taking a tent on the camino Madrid

[johnjosiah1]

Weight and too much bother versus nights out where possible?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

nights out where possible

If you plan to camp, take the tent. The general thrust of anti-tent advice in the Forum is about taking one in case you cannot find a bed. It is wasted weight for that motivation; it becomes "an item you might need," and almost everyone advises leaving items in that category at home (first aid excepted). If you plan to camp the camino, a tent becomes a "will use" item.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Weight and too much bother versus nights out where possible?

Hola

Because the Camino Madrid was devised in modern times by other pilgrims the stages are straightforward and basically you leave one place and walk through the countryside to the next - i.e from bed to bed without passing through other villages etc in the case of most etapas. There are no official camp sites on the route and although there are many opportunities for wild camping I'd say why bother with the hassle of carrying a tent when there is adequate other accommodation? If you do decide to camp be aware that much of the forest along the route is used for harvesting both sap and wood and is highly protected with regular forest patrols - they will not be happy with informal camping and you may very well be moved on if spotted. Light a fire and you are likely to get arrested.

But this is a very beautiful route indeed. Truly, "no roads". Enjoy.

The new edition of the guide will be posted when Ivar has time.

John

 

[Sojourner47]

Well John, I would agree that the route is beautiful, but, "no roads" is a bit of a fib.
I've only walked from Madrid to Cercedilla, but I recall a long stretch of tarmac road on the approach to Cercedilla, albeit unfrequented, and, at the time, redolent with the scent of pine resin in the heat.

 

[johnjosiah1]

many thanks! im particularly aware of the fire problem and the deaths caused by the careless! nice to see there are patrols although im not sure if they would stamp the sello whilst arresting me and giving me a bed for the night the bit about the bed to bed ideology is fine except that i started my questions with the doability of long stages for the elderly and infirm!! are there sedan chairs and porters for hire? I have bought the ultralite ruck (OMM Mountain Mover) (cheek eh?) and taking the rab quantum 250 sleeping bag and am now about to heave the tent back into the cupboard! Anybody else get delirious at this stage? its not exactly my first camino! should anybody on the v dlp between cordoba and merida happen to book into a certain hostal, have a look in room no 9. stand on a chair and look behind the wardrobe. there might still be a terra nova laser comp hiding there! I got fed up carrying it on the "I might need it" stakes! serves me right! the finder may keep it (its rather expensive) or consider it a long term loan and then get it back to me?
yours in extremis! sean

 

[Sojourner47]

Sean - as said, I've only walked the first stage of the Madrid, but as far as I could see, there were plenty of wild camping opportunities,as ever, provided one keeps a low profile. Of course there are lots of albergues etc to stay, but don't reject the camping option. I'd be interested to see your packing list, if deciding to camp.

 

[oursonpolaire]

@johnjosiah1- The police would only be too happy to stamp your credencial and you would have a sello to talk about when you got to Santiago. There is a complex post-civil-war history about wild camping near cities, relating to the many displaced veterans, some of whom camped near towns and made their living in the "informal" economy, and which, joined with prejudice about Roma/gypsies and the recent fires, might make you a point of attention. While this might be more curious than negative, I would skip carrying the tent and enjoy the comradeship of the albergues.

 

[Sojourner47]

I would skip carrying the tent and enjoy the comradeship of the albergues.

I would carry the tent.
In my experience, the so-called pilgrim comradeship leaves something to be desired..... :mrgreen:

 

[JohnnieWalker]

On this route pilgrims are few and far between - 480 last year!

 

[johnjosiah1]

@johnjosiah1- The police would only be too happy to stamp your credencial and you would have a sello to talk about when you got to Santiago. There is a complex post-civil-war history about wild camping near cities, relating to the many displaced veterans, some of whom camped near towns and made their living in the "informal" economy, and which, joined with prejudice about Roma/gypsies and the recent fires, might make you a point of attention. While this might be more curious than negative, I would skip carrying the tent and enjoy the comradeship of the albergues.

after reading about the lack of albergues between madrid and segovia I am back to square one. I am NOT fit enough for 35k stretches! besides, I might sleep under the stars in a bivvy! as hotel accommodation is not cheap I would hate to have to bus and train it between suitable albergues which only seem to be plentiful for those with the speed of greyhounds and the stamina of oak tree legs Thinks, at 75 the bus is beginning to sound like a nice option

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I am NOT fit enough for 35k stretches

The segment from Madrid has Tres Cantos in the middle, so it is not 30 km. The segment from Cercedilla does not have an intermediate stop, but you could start the day with a taxi from any of the three hostales, and have the driver take you 10km down the road. Do the same thing from Alcazaren. The other stages have intermediate stops.

Two taxi rides, and you can leave the tent at home! :wink:

 

[johnjosiah1]

FALCON 269 Tis funny u should mention taxis as that was my final great thought before beating my self senseless with the tent and donating my possessions to charity Btween taxis, expensive accomodation and actually being able to eat methinks the pension is looking fragile and the credit card has run screaming for the hills! With the cold and the wet I am not doing much training either so perhaps this is shaping up for a 21st century camino on transport

 

[Deleted member 3000]

a 21st century camino on transport

I keep looking for a Segway rental ...

 

[johnjosiah1]

What is a Segway?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

http://www.segway.com/individual/models ... enture.php

 

[Sojourner47]

after reading about the lack of albergues between madrid and segovia I am back to square one.

There are plenty of opportunities for wild camping - low profile - between Madrid and Cercedilla (the bit I've done) - and no doubt more places further en route.

 

[peregrina2000]

I think falcon's suggestion about a taxi to shorten the stage from Cercedilla is a good idea, but I would definitely take the taxi for the last ten kms and not the first ten kms. From Cercedilla, up to the Fuenfria pass and then along the ridge is a beautiful walk far from cars and with great views. As you come over the pass and head down, the terrain changes dramatically, and the last 10 or so kms into Segovia can only be described as a "hard slog" -- no trees and very flat, some scrub vegetation.

This would be more difficult to arrange, but the places in Cercedilla should have some good suggestions. If you look at the maps in the new CSJ guide, maybe a good pick-up spot will be obvious.

 

[johnjosiah1]

THANKS 2 PEREGRINA AND ALL OF YOU! ASK AND YE SHALL RECEIVE EH? AM THINKING NOW OF POLISHING THE HITCHING THUMB AND TRYING THAT ON THE LAST 10K OR HOPE A BUS APPEAARS! IS THERE NOT A BAR SOMEWHERE ON THAT LAST LEG I COULD GET A TAXI FROM? I HAVE A 1/50 WALKING MAP AND WOULD BE SURPRISED IF ONE DIDNT EXIST AT THE SMALL PLACES EN ROUTE TO SEGOVIA.

GRACIAS!

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I'm sorry to be cautious...but I do not think the taxi suggestion will work on this stage. If you took a taxi at the beginning not only would you miss the best feature of the etapa I cannot think of where it would drop you off so that you could get back on to this essentially cross country route. The suggestion is, I think, even more problematic towards the end of the stage. I well remember the walk into Segovia and it is a bit monotonous ...but I think it would be nigh impossible to identify a pick up point to which you could call a taxi...and even if there were such a point it would take someone with excellent Spanish to explain where it is. I'd go very slowly, rest regularly and try to get a bus for the last 4 kms or so as you enter the more built up area of the city.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

not only would you miss the best feature of the etapa I cannot think of where it would drop you off so that you could get back on to this essentially cross country route.

I cannot help with the problem of missing scenery, but there is road from Cercedilla to the Cruz de la Gallega abeam La Pradera de Navalhorno, so a taxi can get you to the cross country part.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Having walked this route I cannot see any merit in doing this and I foresee significant problems in trying to negotiate a pick up in Spanish at a junction (probably unmarked in reality) which you happen to notice on a map!

 

[peregrina2000]

I agree completely with johnniewalker about the first part of the Cercedilla-Segovia stretch. The Camino goes off-road very quickly after leaving Cercedilla, following the Roman Road (though I think there are disputes about whether this section is truly Roman because of its incline). Missing that part, with the amazing bridge you go over, would be a real pity.

I will have to look at the map, but there are definitely points where the Camino crosses highways after the nice ridge walk after the pass at Fuenfria. There are places where people park cars to take walks, too, and I will try to identify a couple of those places, because a taxi pick-up could be arranged there. Johnnie's right that it would be tricky but I wouldn't say impossible if you had a phone and a number of a Segovia taxi. Not sure how good your Castilian is but if you spoke with them the night before from Cercedilla to get an agreement in principle, and then called from the spot once you arrived, it could work.

Hitching in Spain is not what it was when I was in my 20s oh so many decades ago in the Franco era (having hitched from Madrid to Granada to Lisbon, and once from Barcelona to Huesca to the Picos), but if you were to meet someone who was parked at one of these walking places you might find someone who was heading back to SEgovia and would take you.

No bar that I can remember until you are essentially in Segovia.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I agree that you probably cannot summon a taxi in the middle of nowhere, but Cercedilla has three hostales, so one of them can get you a taxi to start the day.

Check Peter Robins map on the Camino de Madrid, and you can see the road and the off-road sections. Naturally, the taxi would stick to the road for the early portion, but the off-road rejoins the road, then is on the road for quite some distance.

I think you can start the day in a taxi, but I don't think you can end the day in a taxi. Thus you lose the early view, and suffer the downhill. C'est la vie!!

 

[cbcrna1]

We are doing Camino Madrid now, accommodations in beginning expensive for three. I saw evidence of camps with fires along way. I think you could do it, camping I mean, from what I see.

 

[Anniesantiago]

It’s only expensive the first two days. After that it’s 3-6 euros per person per night.

 

[cbcrna1]

Last night we paid $50E in a municipal Alburgue in Nava de la Asucion for two of us.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Last night we paid $50E in a municipal Alburgue in Nava de la Asucion for two of us.

Whoah! Was that for a private room???

 

[cbcrna1]

It was for two bunk beds -we were only ones there-actually a wonderful experience dinner, breakfast and sandwiches to take- but we were not expecting that

 

[cbcrna1]

So far Madrid $90 two nights
Tres Cantos $22
Manzares Ray y Rosa donation $20 each-$60
Colémenar Viejo-$47
Cecidilla 40
alvian- $90 for three
La Grana-The Parador-treat luxury but still just over $90
Segovia -$53
Nava-$50
Villedilla-$10 finally
Today Alcarzen donation $10
Please excuse spelling -tired