LIVE from the Camino Reflections on the Invierno

[Glenshiro]

Just a few Rreflections on the Camino Invierno.

Tough going? Well, it's not the Meseta, and it does make you work for some fantastic views, but, at age 70, and by no means a gym bunny, I had no real problems. Do make sure you take plenty of water with you as there are very few water points on the way.

Facilities: practically non-existent between towns and even then a lot of shops don't open until 9:00 or even 10:00 a.m. A packed lunch of some sort is pretty much essential. I managed to get a sandwich from each of my accommodation providers. And, of course, I always carry a flask of tea! I have a heating coil, as recommended by a contributor to this forums - I can't remember who, but thank you whoever you are.

Accommodation: not much choice. There are very few albergues and I usually stay in hotels anyway. Other contributors have given their opinions, most of which I agree with. I didn't like the Charpintieras in Rodeiro, but mainly because my room was very hot and stuffy. At €27 I can't really complain. One unexpected gem was the Victorino in Bandeira.

Dogs: most of the Invierno goes through farming country and many of them are dairy farms which means that the cattle have to be moved twice a day. Dogs are an essential tool for cattle and sheep farmers and there are a lot of them on the way. They all bark very loudly and sometimes unexpectedly, which can be alarming, but their bark really is worse than their bite. However, if you have a fear of dogs, you won't enjoy it.

Worth doing? Undoubtedly, in my opinion, if only for the views alone. Plus, it impresses them at the pilgrim office in Santiago! If you mention you have walked the Invierno they will put it on your certificate of distance as well as whichever other Camino you walked to reach it.

 

[LTfit]

I believe that it was Laurie @peregrina2000 (a member of the coil club) who recommended it.

 

[Robo]

Just a few Rreflections on the Camino Invierno.

Tough going? Well, it's not the Meseta, and it does make you work for some fantastic views, but, at age 70, and by no means a gym bunny, I had no real problems. Do make sure you take plenty of water with you as there are very few water points on the way.

Facilities: practically non-existent between towns and even then a lot of shops don't open until 9:00 or even 10:00 a.m. A packed lunch of some sort is pretty much essential. I managed to get a sandwich from each of my accommodation providers. And, of course, I always carry a flask of tea! I have a heating coil, as recommended by a contributor to this forums - I can't remember who, but thank you whoever you are.

Accommodation: not much choice. There are very few albergues and I usually stay in hotels anyway. Other contributors have given their opinions, most of which I agree with. I didn't like the Charpintieras in Rodeiro, but mainly because my room was very hot and stuffy. At €27 I can't really complain. One unexpected gem was the Victorino in Bandeira.

Dogs: most of the Invierno goes through farming country and many of them are dairy farms which means that the cattle have to be moved twice a day. Dogs are an essential tool for cattle and sheep farmers and there are a lot of them on the way. They all bark very loudly and sometimes unexpectedly, which can be alarming, but their bark really is worse than their bite. However, if you have a fear of dogs, you won't enjoy it.

Worth doing? Undoubtedly, in my opinion, if only for the views alone. Plus, it impresses them at the pilgrim office in Santiago! If you mention you have walked the Invierno they will put it on your certificate of distance as well as whichever other Camino you walked to reach it.

A fair summary I reckon.
I walked it in May and loved it.

Thankfully I'd had a 700 km 'warm up' so the hills were a breeze

Accommodation. There is certainly 'enough'.
I was able to keep my stages down to about 20 kms.

And the views? Oh the views...........
Stunning.

I'm just glad I got to walk it before it gets really popular.
It will!

 

[Glenshiro]

I believe that it was Laurie @peregrina2000 (a member of the coil club) who recommended it.

I think you're right. Laurie also persuaded me to use WhatsApp, which has been a Godsend. Thanks!

 

[peregrina2000]

I have a heating coil, as recommended by a contributor to this forums - I can't remember who, but thank you whoever you are.

The Electric Coil Club is always glad to welcome new members. On my recent Lana, I needed it for dinner as well as for coffee in the morning, as we were occasionally in albergues in towns that had nothing.

I will also point out that a few years ago, in Salamanca @C clearly gifted me her electric coil, because she hadn’t found a use for it. I am now happily using that coil, since my old one had sputtered to its end just a day earlier (talk about synchronicity).

Fast forward to this year - I met up with @C clearly to walk the Lana, and lo and behold she had reconsidered. The Club decided to let her back in. I think that for anyone walking remote caminos, they are worth their weight in gold!

 

[laineylainey]

one of my favourites, the Invierno, loved it!

 

[camino07]

Just a few Rreflections on the Camino Invierno.

Tough going? Well, it's not the Meseta, and it does make you work for some fantastic views, but, at age 70, and by no means a gym bunny, I had no real problems. Do make sure you take plenty of water with you as there are very few water points on the way.

Facilities: practically non-existent between towns and even then a lot of shops don't open until 9:00 or even 10:00 a.m. A packed lunch of some sort is pretty much essential. I managed to get a sandwich from each of my accommodation providers. And, of course, I always carry a flask of tea! I have a heating coil, as recommended by a contributor to this forums - I can't remember who, but thank you whoever you are.

Accommodation: not much choice. There are very few albergues and I usually stay in hotels anyway. Other contributors have given their opinions, most of which I agree with. I didn't like the Charpintieras in Rodeiro, but mainly because my room was very hot and stuffy. At €27 I can't really complain. One unexpected gem was the Victorino in Bandeira.

Dogs: most of the Invierno goes through farming country and many of them are dairy farms which means that the cattle have to be moved twice a day. Dogs are an essential tool for cattle and sheep farmers and there are a lot of them on the way. They all bark very loudly and sometimes unexpectedly, which can be alarming, but their bark really is worse than their bite. However, if you have a fear of dogs, you won't enjoy it.

Worth doing? Undoubtedly, in my opinion, if only for the views alone. Plus, it impresses them at the pilgrim office in Santiago! If you mention you have walked the Invierno they will put it on your certificate of distance as well as whichever other Camino you walked to reach it.

I do have a fear of loose dogs so the Invierno may not be for me .

 

[Glenshiro]

You do encounter them because in many cases the camino actually goes through the middle of a farm and the dogs are wandering around loose. The owner is usually close by and will often call the dog back but this is not guaranteed!

I was followed down the road a couple of times by very persistent yappy dogs who were just a real nuisance.

 

[Tom Cartwright]

Just a few Rreflections on the Camino Invierno.

Tough going? Well, it's not the Meseta, and it does make you work for some fantastic views, but, at age 70, and by no means a gym bunny, I had no real problems. Do make sure you take plenty of water with you as there are very few water points on the way.

Facilities: practically non-existent between towns and even then a lot of shops don't open until 9:00 or even 10:00 a.m. A packed lunch of some sort is pretty much essential. I managed to get a sandwich from each of my accommodation providers. And, of course, I always carry a flask of tea! I have a heating coil, as recommended by a contributor to this forums - I can't remember who, but thank you whoever you are.

Accommodation: not much choice. There are very few albergues and I usually stay in hotels anyway. Other contributors have given their opinions, most of which I agree with. I didn't like the Charpintieras in Rodeiro, but mainly because my room was very hot and stuffy. At €27 I can't really complain. One unexpected gem was the Victorino in Bandeira.

Dogs: most of the Invierno goes through farming country and many of them are dairy farms which means that the cattle have to be moved twice a day. Dogs are an essential tool for cattle and sheep farmers and there are a lot of them on the way. They all bark very loudly and sometimes unexpectedly, which can be alarming, but their bark really is worse than their bite. However, if you have a fear of dogs, you won't enjoy it.

Worth doing? Undoubtedly, in my opinion, if only for the views alone. Plus, it impresses them at the pilgrim office in Santiago! If you mention you have walked the Invierno they will put it on your certificate of distance as well as whichever other Camino you walked to reach it.

Many thanks for this. I plan to walk the Invierno in Sept.

 

[Robo]

I do have a fear of loose dogs so the Invierno may not be for me .

@camino07 I think I might have posted this on another thread.
It will give you an idea of what it's like....

Dog 'encounters' on the Invierno.
5 Dogs in about 200 metres!
All quite different....but none were a problem.



View attachment Dogs 2.mp4

 

[Marbe2]

The Electric Coil Club is always glad to welcome new members. On my recent Lana, I needed it for dinner as well as for coffee in the morning, as we were occasionally in albergues in towns that had nothing.

I will also point out that a few years ago, in Salamanca @C clearly gifted me her electric coil, because she hadn’t found a use for it. I am now happily using that coil, since my old one had sputtered to its end just a day earlier (talk about synchronicity).

Fast forward to this year - I met up with @C clearly to walk the Lana, and lo and behold she had reconsidered. The Club decided to let her back in. I think that for anyone walking remote caminos, they are worth their weight in gold!

Electric coils aka immersion heaters have been around for many years. We have used them whenever we travel to any paid accommodation…even in the USA.

Lots of bars on busy camino routes are not open early. An owner of an establishment on the CF told us in May of 2023 that increasingly bar owners on that route are beginning to open later in the morning, because the high season now lasts longer and they appear to be enough customers later in the morning and day that they don’t want or need to work so many hours a day. In addition, if you walk in the late Fall or Winter on the CF you may not find anything open between the major towns. So we consider an immersion heater a necessity on any camino path!
Even when we travel in the USA we bring one. Will our hotel accommodation actually have a tea kettle? Do I want to use the kettle that is in the room, if it is in it? Is the coffee early in the morning, even drinkable in the hotel lobby? We keep a little bag ready to go with immersion heater, a few tea and coffee bags and a couple of bouillon packets, which we then just toss in our luggage or pack.

 

[ranthr]

The Electric Coil Club is always glad to welcome new members. On my recent Lana, I needed it for dinner as well as for coffee in the morning, as we were occasionally in albergues in towns that had nothing.

I will also point out that a few years ago, in Salamanca @C clearly gifted me her electric coil, because she hadn’t found a use for it. I am now happily using that coil, since my old one had sputtered to its end just a day earlier (talk about synchronicity).

Fast forward to this year - I met up with @C clearly to walk the Lana, and lo and behold she had reconsidered. The Club decided to let her back in. I think that for anyone walking remote caminos, they are worth their weight in gold!

@Peregrina 2000 Can you tell me where to buy an electric coil, have not found it anywhere in Norway, searched since I saw you talked about it years ago.

 

[Glenshiro]

Have you tried eBay & Amazon?

 

[camino07]

@camino07 I think I might have posted this on another thread.
It will give you an idea of what it's like....

Dog 'encounters' on the Invierno.
5 Dogs in about 200 metres!
All quite different....but none were a problem.



View attachment 151440

I'm sure I could cope with those ones ,Rob. Its the big ones I don't like.