I'm from Baton Rouge, LA and am planning to walk the camino in August.

[Jo Rose]

I'm from Baton Rouge, LA and am planning to walk the camino in August. I'm very excited!

 

[Suzanne S.]

Welcome, @Jo Rose ! Buen Camino!

 

[Beeman]

Welcome. Which Camino are you going on? I wish you only the best. And may I be one of many to wish you a Buen Camino.

 

[Bodi]

Buen Camino @Jo Rose! The advice and information on this forum is invaluable!

 

[Sonder]

Buen Camino Jo. I went to school in Baton Rouge and loved it. I am also excited. I will be starting from SJPdP on 14 Aug so we will miss each other. Best wishes on your Camino.

 

[Jo Rose]

We will be starting from SJPdP on August 19th! We'll spend the first night out in Orisson. I do have a question: how do you know how far you are going to walk each day? If you decide to use the luggage transfers, where do you send your luggage (I understand that most of the albergues don't accept reservations)? Thanks for all the good "Bien Caminos" -- to you also!

 

[Sonder]

I have been practice hiking and averaging about 4 kmh (2.5 mph) pretty consistently with no strain. However, I plan on taking it easy the first two days. I also have a reservation at Orisson the first night and one at the albergue in Roncevalles for the second night. If all goes well, I hope to average about 15 miles a day but will go with the flow and vary the distance. At the moment, I have made no further reservations. I am hoping to walk somewhat off cycle from other pilgrims and find rooms along the way. I will be carrying my own pack so not using luggage transfers.

 

[Jo Rose]

You can make reservations at an albergue in Roncevalles? How do you know if an albergue takes reservations? I thought they were first come, first served? What does "walking off cycle" mean? I figured by us leaving SPdP in the middle of August, and on a Sunday, that it wouldn't be too crowded -- thinking that by then most of the schools would be back in session and most of the other pilgrims wouldn't start the camino until the first of September. We are training (we are up to 10 miles now) in all this humidity and heat (over 90 degrees!) and hope that Spain can't be as stifling as Louisiana! Is this your first camino, too?

 

[Mark Barnes]

You should be excited as the Camino is an experience that will be with you the rest of your life. I am sure you will have a blast.

 

[Sonder]

I believe the Albergue in Roncevalles may be the exception that allows reservations. This may be because it is an entry point to the Camino for many folks from Spain. Anyway this is the link I used.
http://alberguederoncesvalles.com/index.php?idioma=2 If this link doesn't work, you may have to search for it on Google. I believe other public albergues are first come first served. By walking off cycle, I meant starting in the middle of the week or stopping at places that are in between the end stages published in some of the guide books. I don't have the humidity problem for training in California but I do try to walk on routes that have changes in elevation. Being in Baton Rouge this might be difficult for you but perhaps you can just continue on extending your distances and then taking it easy the first few days when you get to Spain. I have been hiking a few years in the Sierras in California but this will be my first Camino. Bonne chance.

 

[Jo Rose]

You should be excited as the Camino is an experience that will be with you the rest of your life. I am sure you will have a blast.

Thank you SO MUCH. I am excited.

 

[Jo Rose]

Thank you for the link and the info! You are right, there's not much change in elevation around here. We are thinking about going to the state park outside Alexandria to do some trail training. And, darn it anyway, start hitting the stair stepper machine. Just a little over two months to go.

 

[GettingThere]

You can make reservations at an albergue in Roncevalles? How do you know if an albergue takes reservations? I thought they were first come, first served? What does "walking off cycle" mean? I figured by us leaving SPdP in the middle of August, and on a Sunday, that it wouldn't be too crowded -- thinking that by then most of the schools would be back in session and most of the other pilgrims wouldn't start the camino until the first of September. We are training (we are up to 10 miles now) in all this humidity and heat (over 90 degrees!) and hope that Spain can't be as stifling as Louisiana! Is this your first camino, too?

@Jo Rose just a note on your mention of schools - in Spain & France the school holiday timings are a bit different from the US, and in mid-August it is still holidays. Schools mostly go back in early September. August is peak holiday month in most of Europe, and the 15th August is a big public holiday (and religious observance of the Assumption of Mary) in some countries including Spain and France. So you will probably find there are lots of people around, but having said that the statistics tend to show that early September is busiest for people leaving from St Jean Pied de Port. Bookings are possible at most of the privately-run albergues now - whether or not people make bookings is really a matter of personal preference and the subject of some heated debates here on the Forum as to how necessary they are! Many people book their first night in St Jean and in Roncesvalles, possibly the next night too, then take it as it comes. Personally I prefer to book a day or two ahead (sometimes more), but it's really an individual choice.

Buen Camino and good luck with your training!