LePuy weather/gear for May

[Mama B]

Hello all,
I am beginning walking on May 1st from LePuy and am wondering about the range of weather and suggestions for clothing. I walked from SJPDP to Santiago mid-June to Mid-July previously and the weather was mild to hot. No warm clothing needed and only a silk bag, no sleeping bag. I appreciate any advice and insight.

What is the average length of time to walk, knowing everyone has a different pace. We have allowed 33-35 days. Is this sufficient for average walkers?

Thank you in advance for your kind input.

 

[Mama B]

Hello all,
I am beginning walking on May 1st from LePuy and am wondering about the range of weather and suggestions for clothing. I walked from SJPDP to Santiago mid-June to Mid-July previously and the weather was mild to hot. No warm clothing needed and only a silk bag, no sleeping bag. I appreciate any advice and insight.

What is the average length of time to walk, knowing everyone has a different pace. We have allowed 33-35 days. Is this sufficient for average walkers?

Thank you in advance for your kind input.

Sorry, we are allowing 33-35 days to reach SJPDP.

 

[Kanga]

When we walked in May we had heavy cold rain a few times, including walking into Cahors - but also lovely sunny weather. I would be taking my usual long sleeve merino top and I would take a sleeping bag - but my husband might not. We have good rain gear (Altus raincoats) that also keep us warm.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

am wondering about the range of weather

The full range! From snow to hail in thunderstorms to unbearably hot. The solution is layering clothes so you can add a layer if it gets cold, but get down to something suitable for the desert. Bon chemin!

 

[mla1]

Last year I walked between May 9th and early June and had a little bit of snow and some days well into the high 30s with blazing sun. I only saw rain on 4 days - on at least two of these the path turned into a streambed. I did take very light gaitors and wore them only twice. But those two times, I was really happy to have them.

There were some nights when I slept in my (very light down) sleeping bag, with a silk liner and my merino long underwear, top and bottom, and was still cold. Other nights even the silk liner was too hot. I used my wool hat and my gloves many times.

I took 32 or 33 days - which included a number of quite short days for 'rest' days. I took the Cele Valley route, which is fabulous and highly recommended. Some people walk the whole route in under 30 days and others take more than 40. How many kilometers are you comfortable walking in a day? Some people prefer to just keep moving and some prefer to do a lot of sight-seeing. There are also a few different variations on this route.

 

[Mama B]

Thank you everyone. I have been reading the Forum since 2013 in prep for my first Camino (June 2013), but never asked a question. Your support is so very welcome. I am wondering about weight of pack with the extra gear. Was this an issue?
I was comfortable walking 22-25 Km per day and in the last week walked many much longer days. Is it difficult walking at the beginning? I see different opinions about calling ahead. Can you recommend an inexpensive/clean place to stay the first night in Le Puy that might also set the tone? I was so fortunate to begin my first Camino at L'Esprit du Chemin which was lovely for a first timer because it is an Albergue (although not inexpensive). Is it better to stay one night in Lyon after flying from the westcoast USA to deal with jetlag, or straight to Le Puy for two nights? I am reading everything on the site so I don't needlessly ask too many questions. Thank you, Thank you for your input

 

[mla1]

Hi Mama B -

The walking could be challenging at the beginning. There are lots of ups and downs over the first few days. Some people start slowly with shorter days.

I would go straight to LePuy and deal with your jetlag there. A few years ago, we stayed an extra day in LePuy to look around the city before walking. It is well worth it - it is a beautiful city.

Yes to calling ahead. It does get busy in May and the gites will fill up. There are a number of public holidays when reserving in advance is very strongly advised. You will also want to reserve in advance if there is a particular gite where you would like to stay - like the monastery in Conques. And if you want to have demi-pension, you should reserve the day before for courtesy's sake - so the host will know how much food to prepare. You can change your mind - but you then need to make sure to cancel the reservation as soon as possible. Check the dates of the public holidays before you leave.

L'Esprit du chemin is now called Beilari - I stayed there my last day on the LePuy route. It is a fabulous place with wonderful hospitaliers. Once you have a good idea of when you will be arriving in SJPP - you can reserve on line, which you would want to do because they definitely book up. Staying there is a wonderful way to end your walk - although it will have you itching to keep going as you watch people leaving to go over the mountains in the morning.

Mary Louise

 

[Mama B]

Hi Mama B -

The walking could be challenging at the beginning. There are lots of ups and downs over the first few days. Some people start slowly with shorter days.

I would go straight to LePuy and deal with your jetlag there. A few years ago, we stayed an extra day in LePuy to look around the city before walking. It is well worth it - it is a beautiful city.

Yes to calling ahead. It does get busy in May and the gites will fill up. There are a number of public holidays when reserving in advance is very strongly advised. You will also want to reserve in advance if there is a particular gite where you would like to stay - like the monastery in Conques. And if you want to have demi-pension, you should reserve the day before for courtesy's sake - so the host will know how much food to prepare. You can change your mind - but you then need to make sure to cancel the reservation as soon as possible. Check the dates of the public holidays before you leave.

L'Esprit du chemin is now called Beilari - I stayed there my last day on the LePuy route. It is a fabulous place with wonderful hospitaliers. Once you have a good idea of when you will be arriving in SJPP - you can reserve on line, which you would want to do because they definitely book up. Staying there is a wonderful way to end your walk - although it will have you itching to keep going as you watch people leaving to go over the mountains in the morning.

Mary Louise

Thank you for this great information. I will be going on to Santiago after a night in SJPP and so fortunate to be able to walk all the way. Would you be willing to share your route stays? You can send directly to me if better. Also, places like mentioned above that we should stay. I have ordered the Miam book. It will be here in about 3 weeks. Also, any input on how far to go the first few days and was weight of pack with all the cold weather gear an issue?

 

[mla1]

Hi - I don't have my accommodation notes with me - but there are some good lists made by others on the forum. I went over those and made comments in the Miam-miam Do-do guide. My one big suggestion (which I took from others writing here) is to follow the Cele Valley route. It's something. Stunning landscape.

If you have the Miam-miam dodo book you will be fine for accommodation. And it is worth saying - that for all the care I took over notes and such before I left, my decisions about where to stay were based more on who I was walking with and how much I wanted to walk than on what I had thought I would do. As you likely know from your previous walking.

In LePuy, I stayed at a small hotel called L'Epicurium that was quite nice. Central. Nice people.

On the first day I walked to St. Privat - but others break that day and the next one up - so they are both less than 20 k. On the first day lots of people stop at Montbonnet and on the second they go on to Monistrol d'Allier. The first day the walking is not too hard, but there is a doozy of a hill going out of Monistrol. You can another version of breaking those days up on the blog called "A good walk unspoiled" from a couple of years ago. I stuck fairly close to the stages that appear in the small Michelin map guide to the route - which you can buy in LePuy at any news agent.

My pack was about 8 kilos - which was fine for me (and in my view worth it so thatI could be warm enough at night and to have a second pair of shoes that I could walk in if necessary - chaco sandals, which are like tevas but more adjustable and a bit on the heavy side). But there are, as I am sure you know, many others here who who would consider that a gargantuan pack. Most of the people I met in France had much bigger and heavier packs - and clearly didn't obsess about packing like we do on this forum. And the majority of them were managing very well.

cheers,
ml

 

[Magnara]

Hello all,
I am beginning walking on May 1st from LePuy and am wondering about the range of weather and suggestions for clothing. I walked from SJPDP to Santiago mid-June to Mid-July previously and the weather was mild to hot. No warm clothing needed and only a silk bag, no sleeping bag. I appreciate any advice and insight.

What is the average length of time to walk, knowing everyone has a different pace. We have allowed 33-35 days. Is this sufficient for average walkers?

Thank you in advance for your kind input.

We walked at that time of year in 2014, and had varied weather. I agree with the others who say you will need to cover a few temperatures etc. I like merino, my husband likes hi-tech synthetic,but we walk with one day and one evening outfit, so you can just wear them day after day and minimise both washing and weight. Add a sleeveless fleece, a two layer goretex jacket and as well we like Akubra hats (like a USA stetson, so they are great in sun and rain - you don't need a poncho as they keep the rain off your face. ) If you would like my pack list, send me a pm. (There are lots of great pack lists from other people on the forum too, we all have strong and often differing ideas. The one thing we mostly agree on is keep it light.)

 

[marbuck]

Pack for all conditions, you will get them all during your Le Puy Camino. I remember that we had hotter days, more rain & colder days than what we had on the Camino Francis the same time the previous year in Spain

 

[Mama B]

Thank you everyone for your help. I am waiting on the Miam book for a clearer idea of lodging. Are there more Albergues along the way now? There are four national holidays and 2 observance holidays in France during the month of May. We are wondering how precisely planned our walk must be to account for the holidays and lodging and whether this was an issue for anyone? How far in advance do we need to book? Is a day ahead sufficient? Thank you again in advance for your further assistance.

 

[Mama B]

For those walking through France during May, here are the holiday dates for this year:

May 1 Sunday Labor Day / May Day National holiday
May 5 Thursday Ascension Day National holiday
May 8 Sunday WWII Victory Day National holiday
May 15 Sunday Whit Sunday Observance
May 16 Monday Whit Monday National holiday
May 29 Sunday Mother's Day Observance

 

[Deleted member 3000]

We are wondering how precisely planned our walk must be to account for the holidays and lodging and whether this was an issue for anyone?

You will find places full if you do not book ahead. My last May walk there resulted in quite a few hotels and chambre d'hote.

Are there more Albergues along the way now?

The number of gites does not seem to increase as they have in Spain. If anything, they are becoming fewer. The number of chambre d'hotes is going up a bit. Catering to pilgrims is a low profit enterprise, and the French do not stay in low profit businesses. In some cases, all the bakeries in a village may have closed. People work in the towns and cities, and patronize bakeries there on their way home.

 

[Mama B]

Thank you Falcon. Is there a handy list available online or? that lists all of the accommodations along the way that I can access while waiting for the Miam book to arrive (which will take a few weeks). Are Gites similar to B/B or similar to Albergues?

 

[Kitsambler]

Besides those specific holiday dates, be aware of the practice of 'bridging'. North Americans will see this same phenomenon when Thanksgiving (a Thursday) becomes a four-day weekend, and Christmas-to-New-Years becomes a holiday week. So each of those French holidays becomes a long weekend, and then they take off their regular weekly closing day as well. By all means, book ahead in May.

 

[mla1]

Hi, I started on a long weekend in May and so I booked my first few nights in advance (from home). I also booked in advance the nights I wanted to stay at the monastery in Conques and the night in the convent in Saint-Come-d'Olt. And then later on I think the only place I booked more than a day in advance was Beilari in SJPP. There were a few nights (not holidays) that I did not book at all and there were some when I booked in the morning. That said, you will not always get your first choice if you book at the last minute or leave things to chance - sometimes I had to call a number of places before finding a bed. And I ran into a number of people in the first ten days who were staying in places that were much more expensive than they had planned for.
ml

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Is there a handy list available online

A partial list:
http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/Selection/CarteFrance.html

 

[biodiva]

In Le Puy i stayed in
ASSOCIATION GRAND SEMINAIRE ACCUEIL SAINT-GEORGES
Very nice and with a lot of other pilgrims. Close to the cathedral, good for the morning service.
I've got an single room, shared showers.

 

[Mama B]

Hi All, can you share with us the Celle Route and how you broke up this section, best places to stay?

 

[Mama B]

Thank you so much for all of your assistance. We are also wondering how many kms this Cele Route is or roughly how many days to walk. Thank you

 

[mla1]

Lots of info at the link below - and elsewhwere on the forum if you just search on Cele Valley. I think it adds about one extra day to the walk - depending on how you do it. There are various options of how to get back onto the main route (the GR 65). They are all there in the Miam-miam dodo book. And you don't need to decide which one you are going to take until you walk it....

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/valley-cele-information-please.23736/

 

[Mama B]

Thank you for the great link. I realize I was searching with a wrong spelling.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can see the variant here:
http://www.chemindecompostelle.com/Selection/CarteFrance.html

There are many more accommodations than the ones shown on this sparse internet version of Miam Miam Dodo.

 

[Mama B]

Caminka has posted a link to a PDF that is extremely helpful in this thread: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/list-of-albergues-le-puy-to-st-jean-pp.4387/

 

[Mama B]

Hello all,
I will leave home toward the camino and 10 short days and we are booking our first few days out. We have been waiting for our Miam Miam Dodo book for over a month and a half, but not here, so using the list noted above. Can anyone give us a good recommendation for top place to stay in St Privat d'Allier? Thank you so much for your continued support.

 

[mla1]

I stayed here: http://www.accueil-randonneurs.fr/saint_privat_d_allier.html.fr/saint_privat_d_allier.html

I think I had to try a few places because of starting on a holiday weekend.
It was okay.
ml

 

[Donnakaten]

Hi - I don't have my accommodation notes with me - but there are some good lists made by others on the forum. I went over those and made comments in the Miam-miam Do-do guide. My one big suggestion (which I took from others writing here) is to follow the Cele Valley route. It's something. Stunning landscape.

If you have the Miam-miam dodo book you will be fine for accommodation. And it is worth saying - that for all the care I took over notes and such before I left, my decisions about where to stay were based more on who I was walking with and how much I wanted to walk than on what I had thought I would do. As you likely know from your previous walking.

In LePuy, I stayed at a small hotel called L'Epicurium that was quite nice. Central. Nice people.

On the first day I walked to St. Privat - but others break that day and the next one up - so they are both less than 20 k. On the first day lots of people stop at Montbonnet and on the second they go on to Monistrol d'Allier. The first day the walking is not too hard, but there is a doozy of a hill going out of Monistrol. You can another version of breaking those days up on the blog called "A good walk unspoiled" from a couple of years ago. I stuck fairly close to the stages that appear in the small Michelin map guide to the route - which you can buy in LePuy at any news agent.

My pack was about 8 kilos - which was fine for me (and in my view worth it so thatI could be warm enough at night and to have a second pair of shoes that I could walk in if necessary - chaco sandals, which are like tevas but more adjustable and a bit on the heavy side). But there are, as I am sure you know, many others here who who would consider that a gargantuan pack. Most of the people I met in France had much bigger and heavier packs - and clearly didn't obsess about packing like we do on this forum. And the majority of them were managing very well.

cheers,
ml

Cant find A Good Walk Unspoiled...

 

[krystianw]

I haven't walked the Le Puy, so I can't offer first-hand advice. But if you want to look at the weather from previous years, you can check out https://caminoweather.com/le_puy/example/may. It'll give you a big table of what the exact forecasts were, for every stage. You can edit the end date to line up better with your expected 33-35 days.