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i need lots of answers please
- Thread starter concarne
- Start date
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Dawn of a new Day
Active Member
it all depends how much time you have. from st.john pied de port takes at least 30 days!! perhaps give us alittle more information or do a search on the site.
dawn
dawn
well i was planning on going anytime from April to july but it doesn't matter i can do it pretty much anytime it just matters when i get the money saved (how much does it cost?) im only 13 hehehe but i am determined to get there right now i have 200 or so and have been working all week.Dawn of a new Day said:
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marktqm
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances (2006)
Concarne,
That's an unusually young age to start wanting to walk the camino. I suggest that you take your time in planning your walk, accummulating enough resources and sorting out your real motivation for wanting to do it. The camino is no walk in the park. You will eventually get to Santiago at the proper time, don't rush it. For the meantime, learn some Spanish.
At any rate, buen camino.
Mark
That's an unusually young age to start wanting to walk the camino. I suggest that you take your time in planning your walk, accummulating enough resources and sorting out your real motivation for wanting to do it. The camino is no walk in the park. You will eventually get to Santiago at the proper time, don't rush it. For the meantime, learn some Spanish.
At any rate, buen camino.
Mark
Martin0642
Member
Firstly I would say you need to be a bit older and more experienced to do the camino on your own (if that's your plan). No offence but several bits are very hard going and it's just basic survival sense to have someone else there. The usual golden rule is that a trekking party should have at least three people.
The camino has a lot of people on it so many do it alone, but even we had a few hours without seeing anyone else, during the busiest time. If you injure yourself then it takes a lot to treat yourself and get to help. Just a thought.
Otherwise - how much time you have, your personal fitness level and experience with walking and what you actually want to get out of it, all make a difference to which bit you do and for how long (and when).
I found (although I only did a mini-camino from Leon....so a Camini i guess...) that when I got home I looked at the Compostella...and I looked at this tatty piece of paper i'd been carrying around (the credencial) and realised that it was the Credencial I had walked for, not the compostella.
Whatever you do, plan well, and have a great time. Buen camino!
(oh and learn spanish - almost noone speaks english on the route)
The camino has a lot of people on it so many do it alone, but even we had a few hours without seeing anyone else, during the busiest time. If you injure yourself then it takes a lot to treat yourself and get to help. Just a thought.
Otherwise - how much time you have, your personal fitness level and experience with walking and what you actually want to get out of it, all make a difference to which bit you do and for how long (and when).
I found (although I only did a mini-camino from Leon....so a Camini i guess...) that when I got home I looked at the Compostella...and I looked at this tatty piece of paper i'd been carrying around (the credencial) and realised that it was the Credencial I had walked for, not the compostella.
Whatever you do, plan well, and have a great time. Buen camino!
(oh and learn spanish - almost noone speaks english on the route)
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
thank you all for your helpful advise. martin i don't think i would bring two people (i doubt i could even get two) my original plan was to go with my brother but he doesn't really seem like he wants to. also i would like to say that im not the average size of the normally 13 year old kid. im almost 6 ft and im probably as big as an average adult male but i will still think more about all of what you are saying re consider some of my plan. 
Martin0642
Member
Hiya concarne - sorry, I didnt mean to suggest you couldn't do it at your age, but I've been travelling since before your age (with family then!!) and I have to say there will be some things you encounter you just need experience to help deal with. For instance - if you find you have to stop for a day or two due to illness or injury (happens a lot it seems!) you would need to be able to go on your own to a hotel or B&B and arrange (and pay for ) accomodation. If there's no atm that may mean credit cards.
Admittedly at your age you'd likely find many people looking after you and I think you could make it you were resourceful. But i also think you'll enjoy the experience so much more with a little more life experience and a little more hiking experience.
God that sounds patronising!!! :roll:
Whatever you decide dont lose sight of the desire to do this - it will be worth every second of the wait I promise you.
Admittedly at your age you'd likely find many people looking after you and I think you could make it you were resourceful. But i also think you'll enjoy the experience so much more with a little more life experience and a little more hiking experience.
God that sounds patronising!!! :roll:
Whatever you decide dont lose sight of the desire to do this - it will be worth every second of the wait I promise you.
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Martin0642
Member
Cool - prepare well though, there's a lot of good advice on here - it helped us!!
Whatever time of year you go there are stretches that are very physically demanding. We did Leon to Santiago (about 200 miles) in 13 days. You could probably do it in 12 if you really pushed it. The whole route needs a good 30 days (apparently) and a fair bit of practice.
Buen camino!
Whatever time of year you go there are stretches that are very physically demanding. We did Leon to Santiago (about 200 miles) in 13 days. You could probably do it in 12 if you really pushed it. The whole route needs a good 30 days (apparently) and a fair bit of practice.
Buen camino!
fiddletree
Active Member
It's great that you are looking into doing this. However, one thing to keep in mind is that if you are under 18, you legally can't sign for things without a legal guardian present. So, lets say you have some sort of medical or legal emergency (while unlikely, still a possibility), you would be unable to sign something necessary.
However, as long as you make sure all your bases are covered, I would say allow more time than you think you need for it. I am pretty fit and thought I could do the whole thing in 4 weeks, but it ended up taking me 36. Granted, that was because I became injured and was made to rest for 2 days, and also decided to continue on to Finisterre, but still, it took me a week longer than I anticipated, and I am young (23) and fit. It is a MUCH better experience if you don't have to rush. If you have ample time, I would say start in St.Jean and walk to Finisterre. But, just do some research and figure out what your motivations are for doing the walk, and I think you will come to your own conclusions. remember,while you do have to decide where you start, after that, you can change your plans.
However, as long as you make sure all your bases are covered, I would say allow more time than you think you need for it. I am pretty fit and thought I could do the whole thing in 4 weeks, but it ended up taking me 36. Granted, that was because I became injured and was made to rest for 2 days, and also decided to continue on to Finisterre, but still, it took me a week longer than I anticipated, and I am young (23) and fit. It is a MUCH better experience if you don't have to rush. If you have ample time, I would say start in St.Jean and walk to Finisterre. But, just do some research and figure out what your motivations are for doing the walk, and I think you will come to your own conclusions. remember,while you do have to decide where you start, after that, you can change your plans.
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Javier Martin
Veteran Member
Hello,
In my opinion, you are enough old to walk the Camino but not alone.
So,
Your body, at your age, phisically can support something as hard as the Camino. Because the Camino is hard.
When it's sunny, when it's neither cold nor warm, when you have any albergue so close, when you have food and you are not completely tired ... OK. But in a whole Camino problems appear and can be very difficult for an adult person. In this moments you will need any person very close to you, someone who at this momento is ONLY thinking of you and your problems.
You will have to decide what to eat. Who much to spend. To clean your clothes. To protect yourself from sun or rain. To not lose any important clothes in any albergue. Where to stop. To decide what to do always. What to do with an ampolla. If you have a medical problem. ¿Do you speak spanish?
Too much, in my opinion, for you, if you are only 13.
So, if you go with any person older than you ¿may be over 18?, much better.
I've never seen on the Camino anybody walking alone under 18.
Please, I'm not telling you what you have to do, it's just my opinion, who decide are you and your parents, of course.
Anyway,
Buen Camino,
Javier Martin
In my opinion, you are enough old to walk the Camino but not alone.
So,
Your body, at your age, phisically can support something as hard as the Camino. Because the Camino is hard.
When it's sunny, when it's neither cold nor warm, when you have any albergue so close, when you have food and you are not completely tired ... OK. But in a whole Camino problems appear and can be very difficult for an adult person. In this moments you will need any person very close to you, someone who at this momento is ONLY thinking of you and your problems.
You will have to decide what to eat. Who much to spend. To clean your clothes. To protect yourself from sun or rain. To not lose any important clothes in any albergue. Where to stop. To decide what to do always. What to do with an ampolla. If you have a medical problem. ¿Do you speak spanish?
Too much, in my opinion, for you, if you are only 13.
So, if you go with any person older than you ¿may be over 18?, much better.
I've never seen on the Camino anybody walking alone under 18.
Please, I'm not telling you what you have to do, it's just my opinion, who decide are you and your parents, of course.
Anyway,
Buen Camino,
Javier Martin
brendan nolan
Active Member
Hi Concarne,
I'm Brendan, 60+ years old and have walked to Santiago twice - once fron Le Puy-en-Velay in France and the 2nd time from my home in the north east of England. The second pilgrimage was a distance of 1600+ miles. I give you these facts, not boast, but to give you some idea of my experience. I do not intend to pour cold water on your wish to do the pilgrimage to Santiago - I think it is wonderful that you are aware of the pilgrimage and wish to do it.
So what do I think and what is my advice? Perhaps I'm an old fuddy-duddy - but then old fuddy-duddies generally don't walk thousands of kilometres. I'll be quite honest - I think 13 is a bit too young to do the pilgrimage alone. It's not that you will be in physical danger, (just to assure Mum and Dad) because you will meet up with other pilgrims along the road. But, even though you say you are tall and fit , there is more to the pilgrimage than physical size/fitness - by the way the Camino will test your fitness to the nth degree. The pilgrimage is like most physical activities - 90% is is in the head/psychology and there is a certain degree of maturity required to deal with the difficulties along the route and the fact that the route is so long. Remember you will probably be doing 25kms/15miles each day for 30+ days. To be blunt, I think you need to be at least 18, or to have someone more mature with you to help you to appreciate/talk about your daily experiences to gain a proper appreciation of what you have been through on the Camino each day. This person will also be a great foil for you when you get back home and talk about your experiences.
In the end I don't know you and your capabilities, nor your back-up in terms of parental support. So I offer the above advice in good faith. Whatever decision you come to, I wish you 'Buen Camino', bearing in mind that pilgrimage is not just,or even mainly, a physical journey.
Take care and 'God Bless',
Brendan
I'm Brendan, 60+ years old and have walked to Santiago twice - once fron Le Puy-en-Velay in France and the 2nd time from my home in the north east of England. The second pilgrimage was a distance of 1600+ miles. I give you these facts, not boast, but to give you some idea of my experience. I do not intend to pour cold water on your wish to do the pilgrimage to Santiago - I think it is wonderful that you are aware of the pilgrimage and wish to do it.
So what do I think and what is my advice? Perhaps I'm an old fuddy-duddy - but then old fuddy-duddies generally don't walk thousands of kilometres. I'll be quite honest - I think 13 is a bit too young to do the pilgrimage alone. It's not that you will be in physical danger, (just to assure Mum and Dad) because you will meet up with other pilgrims along the road. But, even though you say you are tall and fit , there is more to the pilgrimage than physical size/fitness - by the way the Camino will test your fitness to the nth degree. The pilgrimage is like most physical activities - 90% is is in the head/psychology and there is a certain degree of maturity required to deal with the difficulties along the route and the fact that the route is so long. Remember you will probably be doing 25kms/15miles each day for 30+ days. To be blunt, I think you need to be at least 18, or to have someone more mature with you to help you to appreciate/talk about your daily experiences to gain a proper appreciation of what you have been through on the Camino each day. This person will also be a great foil for you when you get back home and talk about your experiences.
In the end I don't know you and your capabilities, nor your back-up in terms of parental support. So I offer the above advice in good faith. Whatever decision you come to, I wish you 'Buen Camino', bearing in mind that pilgrimage is not just,or even mainly, a physical journey.
Take care and 'God Bless',
Brendan