"The Vía de la Plata is fairly flat"

[geraldkelly]

"The Vía de la Plata is fairly flat"​

I've seen people say this and similar several times and since I have all the GPS data at my disposal I decided to calculate it and to do a comparison to the Camino Francés.

Starting altitude in Seville is 9m. Finishing altitude in Santiago is 256m. (256 - 9 = 247)

Total accumulated ascent and descent along the whole route is: ascent +17,116m, descent -16,869m. (17116 - 16869 = 247)

Over a distance of 979km that means an average ascent per km of 17.5m, and an average descent per km of 17.2m.

By way of comparison, the same calculations for the Camino Francés reveal the following:

Total accumulated ascent and descent along the whole route is: ascent +13,331m, descent -13,246m. (13331 - 13246 = 85)

Over a distance of 768km that means an average ascent per km of 17.3m, and an average descent per km of 17.2m.

So actually the difference is very small.

Vía de la Plata - the Free Guide to the Vía de la Plata

Vía de la Plata - the Free Guide to the Vía de la Plata

www.viadelaplataguide.net

 

[Bradypus]

Is that figure for walking via Ourense or via Astorga?

 

[geraldkelly]

Is that figure for walking via Ourense or via Astorga?

Ourense.

 

[Robo]

Ourense.

Ah. So the Sanabres must be quite hilly?

 

[Bradypus]

Ah. So the Sanabres must be quite hilly?

Yes it is. There isn't much I would think of as seriously hilly between Sevilla and Puebla de Sanabria. But from there to Laza the landscape has a similar feel to hill sections around Rabanal, the Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro on the Camino Frances. But you don't have to share it with as many people.

 

[Robo]

Yes it is. There isn't much I would think of as seriously hilly between Sevilla and Puebla de Sanabria. But from there to Laza the landscape has a similar feel to hill sections around Rabanal, the Cruz de Ferro and O Cebreiro on the Camino Frances. But you don't have to share it with as many people.

Fair enough.
So.
The VdlP to Astorga, is fairly flat.
Or I accidently didn't notice the big hills

 

[OnHellas]

On my experience of walking from Seville to just shy of Salamanca, I’d say apart from the bits that went up or the bits that went down that it was completely flat.

Sorry, someone had to!!

 

[MesaWalker]

Interesting information. I had heard about how flat and easy (up and down) the VdlP was supposed to be, and I kept waiting for the really flat stages. Eventually there were a few through the meseta areas, but I was surprised how few there were. And the Sanabrés definitely had some challenging climbs. So this conforms to my experience last fall. It was pleasing that the VdlP had so much varied terrain.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Very interesting data. Is the calculation for the Francés from Roncesvalles?
My gut feeling is that the Sanabres mountain climbs were much easier than the climb to O Cebreiro. But the Via a few challenges like the 10km climb to Monasterio and the one to Albergueria.
The cumulative climb on the Francés is so much more than the Via. That's a bit surprising.

 

[geraldkelly]

Very interesting data. Is the calculation for the Francés from Roncesvalles?

No, from Saint-Jean via Orrison.

 

[lt56ny]

"The Vía de la Plata is fairly flat"​

I've seen people say this and similar several times and since I have all the GPS data at my disposal I decided to calculate it and to do a comparison to the Camino Francés.

Starting altitude in Seville is 9m. Finishing altitude in Santiago is 256m. (256 - 9 = 247)

Total accumulated ascent and descent along the whole route is: ascent +17,116m, descent -16,869m. (17116 - 16869 = 247)

Over a distance of 979km that means an average ascent per km of 17.5m, and an average descent per km of 17.2m.

By way of comparison, the same calculations for the Camino Francés reveal the following:

Total accumulated ascent and descent along the whole route is: ascent +13,331m, descent -13,246m. (13331 - 13246 = 85)

Over a distance of 768km that means an average ascent per km of 17.3m, and an average descent per km of 17.2m.

So actually the difference is very small.

Vía de la Plata - the Free Guide to the Vía de la Plata

Vía de la Plata - the Free Guide to the Vía de la Plata

www.viadelaplataguide.net

Thanks for the analysis. In my mind it is flatter because especially at the beginning their are such long stretches without much elevation. As opposed to the CF where you start off with quite a first day walk. Loved the VDLP and thanks for the work you do.

 

[BruceNZ]

Great info thanks. Can I assume then the VdLP from Seville is similar to the Mozarabe from Granada to Merida which we did pre Covid ? Loved the Mozarabe but was thinking the Via may be too flat in comparison from previous posts ? Any feedback of Merida to Salamanca also appreciated. Gracias

 

[Robo]

Interesting information. I had heard about how flat and easy (up and down) the VdlP was supposed to be, and I kept waiting for the really flat stages. Eventually there were a few through the meseta areas, but I was surprised how few there were. And the Sanabrés definitely had some challenging climbs. So this conforms to my experience last fall. It was pleasing that the VdlP had so much varied terrain.

We must have walked different VdlP routes

Mine was fairly flat from Sevilla to Astorga.
Some ..........flat as a pancake.

There were a few short hills, prior to Almaden, out of Banos, etc, but generally........fairly .......flat.

Obviously as @geraldkelly has pointed out, it gets hilly on the Sanabres section into Santiago.

 

[Bradypus]

We must have walked different VdlP routes

Some people have a very different idea of "hills" or "flat". I was struck by that recently when someone commented on the amount of "mountain walking" on the Camino Ingles. Which barely reaches 400m at its highest...

 

[Robo]

Great info thanks. Can I assume then the VdLP from Seville is similar to the Mozarabe from Granada to Merida which we did pre Covid ? Loved the Mozarabe but was thinking the Via may be too flat in comparison from previous posts ? Any feedback of Merida to Salamanca also appreciated. Gracias

Hmmm. Merida to Salamanca..............fairly flat
Enough small hills, some days, so you don't feel like you are walking across a billiard table.
Though a few days are close to that.
If you look at the profiles on Gronze, which I found to be fairly accurate.

The days with hills are generally a maximum of 200-250 metres (all day), other than after Banos which is 200, and a long slow uphill of 200 into Banos.

I was thinking what a great route it would be for my wife who doesn't like hills.

There is nothing at all, like on the CF day 1 out of St Jean, or going up to O Cebreiro.

 

[Bradypus]

There is nothing at all, like on the CF day 1 out of St Jean, or going up to O Cebreiro.

If you had turned left and taken the Sanabres you would have found something very like those eventually.

 

[Robo]

If you had turned left and taken the Sanabres you would have found something very like those eventually.

Yes, I understand that.
But does that make the VdlP 'not' flat.
I suppose it depends if we deem the VdlP to include the Sanabres, or to end at Astorga.
I was always of the belief, maybe wrongly that the VdlP ended in Astorga.
Happy to be corrected

It would be interesting to see the stats for the VdlP up until Astorga,
or at least to the the turn off for the Sanbres at Granja.

Maybe in your analysis @geraldkelly you have that already?

 

[camino07]

My first time on the VDLP I was feeling quite lonely with very few pilgrims from Salamanca and no English speakers so I decided to walk to Astorga. I found it flat and boring. Never again!
I was so happy on the last day to see in the distance ahead to my right ,the green ,metal bridge/footpath on the Frances.
However things have definitely changed and many more pilgrims and English speakers now walk .
I now always turn off onto the Sanabrese.

 

[geraldkelly]

Yes, I understand that.
But does that make the VdlP 'not' flat.
I suppose it depends if we deem the VdlP to include the Sanabres, or to end at Astorga.
I was always of the belief, maybe wrongly that the VdlP ended in Astorga.
Happy to be corrected

It would be interesting to see the stats for the VdlP up until Astorga,
or at least to the the turn off for the Sanbres at Granja.

Maybe in your analysis @geraldkelly you have that already?

What I discovered from my analysis is that the "Via" from Seville to Santiago via Ourense has about the same amount of ascents and descents per km and the Frances from Saint-Jean to Santiago.

Whether that makes it flat or not is a question of opinion.

Granja to Astorga is very flat, basically Meseta.

 

[geraldkelly]

Yes, I understand that.
But does that make the VdlP 'not' flat.
I suppose it depends if we deem the VdlP to include the Sanabres, or to end at Astorga.
I was always of the belief, maybe wrongly that the VdlP ended in Astorga.
Happy to be corrected

It would be interesting to see the stats for the VdlP up until Astorga,
or at least to the the turn off for the Sanbres at Granja.

Maybe in your analysis @geraldkelly you have that already?

Seville to Granja de Moreuela

Distance = 611km
Start altitude = 8m, end altitude = 709m
Total ascent = +8968
Total descent = -8267
8968 / 611 = 14.6m ascent by km
8267 / 611 = 13.5m descent by km

So less hilly, yes, but not really flat.

 

[Robo]

My first time on the VDLP I was feeling quite lonely with very few pilgrims from Salamanca and no English speakers so I decided to walk to Astorga. I found it flat and boring. Never again!
I was so happy on the last day to see in the distance ahead to my right ,the green ,metal bridge/footpath on the Frances.
However things have definitely changed and many more pilgrims and English speakers now walk .
I now always turn off onto the Sanabrese.

Funny how we all perceive and enjoy things differently.
I loved that section, particularly on the Via Verde up to Astorga. (old rail track)
Paddling in the steam before Alija....

But I do love mountains.
Heading over to the Invierno was heaven.

Think these pics are from the last 2 days of the VdlP into Astorga.
Yes, very flat. But I still enjoyed it.

 

[Robo]

What I discovered from my analysis is that the "Via" from Seville to Santiago via Ourense has about the same amount of ascents and descents per km and the Frances from Saint-Jean to Santiago.

Whether that makes it flat or not is a question of opinion.

Granja to Astorga is very flat, basically Meseta.

Sorry, not trying to be obtuse.
I was merely curious if the effect of the hilly 'Sanabres' section, skewed the stats to make the earlier VdlP section plus the Sanabres combined, appear to be as hilly as the Frances.
But no matter.

It's a great walk, that all that matters...........
Sorry if my question was irritating.

 

[geraldkelly]

Sorry, not trying to be obtuse.
I was merely curious if the effect of the hilly 'Sanabres' section, skewed the stats to make the earlier VdlP section plus the Sanabres combined, appear to be as hilly as the Frances.
But no matter.

It's a great walk, that all that matters...........
Sorry if my question was irritating.

It was an interesting question. I was happy to oblige.

 

[asl]

@geraldkelly Any chance you have done a similar comparison of the Frances and Norte?

 

[geraldkelly]

@geraldkelly Any chance you have done a similar comparison of the Frances and Norte?

No. I've never walked the Norte.