The long stages on the Norte after Sebrayo

[notion900]

Hi there
Just trying to decide between the Norte and the Primitivo (I am starting on wednesday so had better get my skates on!!) My CSJ guidebooks tell me that there are a couple of difficult sections on the Norte where accommodation is lacking and there is therefore a very long days' walk (I call over 25km a long day ). Has anyone got any updates on the second section of the Norte beyond Sebrayo regarding new accomodation or refuges that fill previous gaps or nightmare sections? I am also looking up Mundicamino and the CSJ updates. I am on a tight budget so want to use refuges rather than pensions wherever possible.
Many thanks

 

[mikevasey]

Hi, I walked the camino del norte from santander in june and july of this year.
The stretch you talk about is quite hard not just because of the distance but the topography and the terrain. After the camino splits off( to the primitivo) within a few kilometres you have quite a long and steep climb(But the views to Gijon just after the peak are worth it) you then descend into a valley which is quite easy to get lost in. Then if you are on the correct path you start to ascend again this is a bit shorter than the first ascent but a bit harder in that the path goes up quite rough terrain then after that it can get quite confusing because of land slips. I dont mean to put you off, but it was a hard day(and i started from villavicioasa). However you do have pilgrim accommodation before Gijon on the campsite 'Camping Deva' there is a website for it. I didnt know about this, but i met people who stayed there and said it was quite nice because you had access to the swimming pool.
If i ever do the camino del norte again(which hopefully i will in its entirety) i will go to oviedo by the primitivo then cut up to aviles(which quite a few people do), the reason for this is that the camino between gijon and aviles is one of the most awful stretches of walking, alot of it is urban, you walk past industrial plants in gijon(about 5km from the centre where i started), and then after about 8km of country walking, your back along side a busy, dusty, dirty, dual carriage way which themselves are along side smoky industrial plants and its like this all the way to the hostal in Aviles.

Hopefully someone else may have additional information to this, and there may have been another set of yellow arrows which i completely missed and bypassed this awful days walking.

Im not sure if this is going to be of use for you, but it was nice remembering the walk.

Buen camino

 

[nathanael]

having read your Camino I remember Gjion and Aviles well travelled to Aviles alone at one point the city was extremely beautiful..the albergue where I stayed in had the unfortunate of having found an elderly man who had died in his sleep it's sad yet the risks are there..let us remember this person. my self I found the Camino Norte very hard yet the many people I shared with were a joy My last 8 days I walked with a chatter box worse than myself..the Polish ladies always said I talked too much well Kent a joy to be with as a campinon for those 8 days was such an individual but was a friend..if without people you bound with this Camino would be even harder..thank you everyone for your campinonship especially Maria and Elke Elle from Germany I miss you. Kent thanks for your support especially on those early mornings of rising at 4 AM and leaving by 4:30 without a coffee.
n.

 

[nathanael]

I also did the Camino Norte in it's entirety and it was rough as about Gjion it is a beautiful city stayed at a Pension runned by a pleasant lady who didn't even charge us for doing our laundry I felt like a the theft. The Church with the hugh statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is worth seeing. Aviles well the abergue is a dump and when I was there they had had a death so it was a sad day.. a man from Bilbao died in his sleep. otherwise the city is very nice..enjoy it a wonderful time was had with many new found friends.
n. :shock: