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Thank you for your comments, sir. I am confident I can keep up with that pace or even exceed it during my allotted time. I am a trained distance runner and have quite a few years of hiking experience.@unclesamsavage that is a seriously ambitious plan. StJpdP to Santiago in 19 days actually averages out at 26+ miles per day with no allowance for weather, injury or hangover.
That said I’m not sure what your plans have to do with your employer unless you are so crucial to their bottom-line that they would rather you didn’t ‘phone in dead.
If you are committed to a winter Camino within your timeframe consider starting from Burgos or even Leon. You might even meet a buddy somewhere down the road
There is no need to commit to my entire timeline. There is also no need to screen a buddy of which I know. I would simply like to make contact with someone who will be hiking the Francés around this time and get to know one so I can assure my boss I have a buddy.I doubt that you'll find someone else wanting to commit to walking 26 miles/day for 19 days straight, in the winter. Besides, would your boss need to assess and approve any potential companion?
At the risk of causing offence, the traditional Cumbrian solution to such stipulations would be to lie.There is no need to commit to my entire timeline. There is also no need to screen a buddy of which I know. I would simply like to make contact with someone who will be hiking the Francés around this time and get to know one so I can assure my boss I have a buddy.
Thank you for your comments. I will tell my boss about the app and perhaps that would suffice in place of another person. Yet, I still hope someone making the journey during this time will be kind enough to send me a message.At the risk of causing offence, the traditional Cumbrian solution to such stipulations would be to lie.
If you were to find anyone in advance starting December 13th, you’re asking in the right place. There will be a small number - but still a number - of people starting in St Jean that day (and every day) so you’ll certainly not be on your own, but not many will be going at your planned pace.
You could look at applications such as ‘alert cops’ (an official Spanish Government app) which, amongst other useful features, allows designated parties to track your location.
The nature of your relationship with your employer is entirely a matter for you, but even the guy who knows the Irn Bru* recipe must be allowed to go on holiday somehow.
(*unfathomably popular Scottish carbonated drink; the recipe reportedly known only to a handful of people)
The app is not working for me. It crashes when I try to validate my phone number. :^\At the risk of causing offence, the traditional Cumbrian solution to such stipulations would be to lie.
If you were to find anyone in advance starting December 13th, you’re asking in the right place. There will be a small number - but still a number - of people starting in St Jean that day (and every day) so you’ll certainly not be on your own, but not many will be going at your planned pace.
You could look at applications such as ‘alert cops’ (an official Spanish Government app) which, amongst other useful features, allows designated parties to track your location.
The nature of your relationship with your employer is entirely a matter for you, but even the guy who knows the Irn Bru* recipe must be allowed to go on holiday somehow.
(*unfathomably popular Scottish carbonated drink; the recipe reportedly known only to a handful of people)
I’m certain that other US users have managed to use it. I’ll post the question.The app is not working for me. It crashes when I try to validate my phone number. :^\
I think the issue you might have is finding someone else who wants to walk those very long days. Many of us take longer, walking shorter days.Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
1.) I doubt you will find anyone wanting to do 25+miles/day for 19-20 days. I am not a candidate. Smell the roses instead.Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
Keep an eye on this thread with respect to ‘Alertcops’Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
These are very wise words. The winter in Northern Spain can be tough. Having walked many years, I have a bad feeling about your plans for December. Nasty surprises may show up.I am by no means a long distance runner, but i am considererd a rather serious walker/hiker.
I averaged 28km / 17mi a day on my camino, and that already had the consequence that i had to leave many friends i met along the way behind. It would have been a lot more people, if i had not put in a rather generous amount of rest days.
Doing the whole thing in 19 days... yeah, it might me possible. Likely has been done before. But honestly, please reconsider. A lot of the magic of the camino is meeting and bonding with all kinds of people. Sine you want to do it in winter, the amount of "potential friends" will be significantly lower in the first place and doing a marathon distance for 19 consecutive days won't make building friendships any easier.
As for your initial question: sorry, can't help there but wish you the best of luck!
My thanksKeep an eye on this thread with respect to ‘Alertcops’
I wish that were possible but not in my line of work. I may just have to wait until retirement to make the Camino a reality.1.) I doubt you will find anyone wanting to do 25+miles/day for 19-20 days. I am not a candidate. Smell the roses instead.
2) What in the world does your employer has to do with your leisure time in Spain? Sounds crazy from the viewpoint of free countries and persons.
Go by yourself without restraints, and enjoy your freedom.
Thank you for your words of experience. I am not able to amend my itinerary at this point. This thread is mostly a desperate cry for someone who I can connect with before arriving. Otherwise, I won’t be able to go at all. The person does not have to go at my pace, again.I am by no means a long distance runner, but i am considererd a rather serious walker/hiker.
I averaged 28km / 17mi a day on my camino, and that already had the consequence that i had to leave many friends i met along the way behind. It would have been a lot more people, if i had not put in a rather generous amount of rest days.
Doing the whole thing in 19 days... yeah, it might me possible. Likely has been done before. But honestly, please reconsider. A lot of the magic of the camino is meeting and bonding with all kinds of people. Sine you want to do it in winter, the amount of "potential friends" will be significantly lower in the first place and doing a marathon distance for 19 consecutive days won't make building friendships any easier.
As for your initial question: sorry, can't help there but wish you the best of luck!
Thank you for the advice and insight. I understand at this point it is a long shot, so to speak. Odds are I will take the time off and stay in the States to do a leg of the Appalachian Trail.It’s great you are asking, but the odds are truly against you. Reports from some of the more major albergues are of less than 10 pilgrims a night, which will drop even further a month from now with less light and colder weather. There will be people walking, but it’s likely they will be few and far between (and not necessarially English speakers on this site!)
Remember that you will be dealing with snow and extremely shortened daylight (probably 7-8 hours). Your distances will depend on open albergues as many will be closed.
Good luck.
Please, honestly, consider taking a shorter trip. Not for the sake of finding a hiking buddy, but for the experience of the camino. Nothing is forcing you to start in SJPDP. You could start in Burgos, average around 30km a day, and still have a great camino. Even with my 28km a day, in hindsight, i sometimes regret "rushing" things.Thank you for your words of experience. I am not able to amend my itinerary at this point. This thread is mostly a desperate cry for someone who I can connect with before arriving. Otherwise, I won’t be able to go at all. The person does not have to go at my pace, again.
My mother is one of my primary candidates for a buddy. If she is able to take the time off work, we will have to take a shorter and hopefully spiritually richer Camino.Please, honestly, consider taking a shorter trip. Not for the sake of finding a hiking buddy, but for the experience of the camino. Nothing is forcing you to start in SJPDP. You could start in Burgos, average around 30km a day, and still have a great camino. Even with my 28km a day, in hindsight, i sometimes regret "rushing" things.
A couple of things Gabriel. Why does your boss have any say in what you do on your own time, and why are you planning a Camino with such a punishing timetable? The Camino is as much about the inner journey as the physical one. Be in the moment rather than rushing though it. In any case, I doubt you will find a walking partner willing to keep to such a schedule.Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
Thank you for your comments, sir. I am confident I can keep up with that pace or even exceed it during my allotted time. I am a trained distance runner and have quite a few years of hiking experience.
My safety is paramount to my employer. They have already made me do a hefty amount of paperwork to even have it looked at by my boss. I would like this post to be made public so that I can connect now with someone who plans to be on the Camino Francés around this time. The turnaround time in which I need an answer for my boss is very tight.
@unclesamsavage that is a seriously ambitious plan. StJpdP to Santiago in 19 days actually averages out at 26+ miles per day with no allowance for weather, injury or hangover.
That said I’m not sure what your plans have to do with your employer unless you are so crucial to their bottom-line that they would rather you didn’t ‘phone in dead.
If you are committed to a winter Camino within your timeframe consider starting from Burgos or even Leon. You might even meet a buddy somewhere down the road
For goodness sake David, keep your voice down, my line manager might be reading thisthe traditional Cumbrian solution to such stipulations would be to lie.
You don’t need a hiking buddy….just now…Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
Good afternoon from Florida, pilgrims,
I am looking for a buddy with whom to hike some or all of the Camino Francés. I have been planning my pilgrimage for over four months and now the trip is in jeopardy. My boss at work will not let me leave unless I have a buddy on the Camino. I plan to start at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port on 13December2021 and finish in Santiago by New Year’s Eve (19 days, ~26 miles / day). Is anyone else planning to hike during or around this time? If so, please leave a message in this thread or send me a personal message if you would be so kind. I would like to make contact and get to know you so that I can tell my boss that I know someone on this blessed journey. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
Yours in Christ,
Gabriel
You don’t need a hiking buddy….just now…
Your potential life long friends from around the world will bee on path along you….
…..and you will find each other ….strike a chord somewhat and off you go….
There is a mantra ; “the Camino provides”
With lesser expectations it opens up even more…..
Ultreia!
Have you calculated for snow? There is a very good chance you will encounter significant snow on your way to Roncevalles, Foncebadon/ Acebo, and OCebriero .At the risk of causing offence, the traditional Cumbrian solution to such stipulations would be to lie.
If you were to find anyone in advance starting December 13th, you’re asking in the right place. There will be a small number - but still a number - of people starting in St Jean that day (and every day) so you’ll certainly not be on your own, but not many will be going at your planned pace.
You could look at applications such as ‘alert cops’ (an official Spanish Government app) which, amongst other useful features, allows designated parties to track your location.
The nature of your relationship with your employer is entirely a matter for you, but even the guy who knows the Irn Bru* recipe must be allowed to go on holiday somehow.
(*unfathomably popular Scottish carbonated drink; the recipe reportedly known only to a handful of people)Are you some kind of athlete that you contract such stipulations, or in the service? No matter…Dn’t lie…if you are going on a camino.
Exactly! not to sidetrack, let me throw in my tuppence worth: your boss is a person, we have no idea male or female, young or old, family or not. There are so many unknowns. What was your question, again? Oh yes. I am sorry, I have no plans to be walking around the time you will walk. Nor am I capable of the leagues you hope to cover. I am waiting, honestly, to hear/see you tell us that the Appalachian Trail will suffice for the moment. When you are free of the control of the boss, walk as many miles on a Camino as takes your fancy. One of the joys of this forum is that people generally try to be open minded (not like minded! that is not possible!) and try to go in through the door of the enquirer. I am sure you will appreciate that, from the kaleidoscope of responses you have received to date. whatever is the outcome, Buen Camino.For goodness sake David, keep your voice down, my line manager might be reading this
Actually, if you plan on doing a CF you will have difficulty finding places to stays in between stages. All stages are shorter than 40km and you will have difficulty finding places to stay between the major towns at this time of years. Bring snacks and drinks between stages with you. You could easily go the entire stage and find nothing open. Verify all reservations the day before you go there.Hi @unclesamsavage, I wonder whether your boss has thought this through?
The majority of people who walk 500 miles from SJPP to Santiago are normal people who can't or don't want to walk more than 13-15 miles a day. When you find a buddy for your first day starting in SJPP, your buddy will stop in Roncesvalles while you walk on to Zubiri on the same day. You will be without your buddy for 50% of the time and you will need a new buddy for your day starting in Zubiri. And so on. You you will actually need 19 buddies.
Now here's the problem: While you will know exactly where you stop every day because you walk your 26 miles, your potential 18 other buddies for days 2-19 will not know beforehand where they will stay each day. Sometimes they walk less, sometimes more, sometimes they stop for a day or half a day. They cannot say already now in November where they will be on a certain day in December to arrange meeting with you. Did you discuss this with your boss?
No smoothing across the Napoleon route during the winter months from 1 November until 31 March! Strictly forbidden territory for pilgrims!! Forbidden by Spanish law!!! The Valcarlos route is the only option.Dec is the start of serious adverse weather ... But only The Almighty knows .. you may just smooth across the Napoleon route if not Valcarlos..
I aslo met a young man in Burgos who ended up with a skin infection in his lower leg needing antibiotics and several days rest, much to his disappointment! It felt like a slap in the face as he was very athletic and young. The Dr. figured it was the rubbing of his socks due to his 40km days hiking leaving his skin prone to an infection. So just to reiterate that it's not just your physical health and stamina that can impact how far you walk. But best of luck to the OP!Phdw
Phew! Very Ambitious! Extremely determined! Dec is the start of serious adverse weather ... But only The Almighty knows .. you may just smooth across the Napoleon route if not Valcarlos..
You may be getting upset with so many pilgrims giving you constructive advice..
I met a young Ozzie Kid who probably had the same physical and amazing attributes as you ... this was in May 2019.. his initial enthusiasm and zest made him cover 40km a day until he tore his calf muscle and was bedridden in Burgos for three weeks..
Regardless God Speed and Cuidate!!
Very Best Wishes and Buen Camino!
I don't need Google. My wife knows everything.in my culture boss is sometimes interchangeable with spouse.
Maybe your boss can pay for an security escort. Anyone one you find will likely have their own goals and aspirations and would not want to look out for your safety the whole way; that is a big ask.Thank you for your comments, sir. I am confident I can keep up with that pace or even exceed it during my allotted time. I am a trained distance runner and have quite a few years of hiking experience.
My safety is paramount to my employer. They have already made me do a hefty amount of paperwork to even have it looked at by my boss. I would like this post to be made public so that I can connect now with someone who plans to be on the Camino Francés around this time. The turnaround time in which I need an answer for my boss is very tight.
On my first Camino, I started from SJPdP in late May. The Napoleon was closed due to bad weather (snow) and I had to walk the Valcarlos after having to cancel my reservation in Orrison. Surprise!!!No smoothing across the Napoleon route during the winter months from 1 November until 31 March! Strictly forbidden territory for pilgrims!! Forbidden by Spanish law!!! The Valcarlos route is the only option.
You and @unclesamsavage may not have known this until today but many of us on the forum know and presumably The Almighty knows, too. This has been the law since 2015.
Buen Camino to all those who walk in December from SJPP to Valcarlos, over the Ibañeta pass, to Roncesvalles and beyond. Meteoblue expects temperatures around freezing point from this Friday onwards and snow on the Valcarlos route. Gosh, they even expect lots of snow on the pass this Saturday and Sunday although the predictions are of course not yet very reliable. Oh, and the national Spanish weather office Aemet has currently issued yellow and orange severe weather warnings for parts of the Camino Frances because of nevadas above 1000-1200 m. Nevadas means snowfall.
That struck me too. What kind of boss insists on a buddy for someone walking the camino Francés but allows you to set off on the Appalachian trail in the depths of winter alone? A sadly ill-informed one, I imagine.Perhaps you need to persuade your boss that walking a Camino in Spain is safe. Comparing winter safety and ability to communicate electronically in Spain and in the Appalachian mountains the Camino wins. Several towns a day versus a town every several days is just a start.
Great idea indeed! Of course all this boss-buddy mess + daily distances make little sense from the point of pilgrimage, but why not. It would be as simple as hiring a mountain guide.Maybe your boss can pay for an security escort. Anyone one you find will likely have their own goals and aspirations and would not want to look out for your safety the whole way; that is a big ask.
Why not do a leg of a Camino? It will still be there another year too the rest and it would give you the time and freedom to walk at a pace you can enjoy as well as appreciate your surroundings. I cannot understand the need to shoehorn the whole thing into the time available, seems to me to beasking for trouble and not much of a pleasure.Thank you for the advice and insight. I understand at this point it is a long shot, so to speak. Odds are I will take the time off and stay in the States to do a leg of the Appalachian Trail.
And one I'd be more than happy to walk a camino with.There's only one "Boss" I listen to!!
This ultra-trip needs careful planning. The OP should make reservations for every night before he starts, and appoint each host as a buddy.We have ruled out the likelihood of finding anyone who will match OP's pace, and ahem - artificial contacts. What about real people with real contact info who are along the route? I'm thinking @ivar and @Rebekah Scott .
I would tell your employer to take a hike. Does he supervise your bathroom breaks as well?None of my business but…. unless your boss is your close partner or your Mum or Dad I’d tell them to take a jump.
Nah…. Just kidding.
I would if I could but I can’t.
But good luck anyway.
LOL! There were many mornings that he got me through.There's only one "Boss" I listen to!!
Sounds like a tailor made buddy...For remote travel in Australia I use a Garmin In-Reach Mini.
It uses satellites to send/receive sms messages so you do not need to be in mobile phone coverage, it is small (not much bigger than a matchbox) and much cheaper than a satellite phone.
It has an emergency sms alarm to a monitored emergency centre, allows free-text sms to your contacts, and these messages include your exact GPS location each time.
This makes it more useful than an emergency PLB, as you can say all is well/I am leaving now/I am stopping here/I am running a bit late/.... and your friends can reply to these messages.
Perhaps this would alleviate the concerns of your boss?
[ It is also a GPS and has some other functions (basic maps, back tracking, weather). It can be used on it's own or blue-tooth paired to a mobile phone for easier texting. ]
in my culture boss is sometimes interchangeable with spouse.
Yes, I see he has left permanently. It's quite sad really. He seemed a nice person, and definitely appeared to be ganged up on by many forum members who meant well to "help" as they see it, but he did not ask for those opinions on leaving his job permanently or that his boss is crazy. No one knows the dynamics of his relationship to that boss as it pertains to his livelihood, and we do not walk in his shoes.I see that the OP has left the forums. I can't imagine why.
I am extremely sad to hear this. He needed some help and to connect. He only asked one question and got a lot of negative responses he didn't ask for.Yes, I see he has left permanently. It's quite sad really. He seemed a nice person, and definitely appeared to be ganged up on by many forum members who meant well to "help" as they see it, but he did not ask for those opinions on leaving his job permanently or that his boss is crazy. No one knows the dynamics of his relationship to that boss as it pertains to his livelihood, and we do not walk in his shoes.
I hope they do!I do question whether the OP was genuine or not. Anyway, they have chosen not to stay around these parts so perhaps the Moderators should close the thread?
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