November Camino

[Jakenmarie]

Hello all. I'm planing to start my Camino on or around November 1st. Any advice/warnings?
Thanks in advance.

 

[mralisn]

Hello,

My first thought is to suggest you go back to the postings of 2012 September-December postings. Here you will find all the same concerns and advice you might find useful for when you walk (before, during, and return home).

After this, you might find many of your questions might be answered and even get answers you didn't even think to ask. Of course many of the posts here will help, but during that time of year brings different considerations you will want to know about.

Excited for you!

 

[SYates]

Hello all. I'm planing to start my Camino on or around November 1st. Any advice/warnings?
Thanks in advance.

Bring good winter weather gear, it can get chilly / cold, especially at night and not all albergues are heated. Make sure to listen to the locals / hospitaleros when it comes to the weather / situation on the way the next day and follow it. Be extra attentive when there is fresh snow as it can cover some of the way markings and you can get lost easily. Buen Camino! SY

 

[mspath]

Hello all. I'm planing to start my Camino on or around November 1st. Any advice/warnings?
Thanks in advance.

Jakenmarie,

Besides the practical advice offered above here are some further considerations for your November plans.

November 1, All Saints' Day, is a holiday in both France and Spain. Many families travel during this time to pay homage to their dead relatives. Hence roads and transport may be extra busy. Some businesses and services, but not all, will be closed on this day. In SJPdP, however, the Pilgrim Office of the Amis du Chemin de Saint Jacques at 39 rue de la Citadelle will be open on the holdiday; their telephone is 05 59 37 05 09. Their volunteers can provide you with a Credential and on site lodging assistance.

Autumn is a wonderful time to walk and the days are usually golden. However you must always be prepared for varied weather. Nights can be chilly or cold and freezing rain or even snow might occur by November. BE PREPARED! Listen to weather forecasts on TV and HEED THE ADVICE of the locals. Do NOT be foolhardy and attempt the impossible. For recent Forum discussions regarding camino storms BE CERTAIN TO READ this important thread >> el-camino-frances/topic16961.html.

Many albergues start to close mid October, but the hospitaleros usually know who is open on the next stage. Since the crowds of summer are past you will find the welcome at those albergues which are open to be most sincere. Most albergues will either be heated or have blankets, but not all. Many a cold camino night I have worn a wooly hat to sleep resembling Goldylocks' "grandma"

Most of us who walk in late autumn and winter wear and carry lightweight but warm layers which can easily be added or removed while walking. Each pilgrim develops a favorite combo. Scan the Forum's Equipment topic to see a multitude varied alternate approaches. Here's mine >> http://mermore.blogspot.fr/p/kit-and-tips.html

Happy planning and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[whariwharangi]

I started at end October in SJPdP and finished at Fisterra in mid December.

The pilgrims office in SJPdP provided a list of albergues indicating which would be open. It wasn't 100% but it was up to date enough to keep me from walking further as planned. If you can't get the list, a good rule of thumb is the albergues in the smaller villages will likely be closed. That means stopping early is sometimes the best choice.

You cannot count on drying your clothes without a dryer. The sun sets too early and isn't very strong at that time of year. That means laundry gets to be an issue.

I was lucky with the weather. It started raining 12 December as I arrived in Fisterra. The weather really stank after that. Apparently the rains started late last year ...

My advice is carry the gear that will be needed in miserable walking conditions where you are outside all day. Temperatures hovering near freezing. Often frost in the morning even on the really nice days. The worst of days were those with snow sleet and rain that blows sideways.

That being said ... the weather was warmer and drier than at home. You don't really notice the chill so long as you keep walking.

 

[Jakenmarie]

Wow. Thanks for all the advice. I knew I would get plenty from people who knew what they were talking about.
Thanks again.

 

[Jakenmarie]

Oh yeah, here in the states the 7 day forecast can sometimes be helpful. Does anyone know of a site where I can view a long-range forecast for Europe?
Thanks

 

[mspath]

Oh yeah, here in the states the 7 day forecast can sometimes be helpful. Does anyone know of a site where I can view a long-range forecast for Europe?
Thanks

Jakenmarie,

Try this handy link for weather on line from the most useful site of fellow Forum member Peter Robins, aka The Walking Pilgrim. >> http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/santiago/weather.html

Another forecast source is >> http://www.aemet.es/es/eltiempo/prediccion/municipios.

Stay dry !

Margaret Meredith

 

[Jakenmarie]

Thanks again

 

[caminoforme86]

Hey there!

I too am planning to start my Camino round about this time, from what I have researched so far it seems that its a good time to start! Maybe see you later on in the year!

 

[Jakenmarie]

Nice. How's the training going?
Talked to a few people, one from France and they all agree that the start will be very nice but the end might be a little cold. Have you heard anything?
Also, where are you landing; that is if your flying to Spain/France?

 

[caminoforme86]

Hey,

I am planning to fly to Paris around the 26th/27th October and have a couple nights there. Would like to be in SJPDP afternoon of 29th and start my Camino the Morning of the 30th October, give or take a couple days.

I am still in the early stages of planning, and just done my second day of walking about 6km, my legs are in agony!! I am wearing sandals right now for it, proper ECCO walking ones but I don't think they are giving me the right support for my feet. My walking boots I will be taking with me are back in Scotland but I will get about a months worth of walking done in them before I set off.

The only thing I am worried about is my backpack, its 2.5kg with nothing in it, don't really want to have to buy a new one as this one is less than a year old and has hardly been used on my Eurotrip as I met someone so didn't get to all the destinations I had hoped!

What training are you doing for it?

I want to get my flights booked pretty soon so I know for sure it is set in stone and that I will do this! I am worried mainly about which albergues will be open and how cold they will be at night!

I would have preferred to do my Camino in middle September into October but something has come up for September so having to move it back.

 

[christer1]

My new Osprey Talon 33 weighs under a kilo and I find it very comfortable fwiw!


Sent from my GT-I8190N using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[Jakenmarie]

I'm mixing it up with walking, biking, and some stairs. I've been training for a while and feel good. My flight lands in San Sebastián on the 29th of oct. Sounds like we will be seeing each other.
I have a super light back pack and am only taking a change of clothes with very little else.
My shoes are Chaco's hiking sandals; bought them last year. Difficult to break in but wonderful once you're used to them.
Buen camino

 

[mspath]

....
I have a super light back pack and am only taking a change of clothes with very little else.
My shoes are Chaco's hiking sandals; bought them last year. Difficult to break in but wonderful once you're used to them.
Buen camino

Jakenmarie,

Glad to read that you will be walking light; that is definitely THE way to go!. Be sure that you do have some warm layers, however. As I wrote in an earlier post November can be VERY cold at night. Are you certain that hiking sandals will be efficient in cold weather? Late last November going up O Cebreiro I climbed through a virtual white out and a meter of fresh snow. BE PREPARED!

Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Jakenmarie]

Always such good info on this forum. Thank you. I will make sure I have a back-up plan on the sandals.