. This year there was a lot of rain in June, I was doing the. Cele variante which I think I will have to redo at some point as I missed a lot of the scenery due to rain. Otherwise it was mostly overcast and certainly not too hot!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

June into the first week of July was not crowded compared to the Camino Frances, but there were enough pilgrims to fill gites in most places. Reserving is customary in France. So is canceling the reservation. Calling ahead is not viewed as an ironclad obligation, though canceling a reservation is viewed as obligatory if you will not be using it. Hosts and fellow pilgrims alike view unused reservations as a blight. Unless a reservation is a sort of burden for you, I would suggest doing what the French do -- call ahead. By mid-June I did find the weather hot and oppressive.

 

[peregrina2000]

Thanks, everyone. Falcon, what temps do you consider "hot and oppressive"? I now remember that this is a particularly hot part of France, and it brings back memories from the summer of 2003, when thousands of people died in a heat wave in France. I was walking the section around Conques then and it was pretty unbearable. I suppose it's unlikely to be hotter than that summer!

I see a pretty clear consensus on the reservations -- walking all of these untraveled caminos lately has sort of broken me of the habit of reserving, but I can change my ways if need be.

But maybe the Norte or Olvidado is a better option, so I'll have to ponder....

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I was on the verge of heat stroke going into Conques. The later parts on flatter terrain were humid and hot. Lacking a thermometer, I have no actual temps, but Conques that day was 36C. The gite in Aroue was an oven. Subsequent caminos in France have ended by mid-June (pretty much).

 

[scruffy1]

The French Confraternity is very concerned about the good health of we pilgrims. Just about every morning from Le Puy until almost Cahors you will face a good climb-usually nothing dramatic not too steep not to arduous but often 100-200m altitutde to overcome before the taste of your morning coffee has faded. Kind souls wish to insure that the cardiovascular system is in working order and that the lungs inflate. Afternoons of course require a similar descent to the nights rest-Conques is a good example, late afternoon not much light tired from a long day and thoughts revolve around a shower and dinner interrupted only by a steep slippery boulder strewn tree root and mud filled path down to the church. Nothing hysterical but in the heat? Not for me.

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, the stars have aligned once again. I'll leave LePuy for a fall camino, some day when I retire.....

Looks like I'll be walking the Camino Olvidado from Bilbao with Susanna from the forum. We're working on translating a guide and will have it available for the forum after we walk this June/July and test it.

Your comments were enough to dissuade me from pursuing LePuy in summer. Thanks everyone. Laurie