My First Camino

[PattyKoed]

Hello All,
I am planning to begin my Camino in Le Puy at the end of August, estimating I will be in Santiago sometime in mid-October. Can anyone share with me what the weather might be like at that time? I just saw the post about pilgrims being rescued on the Napoleon route due to weather.
Also, I am planning to go “full Pilgrim” and not make any advance albergue reservations — am I crazy?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[JulieandPeter]

We will be on the Le Puy route mid-August to mid-October (ending in SJPDP) - perhaps our paths will cross. I can't help you with your questions except to say you will find out when you get there. Buen Camino!

 

[PattyKoed]

We will be on the Le Puy route mid-August to mid-October (ending in SJPDP) - perhaps our paths will cross. I can't help you with your questions except to say you will find out when you get there. Buen Camino!

Julie and Peter...just knowing I won’t be alone makes all the difference in the world. Thanks for responding to my post! Buen Camino!

 

[kelleymac]

I walked from Le Puy in Mid Sept to Conques, and did not make reservations, though many people advised me to. There always seemed to be an extra bed. -- I camped in Saugues with some friends who met me on the way for a day. Even if you don't have a tent, it is a good place to stay. The campsite is located on the far edge of the village. -- There are small caravan/wagon-type rentals with a bed. (Very sweet.) There are hot showers, washers and dryers and a clothes line.

 

[PattyKoed]

Thank you Kellymac. What type of weather did you encounter?

 

[scruffy1]

No politics but the weather is a-changing and what was correct and true a year or two ago has no relevance for today. In France you will cross Aubrac at the best time of the year not cold. Do take the Cele Valley detour and the Pech Merle prehistoric tour-do try and work in a day trip to Rocamadour easiest from Figeac-do attend the pilgrims mass in Conques-in Cahors do stay with Serge and his gîte d'étape "Le Relais des Jacobins" should he ask if you want to stay fr dinner the correct answer is YES-in Moissac Gîte et chambre d'hôtes Ultreia with Rom & Aideen (they are Irish expect lots of potatoes!) and while there do go in to hear vespers heavenly sung in the abbey and please say hello from me to Jeremiah, he is figured on the left side of the door to the church porch

 

[David]

Enjoy it all! Walk slow at first. My first Camino, from Moissac, I didn't book anything at all, just sort of stopped when I became tired - seemed to work out. Problem with booking ahead, to me, is that you have to go there regardless of how you feel - you may be too tired to walk that far, too energetic to stop that early, you may meet up with great people who are stopping somewhere else and you want to stay with them, and so on.
So I am all for taking each day as it comes. As for weather, well, October should still be good in Galicia, just remember that it is green because it rains a lot! - and, our western European weather has been a little odd over the last few years. But if you encounter bad weather, well, there are shops to buy more gear!! Enjoy! Buen Camino!!

p.s. I don't know what your sense of humour is like but on your route in France you will stop over in the town of Condom, probably the perfect place to send postcards home telling them you are practising safe walking

 

[Walking Lover]

We will be on the Le Puy route mid-August to mid-October (ending in SJPDP) - perhaps our paths will cross. I can't help you with your questions except to say you will find out when you get there. Buen Camino!

I would bet that weather will be fine. It was last year for a friend of mine.

 

[kelleymac]

Thank you Kellymac. What type of weather did you encounter?

Cool weather in the mornings, warm and even hot by the afternoon. There were two or three days of rain-- and the nights in the tent were chilly. -- I saw a few rainbows.

A few more thoughts--

The walking from Le Puy was harder than the walking in Spain. There were a lot more hills right from the start, and it was slower going. Not just because of the hills, but because of the spacing of the gites. Even if I walked another 5 to 10km per day, I would come upon a day where my choice was to walk only 10km or over 30. So I learned to take the days a little easier and stop sooner than I liked.

I second the advice on Conques. Stay the night there at the abbey-- they have a wonderful communal dinner, and go the blessing afterwards and pay for the tour of the upper part of the abbey with the organ music. The lighting and music is amazing. I was also very happy that I gulped down my second cup of coffee and dashed off to the pilgrims' mass in the morning, as it was the only mass I attended on the Chemin where I was offered the eucharist in both forms, bread and wine.

Kate

 

[tomnorth]

Hello All,
I am planning to begin my Camino in Le Puy at the end of August, estimating I will be in Santiago sometime in mid-October. Can anyone share with me what the weather might be like at that time? I just saw the post about pilgrims being rescued on the Napoleon route due to weather.
Also, I am planning to go “full Pilgrim” and not make any advance albergue reservations — am I crazy?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I walked the CF from SJPDP in late Sept through late Oct in 2015. By the end you’ll likely have cool mornings, with temps possibly nearing freezing at sunrise. I wouldn’t worry about snow. Rain I would count on, and possibly lots of it, especially in Galicia.

 

[lt56ny]

When I walked in 2015 it was really nice in France all of September. Don’t remember any really bad weather. It was really hot some days. I was a few days behind my pal Tomnorth the writer above and we had some intensely bad weather on the Meseta. Heavy rain and strong wind in our face sometimes for the whole day. Had to walk leaning forward to cut through the wind and not have the rain drown my face. Wet, but not too bad in Galicia. So be prepared for everything. Remember great scenery in France and solitude. Always make sure there are places to eat or buy food every day. There were times there were no shops ornothing was open almost the whole day.
Not lots of people in France and even less English even among pilgrims but don’t worry it’s a great Camino.
One last thing after walking through the hills and terrain of France the first day out of SJPP up the steep hill to Orisson, the one that everyone says is killer, will be a walk in the park for you. You won’t even break a sweat.

 

[Ferenjinan]

Bonjour, mes amis:
I am planning to do my first French Camino (did the Spanish route, SJPP to Finisterre,10 years ago) in September. I am still dithering between the Le Puy and the Vezelay routes.
Any thoughts?
I'd rather not have to go too far each stage- going to turn 70 along the way, and age does things to the knees and hips and stamina... and not taking a tent for emergency camping if caught short...
any thoughts?
But full of joy at the thought of being on the pilgrim trail again and hardships be damned. There'll always be plenty of those in life, eh? A bit of company now and then might not be amiss though.

 

[tpmchugh]

Hello All,
I am planning to begin my Camino in Le Puy at the end of August, estimating I will be in Santiago sometime in mid-October. Can anyone share with me what the weather might be like at that time? I just saw the post about pilgrims being rescued on the Napoleon route due to weather.
Also, I am planning to go “full Pilgrim” and not make any advance albergue reservations — am I crazy?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

The weather will be fine. You might get rain, you might be very hot you might get cloud but nothing extreme. You will be the unluckiest pilgrim in the world if you get snow . I walked from Pamplona same time frame as yourself and apart from my first night. I never booked anything in advance. I start on my fourth camino on Thursday and I have never had a problem getting a bed. Having said that, I have seen, from the inside fortunately, albergues filling up with reservations. Sadly, on a number of occasions, the people who had booked ahead never turned up so beds were left lying empty. The worst was the albergue in Uterga where over half the available beds still had reservado signs on them the next morning. If you do book, let the albergue know in good time if you are not coming

 

[lt56ny]

I walked the CF from SJPDP in late Sept through late Oct in 2015. By the end you’ll likely have cool mornings, with temps possibly nearing freezing at sunrise. I wouldn’t worry about snow. Rain I would count on, and possibly lots of it, especially in Galicia.

Once again dear boy, tsk tsk. I had snow on 3 different occasions the first time I walked in Galicia!!!!!! So please check your accuweather forecast!!! And I will walk with you next year before but I think the boys from college will be walking with me. You would have to change your plans to the fall for 2 reasons. One is that is when I can go because of work and the other is we want to start walking on the 48th anniversary of when we first met in Dorm 9, Lyons Hall, Lower Quad Ithaca College, and fryed about 90 million brain cells each during that memorable first night together. Although we can't really remember, the 10 of us are still together. (and we are NOT a Camino Family. We are a rag tag bunch that get on each others nerves alot and bitch alot and know each other in some ways better than our wives know us. We are abusive, obnoxious and sarcastic with each other, waiting for any weakness to pounce on each other with any painful memories and secrets we know about each otherto gang up and to reduce the party being attacked, usually me as I am the one to instigate alot of it, to rubble. It's way more fun but totally not in the spirit of a "Camino Family") us Nothing has changed except we have a lot less brain cells to fry. You would be a welcome fodder, especially since you are so midwestern and so nice!!!

 

[Glenshiro]

Bonjour, mes amis:
I am planning to do my first French Camino (did the Spanish route, SJPP to Finisterre,10 years ago) in September. I am still dithering between the Le Puy and the Vezelay routes.
Any thoughts?
I'd rather not have to go too far each stage- going to turn 70 along the way, and age does things to the knees and hips and stamina... and not taking a tent for emergency camping if caught short...
any thoughts?
But full of joy at the thought of being on the pilgrim trail again and hardships be damned. There'll always be plenty of those in life, eh? A bit of company now and then might not be amiss though.

I have been looking at the Vezelay route, and the most frequent comment from those who have done it is the paucity of other pilgrims. It is quite possible to walk the entire route alone. However, it is comparatively easy going, although a shortage of accommodation may require careful planning.

The Le Puy route will have many more companions (mostly, but not exclusively, French) but can be hard going in the early (le Puy to Conques) stages. There is more accommodation, but not as much as on the CF. It is a very rewarding walk, though, and gets easier as it goes on. Plus the food is much better than in Spain, IMO!

 

[PattyKoed]

Thank you, everyone, for responding to my post. Your input is greatly appreciated. I am equally excited and nervous but the Camino is calling and I must go.

 

[JKH]

Hello All,
I am planning to begin my Camino in Le Puy at the end of August, estimating I will be in Santiago sometime in mid-October. Can anyone share with me what the weather might be like at that time? I just saw the post about pilgrims being rescued on the Napoleon route due to weather.
Also, I am planning to go “full Pilgrim” and not make any advance albergue reservations — am I crazy?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[tomnorth]

Once again dear boy, tsk tsk. I had snow on 3 different occasions the first time I walked in Galicia!!!!!! So please check your accuweather forecast!!! And I will walk with you next year before but I think the boys from college will be walking with me. You would have to change your plans to the fall for 2 reasons. One is that is when I can go because of work and the other is we want to start walking on the 48th anniversary of when we first met in Dorm 9, Lyons Hall, Lower Quad Ithaca College, and fryed about 90 million brain cells each during that memorable first night together. Although we can't really remember, the 10 of us are still together. (and we are NOT a Camino Family. We are a rag tag bunch that get on each others nerves alot and bitch alot and know each other in some ways better than our wives know us. We are abusive, obnoxious and sarcastic with each other, waiting for any weakness to pounce on each other with any painful memories and secrets we know about each otherto gang up and to reduce the party being attacked, usually me as I am the one to instigate alot of it, to rubble. It's way more fun but totally not in the spirit of a "Camino Family") us Nothing has changed except we have a lot less brain cells to fry. You would be a welcome fodder, especially since you are so midwestern and so nice!!!

Sheesh, I doubt I’d make it out alive! So you’re walking the Norte with your college buddies? That should be epic.

 

[lt56ny]

No Norte by myself in September. 2019 with the boys.