Hola a todos, Hello all from a soon to be first time walker.

[Pablo2007]

Hello all,
Well after many years of thinking about it I will be walking the Camino starting from SJPDP in late September. I have been reading many of your posts with great interest and have found a wealth of information. At 48 years of age, although relatively fit I'm looking forward to the walk. I'm at a crossroad in life and the hours of walking will be wonderfull.

I have a copy of "A practical guide for Pilgrims - The road to Santiago" by Millan Bravo Lozano and have found it very helpful. It sets the walk in 31 stages and although I have few days to spare I would like to plan the walk into a shorter period, say 27 or 28 days. I realise as many of you have said "Its not a race" and rest assured I am not approaching it as such, I just think that if I plan to walk it in a shorter time this will allow me a greater number of spare days to either linger or as a contingency incase of illness or injury.

Any suggestion of which stages would be good to "double up" or how best to plan for 27 or 28 days would be greatly appreciated. Main problem I can see is whether or not accommodation is available in certain places. Although I will try the Albergues I'm not overly confident that they for me .. Laugh .. I am a terrible sleeper and usually wake a few times a night, I'm sure I would annoy a lot of people. So although I will try them, maybe small cheap hotels or Casa rurales may be best option.

Anyway enough for now.

Pablo
Sydney Australia

 

[PeterBarry]

Hi Pablo,

I would say to you that based on my own experience I did not identify with stages, except for my start which was burgos and the end, I just roughly calculated the distance I wanted to travel the enxt day and aimed for that. That meant that I probably went 'across' a number of stages on many occaisons.
I used a 'cicero' guide and it had a priceless index in the back showing every single town on route and the distance to the next etc but also a symbol to indicate the presence ofn an alburgue. Now the guide was not alway accurate in this regard but it was alway the case that the guide said NO alburge when in fact there was a private one. It never happened to me that there was No alburge when the guide said there was one.

Also you may, in the normal course of eventd be e light sleeper, but while walking every day a considerable distance , you will more than likely sleep soundly at night. Try it out and see what happens.

Anyway, best wishes.

Buen Camino.

Peter

 

[robtward99]

doubling up

Hi Pablo,
In terms of "doubling up" stages, the meseta is the obvious place to look at, as the walking is over almost totally level ground. On the other hand, the last time I walked there in fall (mid-October) there was a brutal wind in my face all day so that by twenty kilometres I was ready to pack it in. Never any guarantees.
You should also take advantage of good weather in Galicia to get as far ahead as you can, since you can never count on it lasting.
If there's anywhere I'd counsel you not to double up, it's the walks from Rabanal to Ponferrada and over O Cebreiro. If you're a hill person, it's a shame not to spend the night up on top of the world in Manjarin, El Acebo or O Cebreiro.
Just my thoughts,
Robert Ward

 

[Pablo2007]

Thanks to all replys and PMs I will take your advice, start slow, cover ground where you can and look to the meseta for some flat ground.
Easy ....Laugh probably more of a groan.

Pablo