I am looking for a person to walk the El Camino de Santiago.

[nancy300]

For safety precautions- only a female

I am 44 years old and walking the entire 500 mile el camino Frances. I am a teacher and I plan to leave SPJJ (St. Jean) around the 4th of July 2012. If you are seeking a walking partner and you live in the southern california area. Leave a response and we can meet and see if we want to walk together. Buen Camino!

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Nancy

Buen Camino when you start your pilgrimage. Good luck in finding friends in advance. However the reality is before you have crossed the Route Napoleon from St Jean Pied de Port you will have encountered many potential friends.

John

 

[vagabondette]

Like John said, you'll very likely meet many people on the road as long as you are open to it and you'll find someone to walk with organically. IMO, the miniscule safety concern is far outweighed by the likelihood of making advance plans to walk with a stranger and ending up hating them but being stuck with them because you made the commitment. Thousands of women walk the camino alone every year with no issues and probably most of them find someone to walk with naturally vs. trying to arrange it in advance. I, a 38 year old female, can't wait to walk my solo camino and you couldn't pay me to commit to walking with some random stranger without having a chance to get to know them first. However, if you're committed to finding a walking partner in advance, I wish you all the luck.

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Nancy,

Welcome to the forum. As others have said the Camino is safe. I have walked on my own and have always felt safe.

I have also walked with a companion, a very dear person and great fun and a lovely companion, but our strengths were so different. It is hard to walk quicker than you are comfortable with and it is also hard to walk slower than you are comfortable with. You will meet many others along the way.

Buen Camino,
Lydia

 

[julie]

For safety precautions- only a female

I am 44 years old and walking the entire 500 mile el camino Frances. I am a teacher and I plan to leave SPJJ (St. Jean) around the 4th of July 2012. If you are seeking a walking partner and you live in the southern california area. Leave a response and we can meet and see if we want to walk together. Buen Camino!

Hi Nancy, I was 54 the first time I walked the Camino. It was rather daunting to set out by myself but that feeling disappeared within a couple of hours as I met and chatted with other pilgrims. Some I walked with for an hour or two, some for a day or two and for quite a bit of the time I chose to walk alone.

At no stage did I feel afraid. In fact, it was the opposite. I felt part of a wonderful, nurturing community. One of the interesting things I found was relating to people as pilgrims rather than as men and women. It was truly liberating to put gender aside.

It was also liberating to put aside any age bias. My walking companions ranged in age from 19 to 60+

Don't feel you have to find someone to walk with. There are some wonderful people waiting to meet you.

 

[rebsumm]

Hi Nancy,
I'm walking solo this summer, too--I'll keep an eye out for you! I know my family would rest a little easier about my walk if they knew I had some company. :roll: I'll have to pick up the pace a little bit for our paths to cross--I leave SJPP on July 6--but I'll hope to meet you at some point this summer.
Very best,
Rebecca

 

[nancy300]

Rebecca,

Do you live in California? or you already in Europe? If you live in Ca, let's meet and see if we want to walk together. My family would rest easier too, if I had a walking partner.
Let me know,

Have a great trip regardless and Buen Camino

 

[nancy300]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really appreciate all the good energy sent my way. I still would feel more comfortable with a walking partner however because there is a "crime watch" category on this forum that lists many assaults on lone female pilgrims. Yes it's true that more crime happens in Los Angeles, California (LA) where I live, however I don't walk down the street alone in certain areas because I know better being familiar with LA. As a traveler in a foreign country, I am not familiar with the high crime areas. I went to Spain in 2000 alone and had a fabulous time, but I was not walking alone in a field for miles.

Thanks again everyone,

Keep sending the suggestions- they are very helpful

Nancy

 

[vagabondette]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really appreciate all the good energy sent my way. I still would feel more comfortable with a walking partner however because there is a "crime watch" category on this forum that lists many assaults on lone female pilgrims. Yes it's true that more crime happens in Los Angeles, California (LA) where I live, however I don't walk down the street alone in certain areas because I know better being familiar with LA. As a traveler in a foreign country, I am not familiar with the high crime areas. I went to Spain in 2000 alone and had a fabulous time, but I was not walking alone in a field for miles.

Thanks again everyone,

Keep sending the suggestions- they are very helpful

Nancy

Even being familiar/unfamiliar with the good/bad areas of each respective place you're still much more likely to be the victim of violent crime in LA than on the Camino. But, do what makes you comfortable just realize you might be missing an important part of the walk.

 

[nancy300]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really appreciate all the good energy sent my way. I still would feel more comfortable with a walking partner however because there is a "crime watch" category on this forum that lists many assaults on lone female pilgrims. Yes it's true that more crime happens in Los Angeles, California (LA) where I live, however I don't walk down the street alone in certain areas because I know better being familiar with LA. As a traveler in a foreign country, I am not familiar with the high crime areas. I went to Spain in 2000 alone and had a fabulous time, but I was not walking alone in a field for miles.

Thanks again everyone,

Keep sending the suggestions- they are very helpful

Nancy

Even being familiar/unfamiliar with the good/bad areas of each respective place you're still much more likely to be the victim of violent crime in LA than on the Camino. But, do what makes you comfortable just realize you might be missing an important part of the walk.

That's good to know that you really feel that the Camino Frances is a relatively safe place and certainly safe enough for a woman to walk alone.
Thanks

 

[nancy300]

Nancy

Buen Camino when you start your pilgrimage. Good luck in finding friends in advance. However the reality is before you have crossed the Route Napoleon from St Jean Pied de Port you will have encountered many potential friends.

John

That's good to know John,

Thanks

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I really appreciate all the good energy sent my way. I still would feel more comfortable with a walking partner however because there is a "crime watch" category on this forum that lists many assaults on lone female pilgrims.

Nancy, I think if you check the dates on those "many assaults on lone female pilgrims" you will find that they are from years ago...

 

[koby]

Nancy, I just returned from Sarria to Santiago, about 115kms from Santiago and to Finisterre by bus, so I cannot comment on what comes before. I am woman, a slow walker and had no expectations, chose to walk alone and was not disappointed. Along the way I met interesting and caring people, one a young man who treated my blister while I rested at a creek, another from Brazil who insisted on walking for hours with me in heat that made us feel like toast. Others I met more often and formed some truly wonderful short term relationships. A lot will depend on you.

Of course you must do what you are comfortable with, but having travelled through and in the US (California included) there is definitely more for your family to worry about than on the Camino. It's true there have been some thefts but that happens anywhere and sometimes it's the failure of the person travelling who might have used more caution/discretion with the money they carry or the documents they need. This forum will give you advice.

While there are stretches where one walks alone I never once thought of my safety but was more cautious in airports, in crowded places --- the same anywhere the world over. I carried a phone for safety that I used twice in two weeks for a taxi. I am 80.

 

[rebsumm]

Hi Nancy,
I'm not in California--I'm on the East Coast. I just checked my schedule again, and I'm not leaving SJPP until July 7 and I'm staying that first night in Orisson. I'm not sure how far ahead of me you'll be at that point, but if I meet a Nancy from California--and you meet a Rebecca from Rhode Island--we'll know we've run into each other. I'm excited to make new friends along the way, but it's also important to me to have a lot of solo time on this trek, too. Let's keep an eye out for one another and hope we get to meet. From everything I've read, I think we'll be just fine!
Best,
Rebecca

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have walked repeatedly with my brother. We have different walking speed and distance capabilities, so we are "together" only about half the time. I do just as well with strangers! Taking a ball and chain may not be a good idea unless you have arranged in advance how much togetherness you will really want. I know that it can be intimidating to set out completely alone, but I have always found walking companions from the first hour.

 

[zisdead]

Dave here from Dublin Ireland, I am 37 and setting out on my first Camino. All other backpacking was Asia , so excited to do something a little closer to home. I will leave St Jean , on July 5th about 7 a.m, so to the girl above if you want to tag along for a few hours until you realise you will never be alone feel free to join me.

P.S I will be in Biarittz airport at aprox 3.30 pm , July 4th so if anyone wants to maybe get a taxi im sure between 4 people its the same price as bus/train ?

zisdead1@yahoo.com