hi everyone walking my 1st calmino beginning 15th july need help

[3girls]

Hi all going on 1st calmino on the 15th need advice on weather passport and nice hostels.

 

[supersullivan]

A little more detail might allow for helpful advise, where is your starting point, which camino do you want to walk, how long time wise have you available, are you intending to stay mainly/totally in pilgrim hostels?

 

[3girls]

Hi starting from ponferrada flying into santander getting a bus to ponferrada. Need to get a pilgrim passport was told I could get one over there, best places to stay and weather. Iknow its only 200km but work and family time is restricted unfortunately.

 

[3girls]

Thank you,

 

[Peter Hulme]

Having just waled from SJPP to Santiago,I can honestly say whether you walk 200 km or 790 km you get my vote, that still is a very punishing distance.Good luck !!!!

 

[supersullivan]

Hi 3girls, walked from Ponferrada to Santiago 5 weeks ago, we got a train from Lugo so arrived in Ponferrada just before 1 pm and had lunch before we starting walking. Our days were:
Friday afternoon: Ponferrada to Cacabelos
Saturday: Cacabelos to Ruitelan
Sunday: Ruitelan to Triacastela
Monday: Triacastela to Barbadelo
Tuesday: Barbadelo to Gonzar
Wednesday: Gonzar to Melide
Thursday: Melide to Pedrouzo
Friday morning: Pedrouzo to Santiago de Compostela

These stages are longer than most so unless you have a lot of serious physical preparation done you should probably allow an extra 2 to 3 days. We had cool mornings starting about 7.30 with some light rain showers but by 10 each morning temperatures was pleasantly warm and the last 4 days saw temperatures reach 28C by early afternoon. A light rain jacket should suffice and perhaps a micro fleece if weather is just cold but dry starting.

The municipal in Cacabelos makes a good adjustment night for starting with small 2 bed chalet bedrooms, Pequeno Potala in Ruitelan does great communal dinners and breakfasts and their wake up call in the morning will be something to remember for months after, Casa Barbadelo about 4 kms after Sarria is very nice, Albergue Vilela in Melide is nice and well situated and the Xunta albergue in Pedrouzo does a good job of making a 120 bed albergue feel quite cosy.

Buen camino

Seamus

 

[3girls]

Thank you seamus, I hope to begin walking on Thursday and reach sdc the following saturday, I really am beginning to panic I suppose it is just the not knowing, being completely out of my comfort zone and hoping it lives up to my expectations.

 

[supersullivan]

Being a little out of your comfort zone is what makes it an experience to remember. My 1st camino I was very apprehensive about things like ordering food etc as I only had about 20 words of Spanish but my concerns were ungrounded. English is the lingua franca of the camino. Try not to have huge expectations from your experience or you may feel a little disappointed, rather try to look forward to getting away from the normal daily routine of your life at home which takes me about 2/3 days and be open to whatever new experiences may come your way. Other than being in time for your flight home be open to having a flexible daily plan, if your legs are strong walk a little further, if weak, walk a little less. If you see a nice cafe then stop, maybe try lunching alfresco if the weather is nice as a change.
If you are fairly new to multi-day walking then try very hard to keep your backpack weight to a minimum, there are plenty of postings on the forum about packing lists and essential and non essential items but as its simplest: 1 reasonably sturdy set of footwear for daily walking, 1 light set for evening time, maximum of 3 sets sets of clothing: 1 to walk in, 1 you've washed the previous evening and 1 spare set, light sun hat, water bottles or bladderpack, money, passport, credencial, a minimum of toiletries, a few small clothes pegs or safety pins, a sleeping liner ( Sleeping bag not necessary this time of year ), a rain jacket or poncho and a backpack to carry it all in. All these items should have been worn several times before departing to be sure of no surprises once on the camino.
Optionals are things like a phone, camera, plug adaptor, watch, sun glasses, compact guidebook etc.

When you finish and return home, you'll be wondering why you were worrying about anything before departure, remember 200,000+ will walk one of the caminos this year, about 25% of them over 60 years of age and with far, far fewer problems than a city of the same population would experience in a month.

Enjoy and don't forget to post a little report on how you got on when you return as it will help provide assurance to others considering taking the plunge.

Buen camino

Seamus