Three weeks from Pamplona?

[hwangdan]

Hello,
I'll be walking the camino frances for three weeks in august. Of all the cities on the route, I'd really love to see Pamplona so I was considering using that as my starting point. Is it reasonable to walk from Pamplona to Santiago in three weeks? I am in pretty good shape (crossfit 5 days a week) so fitness level isn't really a concern.

Thanks!

 

[alexwalker]

Ca. 700 kms/20 days = ca. 35 kms/day. While fitness isn't an issue, as you say, what about blister problems/no rest days? While I am able to walk 35 kms for one day, it is not something I can/want to do every day.

PS: Welcome to the forum!

 

[Deleted member 43985]

Compound those 35km days with the heat of August... I guess it could be done by a fit person but the question quickly would become 'why'?!? I think I'd be tempted to figure out how many kms you can walk a day comfortably in 30+ degree weather with your full pack weight and do a regression and pick somewhere around there as a starting point. Pamplona is a great city, one of my favorites, but also has a bus station so you can go there for a short stay and then bus to a different jump off point!

Good luck and Buen Camino!

 

[vlebe]

YEs, You can do it....

I have twice averaged Pamplona-Santiago in 20 days without any "I need to" plans.... It just happened...

I`m not sure this would be true while in the august heat though... Things are much harder during summer time... Lots of feet problems that just wont go away ( at least for me)...

Good luck and buen camino!

 

[Deleted member 12253]

Hello,
I'll be walking the camino frances for three weeks in august. Of all the cities on the route, I'd really love to see Pamplona so I was considering using that as my starting point. Is it reasonable to walk from Pamplona to Santiago in three weeks? I am in pretty good shape (crossfit 5 days a week) so fitness level isn't really a concern.

Thanks!

Possible but not recomended buen
Camino

 

[november_moon]

Yes, this is definitely an endurance challenge, and keeping up a 35km/day pace is really tough. Fitness is only part of the equation. Walking for hours every day, day after day is very different than doing an hour or intense exercise each day. And 35 km/day is 7 hours of walking if you can average 5km/hr. If you've never done that before, its hard to predict how your feet and body are going to react to it. I am reasonably fit, and muscle fatigue was never my limiting factor.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Brierley's guide suggests 33 days from SJPdP to Santiago and 3 days from SJPdP to Pamplona so, even without spending a day in Pamplona you would be attempting to do what he thinks is 30 days walking in only 21. My suggestion is spend some time in Pamplona and then use transportation to Burgos, spend a day there and then walk. Brierley's guide has 21 days from there to Santiago. That means you will still have to walk farther than average each day to make up for the touring time but the trip won't be all that bad. Leon is a good place to tour also. If you go fast enough rest there too.

 

[trecile]

Or start in Pamplona, or even St Jean Pied de Port and spend some extra time in Pamplona, then just walk as far as you can/want in the period of time that you have. Go back another time to finish up. I think that walking without hard deadlines is more enjoyable.

 

[whariwharangi]

Hello,
I'll be walking the camino frances for three weeks in august. Of all the cities on the route, I'd really love to see Pamplona so I was considering using that as my starting point. Is it reasonable to walk from Pamplona to Santiago in three weeks? I am in pretty good shape (crossfit 5 days a week) so fitness level isn't really a concern.

Thanks!

No its not reasonable to walk from Pamplona to Santiago in three weeks.

Even if you are up to it physically ... what would be the point?

 

[Deleted member 67185]

Yes, this is definitely an endurance challenge, and keeping up a 35km/day pace is really tough. Fitness is only part of the equation. Walking for hours every day, day after day is very different than doing an hour or intense exercise each day. And 35 km/day is 7 hours of walking if you can average 5km/hr. If you've never done that before, its hard to predict how your feet and body are going to react to it. I am reasonably fit, and muscle fatigue was never my limiting factor.

Why not 10 hours of walking? Sure, a lot of Camino walkers do a 5 to 7 hour day, but that leaves a lot of extra "down" time during daylight hours.

 

[AJ]

Nobody on this forum can tell you what YOU can do.

Your level of fitness is not necessarily decisive. I met a a young marathon runner in Arzua who told me that he was very fit, but that running marathons was completely different from walking the Camino with a pack. He cheerfully said that after 100 km his feet were destroyed.

 

[nycwalking]

Every now and again I met peregrinos who walked 40-50kms a day easily. If you fall into that category go for it. If not, aforementioned advice might be considered.
Buen camino.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I think that if you want to see Pamplona, you should go there first. Then, use some public transport to get to a more reasonable start point, or research and figure out which part you "least" want to walk and transport ahead. If you want to get your pilgrim certificate for walking the last 100 km, of course, you no doubt have been told that you need to walk from Sarria without using public transport (and get two stamps per day).

The previous comments are spot on. I saw many extremely fit young people zooming ahead of me every day, and many of those people needed first aid at night. Feet just don't hold up great for many folks. Your muscles, fitness, and general attitude of "can do" might say yes, but the feet are a tricky matter.

I would not push my own feet to do that many kms. per day. I can handle the occasional long, long day, but mostly you've got to put in those routine 16-24 km. days and then do the huge push day, when it's a good walk and weather holds.

Aside from the feet just not holding up, you may find that you meet a friend, love a town, want to linger longer. I think a flexible approach is best. All this said, if you are approaching it like a "must get from point a to point b," have at it! Whatever suits YOU!

Buen Camino!

 

[domigee]

YEs, You can do it....

I have twice averaged Pamplona-Santiago in 20 days without any "I need to" plans.... It just happened...

I`m not sure this would be true while in the august heat though... Things are much harder during summer time... Lots of feet problems that just wont go away ( at least for me)...

Good luck and buen camino!

I agree with that. In August you may find it much more difficult to carry on walking in the afternoons.... Say you do 5km/hr, you'll need 7 hours. You may go MUCH slower in the heat and/or if it is a hilly etapa.
Your call

 

[alexwalker]

I think that if you want to see Pamplona, you should go there first. Then, use some public transport to get to a more reasonable start point, or research and figure out which part you "least" want to walk and transport ahead. If you want to get your pilgrim certificate for walking the last 100 km, of course, you no doubt have been told that you need to walk from Sarria without using public transport (and get two stamps per day).

The previous comments are spot on. I saw many extremely fit young people zooming ahead of me every day, and many of those people needed first aid at night. Feet just don't hold up great for many folks. Your muscles, fitness, and general attitude of "can do" might say yes, but the feet are a tricky matter.

I would not push my own feet to do that many kms. per day. I can handle the occasional long, long day, but mostly you've got to put in those routine 16-24 km. days and then do the huge push day, when it's a good walk and weather holds.

Aside from the feet just not holding up, you may find that you meet a friend, love a town, want to linger longer. I think a flexible approach is best. All this said, if you are approaching it like a "must get from point a to point b," have at it! Whatever suits YOU!

Buen Camino!

I second all that. August will most likely be very hot, and thos last 10K may be veery hard. Also, as many have said, physical ability is less of an issue than serious feet problems with such a distance each day. I have seen many young, able and fit with serious feet issues after just a few days.

For me, the best plan is to not have a plan.

 

[november_moon]

Why not 10 hours of walking? Sure, a lot of Camino walkers do a 5 to 7 hour day, but that leaves a lot of extra "down" time during daylight hours.

If your body is up to that amount of walking, then sure - go for it - no reason not to if you want to walk that many hours if you want to. Most people I met on the Camino were not up for that amount of walking day after day though. My feet feet were my limiting factor most days, and they were pretty much done after about 6 hours each day - at my pace, that's 24km - so that's the max that I can reasonably do in a day if I'm going to get up tomorrow and do it again, and then the next day again. I didn't actually know this until I got there because I'd never tried walking that many hours for days and days in a row. And I think most of us are in that position - just don't know how our bodies will adapt to walking for hours and hours every day, regardless of fitness.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

If your body is up to that amount of walking, then sure - go for it - no reason not to if you want to walk that many hours if you want to. Most people I met on the Camino were not up for that amount of walking day after day though. My feet feet were my limiting factor most days, and they were pretty much done after about 6 hours each day - at my pace, that's 24km - so that's the max that I can reasonably do in a day if I'm going to get up tomorrow and do it again, and then the next day again. I didn't actually know this until I got there because I'd never tried walking that many hours for days and days in a row. And I think most of us are in that position - just don't know how our bodies will adapt to walking for hours and hours every day, regardless of fitness.

5 months on the Pacific Crest Trail and 30 days on the Colorado Trail: Avg length of hiking day was 11 hours. My avg. pace, with 24 pound pack = 2.8 mph (4.5 km/h). Hundreds of thru hikers on the PCT and the Appalachian Trail do similar lengths and speed. The average person on the Camino is not a distance walker, so won't be able to handle the stress of long days. Others can and will and will do just fine.

Me... I love walking and get bored and antsy with not walking during daylight hours. Most on the forum have their own schedule for a day of walking. I expect that 25 to 30 mile days will do me just fine, for most Camino walkers, half those distances will seem like a long day.

 

[Pabloke]

Past year I started in Najera and I needed 17 days to come to Santiago. Some days I walked 20kms, some more than 40.

The major handicap will be the weather, but if you make breaks enough and drink water enough you'll be right.

On the other hand some days you'll finish your walking in the evening which could be a challenge to find a bed.

I love walking for hours, quietly, over 4'5km/h, but it's true that I use to do it in springtime.