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We flew in from Madrid to Asturias (OVD, Oviedo). Regular bus service from airport to town (approx. 45 minutes every hour on the hour) All along the primitivo there is sufficient non-albergue accommodation available. Most cater for business people and prices are quite reasonable. Whenever you get in a squeeze along the path, there is possibility to either use public bus or taxi service from/to the next town or village at reasonable cost. The main difficulty is from Grandas de Salime to A Fonsagrada: a long walk without connecting bus services and potentially bad weather conditions. Apart from that, the primitivo is spectacular but a tough nut to crack for any experienced walker.I'm scoping out flights at present to give me the greatest possible number of days to walk. I'm watching people who are doing it at present, and keen to track which albergues and hostals are open in October.
Mary
Hi Mary,
On the flight from Australia I drink lots of water and have no caffeine and no alcohol. I stay awake at least until the early evening on the day of arrival then I sleep through the night, wake up at a civilised hour with my body clock reset and start walking.
The problem with lighter footwear is not so much the terrain as the rain. Any kind of mesh or canvas shoe will become saturated almost instantly. Other materials also will become saturated with steady rain, so the difference may be small in the end, and the mesh shoes will dry more quickly. You can wear gaiters for some protection from the rain, but gaiters do not give enough coverage to protect mesh fabric. With gaiters you can keep most materials fairly dry, but not canvas or open mesh.My daughter is much fitter than me, works outdoors and spends a lot of time running and walking in her vibram soled lightweight shoes which feel very comfortable for her over 10km distances and different urban and grassy surfaces. She feels confident in her shoe choice but I wondered how lighter weight sneakers would perform on some of the sections of the Primitivo and Salvador like the steeper downhills with a looser rock surface.
Personally I would go for the boots, but chose lightweight ones. It is too easy to turn an ankle on some parts of the Primitivo, especially on wet stones. Our light breathable but waterproof leather boots worked well even in wet weather. Some sort of alternative for evenings/round town such as Crocs gives the feet a change and the boots a chance to air or be dried out if necessary (stuff with paper).My daughter and I are leaving from Leon on 24 September, doing the del Salvador then catching a bus all the way to Ribadesella then wandering back to Oviedo then to Fisterra via the Primitivo. I'm wearing lightweight Salamons in a larger size than normal and my feet have been feeling pretty good wearing the sock and boot combo all day every day over the last few weeks. My daughter is much fitter than me, works outdoors and spends a lot of time running and walking in her vibram soled lightweight shoes which feel very comfortable for her over 10km distances and different urban and grassy surfaces. She feels confident in her shoe choice but I wondered how lighter weight sneakers would perform on some of the sections of the Primitivo and Salvador like the steeper downhills with a looser rock surface. I've never worn anything other than boots on rugged terrain myself, and would consider sneakers and snow to be inadvisable. Anyway, how have other folks found the lighter footwear in September/October conditions? It would be a pity to unnecessarily invest in heavier footwear, but we realise that it is possible to buy something suitable in Leon or Oviedo if needs must.
Thanks
Mary
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