On camino now, looking for advice on schedule

[Faith831]

Hi all,

My walking partner and I are a day out of Santiago now.

We had originally planned to start in SJPP, but she got into a car accident a week before we left and also had limited time, and I hurt my foot, and so to be on the safe side, we started in Sarria just in case we weren't able to walk much.

We are a bit on the slow side -- we started in Sarria on 1/4 and the longest we've been able to walk in a day is 23km and that was a stretch. Walking from Sarria has been no small challenge for us, but loved every step of the way..

She is done and does not want to continue after Santiago, but I feel like I'm just getting started even though we're about to finish. This has been way TOO short and I'm regretting not having been able to start at SJPP as planned. I'm not ready to go home yet! (nor do I have to)

I would appreciate suggestions on what to do. Here are the best ideas I have so far for what to do after we get to Santiago:

1. Finish up by walking on my own to Fin/Muxia and hope that's enough.

2. Go back to the beginning and walk from SJPP to Sarria and skip Fin/ Muxia (but I'd be sad to miss Muxia and the sea, which feels like the true end to the Camino)

3. Start somewhere along the way but not at SJPP. (A pilgrim we met today suggested starting at Pamploma due to weather)

4.. Go home and live with regret.

The big concern I have is that my foot injury starts to become an issue after about 20km/day (it is not in any way an issue so far, but the longest we've done is 23km and it did start to be an issue that day), and it looks like there are some non-optional longer days that might not be doable.

The other concern I have is figuring out how to structure the remaining time so that I feel a sense of completion at the end, since I'm out of order. Ending at Sarria is a big meh, because... Sarria.And I don't want to rewalk the Sarria-Santiago route because, well, I just did it and enjoyed it very much and don't need a rerun.

Sorry this is long -- I'm at a loss as to what to do now and would appreciate wisdom and insight..

Warmest,
Faith

PS-- Don't mind the cold or inclement weather as long as safety isn't compromised and am REALLY enjoying walking in solitude.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Hello Faith, an option is to go back to Leon and walk the Salvador. And after that you can walk the Camino Primitivo.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

 

[Faith831]

Hello Faith, an option is to go back to Leon and walk the Salvador. And after that you can walk the Camino Primitivo.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

'Thank you, that's an interesting idea! I had assumed that in January, the only route available would be the Frances due to weather conditions and things being closed. ?

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi all,

My walking partner and I are a day out of Santiago now.

We had originally planned to start in SJPP, but she got into a car accident a week before we left and also had limited time, and I hurt my foot, and so to be on the safe side, we started in Sarria just in case we weren't able to walk much.

We are a bit on the slow side -- we started in Sarria on 1/4 and the longest we've been able to walk in a day is 23km and that was a stretch. Walking from Sarria has been no small challenge for us, but loved every step of the way..

She is done and does not want to continue after Santiago, but I feel like I'm just getting started even though we're about to finish. This has been way TOO short and I'm regretting not having been able to start at SJPP as planned. I'm not ready to go home yet! (nor do I have to)

I would appreciate suggestions on what to do. Here are the best ideas I have so far for what to do after we get to Santiago:

1. Finish up by walking on my own to Fin/Muxia and hope that's enough.

2. Go back to the beginning and walk from SJPP to Sarria and skip Fin/ Muxia (but I'd be sad to miss Muxia and the sea, which feels like the true end to the Camino)

3. Start somewhere along the way but not at SJPP. (A pilgrim we met today suggested starting at Pamploma due to weather)

4.. Go home and live with regret.

The big concern I have is that my foot injury starts to become an issue after about 20km/day, and it looks like there are some non-optional longer days that might not be doable.

The other concern I have is figuring out how to structure the remaining time so that I feel a sense of completion at the end, since I'm out of order. Ending at Sarria is a big meh, because... Sarria.And I don't want to rewalk the Sarria-Santiago route because, well, I just did it and enjoyed it very much and don't need a rerun.

Sorry this is long -- I'm at a loss as to what to do now and would appreciate wisdom and insight..

Warmest,
Faith

PS-- Don't mind the cold or inclement weather as long as safety isn't compromised and am REALLY enjoying walking in solitude.

Faith:

My concerns before making any recommendations are:

First, how bad is your injury?
How much time do you have?

I would recommend you go back to one of the major cities (ie; Pamplona, Burgos or Leon) depending on how much time you have. Pamplona you would need approximately a month, Leon 2 weeks and Burgos approximately 3 weeks. These are all relatively easy cities to get to from Santiago.

While the San Salvador/Primitivo is a good combination, they likely have a lot of snow and will be sparsely traveled, if at all, this time of year.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[AML]

Hi Faith, glad to hear you are enjoyed the camino so much!
I would recommend stay on the Frances, yes go back to Burgos or Pamploma for sure.
You can always go to Finisterre/Muxia afterwards if you have time.
The choice is yours!
Buen Camino
Aidan

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hello Faith, an option is to go back to Leon and walk the Salvador. And after that you can walk the Camino Primitivo.
Wish you well and a Buen Camino, Peter.

No, no, no. Especially with a bad foot. Way too much snow on the Salvador and noone walking behind you for days in case anything happens to you.

 

[Faith831]

Hi Joe,

Thank you!

1. Injury isn't an issue if I stay at about 20 km/day or under, and I'm concerned that might not be doable on the Frances (or anywhere else) in winter outside of the 100 km Sarria-Santiago stretch. ??

2. As much as I want, but I do miss my dog, so eventually I want to go home.

 

[Faith831]

No, no, no. Especially with a bad foot. Way too much snow on the Salvador and noone walking behind you for days in case anything happens to you.

That was my concern as well.. I suppose I'm wondering if there is a long-ish stretch of the Frances that I can safely walk staying within the 20 km/day limit I have (could go a bit over, but 30km isnt in the cards).

Going from Sarria to Santiago was fun and not easy, but I don't feel like I really walked the Camino, beautiful as the experience was.

 

[jpflavin1]

Hi Joe,

Thank you!

1. Injury isn't an issue if I stay at about 20 km/day or under, and I'm concerned that might not be doable on the Frances (or anywhere else) in winter outside of the 100 km Sarria-Santiago stretch. ??

2. As much as I want, but I do miss my dog, so eventually I want to go home.

Faith831:

Starting in Leon it should be very doable to keep your days to 20 km's. That said, there will be a couple of tough climbs and some beautiful scenery if clear. Actually, almost anywhere on the Frances it is possible to keep your days to 20 km's.

Good luck on whatever you decide. Los Angeles weather not the best right now but better than the Camino. Heading there myself in 3 weeks. Love the Santa Monica area.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[Anniesantiago]

If it were me, I'd either go back to Pamplona and start, or back to Leon.
I think it would be important to finish one Camino route before beginning another.
And remember, the Camino will be there next year.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

That was my concern as well.. I suppose I'm wondering if there is a long-ish stretch of the Frances that I can safely walk staying within the 20 km/day limit I have (could go a bit over, but 30km isnt in the cards).

Going from Sarria to Santiago was fun and not easy, but I don't feel like I really walked the Camino, beautiful as the experience was.

One would have to take the time and make sure there is an open albergue every 20km or not, bit I don't think any section is more likely than another to have an open albergue with 20km of one another.

And push comes to shove, if there is nothing open close by, hop on a bus or taxi and ride the extra 5 or 10km of that particular section.

 

[Tia Valeria]

If you went to Lugo (direct bus from Santiago) you could walk the final 100kms of the Primtivo, without risk of being snow bound or overlong distances. Gronze has all the albergues and distances. Choice of repeating the Frances from either Melide or Palas de Rei, or else maybe OK to cross from the Primitivo at Ferreira to Sobrado de Monxes via Friol and finish up on the Norte instead.

 

[sabbott]

I'd agree with some others that finishing the Camino Frances would be a great choice, both because of winter conditions on the more remote routes, and to get a sense of completion. You could start in Pamplona, or maybe Roncesvalles if you had time. I didn't have time to walk to Finisterra at the end, but did take a bus there from Santiago and the walked to Muxia, bussing back to Santiago after that. Maybe that would work for you if you are running out of time. Seeing the ocean was a great end to my Camino. Let us know what you decide, and have a wonderful time!

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

No, no, no. Especially with a bad foot. Way too much snow on the Salvador and noone walking behind you for days in case anything happens to you.

I mist the bad foot part,sorry about that.
Wish you well, Peter.

 

[C clearly]

You might well enjoy walking the Sarria to Santiago stretch again! It will be a different experience because you will be on your own, and you could deliberately stay in different places. If you have 14 days to walk, start in Astorga (260 km to Santiago).

Be careful with the foot,though, so don't get too ambitious!

 

[SYates]

Or take the bus from Santiago to Porto and walk the Camino Portugues from there? Or to Ferrol/A Coruña and walk the Camino Ingles? Buen Camino, SY

 

[Deleted member 43985]

I'd agree about the Frances route both from the viewpoint of 'completing' your route (although this really is a bit of a modern fiction as far as a 'whole Camino') if that gives you peace of mind but secondly, and perhaps more importantly this time of the year, the CF has great infrastructure although it may be difficult to find an open Albergue to tailor your days to an exact amount of km's. The good news is that if you cannot find an open place when needed, you can always call a taxi and take you ahead (or back) to an open Albergue and then have them come and drop you back in that spot the next morning (if you feel the need to walk every step of the way!). Enjoy the winter solitude and be safe. Buen Camino, Jordon.

 

[Faith831]

Thank you, all!!!

Struggling tonight with mourning the loss of what I had wanted to feel walking into Santiago. Instead of feeling like completion, it feels wrong and incomplete.

I agree 100% that the idea of a "whole" camino is a modern fiction and that by definition, a pilgrimage begins where you begin. And yet...

Much to consider on tomorrow's walk, though not the things I'd imagined thinking of. Perhaps I need to trust in the magic of the Camino to teach whatever needs learning...

 

[Faith831]

Or take the bus from Santiago to Porto and walk the Camino Portugues from there? Or to Ferrol/A Coruña and walk the Camino Ingles? Buen Camino, SY

This might be the answer. So the Portuguese from Porto would be walkable in winter? (I'm a bit older and tend to prefer pensions when avail with municipal albergues as a backup)

 

[SYates]

The Camino Portugues is certainly walkable in winter and the weather should be also less harsh than on the CF - moderating influence of the ocean - and so on, but you might need to be prepared for rain ;-) Gronze (corrected link) has a good list of accommodation options, green house symbols are albergues, black ones others. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Faith831]

The Camino Portugues is certainly walkable in winter and the weather should be also less harsh than on the CF - moderating influence of the ocean - and so on, but you might need to be prepared for rain ;-) Gronze has a good list of accommodation options, green house symbols are albergues, black ones others. Buen Camino, SY

Thanks!!! When I go to groze, I get a very strange page that seems to have nothing to do with the camino. Am i doing something wrong?

 

[ChristianSdeM]

Thanks!!! When I go to groze, I get a very strange page that seems to have nothing to do with the camino. Am i doing something wrong?

You need the full address: http://www.gronze.com/

 

[MTtoCamino]

Thank you, all!!!

Struggling tonight with mourning the loss of what I had wanted to feel walking into Santiago. Instead of feeling like completion, it feels wrong and incomplete.

I agree 100% that the idea of a "whole" camino is a modern fiction and that by definition, a pilgrimage begins where you begin. And yet...

Much to consider on tomorrow's walk, though not the things I'd imagined thinking of. Perhaps I need to trust in the magic of the Camino to teach whatever needs learning...

The day of walking into Santiago is a mental trial regardless of were you start. Just as the walk to the ocean will be when or if you continue in that direction. In the end no matter your choice it will all be good!!
BuenCamino
Keith

 

[SYates]

Thanks!!! When I go to groze, I get a very strange page that seems to have nothing to do with the camino. Am i doing something wrong?

No, I missed out the www bit ;-) here is the correct link directly to the Camino Portugues page http://www.gronze.com/camino-portugues
Buen Camino, SY

 

[Faith831]

You need the full address: http://www.gronze.com/

Oops, of course, thank you.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I mist the bad foot part,sorry about that.
Wish you well, Peter.

Even with 3 good feet, the Salvador in winter will have so much snow that it would not be safe.

 

[Anamya]

I join the group supporting Porto-Santiago and a nice Portuguese Camino! Spend some time in Porto, relax, enjoy the beautiful city and recharge to go on your new journey! It is not hard to divide the route in 20km-less stages, so your foot will be fine!

 

[kdespot]

Hi Faith! Kelly from Topanga here. It's good to see that you made it to the Camino. Your dog will be fine (mine was for six weeks). Going home and regretting it is obviously not the answer. You have a taste of what the way is about and I sense a desire to fulfill your original wishes. You know how to make this decision... decide how many days you want to walk and work backwards. Pick a place and start there, it doesn't matter where. It's all wonderful. Be kind to yourself. Take a taxi if you need to. Talk to the locals. I'm so envious of your being there at this time of the year. Make a plan where you can walk away nourished. ¡Buena suerte y buen Camino, comadre!

 

[Kanga]

Leon to Santiago or the Portuguese. Both good choices.

 

[Tia Valeria]

A further suggestion would be to take the bus to Ferrol and take a slow walk on the Camino Inglés. Others have taken the bus to A Coruña and walked to Bruma where the two arms of the Inglés meet, then bus to Ferrol to walk that arm to Santiago. You can download @JohnnieWalker 's guide to the Inglés through the forum as a pdf file through the resources section. This has more stages and accommodation list for both arms than the Gronze Inglés site. We made a 9 day pilgrimage from Ferrol taking short (booked) days using the private accommodation given in the CSJ/Forum guide.
Buen Camino whatever you decide.

 

[VNwalking]

Faith if I were in your shoes, I'd be thinking two things--

• Start in SJPP and just see how far I get;
• Or start in Leon or Burgos (depending on how much time you have) and go as far as Ponferrada and then turn off onto the Invierno and go to SdC that way. Since you like solo walking this route is a way to have your cake and eat it too--walk a significant part of the Frances, while avoiding the part from Sarria that you've already done. There's a lot of good info here on the Forum, as well as a recent and very complete guide in the resources section that @peregrina2000 posted last year.

 

[Texas Walker]

This might be the answer. So the Portuguese from Porto would be walkable in winter? (I'm a bit older and tend to prefer pensions when avail with municipal albergues as a backup)

My memories of the Portugues route in 2015 say that there is one really steep climb (up and down, with a bench at the top) and some minor steep bits where the path cuts a triangle corner through some woods. One creek-side walk that is flat and using your sticks should be enough. As far as the really steep bit, I'm thinking of the day after we slept in Ponte de Lima, the hillside where the trail goes right on up with some rocks and roots. And on the way down, DH took a photo of me, walking like a toddler with my little fists in the air, going from huge rock to huge rock. Wouldn't want to do that day's walk in ice and snow. But really that was the toughest bit as far as potentially ice-dangerous I think. And you could catch a bus or train from Ponte de Lima to the next place and continue on walking from there. The ancient pilgrims used the tech of their time, and while we approximate their methods of travel because of the edification, we can certainly use common sense about blizzards, or caked ice for that matter.
Buen camino/Bom caminho

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Hi all,

My walking partner and I are a day out of Santiago now.

We had originally planned to start in SJPP, but she got into a car accident a week before we left and also had limited time, and I hurt my foot, and so to be on the safe side, we started in Sarria just in case we weren't able to walk much.

We are a bit on the slow side -- we started in Sarria on 1/4 and the longest we've been able to walk in a day is 23km and that was a stretch. Walking from Sarria has been no small challenge for us, but loved every step of the way..

She is done and does not want to continue after Santiago, but I feel like I'm just getting started even though we're about to finish. This has been way TOO short and I'm regretting not having been able to start at SJPP as planned. I'm not ready to go home yet! (nor do I have to)

I would appreciate suggestions on what to do. Here are the best ideas I have so far for what to do after we get to Santiago:

1. Finish up by walking on my own to Fin/Muxia and hope that's enough.

2. Go back to the beginning and walk from SJPP to Sarria and skip Fin/ Muxia (but I'd be sad to miss Muxia and the sea, which feels like the true end to the Camino)

3. Start somewhere along the way but not at SJPP. (A pilgrim we met today suggested starting at Pamploma due to weather)

4.. Go home and live with regret.

The big concern I have is that my foot injury starts to become an issue after about 20km/day (it is not in any way an issue so far, but the longest we've done is 23km and it did start to be an issue that day), and it looks like there are some non-optional longer days that might not be doable.

The other concern I have is figuring out how to structure the remaining time so that I feel a sense of completion at the end, since I'm out of order. Ending at Sarria is a big meh, because... Sarria.And I don't want to rewalk the Sarria-Santiago route because, well, I just did it and enjoyed it very much and don't need a rerun.

Sorry this is long -- I'm at a loss as to what to do now and would appreciate wisdom and insight..

Warmest,
Faith

PS-- Don't mind the cold or inclement weather as long as safety isn't compromised and am REALLY enjoying walking in solitude.

Start in Pamplona. Too much snow in Pyreenes. If your injury free you should be able to get to Sarria. Buen Camino.

 

[Camino Tom]

Hi all,

My walking partner and I are a day out of Santiago now.

We had originally planned to start in SJPP, but she got into a car accident a week before we left and also had limited time, and I hurt my foot, and so to be on the safe side, we started in Sarria just in case we weren't able to walk much.

We are a bit on the slow side -- we started in Sarria on 1/4 and the longest we've been able to walk in a day is 23km and that was a stretch. Walking from Sarria has been no small challenge for us, but loved every step of the way..

She is done and does not want to continue after Santiago, but I feel like I'm just getting started even though we're about to finish. This has been way TOO short and I'm regretting not having been able to start at SJPP as planned. I'm not ready to go home yet! (nor do I have to)

I would appreciate suggestions on what to do. Here are the best ideas I have so far for what to do after we get to Santiago:

1. Finish up by walking on my own to Fin/Muxia and hope that's enough.

2. Go back to the beginning and walk from SJPP to Sarria and skip Fin/ Muxia (but I'd be sad to miss Muxia and the sea, which feels like the true end to the Camino)

3. Start somewhere along the way but not at SJPP. (A pilgrim we met today suggested starting at Pamploma due to weather)

4.. Go home and live with regret.

The big concern I have is that my foot injury starts to become an issue after about 20km/day (it is not in any way an issue so far, but the longest we've done is 23km and it did start to be an issue that day), and it looks like there are some non-optional longer days that might not be doable.

The other concern I have is figuring out how to structure the remaining time so that I feel a sense of completion at the end, since I'm out of order. Ending at Sarria is a big meh, because... Sarria.And I don't want to rewalk the Sarria-Santiago route because, well, I just did it and enjoyed it very much and don't need a rerun.

Sorry this is long -- I'm at a loss as to what to do now and would appreciate wisdom and insight..

Warmest,
Faith

PS-- Don't mind the cold or inclement weather as long as safety isn't compromised and am REALLY enjoying walking in solitude.

Hi
Well done , would suggest you hop on a bus or train and travel down to Lisbon or Porto and walk the Portuguese Camino , weather more reliable and walk the full French Way in Sept /Oct
Regards
tom

 

[whariwharangi]

You could go to Cadiz and start walking north to Seville and the Via de la Plata.

The weather would be warmer and dryer.

The downside is accommodations may be hard to find at this time of year.