Shortest Amount of Time to make the Camino from SJPP to Sant

[acobb6]

My wife and I are planning our Camino and have roughly three weeks to make the trip, with a little leeway on the back end of the pilgrimage. It is important for she and I to complete the entire route and were curious if it is feasible to do it in 3 weeks or not. Any guidance or help would be appreciated!

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

If you can walk about 38 kilometers a day without taking a rest day or getting sick or injured, then sure.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It has been done in 9 days and five hours.

 

[3walkingtoSantiago]

That 9-day camino was done by a woman from my hometown (Lynchburg, VA), I believe. She basically ran 2 marathons a day. Whatever floats your boat.

 

[tyrrek]

Hi Acobb6.

As the others say, it's possible though unusual. You'd both have to be very athletic to do 40kms per day rather than the average 20-25kms.

Question what you consider to be the 'entire route', though. I guess you mean SJPP or Roncesvalles to SdC? There are many others, some of which start hundreds of miles before the French-Spanish border.

Just make sure you don't miss out on the best bits of the Camino. You will have great evenings with great people but the next evening you'll be 15kms ahead of them all, so it will be hard to make lasting friendships, for example.

Buen Camino!

 

[LTfit]

As mentioned in the above post it is possible if you keep to an average of 40 km per day - day in, day out without a rest day. July 2010 I completed the Camino from SJPdP to Finisterre in 23 days (21 to Santiago). This had not been my intention when I started the Camino and I was surprised that it was even possible but it worked for me. I was reasonably fit at the time but was a 54 year old female and no wonder woman!

Sometime in 2010 I posted my stages in a thread (km and places I stayed). Should I be able to retrieve it I will repost for you. There are many pros and cons to walking such distances. Feel free to PM me if you would like additional information.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Whatever floats your boat.

I agree, but there is something off-putting to me about turning the Camino into a stunt. There are Easter festivals around the world where the devout imitate Jesus. If someone decided to drag twenty crosses instead of one just to get into the Guinness Book of World Records, I suspect they would be condemned rather than lauded. That is just my guess, though.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

We issued a compostela yesterday to a woman who walked from St Jean in 21 days. I asked her about it and she explained that it just turned out that way...as we all know some days you have the legs to walk much more than others.

 

[LTfit]

I stand corrected. It took me 20 days to reach Santiago from SJPdP. Here are the stages:

Day 1: SJPdP - Roncevaux (Roncesvalles) 27 km
Day 2: Roncevalles- Pamplona 42,5
Day 3: Pamplona-Estella 46,2
Day 4: Estella-Viana 40,4
Day 5: Viana- Nájera 42,4
Day 6: Nájera-Grañon 27,3
Day 7: Grañon-Villafranca Montes de Oca 28,4 (got lost in the dark!+9=37,4)
Day 8: Villafranca-Burgos 39,6 (+/- , took the 'river route' so may be different)
Day 9: Burgos-Castrojeriz 40,3
Day 10:Castrojeriz-Carrión de los Contes 44
Day 11:Carrión-Sahagún 37
Day 12:Sahagún-León 51
Day 13:León-Hospital de Orbigo 36,4
Day 14:Hospital-Foncebadón 42
Day 15:Foncebadón-Cacabelos 42,9
Day 16:Cacabelos-O Cebreiro 37,7
Day 17:O Cebreiro-Sarria 44,9
Day 18:Sarria-Os Chacotes 45,1
Day 19:Os Chacotes-Arca/Pedrouzo 48,5
Day 20edrouzo-Santiago 20,3
Day 21:Santiago-Vilaserio 34
Day 22:Vilaserio-Corcubión 45
Day 23:Corcubión-Finisterre 12 (July 25th)

I found the information in my thread 'Municipal/Parroquial Aubergue review July 2010' where I give detailed information about where I stayed each night.
EDITED MIGUEL_GP : Link to thread added above
During that time period there were only a handful of us that walked these distances. I would not recommend this in general. As I mentioned, it just worked out that way - for sure never to be repeated by me!

 

[miamijhp]

LTfit.
I salute you and respect you for the physical part . Average of 40 kilometers per day in a very good shape (5 km per hour) with at least one stop every 2 hours take you to at "least" 10 hours on the road.
Have you any time to socialize with other "peregrinos"?
Did you visit any Cathedral, Museum or any place of interest on the road?

Acbb6
If I were you I will walk a shorter "camino" and I'll try to enjoy the views, the food and the people. I will keep the physical part to do at home.
Buen Camino

Jorge

 

[Pieces]

well, actually.

If one walks 40km at 5kmh and takes 2 hrs break, one has 8 hrs to socialise while walking, 2 hrs to socialise while taking resta and 6 hrs to socialise and visit museums (although I cant think why i would want to) after walking before one sleeps for 8 hrs...

in any event, maybe one doesn't walk to socialise & see cathedrals but to something else...

 

[miamijhp]

Pieces:
Two different points of view.
You are young and energetic, I am old and kind of slow.

Buen Camino..

Jorge

 

[spursfan]

It's very possible - I walked on average for 7.5 hours per day with a break for lunch and did it in 20 days; of those who started on the same day from SJPP, two others took 21 and 22 days; I found that I was completing the standard Brierley stage by lunchtime, so then decided to do an extra stage in the afternoon - even so, I finished most days about 4pm with the very latest at 6pm

 

[annakappa]

To all of you who did walk the Camino in approx 20 days, my guess is that you all walked without a partner and therefore you were the only person to account for. It can be more problematic if you have to take into the considerations of the other person. Either of you can have good or bad days, not to mention feet or leg problems, stomach bugs, adverse weather, etc. or simply a wish to linger in one special place.
Accob6, you don't mention where you want to start you Pilgrimage, but if you intend to walk every step of the way, then I would suggest that you start nearer Santiago, say about 600/650 Kms away, so that you don't have to rush every day. Anne

 

[duncan pm]

Well, fine. If you really must, I suppose.
I just do not relate to that.
I remember meeting - once and very briefly - an overzealous cyclist wishing to impress by "doing" the camino in 3 days.
Whatever it offers the individual, I suppose.
It feels collosaly undercooked, unripe and partbaked. No depth.
So very much not experienced, given, or shared. What is received in those few days be of value ans worth but is only a glimmer of the broader picture.
Only my feelings and thoughts - I wish them well in their endeavours.

 

[SabsP]

Last year on the CF I met an irish man who walked an average of 45 k a day. Each to their own of course but it is not my idea of a nice time. But like people stated here already : if you feel up to this and it is your thing...go for it.
I walked an average of 20.9 k a day, shortest was 9k , longest almost 30 k ( still slow for the high speeders I guess lol ).
Didn't particularly do much sightseeing but slept, walked a bit around the town/ village but most of all just sat quietly at a terrace / bar / etc...and talked ( or didn't talk ) with other pilgrims.

 

[LTfit]

As suspected, this topic has lead to quite a gambit of opinions - and rightly so. All I can say is that people will have something to say no matter what you do and how you walk the Camino!

In my original post (thank you for including the link Miguel) I did not include km's as the thread was an aubergue review. It was not until a forum participant specifically requested this information that I included it.

As Pieces rightly stated, I had more than enough time to converse with shop-keepers, café owners, hospitaleros and fellow pilgrims when I chose to do so. Many a morning was spent in contemplative thought which is exactly what I needed! And as I usually arrived at an aubergue by 3 or 4 p.m. I had the rest of the afternoon and evening to do things that pilgrims do: shower, wash clothes, chat, shop, eat, socialize, visit town and write in my journal. What I did not do is take a siesta but then again I didn't feel the need.

I agree with you Annakappa that such a pace would be very difficult with a walking companion although I did walk with a Catalan and a Basque woman for about a week and my last three days with a Brazilian (all in their 20's-30's).

Every Camino is different as I experienced last summer walking the Via de la Plata. As in 2010 I had no set plan: walk and see is my philosophy. On day 1 I met someone and we walked the following 3 three weeks together. Sometimes more, sometimes less than one of us would have done on our own. This time around I walked from Sevilla to Zamora (600 km) in the same time that it took me the previous year to walk from SJPdP to Santiago. Was it a 'beter' or more 'valuable' experience because we covered less distance? No, just different. But then every Camino is.

 

[Thornley]

Do we walk as we live?
Start as an old man , finish as a young man ?
We were asked and told these in 07 .

A good 6 weeks later after a very slow and beautiful walk, the last 20km into Santiago was with an american whose wife was holidaying in southern Portugal. He walks from Leon each year.
We took 8 hrs to walk this 20km.
We discussed the economy of both Australia and the USA . We had too many coffees and he told of financing our mines in Western Australia.

When we arrived home in late 07 we sold many assets, financial bonds etc and placed them into fixed term bank deposits. Today we hold those discussions with Andrew very close to our heart and thank" The Bloke Above" we ran into this very casual , quiet lovely American who had moved from The States to Sth America because he saw what was coming..

David

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

an overzealous cyclist wishing to impress by "doing" the camino in 3 days.

It is sad to think about people who think doing the camino as quickly as possible (several recent posts/threads about how fast to walk/how far to walk, etc) is impressive to anyone. I keep trying to recall the author of an American lit short story, about a man for whom the pinnacle of his life was a football pass he made in high school.

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

I would suggest to the OP that if you only have three weeks, start closer to SdC, or bus/train some of the distances before reaching Sarria if it appears the pace you will be walking is interfering with experiencing the camino.

 

[SYates]

@Smallest_Sparrow

You do realise that you are responding to a very old thread? Buen Camino, SY

 

[Smallest_Sparrow]

@Smallest_Sparrow

You do realise that you are responding to a very old thread? Buen Camino, SY

no...I have no idea how it came up on my screen...I'm going to guess someone must have liked it...on my phone it is difficult to tell.

 

[vlebe]

I love when that happens.... Resurrection of old threads!

I have to admit I read everything, liked some of the posts, ans was even planning to reply to a couple of them imagining they were from today.

And then.... @SYates brought me back to present time

 

[SYates]

Sorry about that @vlebe ! Buen Camino, SY

 

[Michael Caleigh]

I read the whole thread too...then I saw ´07 and thought what a good memory this person has....lol...and then the post that it was an old thread. Lol

 

[LTfit]

Thanks for resurrecting the thread again, looking back at my stages from 2010 I am amazed haha. I can and still do 40+ km stages when needed or in the mood but so many in a row !

 

[don88]

I walked Sarria to SdC in May 2015. Was the slowest pilgrim on the way. 117k in 13 days. Not many others to talk with while walking as they passed me by. But made up for it when I stopped for the day. Was going back this year but my hip gave out. Now 19 days past replacement and walking without cane. Plan to return in 2017. If any of you speed walkers see an old guy walking, slow down for 10 minutes and it might make both our days.

 

[JabbaPapa]

3 weeks is tight even if you can do the 40K daily it requires ... because the ever-present possibility of needing or even just wanting to take a slow day or a rest day cannot be ignored ; also, you really really should let time obey your Camino, not the other way 'round.