• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

the hardest part

marica

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
summer, 2013.
which is the hardest part of the camino frances? i'm planing to do it during this summer, alone. is there anybody from croatia who's gona do it too?
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The hardest is probably the first day from St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles. In part, it is the terrain, in part it is that it is the first day for pilgrims who may not be in great physical shape.

I found that the actual hardest part was the descent from the Iron Cross to Molinaseca. It is continuously downhill, and I hate downhill! :wink:
 
I would agree with falcon, for me it was the first day, getting the muscles into the swing of things, after that every thing got easier. The decent from the cross to molinaseca was the best day for me. Different folks!!
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
The descent from the Alto de Perdon and the Pilgrim Monument. In wet weather the stickiest clay and the slipperiest rocks on the whole Camino combine to provide a real fairground ride.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The meseta. I thought it would be the easiest part for me - flat and hot, just like home. But I wasn't prepared for the heat and the non-stop sun. My feet swelled up and sweated and that created lots of friction and blisters and I ended up sitting it out for three days in Sahagun, for pete's sake. Yuck.
 
The parts with senda were emotionally draining for me. I'd much rather do the SJPP --> Roncesvalles run again if I could avoid the senda. Sadly, the Pyrenees are far away from that part of the Camino (around Leon).
 
The hardest part is the part where you feel disheartened. It could be anywhere! Then you meet somebody who supports you and all is well. :D Buen Camino!
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
MCVet said:
The parts with senda were emotionally draining for me. I'd much rather do the SJPP --> Roncesvalles run again if I could avoid the senda. Sadly, the Pyrenees are far away from that part of the Camino (around Leon).

What does "senda" mean in this context?
 
lbpierce said:
MCVet said:
The parts with senda were emotionally draining for me. I'd much rather do the SJPP --> Roncesvalles run again if I could avoid the senda. Sadly, the Pyrenees are far away from that part of the Camino (around Leon).

What does "senda" mean in this context?
Hi! 'Senda' in the Camino context is usually where the Camino runs alongside a significant road. They don't want pilgrims to be hit by cars all the time so there's a separate 'senda de peregrinos' (pilgrims' path) between the road and the fields. It's usually not tarmac, but a light gravel. Buen Camino!
 
More specifically, it was the area going into Leon for about a day, and it lasted for 2 or 3 days after that (perhaps more, I don't know, I started taking alternate routes).

Basically what you have is trees, spaced the same distance apart, on your left, path in front of you, road to your right. And that's it. For miles on end. It was awful.

It's this (not my picture), same layout, same terrain, for miles:
B4b5m.jpg
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Sometimes the road is on your left, so there's a bit of variety! :D Seriously, though, as MCVet suggests there are sometimes alternative routes that take you away from the road, such as the option of going through either El Burgo Ranero or Calzadilla de los Hermanillos after Sahagun. The latter is nicer but has fewer facilities....take your pick!

Buen Camino!
 
falcon269 said:
I found that the actual hardest part was the descent from the Iron Cross to Molinaseca. It is continuously downhill, and I hate downhill! :wink:

Oh boy I'm with you on that one I found that section to be knee wrenching, ankle twisting, blister bursting hell :shock: much worse than the drops down into Zubiri or Cee ......but the scenery is absolutely stunning and on the descent we walked from Winter through Spring into Summer all in the one day-quite something to see.
 
If that's how the section of senda by Burgo Ranero looks now the trees have hardly grown in 15 years. The path is wider and the road now has a hard surface.

My picture from 1998

Frances20TMoreMeseta_zpscf6a505d-1.jpg
 

Attachments

  • Frances20T More Meseta.jpg
    Frances20T More Meseta.jpg
    62.4 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I found day two the hardest. Everyone says its day one from SJPDP, but I thought the breathtaking scenery takes your mind off the climb. No-one mentions day two so I was quite surprised to find it a very up and down climb that I was just not expecting!! Going back again this May so will be sure to be prepared this time :D
 
If that's how the section of senda by Burgo Ranero looks now the trees have hardly grown in 15 years. The path is wider and the road now has a hard surface.

Wow that's cool to see how much they've invested in the infrastructure since then. Granted that's not the same spot but as far as I could tell, all of the senda was all of the same. Same width of path, same road style. No dirt road, no narrow path, everything identical to the picture I showed.

People who had walked the Camino before were always talking about how much it'd changed in 15, 10, 5 years and it made me kind of sad, because, as someone else pointed out, "it may all just be a paved path before too long."
 
The hardest part is whenever you can NOT see more than a few meters ahead. This might be due to torrential rain, dence fog or a snowstorm 'white out'. Whatever the cause it is frightening and dangerous to walk through such a situation!
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
all of the senda was all of the same
The senda was motivated in part by the desire to allow wheelchairs access to some parts. The parts in the meseta and after the Iron Cross are two examples. It is not my favorite surface, but I was able to take it in stride knowing that it allowed those with less mobility than I some of the joy of the Camino.
 
marica said:
which is the hardest part of the camino frances? i'm planing to do it during this summer, alone. is there anybody from croatia who's gona do it too?

Going from St Jean to Roncesvalles on the first day can be very challenging... which is exactly why I stopped at Orisson, 8 kms out from St Jean and spent my first night there! If I walk the Frances route again, I think I'll make a point of walking to Roncesvalles on the first day, but I have no regrets about stopping at Orisson last year. I made a point of not pushing too hard during the first week, which paid off, as I was fortunate enough to avoid all bar the most minor of tweaks/injuries - basically, I allowed my body to adjust to the experience.

I was walking in May and June, and so had been primed to be wary of the meseta. As it happened, I was fortunate, as the weather proved to be ideal for that week - no rain and lots of cloud cover, so the temperatures never became oppressive and that lack of shade didn't really become a factor. I can only imagine it must be very, very tough walking in high summer, when the sky is blue and the sun is beaming down.

I found the walk to O Cebreiro very tough, but there must be a touch of the masochist in me, as I found that I enjoyed pushing myself. I walked 37 kms that day (from Cacabelos that morning), and as anyone who has walked it knows, the last 10 kms or so to O Cebrerio are uphill, and the the higher you go the steeper it gets. Shortly before the end of that walk, I had a clear sense that I had reached my physcial limit - I felt weak and my legs were wobbling, but I made it, and had a real sense of achievement when I reached the top. As I walking to meet a friend who had flown out to join me for the final 10 days or so, the O Cebreiro day came at the end of a threee-day stretch where I walked 98 kms, so the uphill felt particularly challenging, but I realised arising from all that just how much I enjoyed pushing myself.

In the final analysis, I would day that for me the tough parts of the actual walking elements didn't feel that bad, and certainly not when you were done for the day, had showered and were beholding that first evening beer!
 
The hardest part for me is getting on a plane and leaving Spain. The difficult stretches of the Camino I approach as poco a poco experiences that I will be dreaming about later. I swore that I would try to slow down (no more 40 km slogs to escape rocadores) and recently walking 18 to 25 kms with a camino sister from 2005 and 2006 and having conversations with shepherds, picnics on Roman bridges and coffee (only) in Paradores, it was wonderful.
Weather as noted, of course is a major factor in enjoyment but my 2005 experience was el Camino divertido while in 2006 we had 13 of 14 days of heavy rain from the Bierzo valley to the ocean and this was the Camino Magico. The journey is the destination so try to enjoy every minute.
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
As you can see, time, place, and condition determine what various individuals experience as the "hardest" part. I prefer going uphill to downhill. Downhill is tough on the knees and ankles after a while. But for us the most difficult part was the first few days in Galicia after we came down out of the mountains. We had both been sick with the stomach virus that was flowing through Camino last October and the towns had made hard surface roads with flagstone or pavement for several stretches. Local farmers drive their livestock over these roads leaving behind a continuous path of animal droppings ankle deep. Rain made the mixture soupy and our stomachs still fighting the insult of infection made for a very tough go of it. We ended up walking the highway for three days, not recommended.
 
Mark2012 writes that the walk up to O'Cebreiro was hard, but I'm not surprised - he walked all the way from Cacabelos, which is a two day hike for most, especially considering the long, beautiful climb up to O'Cebreiro. Anne
 
The descent into Molinaseca played havoc with my knees and Galicia is similar to Lake District....beautiful.,

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
As more people I saying, I would go with the days before and after León. Miles of the same, boring view. These days were hard. Luckily, they made some picknick-areas with a lot of shade, which were very nice.

And, the climate of Galicia wasn't my thing. Hot and moist. You could really feel this change of climate right after Sarria. The rest of the camino, I luckily had no problems with the "dry" heat, which I normally can't stand either.

I had a lovely walk through the Pyrennees by the way. You have to take your time walking there - maybe stop at Orisson for the night so you can really enjoy the mountains without pain/weariness. It's no problem walking this part of the camino as long as you take your time, relax, listen to your body and remember it's not a competition.

Buen Camino
 
The hardest part for me, wasn't physical - it was emotional and it was the return home. Don't get me wrong, I have a wonderful family, great friends, a comfortable humble home, so it wasn't that I didn't miss my loved ones, it was the idea of leaving the paradise I had found which was the Camino journey itself.

I was so fortunate to meet folks about mid point who would become some of my closest friends. We stayed together (6 of us and a donkey named Nestor!) and by the time we reached Santiago, we did not want to say goodbye, so those planning on leaving stayed a bit longer.

We still stay in touch frequently, and two of the group came to visit me in Canada, spent 2 glorious weeks with me as we reminisced a lot about our adventures. I am heading back to the Camino in 3 months to redo it with two of the original group (and Nestor) while the other three will join us on various sections of the Camino.

I am a frequent guest blogger on the site for the Camino Documentary (http://www.caminodocumentary.org) and the director of the documentary has asked me to write about Life after the Camino. My first blog of my series is posted here
http://caminodocumentary.org/blog/?p=557 - Life after the Camino - the discussions
Upon my return from my second Camino, I plan on writing a book about Life after the Camino - - although there are hundreds of books on the history, the how-to, the personal journeys, but I haven't found much about the re-integration in our day-to-day life...

The physical challenges are one thing, and most can be managed by slowing down and being very careful where we walk, but the emotional ones were the ones that challenged me (and still do!)
Cheers from Canada
 
I remember an Oprah-type show guest in her nineties. During the discussion it came up that her lifetime best friend had just died. Asked how she had the strength to do the interview, she replied that she had learned to leave the past behind a long time ago; that was why she had lived so long.

Moving on is a big part of life. It is an even bigger part of post-camino life.

Just my opinion, of course.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Interesting to see the pictures of the senda with the trees.
In 2004 there was a program to plant 1 million trees along the Camino.
To make it happen economically, they planted six inch tall seedlings.
I wonder how they are doing?
 
I wonder how they are doing?
Very poorly in a lot of sections; the stretch after Astorga comes to mind. They did not fund watering the saplings, so a majority of them died inside their anti-deer netting.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Stopping because you MUST and return home - for whatever reason that may be.

My breaking point was after walking 600 km from Sevilla. My head kept walking whilst my body had been whispering for days, then yelling: 'hey, something is TERRIBLY wrong!' That morning in Montamarta when I left my walking companion to return to Zamora by bus was incredibly difficult. I am not sure how I made it to the emergency room but after x-rays the reason for my pain was quite apparent: I had been walking with 3 fractures (right knee, left pelvis and left foot).

Good news is that after 2 months non-weightbearing (i.e. wheel-chair), months of rehabilitation and determination I was able to return to the Camino a year later to be a hospitalera and to walk a bit of the Francés. If all goes as planned I will be there again this summer to finish up the Via de la Plata.

So yes, the hardest part was to stop but the joy I felt to be able to return again and walk was and is indescribable!
 
It is great to read the posts on this forum before you go. Read the guides/online or books, and have an idea of daily kms, stages. Then forget what you know and walk with anticipation and joy, just to be there. If you think of "hardest" you might not be able to experience a stage yourself without thinking of what someone else said. The views here give you a good idea. I started going up hills faster than I had been walking the flats, and up into Granon (very tired) just went faster. These moments stay with you forever, and each moment like this is linked to a person, or a way of remembering, you know, up that hill into Granon was where we first met Ed (with us to Santiago).
Also I have now walked from Astorga twice and the road didn't always seem the same.
Enjoy.
 
Aldy said:
The hardest part for me, wasn't physical - it was emotional and it was the return home ... it was the idea of leaving the paradise I had found which was the Camino journey itself.

This entry captures my feelings very well also. Having "left" the camino in June 2008, I found that I have still not "recovered." :arrow:
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Day 2 from Roncesvalles to Zubiri and day 3 from Zubiri to Trinidad de Arre were the two hardest days for me. I had a terrible pain in my knees, maybe I got too much weight on my back but I did not notice until I started to go downhill, i.e. from the Erro pass to Zubiri. After a day of rest in Pamplona, all went well and the pain only came back for 2 other days in the Meseta as a result of careless walking on long flat asphalt roads.

Buen camino.
 
The hardest parts, physically, were the intense downhill stretches from Roncesvalles to Zubiri after coming over the Pyrenees, and the descent from after Manjarin into El Acebo and then into Molinaseca.

Emotionally, the hardest part is always leaving Santiago.
Nancy
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
The Camino Dragonte - from Villafranca del Bierzo to La Faba.
A very challenging. long day with no services until Herrerias which is so far away you had better carry plenty of food and water. Saw only two other pilgrims all day but rewarded with spectacular views. Not well way-marked compared to what we find on the Frances and happy to say that we (3 of us set out together) did not get lost.
Rewarded with cold beers upon arrival...notice I haven't even taken off my backpack but I am smiling! :D
w2h7pe.jpg
 
kaixo said:
The Camino Dragonte - from Villafranca del Bierzo to La Faba.

I'm glad I'm not the only person who thought this! I agree--that's the most difficult terrain of the trail. Even more difficult than the St. Jean to Roncesvalles section. Steep uphills, steep downhills, and relentlessly long and not marked very well. I did lose the trail once on that section which had me walking in circles for a half hour. =)

-- Ryan
 
My worst couple of hours were leaving Atapuerco the day we walked into Burgos. It was still dark and pouring with rain and nowhere was open for breakfast. My glasses steamed up and I couldn't see where I was going. My blisters were so bad I was having to walk in crocs and my feet were slipping on the stones as we climbed up the steep slope to the cross. At this point my companion started singing and I was sorely tempted to strangle him. Now I can look back and laugh. My best moment was reaching a cafe that was open and downing a large cup of coffee!!!
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
William Marques said:
If that's how the section of senda by Burgo Ranero looks now the trees have hardly grown in 15 years.
I suppose it depends on the kind of trees ... when I moved to a new Parish in 1979, I found oak saplings on the front lawn, surrounded by iron cages ... the sign indicated that they were Coronation Oaks. I thought they had not grown that much since Queen Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne. I looked at the smaller inscription to find they had been planted in honour of the coronation of her father, King George VI, who succeeded to the throne in 1936! I could surround the trunks with my two hands after 43 years. :eek:
 
I had thought I would need to be quick to get a response in before the whole route had been covered, and I see that I am already too late.

Physically, I found the first day walking from SJPP to Roncevalles most demanding, closely followed by the very hot day I walked from Villafranca to La Faba and the long day walking to Astorga from Mazarife.

Emotionally, it was the day I walked from San Bol, and just after Hontanas, twisted my knee badly. I struggled into Castrojeriz by lunch time, thinking that I would not be able to go on. I didn't have another day like that, but I did find the first day of the 100km pilgrims difficult. The whole camaraderie of the camino changed on that day, and I was not prepared for that.

Regards,
 
The first edition came out in 2003 and has become the go-to-guide for many pilgrims over the years. It is shipping with a Pilgrim Passport (Credential) from the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela.
Well I've only walked the Ingles and Finisterra and as this is the Frances forum I am not going to comment on those. So at the moment the hardest part for me is waiting for my May 9th plane! :lol:
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Al the optimist said:
Well I've only walked the Ingles and Finisterra and as this is the Frances forum I am not going to comment on those. So at the moment the hardest part for me is waiting for my May 9th plane! :lol:
Allan. Despite being much shorter your completed Caminos are harder in many ways than the Frances. They have less pilgrim infrastructure, more planning required, fewer accommodation options etc. You'll be able to focus less on the practical and more on your purpose on your upcoming Camino, which I know is important. Buen Camino!
 
Cheer Tyrek. I'm just fed up of waiting now. You would have thought that at my age I would have learnt to be patient about things. I am normally am. In fact my friends are say that I am so relaxed about things that they are waiting for me to achieve the horizontal! :) I'm sure I will be once on the Camino again. It's just that the Camino has become so important to me and I cannot think of anything else I would rather be doing! Junkie, right?
 
Yes. Junkie. I still laugh every time I see that YouTube clip of 'Junkie' (the Korean guy) asking for his 'f*^"%"^g Compostela'. Buen Camino!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
tyrrek said:
Yes. Junkie. I still laugh every time I see that YouTube clip of 'Junkie' (the Korean guy) asking for his 'f*^"%"^g Compostela'. Buen Camino!

Can't find that video but I remember it. Do you know the location of it?
 
On the way I met John Brierley and he said to me: "The hardest part is behind you, it only gets better from here"

Personally I think the hardest part was the way up to Burgos and all other "ugly", industrial areas.
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
Man I wish I'd been brave enough to walk the Dragonte. I'd of done it if I had any sense of direction but with my luck I'd still be out there wandering around, so I took the high road that day instead.

I met a couple from Scotland, IIRC, who did it and they said it was awesome but pretty rough to do. Took them 10 - 12 hours or so I think they said? They got to the albergue at 7 PM or so I believe.
 
It has been posted already, but I honestly see the need to repeat-- THE SECOND DAY downhill to Zubiri was soooo rough!! The first day I had been warned --"take your time, go slow, it is not a competition.....-. So, I was prepared. NOBODY warned me about the downhill been so much worse than uphill on that second day! I honestly dropped on my ass when I crossed the Puente de la Rabia in Zubiri and almost fainted. Seriously. My OWN fault; I should had taken it slower.

Another rough one: Altos del Perdon. Pace yourselves.
 
We had a hard descent into Zubiri as well. I left my husband and son cooling their feet in the river while I searched out lodging. When I came back (and I may have stopped for a beer), husband was half-soaked and our camera had been for a swim. (It dried out after a couple of days.) We slept well that night.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Olivares said:
Another rough one: Altos del Perdon. Pace yourselves.
I'm one of those that hate uphill climbs (probably because I smoke too much). I think most pilgrims that dislike the Alto de Perdon are those who dislike downhills, because it is quite steep. Personally, that's one of my favourite stages of the whole Camino, but both times I've been lucky with weather and seasons etc. Buen Camino!
 
3walkingtoSantiago said:
We had a hard descent into Zubiri as well.

I have absolutely no recollection of a steep descent into Zubiri. =) Obviously, it must be there, but I'm a little amused that I have absolutely no recollection of it. The only steep downhills that stick out in my mind were going down into Roncesvalles and just after the Cruz de Ferro. Well, also on the Dragonte route option, but most people don't do that one so I don't expect most people would mention it.

But Zubiri? Nope. *shaking head* I've got absolutely no memory of that one. =)

-- Ryan
 
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The hardest part of the camino is going home again afterwards and coping with the post-camino blues.
 
If you haven't trained walking up and down hills, the hike will be extremely hard. We are from Texas, where there are no hills to train on. The hike was a killer for us every day. Hiking on flat ground is practically worthless, other than to get you used to wearing a backpack.
 
You won't find the answer to your question here. You won't know the hardest part for you until you've finished your Camino. And it may very well be in the least likely of all places. Take each day as it comes. If you go into a day assuming it will be hard, you'll be right. Buen Camino!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Green Tortuga said:
3walkingtoSantiago said:
We had a hard descent into Zubiri as well.

I have absolutely no recollection of a steep descent into Zubiri. =) Obviously, it must be there, but I'm a little amused that I have absolutely no recollection of it. The only steep downhills that stick out in my mind were going down into Roncesvalles and just after the Cruz de Ferro. Well, also on the Dragonte route option, but most people don't do that one so I don't expect most people would mention it.

But Zubiri? Nope. *shaking head* I've got absolutely no memory of that one. =)

-- Ryan
I'm so glad you posted this Ryan ... Like you .. Absolutely no memory of that steep descent into Zuburi whatsoever! Amazing how we all see things differently .. Im a member of the SJPP to Roncesvalles club as far as it being the most challenging (and magnificent) part of my camino thus far ... I pickup my poles, boots and backpack to continue from Logrono in September.
 
The hardest is probably the first day from St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles. In part, it is the terrain, in part it is that it is the first day for pilgrims who may not be in great physical shape.

I found that the actual hardest part was the descent from the Iron Cross to Molinaseca. It is continuously downhill, and I hate downhill! :wink:

Amen.
 
I think that the difficultly of the descent into Zubiri is highly weather dependent. When I passed that way in April, it was dry, but all that exposed rock would be pretty slippery when wet.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
The hardest part might take you completely by surprise. There might be days when your feet seem to struggle to drag your body along- and other days when you have wings on the bottom of your shoes. I had one of those 'hard' days on my way into Los Arcos in 2008, on a day that wasn't unduly hot or anything. I felt quite panicky that I was going to get lost and never find another village. I was 'rescued' from this 'down' day by a lovely group of Irishmen I met when I reached the town. Quite some days afterwards, I worked out that I was probably dehydrated on this 'hard' day- there had been lots of coolish days and I think I simply hadn't drunk enough water. But even on the hardest of days, kindness from others can surprise and delight you.
Margaret
 
I went from Pamplona last August and I found entering Burgos and Leon to be atrocious. Loud and industrial. After that, the stage from Carrion de Los Condes(I think) which is straight, long and boring as hell scenery wise. I loved the Meseta even though temperatures were in the mid-30's.Lots of water and a straw hat :cool:
The climb to O Cebreiro is wonderful and by then I had found my Camino legs and felt really strong. But I can imagine in Autumn/Winter it could be a different challenge. I thought the descent from Foncebadon to Molinaseca was great. Beautiful scenery early in the morning.
Being Irish, I find Galicia so similar in scenery and weather that it's a bit boring. I hope I don't offend anyone ! I did the Camino del Norte the previous year and I felt the same when I arrived in Galicia.
Anyway, that's my 2 bobs worth !
Buen Camino Peregrinos.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I didn't see that anyone else struggled with the crowds of walkers, the heavily used trails, frequent rain and occasional blandness of the last days before Santiago.
 
Last edited:
St. Jean to Valcarlos was bad because I was so unprepared for it.
Valcarlos to Roncesvalles was bad because it's all uphill on the highway.
Roncesvalles to Zubiri was bad because the day just went on and on and on. Ups and downs.

Absolute worst day, without a doubt, for me, was Hontanos to Vega. That was the first day I got caught in the rain. And it wasn't just a little sprinkle, it was a hard, driving rain with a very strong wind. Also, I was dealing with unimaginable ankle pain thanks to a blister that too 2 days to actually show itself. Walking up that big hill outside of Castrojeriz? No thank you! And the paved part? Going down? Who's brilliant idea was that? Yeah, teflon-slick concrete on the steepest part of the Camino! Thanks! There were many days on the Camino when I thought I wouldn't make it. That was the only day when I actually almost quit.

Coming of of Carrion de los Condes. It's not a hard walk, but take caution because there are no facilities, not even a water fountain for 17 km. Be prepared!

I got so angry walking up to O'Cebreiro I said a bad word and kept on walking. I didn't even stop. I started out in Villafranca that morning and didn't stop until I reached Pintin the next morning. Seriously, who was it, a thousand years ago, decided that was a good place for a town?
 
I didn't see that anyone else struggle with the crowds of walkers, the heavily used trails, frequent rain and occasional blandness of the last days before Santiago.
Actually, the one time I came closest to giving up and taking the bus was after the day from Sarria to Portomarin. I knew it would be crowded, but the scale of it took me by surprise, plus the noise- of people talking loudly on mobile phones as they walked, of those who held 'ghetto blasters' on their shoulders as they walked. Plus I wasn't expecting it to be hot in Galicia and it was awfully hot... I seriously entertained the idea of catching buses from Portomarin to Santiago, and giving up on the idea of getting a Compostela. But by morning a saner head prevailed- and the noise and crowds didn't seem so bad after that...
Margaret
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
Coming of of Carrion de los Condes. It's not a hard walk, but take caution because there are no facilities, not even a water fountain for 17 km.
My last time through there was an enterprising catering truck that had set up about half way along, selling food and sodas! I am sure it is only during high season, if at all.
 
My last time through there was an enterprising catering truck that had set up about half way along, selling food and sodas! I am sure it is only during high season, if at all.
It was there last year end of May
 
which is the hardest part of the camino frances? i'm planing to do it during this summer, alone. is there anybody from croatia who's gona do it too?
The hardest part is the realization that it's finished...for now!
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
My last time through there was an enterprising catering truck that had set up about half way along, selling food and sodas! I am sure it is only during high season, if at all.

Seriously??? I was going to do that!
 
My last time through there was an enterprising catering truck that had set up about half way along, selling food and sodas! I am sure it is only during high season, if at all.

It was still there on 22 September 2014. I stopped and had a coffee at the truck.
 

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I'd like some recommendations about where to find the most current and up to date information about albergues that are actually open. I'm currently walking the camino Frances, and I can't even...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
Today is March 21, 1024 If you’re starting El Francés around this time, be warned that quite a few stretches between Rabanal del Camino and Molinaseca are in pretty bad shape. Lots of mud, and...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top