Long asphalt stretches after Leon

[molly1952]

Having done from St Jean to Santa Domingo de la Calzada in the past I was really looking forward to doing another leg of the camino this coming Autumn. However my travelling companion wants to start at Leon so we will begin there and hope to get to Santiago. The problem is, from what I can see in guidebooks and also on Google Earth, there are endless gravelly stretches alongside tarred roads (with traffic) for days and days on this section. I see very little of the lovely secluded rural paths and wooded scenery which I enjoyed so much last time. Will I be disappointed with this section I wonder? Also my feet aren't used to long distances on hard surfaces. I know I can do shorter distances/ get buses/ take breaks but I'm not sure if it's appealing to me so much now. It looks to me as if long stretches of the path been tarred, - the sign of progress unfortunately perhaps?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Both routes out of Leon have a lot of paving. The route through Mazarife has less traffic. After Hospital de Oribigo the recommended route has very little paving until just before Astorga. The departure from Astorga has some paving, then some dirt path to the Cruz de Ferro. Then it is mostly rock and dirt to Molinaseca. The road is nearby, but I don't think I would call it endless stretches.

It did not disappoint me!!

 

[Cayou]

Having done from St Jean to Santa Domingo de la Calzada in the past I was really looking forward to doing another leg of the camino this coming Autumn. However my travelling companion wants to start at Leon so we will begin there and hope to get to Santiago. The problem is, from what I can see in guidebooks and also on Google Earth, there are endless gravelly stretches alongside tarred roads (with traffic) for days ..

My wife and I arrive in Leon late on 28 Sept. Have 14 nights total inc SdC so plan on a taxi to somewhere before Hospital and make it to Astoria for the night. Same story, dislike the tarred roads, etc. and the pain they can create. Yes, we may be burned at the stake by some, but everyone has their own journey. Getting into SdC is a bit of tar and concrete, but being so close to finish line does help!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can take a bus from León to Hospital for a couple of Euro, and then walk the woods to Astorga. It is very little road.

 

[FLEUR]

Another option, take a bus from Leon centre to La Virgen del Camino on the outskirts of Leon. This will cut out walking through the suburbs.

 

[HedaP]

I'm probably odd but my favourite stretch of the Frances is from Leon to Santiago. Over the last two challenging mountain passes. Visiting historic towns and gorgeous villages. Wonderful kind people. Fascinating architecture. Through some wild areas with wolves and bears and foxes and hares and the birdlife! But really it is the views. Glorious views. On a clear day, just up the mountain a bit from Foncebadon, you can see back across the hundreds of kilometres over the meseta all the way to the Pyrenees. It made my heart miss a beat because I walked every jolly single step of that journey carrying my wordly goods. It doesn't get more amazing than that.

 

[Waka]

I noted that a lot of pilgrims take a bus/taxi from Leon to avoid the industrial parts on the way out of town. I'm not a purist by any means, but I did enjoy these areas, you get them on entering/leaving every big town and city, I just looked at it as part of the journey. If you don't do these bits, how could you enjoy the experience of getting lost and then finding the right route.

 

[hotelmedicis]

I loved Leon to Santiago! Glorious days of walking beneath aqua-blue skies -- absolutely breathtaking! A pair of Dr Sholl's Gel Active shoe inserts helped kept my feet comfortable on any asphalt or packed dirt roads.

Leon to Santiago! My heart sings for you! Woo-hoo!

 

[Deleted member 36903]

I noted that a lot of pilgrims take a bus/taxi from Leon to avoid the industrial parts on the way out of town. I'm not a purist by any means, but I did enjoy these areas, you get them on entering/leaving every big town and city, I just looked at it as part of the journey. If you don't do these bits, how could you enjoy the experience of getting lost and then finding the right route.

@Waka I was one of those pilgrims who took a bus to La Virgen del Camino. It was very hot that day, I had suffered an earlier chest infection and have asthma. The risk from walking beside hot roads filled with traffic fumes just wasn't a risk I could take. When/if I walk again it will be earlier in the year and hopefully cooler so will walk the part I missed. Agree with all those who found this a most beautiful part of the Camino - lots of time for reflection.

 

[Waka]

Stunning view SEB, I hope you don't think I was judging people for taking a ride, that wasn't my intention.
For me there wasn't an unpleasant path/road on the journey just a lot of upsy downys which at some points made me grumble but in a nice way.

 

[HedaP]

Stunning view SEB, I hope you don't think I was judging people for taking a ride, that wasn't my intention.
For me there wasn't an unpleasant path/road on the journey just a lot of upsy downys which at some points made me grumble but in a nice way.

Yep me too. Absolutely no critisism involved. Have to admit my post was about me rather than anyone else. And also please note I took 50 days to complete this last comino because of illness and only because I was lucky enough to have the time to do so.

 

[Felipe]

The thing with Camino Frances is that is not really a walk through the wilderness. Pilgrims of yore were not looking for "landscapes" or "solitude", but for expediency, safety and services -so, the path goes basically from village to village. Having said that, the modern route tries to avoid industrial or commercial areas and take many detours to visit historic places. And there are alternatives, as mentioned above.
I actually enjoyed the walk after León by Villar de Mazarife. Then I took the highway path to Astorga (instead of the nicer one by Villares and Santibañez) and hated it. After Astorga there is a paved road, but with scarce traffic and entertaining villages, with only the odd farmer truck or tractor.
Buen camino!

 

[molly1952]

Thanks everyone for your replies and pics. I'm obviously over-thinking it and from what you're telling me it's more varied than I thought. I guess I'll just take it as it comes and as Felipe says it wasn't there for scenic purposes but as a safe, direct and practical route for pilgrims.

 

[SYates]

That's the spirit @molly1952 Buen Camino, SY

 

[Deleted member 36903]

@Waka and @HedaP there is no reason to apologise. I know from your many posts you are thoughtful people, I didn't see what you said as criticism in any way.

 

[jay quintero]

Having done from St Jean to Santa Domingo de la Calzada in the past I was really looking forward to doing another leg of the camino this coming Autumn. However my travelling companion wants to start at Leon so we will begin there and hope to get to Santiago. The problem is, from what I can see in guidebooks and also on Google Earth, there are endless gravelly stretches alongside tarred roads (with traffic) for days and days on this section. I see very little of the lovely secluded rural paths and wooded scenery which I enjoyed so much last time. Will I be disappointed with this section I wonder? Also my feet aren't used to long distances on hard surfaces. I know I can do shorter distances/ get buses/ take breaks but I'm not sure if it's appealing to me so much now. It looks to me as if long stretches of the path been tarred, - the sign of progress unfortunately perhaps?

Doesn't anyone walk the Camino with a backpack hiking trailer? or a mono wheel? I don't see any posts on that topic? I did see a youtube video once (I can't find it anymore though). I don't pack light and don't believe in ultralight backpacking ... my feet are ok, my back not so much ...

 

[SYates]

Doesn't anyone walk the Camino with a backpack hiking trailer? or a mono wheel? I don't see any posts on that topic? I did see a youtube video once (I can't find it anymore though). I don't pack light and don't believe in ultralight backpacking ... my feet are ok, my back not so much ...

There are plenty of posts here concerning trailers and the like - the search function in the top right corner will help you to find them.
As for "I don't pack light and don't believe in ultralight backpacking ... my feet are ok, my back not so much" - If your back is, badly, affected, it is often a sign of a badly adjusted back pack. Or a badly adjusted back pack plus an overloaded back pack.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[JabbaPapa]

Having done from St Jean to Santa Domingo de la Calzada in the past I was really looking forward to doing another leg of the camino this coming Autumn. However my travelling companion wants to start at Leon so we will begin there and hope to get to Santiago. The problem is, from what I can see in guidebooks and also on Google Earth, there are endless gravelly stretches alongside tarred roads (with traffic) for days and days on this section. I see very little of the lovely secluded rural paths and wooded scenery which I enjoyed so much last time. Will I be disappointed with this section I wonder? Also my feet aren't used to long distances on hard surfaces. I know I can do shorter distances/ get buses/ take breaks but I'm not sure if it's appealing to me so much now. It looks to me as if long stretches of the path been tarred, - the sign of progress unfortunately perhaps?

There's a bewildering multiplicity of variants out of Léon if you go out looking, but that just means it's somewhat easy to get lost in them. I've never followed the exact same route twice.

It does get better about halfway to Astorga and onwards ...

The tarmac stretches appear longer than they actually are, as the terrain there is somewhat monotonous, close to the city especially -- though the locals are welcoming, and there are a few bars and &c. where you may rest your bruised feet !!

I did once end up on the southern, longer variant in '94, after I decided to completely bypass Léon by making my own way south of the city, and it seems that it may have been waymarked since then :

https://www.tournride.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/León-Astorga-mapa.jpg

Those pueblos are delightful, though if you seek woodlands there, you may possibly be disappointed ...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Doesn't anyone walk the Camino with a backpack hiking trailer? or a mono wheel? I don't see any posts on that topic?

Several do. There are several threads on the subject in the Forum. I met a Swiss fellow with a home built mono-wheel. He love it. He was built like a fire plug, and the travois followed nicely.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I loved Leon to Santiago! Glorious days of walking beneath aqua-blue skies -- absolutely breathtaking! A pair of Dr Sholl's Gel Active shoe inserts helped kept my feet comfortable on any asphalt or packed dirt roads.

Leon to Santiago! My heart sings for you! Woo-hoo!

I walked every step...799 kilometers. My heart sings for all of it!

 

[jay quintero]

There are plenty of posts here concerning trailers and the like - the search function in the top right corner will help you to find them.
As for "I don't pack light and don't believe in ultralight backpacking ... my feet are ok, my back not so much" - If your back is, badly, affected, it is often a sign of a badly adjusted back pack. Or a badly adjusted back pack plus an overloaded back pack.

Buen Camino, SY

It's a sign of old age ... plus a sedate lifestyle ... a chronic lack of sporting activities ... I don't believe in ultralight anything perhaps because I've fallen into more than a few "tourist traps" in my day ... I find it best not to rely on anyone for anything ...

I'll look for the posts regarding trailers and such ... didn't know there was a search function ... Thanx

 

[jay quintero]

Several do. There are several threads on the subject in the Forum. I met a Swiss fellow with a home built mono-wheel. He love it. He was built like a fire plug, and the travois followed nicely.

I'm building one myself ... a home built walking trailer (two wheels, not one) ... have to design it so that it can be dismantled for the flight across the Atlantic ... am wondering why Frodo Baggins didn't use one on his quest to destroy the ring. my concerns are once it's set up, how will it be received by the trains, planes, and hotels ...

 

[piggyhinton]

I think the Camino is like life, some bits are good, some bits not so good, but if you want to experience it, for good or bad, you have to do it all, you cant cherry pick and just do the good bits! I have found that some of the best bits in life come from places that seemed ,on the surface, uninspiring at first but develop into something special! Some of the best bits are just around the next corner and when you do finish your Camino, the feeling of achievement is all the sweeter.Buen Camino

 

[Mk1]

I'm building one myself ... a home built walking trailer (two wheels, not one) ... have to design it so that it can be dismantled for the flight across the Atlantic ... am wondering why Frodo Baggins didn't use one on his quest to destroy the ring. my concerns are once it's set up, how will it be received by the trains, planes, and hotels ...

Frodo Bagless used Sam to haul all his stuffs.

 

[jay quintero]

Frodo Bagless used Sam to haul all his stuffs.

I think both of them saved a lot of weight and space by not having any shoes/socks and such ... they didn't have to worry about wifi ... cellphone charging ... likely carried zero hygiene products ...

 

[HedaP]

I'm building one myself ... a home built walking trailer (two wheels, not one) ... have to design it so that it can be dismantled for the flight across the Atlantic ... am wondering why Frodo Baggins didn't use one on his quest to destroy the ring. my concerns are once it's set up, how will it be received

Saw several walking trailers on the camino, some more sophisticated than others. Even met a happy fellow who'd cobbled together a walking trailer while on the camino after finding out his back couldn't cope with the weight of his pack. He used his hiking poles and a shopping trolley from one of those chinese bargain shops that can be found in any of the bigger towns. And the added benefit of walking with a trolley is that it generates lots of conversations with fellow pilgrims.
And now we've successfully hijacked this thread we need to return to the OP.

 

[jay quintero]

View attachment 35358
Saw several walking trailers on the camino, some more sophisticated than others. Even met a happy fellow who'd cobbled together a walking trailer while on the camino after finding out his back couldn't cope with the weight of his pack. He used his hiking poles and a shopping trolley from one of those chinese bargain shops that can be found in any of the bigger towns. And the added benefit of walking with a trolley is that it generates lots of conversations with fellow pilgrims.
And now we've successfully hijacked this thread we need to return to the OP.

What does "OP" mean? ... btw, if he's using a hijacked shopping cart ... errr ... umm ... he's gotta go to confession ... and I think in the U.S. if you see someone using a shopping cart outside a shopping area, that person would look homeless ... Thanx for the info ... Oh, I just reread your post ... he bought a shopping trolley and he's using it? Hope he bought more than one ... I'm planning to piece one together using an old two wheel golf caddy I found ... even I don't think it'll survive the entire length of the pilgrimage ...

 

[JabbaPapa]

What does "OP" mean?

Either "Original Post" or "Original Poster" -- occasionally, both meanings simultaneously.

 

[HedaP]

What does "OP" mean? ... btw, if he's using a hijacked shopping cart ... errr ... umm ... he's gotta go to confession ... and I think in the U.S. if you see someone using a shopping cart outside a shopping area, that person would look homeless ... Thanx for the info ... Oh, I just reread your post ... he bought a shopping trolley and he's using it? Hope he bought more than one ... I'm planning to piece one together using an old two wheel golf caddy I found ... even I don't think it'll survive the entire length of the pilgrimage ...

OP means original post which was about walking out from Leon.
He definitely bought the shopping trolley from the Chinese bargain shop. I should have made that clear. You aren't the first person to tell me my written communication skills leave something to be desired.
Golf caddy is a good idea. You might be surprised about how durable it is. What you may need to do is take some of the alternate routes that the cyclists take. But not that often because most of the Frances would suit a trailer.

 

[jay quintero]

OP means original post which was about walking out from Leon.
He definitely bought the shopping trolley from the Chinese bargain shop. I should have made that clear. You aren't the first person to tell me my written communication skills leave something to be desired.
Golf caddy is a good idea. You might be surprised about how durable it is. What you may need to do is take some of the alternate routes that the cyclists take. But not that often because most of the Frances would suit a trailer.

Your written communications skills are fine ... it's my reading skills that are bad (too many DVDs, too much YouTube) ... the golf caddy cost me about 3 USDs at the thrift shop ... will bring spare wheels and tires of course (tires are soft foamy rubber types and won't last hundreds of kilometers over rough (non grass) terrain ...

 

[Richmond Gardner]

I'm probably odd but my favourite stretch of the Frances is from Leon to Santiago. Over the last two challenging mountain passes. Visiting historic towns and gorgeous villages. Wonderful kind people. Fascinating architecture. Through some wild areas with wolves and bears and foxes and hares and the birdlife! But really it is the views. Glorious views. On a clear day, just up the mountain a bit from Foncebadon, you can see back across the hundreds of kilometres over the meseta all the way to the Pyrenees. It made my heart miss a beat because I walked every jolly single step of that journey carrying my wordly goods. It doesn't get more amazing than that.

Agreed. I thought the suburbs were an unvarnished look at every day life. Not for tourism, but an experience of some aspects of the regions