recommending the Camino de invierno!

[sulu]

When I got to Santiago this week, and was being 'processed' in the Pilgrim's Office by a gentleman known to us all as 'johnniewalker', he asked me if I would recommend this camino. my answer at the time was; 'Only if your masochistic!'
I have now had time to recover and reflect.
I could have chosen the weather better. I had 4 days of walking in temperatures over 30 degrees C and I don't like walking in the heat, even in England I wouldn't walk in summer!
This is a beautiful route but some of the stages are very long, with no bars/cafes on the way. I'm sure that for anyone young and fit it would be a doddle but many of the paths are unfrequented, if anything went wrong :!:
I was the only pilgrim on my day, there had been 5 the previuos day.
Johnniewalker, the answer is; 'Yes, I would recommend it,' but with certain provisoes:
check the weather before you go :!:
either go accompanied or go in the knowledge that on this route you are very alone and have to be able to enjoy this.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Excellent Sulu!

I am so glad to see that others are beginning to enjoy this route. I walked it solo, and only encountered two other pilgrims between Ponferrada and A Laxe. While I did enjoy walking it alone, getting lost finding Monforte might have been more adventurous with a partner.

I personally feel it is to be recommended either way, and really hope that more people take to it. It could use the infrastructure that pilgrim euros bring... and is a loooong way off of being anywhere near as busy as any other seldom taken roads.

I actually had the thought yesterday that it would be interesting to see a ferry service that ran between Portomarin and somewhere near Chantada, giving pilgrims an opportunity to start the Invierno late or end it early and to see the Miño which was one of my favorite parts (I did the boat tour in Belasar and had the pleasure of showering waterfall style).

 

[peregrina2000]

I can't resist echoing this small Invierno chorus. When I walked the Invierno, I put it on the end of my Camino de Madrid to Sahagun and from there on the Frances to Ponferrada, where the Invierno markings begin. I was totally alone, and though I frequently walk on less-travelled caminos, it was particularly hard to turn off in Ponferrada after some days on the Frances with all its community. But by the time I had reached As Medulas, having visited the castle at Cornatel and then ready to spend a few hours walking around that bizarre and extremely interesting landscape, I realized I was glad to have done it. The route takes you through lots of "out of the way" parts of Galicia, some nice towns, some beautiful old churches, etc.

It is probably the norm that people on the Invierno will not meet another pilgrim, so wisepilgrim, you were lucky. There was a woman one day behind me, and she told me when we finally met up in the albergue in Outeiro that she had seen my footprints every day and it made her feel less alone.

Rebekah's CSJ online guide is helpful, and I have a bunch of annotations to that online guide that I'm always happy to share if you send a PM.

The infrastructure does appear to be increasing, but at a very slow pace, and I think it will be a while before there are albergues dotting the route. But the signage is excellent, as are the views and the countryside, so I say go for it! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[caminka]

I definitely reccomend it! it's a beautiful route, some stages are long, true, and it can be solitary, but that can also be its appeal.
I had the opportunity to walk it with the members of one of the associations that manage it - they walk it every year, usually in september, to see if the waymarks, accommodation and eating facilities all still funcioning as before.

the waymarking is usually very good, but there were about 10-12 points where it was missing and, without a good description, you might be in some trouble. and that infamous section between Chantada and Penasillas where the original arrows have been removed and an alternative waymarked more or less along the main road.

there is some info about Camino Invierno on a board in albergue in Ponferrada, mainly for El Bierzo, the first, section, which is excellently waymarked. I have heard that the pressure of private albergues from Ponferrada up to O Cebreiro is very unfriendly towards Camino Invierno.

pilgrim-friendly accommodation is still somewhat lacking, especially in the second part. the status at the moment is more or less like this:

0km Ponferrada - albergue parroquial, donativo (180bb, kitchen)
32km Las Medulas - hospedaje Soccoro, pilgrim BB 20E (8b in 4 double rooms, that is 'hay camas' opposite church; warm dinner is hard to come by out of season)
(at 15,5km Puente Domingo Florez - hostal La Torre, 29E/40E for single/double room)
(at 19km Sobradelo - albergue with 4b will open in the friendly bar Mar, upon entering town)
(at 27,5km O Barco de Valdeorras - various pensiones for about 15E-20E per person)
31,5km Xagoaza - albergue de peregrinos, 6E (20bb, kitchen but buy food in O Barco, it's 1.5km off route and up the valley road)
8,5km Villamartin de Valdeorras - albergue in polideportivo, 5E (30b)
5km Fontei - albergue Casa de Solaina, 11E (6b, dinner 8E, breakfast 2E)
(in A Rua 200m away various pensiones for about 20E per person)
28,5km Quiroga - albergue municipal, 9E (150b in double/triple rooms)
21,5km A Pobra de Brollon - hostal As Vinas, HP 28E for pilgrims
12km Monforte de Lemos - hostal Puente Romano, 30E/40E for double/triple room for pilgrims (a bit worn down but right next to the romanesque bridge, very good and cheap dinner in O Xugo in front of monasterio de escolapios)
31km Chantada - hotel Mogay, BB 45E for double room for pilgrims (breakfast in a bar 50m further on route, you get a voucher)
25,5km Rodeiro - hospedaxe O Guerra, 40E for double room for pilgrims (also very good dinner for 10E)
(at 22km Lalin - various pensiones and hostales for about 30E per person)
29km A Laxe - albergue Xunta, 5E (28bb, kitchen with very few utensils, buy food in Lalin)
9,5km Silleda - albergue santa Olaia, 5-10E (65b), also albergue turistico for 10E
29km Outeiro - albergue Xunta, 5E (32bb, kitchen, buy food in Ponte Ulla)
18km Santiago - albergues

there are also polideportivos in all towns that have them, ask in ayuntamientos.

I have been studiously correcting my description while walking and will be posting the corrected version, in english, on the net (and the link here) sometime by the end of the year. with the permission of the author of the spanish guide!