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I am currently on the del Norte and can tell you I have had a lot of wet weather. Between Irun and Bilbao it is positively dangerous in many sections to walk after rain or when it is raining. It is much harder than the Frances with very steep and long ups and downs. My advice would be to start in Bilbao particularly considering your injury.
I just got back from walking on the Norte a couple of days ago, and although there were some beautiful days, when the rain came down it was positively torrential! I only had a poncho, so was thoroughly unprepared and the solution of waiting it out under a bush wasn't really sustainable in the long run... I absolutely love the Norte, and I try and walk a stretch whenever I can, but I would recommend packing the right water-resistant gear for a more enjoyable experience.
This is my 5th Camino. We have had many rainy days along the way. I started in Bayonne on 25/8 but due to poor weather& the treacherous terrain, I prefer to be safe than sorry, took a bus between Markina and Bilbao. After Gijon there were many days of muddy tracks that really should be avoided after rain. Overall it has been a fantastic experience. Remember though that the del Norte does not have the pilgrim friendly infrastructure of the Frances. Albergues often do not open until 3pm. Stages are longer thus requiring you to carry more food & water with you and many of the towns offer little to eat in the evening until after 8pm. If you arrive after the kitchen closes due the afternoon the food is usually limited to pinxos. Enjoy whichever route you take. The Camino is worth every step, muddy or wet, cold or warm. Buen camino.Thank you, that is very valuable advice.
I'm okay with the weather not being perfect, however maybe I could consider starting in CF and then taking a bus to CdN or Primotivo. I like the idea of walking from border to coast.
How are you finding the camino del norte? and is it your first camino?
I was fortunate to have packed rain pants and a Gore-tex jacket, both of which kept me quite dry.
Just wondering, for the sake of the OP, were the albergues open in October last year? I've walked in mid-winter when quite a few of them were closed, but I presume October is still 'in season'?
Thank you all for the helpful replys and for showing your love for the Norte as a first camino.
I can understand that raingear is of the most important on the norte. I have in my possession a great lightweight rainjacket, a storm-umbrella and even a rainponcho. My weak spot is waterproof-pants as I wasn't planning to bring any, but just rely on shower-proff hiking-pants and wool-socks. I don't know if this is a good strategic for norte in october.
I will have to study the weather forecast in detail.
For the first time ever I wore waterproof hiking shoes, but without the rain-pants the water ran down my legs into my socks and soaked my lovely new shoes from the inside, so they took days to dry properly! My mom had better luck with her light sneakers, which got drenched but were nevertheless more breathable so dried relatively quickly. In future I'd keep the waterproof shoes, but make sure there's no way any water can get into them!
Thank you all for the helpful replys and for showing your love for the Norte as a first camino.
I can understand that raingear is of the most important on the norte. I have in my possession a great lightweight rainjacket, a storm-umbrella and even a rainponcho. My weak spot is waterproof-pants as I wasn't planning to bring any, but just rely on shower-proff hiking-pants and wool-socks. I don't know if this is a good strategic for norte in october.
I will have to study the weather forecast in detail.
Now you tell me!!I learned my lesson while trail-running. Waterproof-shoes are great for light showers or casual walks, but when things get really wet your best bet is wool-socks and shoes that drain fast.
Now you tell me!!ha ha
Seeing that you have done quite a few caminoes. How would you compare the CdN vs CF, especially for someone who's doing his first camino?
hmmm... I'd say that the major difference is that the route of the CF is built around the camino: every village or town you pass through has a major connection to the camino, and it has the infrastructure to match. And everyone you meet on the path is a peregrino, for many it's their first camino and there's a lot of excitement, so it's very sociable and can be a lot of fun. The CdN is more like a beautiful coastal walk: the beach towns are more tourist than pilgrim-oriented, and you only really see other pilgrims when you get to the albergue in the evening, unless you decide to walk together as a group. It seems that many of the pilgrims on the CdN are camino veterans (i.e. this is their second or third camino), and they tend to be a wee bit more serious in general: the atmosphere in the albergues is far less festive, lots of folk are in bed by 9pm - although maybe I just missed the student-aged crowds over the summer!
So I guess it depends on what you're in the mood for: a beautiful walk next to the sea... or something more akin to what people have in mind when they picture the "camino experience"?
yeah it makes perfect sense... I haven't been on the CF in a while, but I have to say that, for me, most of my "soul searching" on the caminos has been through conversations with other people: I think that's why lots of people experience the CF as a kind of extended therapy session - you're walking with people from all over the world on a similar soul-searching mission, and it's a very supportive environment where people seem to have a lot of time and patience listening to your stories as you try and work things out, and you return the favour. There's a real spirit of sharing, generosity, and kindness. I think I learned more about myself through these intensive encounters with others on the CF than at any other time of my life.
I also think that the pilgrim-tourists you're referring to start from Sarria, not necessarily from SJPP. And even if you meet a number of "tourigrinos" starting in SJPP, there's something about walking 25 kms a day, continuously, that sends even the most hardened party animal to bed by 8pm. And honestly, there aren't many party animals who decide to walk a 800km pilgrimage... Whichever camino you choose, the "experience" is probably going to involve discomfort, possibly even suffering, and learning to deal with that is what makes the camino a spiritual path, for want of a better word. It just depends on whether you want to go through that experience surrounded by lots of others experiencing the same thing, and with a supportive infrastructure that facilitates that experience, so that the only thing you really have to worry about is walking/talking/thinking - which is what I think the CF offers a lot of people. Ironically, I have actually enjoyed more solitary walking on the CF than the CdN, as the increased volume of people means that it's easier to be "anonymous", if you know what I mean, whereas on the CdN you tend to stick with the same person or group the whole way.
Anyway I don't mean to make you more confused! The first time I walked the CdN, I was actually on my way to SJPP to do the CF, but when the train got to Bayonne and all the pilgrims got off something in me said "no!" so I just stayed on until Hendaye and started walking from there, and it was the best experience of my life... moral of the story: don't overthink it, trust your heart/gut/intuition!
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