Lonesome Trail???

[Oceanroc7]

Hello any pilgrims out there,

I am starting my second leg of the Via de la Plata on August 7th this year, walking from Peublo de Sanabria to Muxia via Santiago (of course via Santiago - it would be weird if I avoided the great mecca itself!). Only 3 weeks away! I walked from Seville to Merida with my husband in April this year and got hooked.

I am quite happy to walk alone and have been learning Spanish to assist my independence , but I am wondering if anyone else at all will be walking in that neck of the woods at that time if year. The Camino Calendar is empty...Will the VdlP be empty too?????

I am more curious than alarmed at the prospect of solitude but I am not a huge fan of empty albergues, having stayed in an empty bothy in the middle of nowhere (well the Highlands of Scotland) last April when I walked The Cape Wrath Trail. It was possible the spookiest (and dampest) night of my life.

If anyone is walking north from Pueblo at that time please drop some (biodegradable) litter to give me hope that I am not completely solo. I promise to pick it up and dispose of it in an environmentally friendly manner.
And yes I know I am loco to walk at that time of the year!

Rachel aka Oceanroc :wink:

 

[JohnnieWalker]

The Camino Calendar is empty...Will the VdlP be empty too????? Rachel aka Oceanroc :wink:

No - definitely not. When you are walking is the busiest time on all caminos. You will not be alone. Quite the reverse. Enjoy!

Buen Camino

John

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Last August, the Via de la Plata was the fifth most popular camino, with about 46 pilgrims per day. The September arrivals, when most pilgrims will have started in August, were about 29 pilgrims per day. You won't be alone, but it won't be busy.

 

[Oceanroc7]

Thanks for your prompt and helpful replies Falcon and John.

So no spooky deserted albergues this time!
My heart is lighter.

Rachel

 

[Davroos]

I wouldn't be worried in the slightest. I rode the VDLP in April, and once Easter was completed, and all the Spanish had gone home, the trails were emptier but the albergues were always nearly full every night.

One question, why are you not picking up from where you left off? You are missing an awful lot of the trail from Merida to Peublo de Sanabria

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Last August, the Via de la Plata was the fifth most popular camino, with about 46 pilgrims per day. The September arrivals, when most pilgrims will have started in August, were about 29 pilgrims per day. You won't be alone, but it won't be busy.

Alas pilgrims numbers rarely work out in averages. If they did even 29 pilgrims per day arriving in some of the small places on the Via de la Plata with only one albergue would be considered very busy indeed!

 

[Alan Pearce]

I walked the VdlP in April/May last year and it was fairly quiet until I reached Orense, which is around 100km from SdC. Then it got busy!

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

... one albergue would be considered very busy indeed!

Busy at that albergue for sure, but not crowded.

Crowded is a thousand pilgrims a day on the last stretch of the Camino Frances! Even if there are beds for everyone, it is crowded, on the path, at the bars, at the restaurants, and at the showers. Statistics are just broad indicators. The August arrivals mostly started in July; August starters may be in the September arrival statistics. The numbers can give a general picture, but on any given day at any give albergue, the busy-ness is hard to predict. Knowing it has rained on six days in September the previous year does not say anything about when it will rain this September. Ditto the number of pilgrims. Knowing the approximate number of pilgrims per day allows one to look at the accommodation capability and predict a problem. If there are forty pilgrims a day and a town has only eight beds, it would be reasonable to have a backup plan for staying in that town. If everyone passes that town, one will have his choice of eight beds! If there are only eight pilgrims a day, then there is a good chance of finding a bed unless there is triple the average crowd, which can happen.

Buen camino.

 

[mmm042]

I've walked the whole trail in several chunks in Nov., March and then Sept./Oct., and I'm starting all over again this fall. There were never a ton of people when I walked, but usually plenty for company. However, I did sometimes feel like the only one out there. If you happen to come upon an empty albergue one night and don't want to spend the night alone, I'd book a room at a pension or casa rural instead. There are many lovely ones along the way.

Melanie

 

[Oceanroc7]

Thanks for the helpful info everyone.

In answer to Davroos's question" why are you not picking up from where you left off?" I am led to understand the temperature in August between Merida and Salamanca is likely to be just hideous. I thought I would start further north and get to the sea, where I can get some spiritual healing and maybe go for a cold swim in the Atlantic!

The other alternative, starting (at Merida) and ending (somewhere near Salamana or Zamora) in temperatures likely to be approaching 40 deg C didn't appeal to this pale-skinned English lady (who wilts in the heat at the best of times...)

I will fill in the gap one easter (I am a school teacher :cry: ).

Oh for retirement when I can walk the whole thing in one go without having to worry about going back to work!!!

Rachel

 

[Davroos]

That is a fair answer

I like you am not retired so walked the smaller ones, but I rode the VDLP, and even though I missed the camaraderie of walking with others, I really enjoyed doing this route.

It was really nice from Merida, and when you do walk it, even though there are some huge distances, to me the nothingness was amazing

 

[Alexandra]

I will be walking from Granada mid September so expect to be on the Sanabres mid November. I expect to not meet many pilgrims ( although I would love to meet some ), but I am wondering if there are any statistics as to how many Pilgrims arrived in Santiago in November 2011, especially those who arrived via The Sanabres. I would like to think I won't be completely alone !! When I walked The Frances in 2009 I remember the many Pilgrims on the trail, especially as I arrived in Santiago at the end of October. Is the Pilgrim office open every day in November? JohnnyWalker , I am looking for your guidance !!

Anyway, I tell myself " miracles do happen ", and I might even find another Pilgrim on The Mozarabe !!

Sandra.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - the Pilgrims Office is open:

Monday to Sunday 9.00 – 21.00 (In summer: from Palm Sunday to 31 October).

Monday to Sunday 10.00 – 20.00 (In winter: from 1 November to Palm Sunday). Please note that in winter on Sundays and Festivals the office is closed from 2 – 4pm.

The Pilgrims’ Office is open during these hours every day of the year with the EXCEPTION of Christmas Day – 25 December, and New Year’s Day – 1 January. If you complete your pilgrimage on these days your Compostela can be obtained in the Cathedral.

I'm not in the Office today but will try to remember tomorrow to look at the November 2011 figures for pilgrims arriving on the Via de la Plata - there will be some!

 

[skilsaw]

I walked the VdlP in April/May, but understand that the southern states like Extremadurra are just that...Extreme in the summer. I have also heard that some of the Albergues, say south of Zamora, close in July and August because the number of pilgrims drops right off.

But in May, the route Sanabres is beautiful and very green. I think it would be a powerful experience in August... brown, and dusty, and the mountains? (hills) very beautiful. I would take lots of water each day and some electrolyte salts to replenish what gets sweated out.

The electrolytes I bought were little pouches of powder, to be mixed with water. "Gastrolyte" as it was called is given to people who become dehydrated due to diarrhea. But dehydration is dehydration, regardless of the cause. I buy it in packages of 10 pouches from the chemist(pharmacy)

As I mentioned before, the hill walking is excellent, but down in the valley bottoms, it appears the camino is not on an authentic route. It seems to follow the seams between land owners, and zig-zags without always being well posted.

Sunglasses, a wide brimmed hat, loose fitting long sleeved shirt and long pants are a must.
Have a great trip.
Enjoy your walk.

David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[Oceanroc7]

Thanks for your top David from Victoria.
The weather has just changed for the better in southern England,with temperatures jumping from 15 tot 25/26 degrees C in a matter of days.
I, along with half of Britain (probably), now have mild sunburn on my arms.
And this heat is nothing compared to the potential exposure of Spain in August, so your suggestion of a long-sleeved shirt if well-timed.

I am also interested in your advice about electrolytes. I have never sweated enough for this to be a cause for concern, but might have to think about it this time.

Thanks very much for your encouragement and advice David from Victoria.

I shall be posting photos and comments along the way from my HTC phone to my blog at this address:
http://www.majorforms.com/members/oceanroc

It is currently very embryonic and a work in progress but will be sorted out before I go if you want to see whether I survive or not!!

Rachel

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

In answer to your question 208 pilgrims arrive in Santiago during the month on November 2011 having walked the Via de la Plata.

Best regards

John

 

[Plumber1000]

Hi Johnny
Think will like this pic
Regards Stu

 

[Alexandra]

Thanks JohnnieWalker for the info re VDLP Stats. Hopefully numbers will be similar this November and I will have some company after Merida and onto The Sanabres.

Sandra.