Somewhat disillusioned....

[Sojourner47]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum, though not to long distance walking.
I was planning to do a camino next year, really looking forward to it, and getting loads of tips from all you experienced pilgrims, BUT...
I must say all the talk of "toilet etiquette" etc has put me off a bit, as well as the prospect of rushing to queue for an alberge bed for the night.
Are all the routes as bad as the CF regarding litter and human waste?
Any recent surveys on the "cleanest" (and quietest) route? Or doesn't this exist?
I accept that one has to (endure) put up with a certain amount of discomfort - otherwise stay in a posh hotel etc - but by the way things seem to be going, especially the overcrowding, I think I'll stick to the Southwest Coast path for next year (600 odd miles in England)

 

[Vigdis]

Hi, Sojourner47, and welcome to this forum.
Oh, no! Don't let the "toilet etiquette" or the rush to get a bed in the albergues stop you from going!
It is not as bad as it sounds.
It is SO beautiful to walk the camino!
When it comes to albergues; if you can walk on other parts of the year than in summer, which is the mots busy times, let's say in March/April or Sept/Oct, I think this will be ok too.

By the way; what is the name of the path you are referring to in England? I would like to walk in Scotland (St. Cuthbert's way for excample), and in England

 

[markss]

Agree entirely with Vigdis ... the toilet and liter bit is way over stated on this forum. Yes any liter is unsightly, however in my opinion it is not nearly as big a problem as the comments here might suggest.

I've only done the Camino in March and October, not the busiest of months, but there was never a rush to get to alburgues as the number of beds were plentiful. In fact, a number of new alburgues opened in 2010 so hopefully this will become less of an issue even in the busy months of midsummer.

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Sojourner,

I was nervous as well about walking the Camino Frances, i heard and read so many negative reports about the it and yes there is little problems here and there, BUT...

For the sheer beauty and the friendship you will encounter these other problems are not what you will be feeling, maybe just a little sad when you do come upon them.

I cant help you with the overcrowding issue i walked in November and it was busy(for me anyway) but not stupidly. What i would say the racing is a matter of attitude sometimes, yes you may want to guarantee yourself a bed, but why not just let the day enfold as well, go at your pace and see what happens, you might be pleasantly suprised more times than you would expect. This happened to me on the Norte, i only set of really early twice(and one of them was when i had moved on to the CF), stopped a lot, would take naps in the afternoon, go swimming if i was lucky enough to be next to the sea and still get a bed when i got to the Albergue usually around 4-6pm. And that was in July of last year when in my estimation there would around 40-50 pilgrims walking any of the sections
after Gijon, and if you know the pilgrim bed situation on the Norte that should be too much, but it always seemed to be OK.

I live near the South West Coastal Path and i will envy you if you walk it, i used it for my training for both Caminos, but even on there expect to encounter some of the problems(litter and waste) that may have put you off the CF.

Good luck and i hope you really enjoy whatever path you walk.

Mike

 

[+@^^]

its a bit like a movie review
lots of opinions
and if you still go to the movie with a dodgy rating
it doesnt mean all movies are bad
.....

 

[Sagalouts]

Hi Mike
the choice is yours mate,but like the other posters the CF is not as bad as painted and is so special,the pluses way outweigh any negatives.
I have also looked at the south coast walk but unless you wild camp it will be so expensive and comes with 14/15 ferry crosses.the CF works out at about one euro per Km the coast walk maybe £2000/£3000 for the whole trip for an extended dog walkers/day trippers walk?
don't be put off
Ian

 

[lynnejohn]

I have walked five different caminos and loved them all. The toilet issue exists to some extent on the busiest caminos (CF in particular) but is certainly not present everywhere you go. Our discussions here are meant to share information, advice and opinion and at times, cautionary tales. Have a wonderful camino experience, whichever route you decide to take.

(The Solitary Walker walked the SouthWest Coast Path this past fall, and wrote a fascinating tale about it.)

http://solitary-walker.blogspot.com/201 ... rlock.html

lynne

 

[Beverley]

Hi, yes the Toilet talk got a little out of control. I think people just enjoy "bathroom" talk.
You must find your own Camino. Go with joy in your heart and positive expectations and you will find both come back to you in spades!

Check out the American Pilgrim website and take a look at stats they post. You will see that during Holy years Pilgrims more than double on the Camino, but in other years it is fine. Check out the monthly stats on that site too and if you are flexible, you might go in one of the more quiet months. August appears to be the busiest time every year. Those stats represent those who finish therefore you must not take them to mean they are only CF pilgrims

I did the CF in May 2009 and it was great. The Camino Portuguese from Porto was very quiet in September and it too was a delight.

 

[Sojourner47]

Thanks, all, for your positive comments.I hoped/suspected there would be...
Vigdis - the Southwest Coast Path runs around the SW peninsula of England, covering the counties of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset, stretching for about 630 miles. As Ian says, it does have a lot of ferry crossings, and cheap accommodation (Youth Hostels etc) is sparse.And it is quite challenging - lots of "upanddown" stuff...
I have done quite a lot of long hikes in the past, and am familiar with the general detritus left by those along the way.I suppose, as Beverly says, the talk about it gets out of hand at times...
However, the discussion on this forum is brilliant, and obviously there will be good and not so good experiences related here.(as with films, of course...)
I have now paid my subs for the CSJ, so I'll have to do a camino now!! (on the point of applying for my credential.) The last good hike I had was a week in the Traumuntana in Mallorca, staying at cheap hostals and monasterties, a lot of it on old pilgrim footpaths.(I can recommend this if anyone wants a winter break) As stated in another thread, I'm currently experimenting with ultralight pack and footwear - in Mallorca I wore Asolo running shoes and carried about 4 kgs, including water ,in a small daysac.
So, the upshot of all this is - probably - you've convinced me!
I'd go tomorrow, or soon, at least, but as ever, finances or lack of, get in the way.
Muchas gracias S47

 

[Deleted member 3000]

As one of the regular participants in provocative posts, I apologize for my contribution to your disillusionment. Persistent negative threads can give the illusion that there is little to recommend the Camino Frances. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Some of the posts are to inform future pilgrims of irritants to anticipate. Some are to get an irritant off one's chest. Some are just to provoke or play a little game of "my dad is better than your dad." The cumulative effect can become completely inaccurate.

For every irritant, there is a solution. Don't like the bed race? Start early and stop early. Snorers keeping you awake? Wear ear plugs. Smoke getting into your eyes? Move upwind, or go to another restaurant. Lots of complaints are because the solution is rejected. You cannot cover enormous distances, if you start early and stop early. You cannot eat in the restaurant of your choosing if it permits smoking (supposedly no longer a problem) and you dislike smoke.

And on-and-on.

It is completely possible to have a miserable camino by obsessing on the things that irritate you -- rain, heat, water, litter, human waste, closed stores, Spanish/French business hours, smoke, bedbugs, perfume, snoring, blisters, rude hospitaleros, and on-and-on. After I have read some posts, I wonder why some of the posters ever go a second time, or bother to make comments on their experiences.

It is worthwhile to know what to expect, but as you have come to understand, it is a great adventure, and can be a fantastic experience. Take only the factual information from the negative posts; ignore the emotion and irritation. Your walk will be unique, and your attitude toward it is completely under your own control. Don't let the nattering nabobs of negativism affect your attitude.

Again, I apologize for my part, and wish you a satisfying pilgrimage.

 

[Sojourner47]

Thank you falcon - you are of course right , and the overwhelming majority of posts on here are postive , including yours.
Just sometimes one gets stuck on a bad succession of replies (I was scanning another forum - not CSJ - which had a litany of bad experiences re: overcrowding, bedbugs, litter,snoring, and all the other stuff mentioned here and there...) Which was a bit depressing, so I shall stay off that site, and take heed from the good pereginos here.
And, of course, take each day as it comes.
S47

 

[Anniesantiago]

As the person who started the toilet etiquette post, I have to second Falcon's post.

The Camino is a WONDERFUL experience, and the positives far outweigh the negatives.
My point was to simply put information out - and instead of just talking I showed examples - in the hopes that the people on this forum would be responsible pilgrims and pick up after themselves.

Go.. have fun... don't rush for a bed... just trust the Camino to provide.
It will be fine

 

[Caminando]

Hi, yes the Toilet talk got a little out of control. I think people just enjoy "bathroom" talk.

"Out of control"? That's quite a phrase Bev! Surely people wished to speak of an issue which previously hadnt been discussed, and needed to be. It would have been rather Victorian and controlled to suppress such an issue, dont you think?

And it's perhaps debatable to say they 'enjoyed' it? It doesnt seem that they did. Maybe discussing it was mature and adult. It seems so anyway.

 

[marian55]

My idea:
Pilgrimage is not just about our joy for travelling, but also about the footprints we leave behind....

 

[Caminando]

As one of the regular participants in provocative posts, I apologize for my contribution to your disillusionment.

 

[Sojourner47]

I am taking all your good advice, and ditching the disillusionment - booked Ryanair flight to SdC Mar 28th to walk CI from Ferro; for 5/6 days....I hope this short recon will lead to more - much longer - caminos.
ATB, Howard

 

[Beverley]

You go Pilgrim! 8)

 

[daesdaemar]

I am taking all your good advice, and ditching the disillusionment - booked Ryanair flight to SdC Mar 28th to walk CI from Ferro; for 5/6 days....I hope this short recon will lead to more - much longer - caminos.
ATB, Howard

I did the CI last August. I loved it and I hope your experience will be positive.
Now specifically as to your concerns, I never ran into the toilet issue problem. I'm not sure if it is just over-stated, but perhaps is a problem on the more traveled camino(s). I also don't believe the alburgues on the CI are ever crowded. There should be no need to rush for a bed.
Buen Camino!

 

[tessfelix@att.net]

I am going back to the CF next year, 2012 to pick up garbage, and to create an art piece out of the collected waste. I'm looking for a donkey and a cart to carry the trash. Anyone know where I can rent a donkey from St. Jean Peid de Port- to Santiago with a pick up for the donkey?

 

[jujuaway]

Hello all, just finished the Camino Francis on 11th October- 35 days on the trail, 32 days of walking.... absolutely loved it and am trying to plan another one sooner than soon
....... just wanted to let people know i piggybacked along the Way with a huge group of young people all walking in convoy,(at least 9) all staying in the same albergues and basically having fun together. They represented at least five counties.... and besides being young they had in common a pair of tongs and big plastic bags each and as they ambled along they picked up rubbish with the tongs... bending as they went and some singing as well....... don't you just love young people... "act in the world as you want it to be". juju

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Juju, it does my heart good to read about the young people picking up trash. In my experience, it is mostly the groups of young people who toss trash everywhere.
Redemption!

Reb.

 

[Soliwo]

That is interesting Rebecca. In my experience a lot of older (40+) people litter. Some actually drop litter and then blame the young people. It is the same in public transport. Some older people assume they are entitled to skip waiting lines because they have a few extra years under there belt, or think loud chatting is ok so long you do not do it in a cell phone. Prejudice all around huh? Anyway, I am getting of topic.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I walked with a Spanish church school group for several days. They almost bought out the vending machine in Barbadelo, and left a trail of food wrappers all the way to Portomarin. It was a very personable group, but I think the peer pressure was to be as rebellious as possible in a Catholic school group. Once one member of the group had tossed litter, they all seemed to feel the need to follow. I have seen a lot of adults toss tissues and cigarette butts, but never food wrappers. Of course, 99.9999999% of the littering occurs outside of my view! Still, I can personally attest to the lack of eco-consciousness of one group of Spanish teenagers.

 

[Alpes]

Just think in the positive things and goooooooooooooooo

 

[newfydog]

The people who post about the negatives do so because they love the Camino so much that they fell compelled to help protect the experience.

Go see for yourself---you'll come back one of them.

 

[MoniRose]

OK - So now I'm a little worried as I will be walking during the busiest time - end of May into July. Am I gonna find a bed?! - M :arrow:

 

[KiwiNomad06]

OK - So now I'm a little worried as I will be walking during the busiest time - end of May into July. Am I gonna find a bed?! - M :arrow:

I walked the Camino Frances at exactly that time and it was fine. I never had any problems finding a bed anywhere.
Margaret

 

[Jeff Stys]

Very few people who know me well would label me an 'optimist'...

I am regularly impressed how little litter there is along the camino...yes, there is some occasionally. But when you consider the number of people walking each day, I think we group of pilgrims act fairly well.

There will always be a few outliers but I have been impressed how well we all pitch in to support each other and the tradition of 'the way."

 

[Abbeydore]

Very few people who know me well would label me an 'optimist'...

I am regularly impressed how little litter there is along the camino...yes, there is some occasionally. But when you consider the number of people walking each day, I think we group of pilgrims act fairly well.

There will always be a few outliers but I have been impressed how well we all pitch in to support each other and the tradition of 'the way."

Funny that, I'm not an opti either
you've made my day :lol:
However I'm still taking my 14 paki bags too fill,
& if they only get used for sitting on all well & good :lol: