Night walking

[dkcaspar]

Hello everyone
Im walking the french route in sep-okt and i was thinking about walking a stage during the nigth, to see the stars(so no clouds). Is there anyone who has any experience with walking at night ?? and is there a certain stage that would be the best suitable for this purpose ??

Buen camino
Caspar

 

[mspath]

Caspar,

Walking at night could be very dangerous; roots, scree and stone can litter the path. However looking up at the night sky in a remote area is, indeed, splendid. For that I would suggest rural areas along the Meseta for example Hornillos del Camino, or further west at Rabanal del Camino. Once you are in the mountains the night sky above El Acebo or O Cebreiro can be spendid. Do stay safe and wherever you stop for the night look up at the sky; walking in the dark of night would be too dangerous.

 

[Icacos]

Hello everyone
Im walking the french route in sep-okt and i was thinking about walking a stage during the nigth, to see the stars(so no clouds). Is there anyone who has any experience with walking at night ?? and is there a certain stage that would be the best suitable for this purpose ??

Buen camino
Caspar

Welcome to the Forum. Hmmmm, you want to see the stars? There're threads dealing with this, and threads dealing with walking under a full moon. Have you tried a search on this Forum? I'm wondering ... Is the best time to see stars when there's a full moon .... probably not. If you want to see stars, probably the best place would be over the meseta, or anywhere far away from city lights. The problem with night walking is if you need to catch up on sleep the next day, you will need to stay in private accommodation as the albergues kick everyone out about 8:30 in the morning.

I wish you well on this. I had hoped to walk under the full moon when I was on the Francés, but the weather was miserably rainy and cold during that time. Hope to manage it next time.

 

[Americanperegrino]

I have a little experience walking the CDS @ night in Sept/Oct. My plan was to take 35 days to walk. However, the first day I woke up @ 2am in SJPP and decided I couldn't just hang around. So, I started walking. The rest of my time on the CDS followed a similar schedule. I'd wake up around 2-4am and start walking. Some days I'd walk 12 hours, a few, much longer. To paraphrase the great Forrest Gump ' When I woke, I'd walk, when I got hungry, I'd eat, when I got tired, I'd sleep'. I had a LED headlamp and used it much of the time, but, not always. I can say this. It was magical. The stars were my constant companion. I missed them when daylight pushed them away. Each day I got to watch the Camino wake up and the cities come to life.

 

[mountaingoat999]

dkcasper

I camp a lot on the camino, some times in abergue grounds, and once I walked in August 2014 till midnight and saw a meteor shower which was amazing. unable to sleep once camped (on the actual camino path) due to the noise of the crickets,so I just watched the night sky till I feel asleep.,was woken with the sound of foot steps at 05:00 am

no moon is better to see an amazing night full of stars...the Mesta being one of the better places. if you walk when there is a first or last quarter of the moon you will not need a head torch once you allow your eyes to accustom.

I have seen some amazing night skies on caminos..

hope the same happens for you

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hello everyone
Im walking the french route in sep-okt and i was thinking about walking a stage during the nigth, to see the stars(so no clouds). Is there anyone who has any experience with walking at night ?? and is there a certain stage that would be the best suitable for this purpose ??

Buen camino
Caspar

Hi Casper, could be dangerous to walk during the night. Why not stay in a place hy up. There are a few during your journey. Pic one and you can make fantastic pictures.
What ever you decite to do, wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[Jetgirl]

I concur with the Hornillos del Camino suggestion. Had the opportunity to see the stars that night but from my lodging not while walking. Started early many days while still dark and that was always awesome if not cloudy. Managed to have no navigation or tripping problems during those times. I saved the falling down for broad daylight with an audience

 

[HeidiL]

The 17 km from Carrion de los Condes should be safe enough - completely flat, only two crossing roads, a white, straight path.

 

[dkcaspar]

@All Thanks for sharing all of your experience and good advice.
Last time i was walking the camino, i was up one night in the mountains. And i have never seen such beautifull stars and so many, it was almost like you could pick them down, like fruit on a tree. back then i didnt bring a head light, but i promised my self to bring one next time, and walk a night stage.

 

[LoneStar]

Recently did a night hike in Colorado in an attempt to summit a 14er. Hiking at night is beautiful, an eerie but always amazing experience. It can be more than a tad dangerous. All we had to worry about was falling to our death. Spanish roads on the Camino can be very isolated, narrow and very dark. Would wear some reflective material and a good headlight. We often started before dawn but made sure we faced traffic. Buen Camino and safe trails.

 

[grayland]

A reminder to everyone that walking at night/dark can be very dangerous depending on the area chosen.

Be very careful if you decide to do this.
Please remember that suggestions on the forum are simply the opinions of individual posters and can often be dangerous or ill advised.

 

[jeffnd]

Planning on doing some night walking? Here's a few tips.

1. Have extra batteries for your headlamp. Consider having a spare flashlight as well. It gets DARK out in the middle of no where and it's very easy to miss signs.

2. Make yourself visible! Your headlamp/flashlight will help with this, but it's a good idea to wear a high-visibility safety vest as well. (This might not be a bad idea during the day either.) You could also get some strips of reflective fabric and pin them to your backpack.

3. Know the route. Check your guidebook for things like rest stops, fountains, etc.

4. Bring food and water. Obviously, nothing is going to be open at 2am when you get the munchies.

 

[MichaelSG]

Dangerous walking at night? I'm having trouble trying to picture places along the Caminos that I've been on that I would think are that much more dangerous at night that I would term them "dangerous at night". I'll admit that it has been harder for me to find the right trail (sometimes MUCH harder) but dangerous?? I don't get that.

Please remember that suggestions on the forum are simply the opinions of individual posters and can often be great advice based on personal experience.

 

[dcorrea951]

Pick the stage you want to walk and research it. Please remember that there is no "leash law" and in certain areas the dogs are not friendly and very protective. Also remember that if you need any medical attention, or need a bed, that it may not be available. Walking at night with the Milky Way is a memorable experience and worth it. Have you considered leaving early in the morning ? Perhaps the best of both worlds, as I have done.

 

[jsalt]

there is no "leash law" and in certain areas the dogs are not friendly and very protective

Have you considered leaving early in the morning ?

Hi, I was the first person leaving Eirexe one morning when it was still dark and misty. The farm dog at Portos had not yet been chained up, and it went for me with bared teeth. Still shaking, I stopped at Brea for coffee, and asked the next pilgrims coming along if the dog had attacked them, and they didn’t know what I was talking about.

Having said that, I would love to walk at night. I think I would choose the 17 kms stretch after Carrion de los Condes: no roads with heavy traffic, no farms, nothing. Jill

 

[MichaelSG]

After several people mentioned the walk out of Carrion de Los Condes, I just had to look back at my notes (my memory isn't that good). Maybe that really is a good place to walk at night for several reasons.

"15 September – Carrion de los Condes > Calzadilla de la Cueza > Ledigos > Terradillos de los Templarios (26.6km, 6 ½ hours)
We walked today on the longest, straightest, flattest, gravel track on earth. Nothing could top this. We walked for several hours and I swear every time we lifted our heads, the scenery looked exactly the same. I thought I was on some kind of horror treadmill. Still, today we passed the halfway mark on our trek; 402km done, 379km to go. Give or take. Signage and distances are a little bit flexible on the Camino. The bottom of my feet are killing me. The morning was not as cold as normal and after the sun shortened our shadow, it was hotter than normal. This is the new normal, I fear, until at least Galicia."

 

[jeffnd]

Dangerous walking at night? I'm having trouble trying to picture places along the Caminos that I've been on that I would think are that much more dangerous at night that I would term them "dangerous at night". I'll admit that it has been harder for me to find the right trail (sometimes MUCH harder) but dangerous?? I don't get that.

Please remember that suggestions on the forum are simply the opinions of individual posters and can often be great advice based on personal experience.

When I talk about danger at night, the main danger is from cars. For a good deal of the Camino, you are a walking on or near a road. What many consider to be a footpath could also be a road for a farmer on his way to or from the fields. Or perhaps a shortcut home for someone who has had a little too much to drink that night and isn't looking out for pilgrims who might be out walking.

And there aren't too many places where a wrong step means you'll fall hundreds of feet to your doom. But it could mean you trip over a branch or a rock on the path and twist your ankle or take a nasty fall. Or you could miss a marker and find yourself miles off the trail.

Is walking the Camino at night "dangerous?" It's not going over Niagara Falls in a barrel dangerous or jumping into shark-infested waters wearing a pork chop bathing suit dangerous, but it does increase the risk of accidents and it calls for pilgrims to be more aware of their surroundings.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The one time I tried walking at night we got very lost and went a long way out of our way.
We ran into a deep spring, and finally sat down and waited for sunrise.
There's just no reason to do it.
The villages are small enough that you can go outside late and see a million stars.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

After several people mentioned the walk out of Carrion de Los Condes, I just had to look back at my notes (my memory isn't that good). Maybe that really is a good place to walk at night for several reasons.

"15 September – Carrion de los Condes > Calzadilla de la Cueza > Ledigos > Terradillos de los Templarios (26.6km, 6 ½ hours)
We walked today on the longest, straightest, flattest, gravel track on earth. Nothing could top this. We walked for several hours and I swear every time we lifted our heads, the scenery looked exactly the same. I thought I was on some kind of horror treadmill. Still, today we passed the halfway mark on our trek; 402km done, 379km to go. Give or take. Signage and distances are a little bit flexible on the Camino. The bottom of my feet are killing me. The morning was not as cold as normal and after the sun shortened our shadow, it was hotter than normal. This is the new normal, I fear, until at least Galicia."

Hi Michael, wish you well with your feet.
And ofcours a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

This whole thread brings me joy. I live in a place where I can see stars at night. I love them. I would walk at night with another stout pilgrim, if he/she knew the way well.

 

[Betty Bauer]

I would consider the concept of there being no leash laws if I were to do it myself. In the area where I am from in the United States (Northern Nevada) a friend of our family, whom has spent the majority of his life doing most of his prayer time while walking around in the dark in the mountains by an Indian reservation near us, has mentioned that he is more afraid of the dogs than the coyotes, rattle-snakes, or the occasionally spotted bobcat. I myself have a very cleanly-cut scar next to one of my Achilles tendons from one of my close friend's family's stud dogs. He wasn't on his chain that day. It was all bite and no bark in this case.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I would consider the concept of there being no leash laws if I were to do it myself. In the area where I am from in the United States (Northern Nevada) a friend of our family, whom has spent the majority of his life doing most of his prayer time while walking around in the dark in the mountains by an Indian reservation near us, has mentioned that he is more afraid of the dogs than the coyotes, rattle-snakes, or the occasionally spotted bobcat. I myself have a very cleanly-cut scar next to one of my Achilles tendons from one of my close friend's family's stud dogs. He wasn't on his chain that day. It was all bite and no bark in this case.

good point.

 

[Kanga]

The only time I started walking while it was still dark I missed a turning and went miles out of my way. And that was in what I regard as a straightforward, flat, part of the Camino. Never again.

The Confraternity albergue at Rabanal used to have a policy of discouraging anyone from leaving before daybreak because of people taking wrong paths on the mountainside. It used to happen all the time. Don't know if that is still the case, with the increase in numbers.

 

[John Finn]

I make a point of walking at night at least once during my Camino trips. It is a wonderful, numinous experience and one I would heartily recommend to anyone. Standing alone in the Spanish countryside, staring up at the heavens and listening to the sounds of the countryside is life-enhancing and unforgettable. For me, it is an integral part of the Camino. I usually set out two or three hours before sunrise and the act of walking into the light on this ancient pilgrimage route is replete with symbolism.

If possible, time to your trip to coincide with a full (or nearly full) moon as its light will almost render artificial light redundant. Almost, but not quite. A good headtorch is essential for locating the yellow directional arrows and for negotiating shady, rough an uneven parts of the path.

 

[jsalt]

If possible, time to your trip to coincide with a full (or nearly full) moon

But don't forget that if there is a full moon you won't see the stars

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There are many good choices for night walking. I recommend road or road-parallel stretches. Avoid actual mountain walking; there are too many chances for uneven path and drop offs.

 

[dkcaspar]

Wow, didnt expect so many replies, but thanks for sharering

First time i walked the camino, i came to a city 50 km from santiago, so i decided to leave early next morning and finish the last 50 km. So i left the refugee at about 5, i past the 49,5 km sign in the end of the city. comeing out of the city all the streetlight disappeared and it was real dark, and i got lost a couple of times, on of the times in a forest hitting my head to tree and forceing a small river through stones in the water. But about 8.45 i found back on the camino and the next sign said 46 km to santiago.
So much for leaving early but a great experience.
I have learned one lesson and bought a head lamp.

Danger or no danger, im walking. but i will be aware of the no "leash rule", im happy you warned me about that one.
Carrion des condes is suggested my a couple of you, that seems to be a very good idea, as i recall the route.

 

[John Finn]

But don't forget that if there is a full moon you won't see the stars

Well actually, you will. Just not as many as on a moonless night, obviously.

 

[norbert]

I did the stretch Carrion de los Condes - Calzadilla de la Cueza at night/early in the morning in May 2015 and enjoyed it very much. It is not dangerous and you cannot get lost. Buen camino

 

[grayland]

It is not always dangerous to walk in the dark..no one is suggesting that.

The point is that you should take care to choose a route that lends itself to night walking if you choose to do it.
Walking on the highway in the dark or fog is not considered a good idea by most people. Walking on poorly marked trails with turn offs and forks could be sketchy.

The suggestion here is to use care and not simply walk out into the dark without a plan.

 

[Tia Valeria]

If walking on roads in the dark outside of lighted areas be aware that you are required to wear an approved-rated reflective vest. I think this is true for Spain in general and not just Galicia.The vests themselves are light and cheap and best bought in Spain. Those from elsewhere are often heavier and expensive.

 

[mspath]

Good spots to purchase such reflective vests as noted by Tia Valeria are in Spanish gas stations. Every car must carry them by law. Similar vests are also required in France and available at gas stations.

 

[jelle]

Hi everyone.
I have done a couple of night walks when on the camino and absolutely love them and can recommend doing at least one to every pilgrim, since it is a peculiar experience. The stars, the milky way, nighttime animals...
However having said that, last time I did one my intention was reaching Cruz the Ferro before sunrise. In attempting this I encountered a pack of wild dogs right before Rabanal del Camino. I had a bit of a scare but was able to reach the village in safety. Afterwards I heard this area is known for having wild dogs (If I remember correctly Coelho's the pilgrimage has a scene with a dog in this area aswell).

So be mindfull, it might be a good idea to do it together with other pilgrims and to avoid the area around Cruz the Ferro and Rabanal del Camino.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Good spots to purchase such reflective vests as noted by Tia Valeria are in Spanish gas stations. Every car must carry them by law. Similar vests are also required in France and available at gas stations.

For the car do you have to have one each for the possible number of passengers please, or just one each for the passengers actually in the vehicle? We will be bringing our car next year so as to reach parts just off the Camino which we have had to miss previously.

The other advantage to the vests is that they make peregrinos highly visible on busier roads on good days as well as when legally required.

 

[mspath]

One vest per car (!) is required; one per each actual occupant is recommended. In this link check the equipment section for further info re UK cars in Spain.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Thank you .

 

[Justin of the South]

Hello everyone
Im walking the french route in sep-okt and i was thinking about walking a stage during the nigth, to see the stars(so no clouds). Is there anyone who has any experience with walking at night ?? and is there a certain stage that would be the best suitable for this purpose ??

Buen camino
Caspar

Hi Caspar,
I would highly recommend, based on my experience, walking at night. I agree the meseta (the central, sort of desert-like area) was fun to walk at night, but it's also very beautiful during the day and shouldn't be missed. One reason for walking that section at night is that it's very long and straight and the scenery doesn't change that much so you know what you're getting. I bedded down on a park bench along the rode and while it was sort of stinky, I slept fine. I also walked into Burgos at night which was really, really cool. Walking atop those hills alone, discovering these weird rock gardens and formations up there and being next to what I think was a military base and then seeing the city of Burgos appear in the dark was great. Be aware of the signs up there at night as they can be a bit deceiving and perhaps point you to a village and not the trail. I walked my final long walk at night and made it just into the airport area outside of Santiago. At some points, I felt like I was being swallowed by total darkness (which was super cool!) and came upon this fence threaded with crosses?...it was sort of creepy at night. I held my headlamp in my hand and used it to find signs and to look down the trail/tunnel behind me. During that final night walk I kind of went into a peaceful trance as I neared Santiago. I turned down a friendly offer to sleep in a church yard and opted for an airport hotel as it was around midnight and took three baths! The tub was covered in dirt. Highly recommend you creating some of your own night time walk memories, but as they say, be safe and reasonable. I felt completely and utterly safe walking at night though I did very briefly consider the possibility of a critter attack. Also, if you plan on leaving an albergue at night, make sure you make prior arrangements, check with the host and do so as stealthily as possible.

 

[Saint Mike II]

I would endorse the above recommendations against trying to walk at night, even starting more than an hour before sun-up is not really recommended, especially when you are walking on some of the rougher places. As for doing some night observations - how about stopping at the quieter places such as San Bol, Hontanas or San Anton. These three are located between Hornillos and Castrojeriz and are so small that street lights and other town glow should not interfere. A good pair of binoculars or a camera with a telephoto lens will help with your observations and recording. In addition to a clear sky a period a week either side of the new moon would be a plus. Buen Camino.

 

[Saint Mike II]

The only time I started walking while it was still dark I missed a turning and went miles out of my way. And that was in what I regard as a straightforward, flat, part of the Camino. Never again.

The Confraternity albergue at Rabanal used to have a policy of discouraging anyone from leaving before daybreak because of people taking wrong paths on the mountainside. It used to happen all the time. Don't know if that is still the case, with the increase in numbers.

Hi Jill. I stayed at Gaucelmo and Tom (our hospitalero) did make the comment "that leaving around 6.00/6.20 AM would enable us to reach the Cruz just as the sun was rising". I pointed out that on my bike riding before sunrise was definitely not a good idea, especially if trying to follow the walkers Camino.

 

[annakappa]

One year, we arrived in Roncesvalles, where we attended Mass and then walked down to Burgete ( I know, it's only 3 Km), where we had booked a room in a B&B ( we always book the first night after our long journey with our 8 hour jet lag).
The walk was beautiful, through the woods, as dusk turned to darkness. This is definately an experience I would do again.