Might address long stages?

[J Willhaus]

Saw this today in La Voz about the long stages on the Invierno.

¿El Camino de Invierno necesita dividirse en más etapas? - http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...sita-dividirse-etapas/0003_202110M15C3991.htm

 

[AJGuillaume]

Ya la primera etapa, de Ponferrada a Puentes de Domingo Flórez, es terrorífica, y la mayoría de los peregrinos la dividen en dos, parándose a dormir en Borrenes o Las Médulas

The slow walkers we are would indeed use the word "terrorífica"
I'll add here that @peregrina2000 did a fantastic job in her planning virtual Camino de Invierno.

 

[peregrina2000]

We did a “25 km or less” planning thread as AJ mentioned. See it here.

Also, the wonderful forum guide, last updated in 2019 (so it doesn’t have info on the new albergues in Médulas, Puente Domingo Flórez, Chantada, Monforte and Rodeiro) has a lot of good information too.

I’ve never understood the fixation with stages. People are surely smart enough to figure out ways to break them down into shorter distances. And as more and more pilgrim accommodations come on line, it’s going to become much easier to break them down to meet your personal taste.

I haven’t seen the Brierley guide — does he do “Brierley stages” for the Invierno like I understand he does for the Francés guide?

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes, Brierly does stages and maps like the other books. 8 stages before you join the Sanabres.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes, Brierly does stages and maps like the other books. 8 stages before you join the Sanabres.

Thanks for that — So that means he has this 35 km stage with about 800 m elevation gain, and then a 14 km stage from O Barco to A Rua that is essentially flat? Not much in the way of imagination I would say.

 

[J Willhaus]

Yes, when Phil and I were planning we used Briarly's book, the forum guide. Gronze, and Wise Pilgrim. We simply cannot do such long stages safely so look for solutions to make the walk safer and possible for us. Not sure everyone has or needs that mindset for a Camino.

 

[Theatregal]

I’ve never understood the fixation with stages. People are surely smart enough to figure out ways to break them down into shorter distances.

Agreed! It's very possible on the Invierno.

And as more and more pilgrim accommodations come on line, it’s going to become much easier to break them down to meet your personal taste.

From the La Voz article:
"Already the first stage, from Ponferrada to Puentes de Domingo Flórez, is terrifying"

Interesting that the article and the planned stages don't mention the possibility of a first 16km stage to Villavieja and a stay at the municipal albergue there. A rest after the hill climb from Ponferrada and then a short very lovely walk to visit Castillo Cornatel in the afternoon. A relaxed, less terrifying first day

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I’ve never understood the fixation with stages. People are surely smart enough to figure out ways to break them down into shorter distances.

I agree guidebook stages are often mystifying. I noticed two main reasons people stuck to them: wanting to do what everyone else was doing, or wanting to stay in donitivo or very inexpensive albergues which, when I walked the Norte, were found in the end-stage towns primarily—not sure which came first in that regard, donitivos bc the stage ended, or ending a stage because of the donitivo. Selfishly I’m glad of this phenomenon bc I can walk unusual stages to have the road to myself

Edit: in fairness to guide writers, at least once or twice I think Gronze made a short stage to allow extra time for seeing the end stage city, the only reason I could imagine for suggesting two days to walk Gernika to Bilbao.