NewBee

[andralynn]

Buen Camino,
My name is Andra and I will be walking the Camino in May starting in Barcelona and then traveling by train to San Sebastian where I will actually start my pilgrimage. I am 70 years old and in good health and have been preparing by walking 2 to 5 miles per day, now with my backpack. If you can suggest anything that will make this journey less problematic (blisters, strains etc) I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Buen Camino,
My name is Andra and I will be walking the Camino in May starting in Barcelona and then traveling by train to San Sebastian where I will actually start my pilgrimage. I am 70 years old and in good health and have been preparing by walking 2 to 5 miles per day, now with my backpack. If you can suggest anything that will make this journey less problematic (blisters, strains etc) I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi, Andralynn, and a warm welcome to the Forum.

There are a lot of resources for those things you mentioned, and a lot more. Go to the search engine at the top right of the page, and enter in a word or phrase. . . for example "blister prevention". There will be a large compilation of information for you to look at.

If you find that you are having a difficult time finding the exact information you want, then start a new thread which asks for the specific information you need. You will get a number of responses. But I strongly encourage you to use the Search Engine first; every question and concern has likely been addressed multiple times over the years.

 

[lt56ny]

You should follow the above mentioned Davebugg he has more information than a barrel of monkeys. See if you can search his posts. There is so much information everywhere your head will spin. But remember one thing. All your fears and doubts will melt away with each step you take. One day you will be walking and you will know you are a pilgrim

 

[Chris Gi]

I would also be trying to walk a bit farther each day before you leave.

 

[trecile]

Buen Camino,
My name is Andra and I will be walking the Camino in May starting in Barcelona and then traveling by train to San Sebastian where I will actually start my pilgrimage. I am 70 years old and in good health and have been preparing by walking 2 to 5 miles per day, now with my backpack. If you can suggest anything that will make this journey less problematic (blisters, strains etc) I would greatly appreciate it.

If you have hills where you live focus your training to walking on them. I would also encourage you to walk at least three consecutive days of at least ten miles. This will help you identify any problem areas with you feet. I use a piece of Omnifix tape on the blister prone spots of my feet daily. This practice has kept me virtually blister free on three Caminos.

 

[andralynn]

You should follow the above mentioned Davebugg he has more information than a barrel of monkeys. See if you can search his posts. There is so much information everywhere your head will spin. But remember one thing. All your fears and doubts will melt away with each step you take. One day you will be walking and you will know you are a pilgrim

Thank you that is very encouraging. I’ve been doing research on the different routes and currently I am thinking about starting in San Sebastián and walking to Bilbao and then taking a bus down to the Camino Francis and continuing on from wherever I land.
It sounds like too much pavement to walk on the Norte. I don’t know how well my 70 yr old feet and legs would do with that.

 

[lt56ny]

Thank you that is very encouraging. I’ve been doing research on the different routes and currently I am thinking about starting in San Sebastián and walking to Bilbao and then taking a bus down to the Camino Francis and continuing on from wherever I land.
It sounds like too much pavement to walk on the Norte. I don’t know how well my 70 yr old feet and legs would do with that.

Check out the Norte threads regarding the many and varied variants that are available on the Norte. This can help reduce the road walking somewhat. If you decide to try some of these I would also recommend you getting one of those map gps apps like maps.me. If you know how to use these apps you can download some routes ahead of time (I think). I had a wise pilgrim app and used the map on this app. I only did a few which seemed to be easy to follow. The app also has some suggested alternatives to some of the road walking. Don't be scared off by the roads. If you are enjoying the Norte than stay on it. Every camino path has a different personality to it. It may be a jolt to you to switch to the CF. It will have alot more people and will have alot different of a landscape too. If you are enjoying the Norte and the coast stay on it at least until Aviles. If you decide to switch you can do it there and walk in Galicia which is really pretty. The only problem is from Sarria on it will really get very crowded. But it is your Camino and play it as you feel it. You never know what you will really want to do until you are there doing it. Buen Camino.

 

[zpetty]

I was 65 years old in 2017 when I walked the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied du Port to Santiago. I did the whole route in 34 days and had no real problems with pain or blisters. I feel my secret (other than maybe good genes) was buying a quality pair of hiking shoes (Solomon), and wearing toe sock liners under my Merino wool socks. To be honest, I met very few folks doing the whole way that didn't get blisters, so it must be something. Hope this helps, and good luck. I am doing the Camino Portuguese from Lisbon in late August or early September.