Erin Georgiou
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances (April-may2018)
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) |
---|
I am glad I started in St Jean Pied de Port.Hi all
I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!
Hi Tom!How many days do you have? How much do you think you are able to walk each day? I know someone who finished the CF in 23 days, and she is not young, but she is driven. From what I’ve seen, 30 days is a brisk but doable pace for the entire CF. I’m guessing the bulk of pilgrims have taken 32-38 days to walk the CF, including rest days. I do recommend a lightweight sleeping bag. I washed clothes by hand each day. I brought a bar of soap that I used for bathing and washing clothes. There are many albergue choices in St. Jean Pied de Port.
Thirty days is doable if you’re quite fit, although it probably will not allow you any rest days as you noted. One thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi. Even if you only cut half of each of those distances by taking a taxi, you could buy yourself a couple days and not skip whole sections of your Camino. If you’d like to have a go at planning out stages that might work for you I suggest using the planner tool at godesalco.Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?
30 days is indeed very do-able, that is usually the time it takes me and I am neither very young or very fit. You may not need (indeed not like) to take rest days. See how it goes, you'll soon see what you are comfortable with.Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?
For me, rest days are not necessary. I took one rest day during my first Camino, and really didn't enjoy it that much. I would rather do a short day now and then, especially when arriving in a city with more to do.Hi Tom!
Thanks for your reply. I have 30 days, I would love to do the whole route, I do not think this would allow for rest days however. I lack knowledge on merging traditional sections to cover more ground in less time, but I am hoping that April-May will allow for most alburgues to be operating even in smaller village stops?
You could "save" a day or even two with this approach. Taxi's are very cheap and leaveOne thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi.
I am one of those who thinks the SJPP-Roncesvalles stage is hyped too much. Whatever your first day is, it will be one you would not have wanted to miss! I would prefer to focus on walking the whole way from wherever I started. If you start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona, just make a point of staying the night in the big albergues and deliberately making contact with some other pilgrims on that first day.But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
Hi I think it all depends how fit you are. As a 63 year old in 2016 I was reasonably fit when I walked the Frances, I planned in rest days just in case but never used them. Please don't miss SJPdP or the mountains, they are beautiful. Buen CaminoHi all
I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!
Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????Thirty days is doable if you’re quite fit, although it probably will not allow you any rest days as you noted. One thought is to skip the walks into or out of Burgos and León by taking a bus or taxi. Even if you only cut half of each of those distances by taking a taxi, you could buy yourself a couple days and not skip whole sections of your Camino. If you’d like to have a go at planning out stages that might work for you I suggest using the planner tool at godesalco.
I'm not a cyclist myself, but maybe an option is to cycle the Meseta; Burgos to Leon. It took us a week to walk that part. Apart from a serious hill out of Castrojerez, its pretty flat.
On my second Camino, my sister developed terrible blisters, and decided to hire a bike to save her toes. It turned out that you needed to be a bit organised for that, and in the bigger cities there is bike hire, in smaller places not. She ended up buying one instead.
If you book the bike hire, and bike the flat, you still get to experience the Meseta, but you'll get into Leon days earlier as you cover the ground faster on a bike. She found cycling on the flat quite easy.
I am the world's worst cyclist myself so it wouldn't be an option for me, but if you're confident cycling. it's a faster option. That way you get to say you did it all yourself, if that's important for you.
It is nice to have a day in Leon and Burgos if you have time, they are wonderful cities with lots to see.
I agree with Dorpie every km after lunch is much harder, and hotter. Its nice and refreshing in the morning. I am a much more happy camper if I walk early, and get some kms in before the heat sets in.
Slightly off topic:
Also, we met a couple of women who did a lot of side trips, they'd finish for the day, then taxi to places of interest and back. It hadn't occurred to me, the taxis are reasonably priced, and its not something you do every day, but you get to see a bit off the track, without walking it, and leave your main pack behind while you explore wineries, ruins or whatever. I will do that next time, there were places I fancied seeing, but by the time I finished I didn't feel like walking more kms.
The river walk is great. If you turn left early and do the foothills before the hiway, you get to a very lightly used overpass and avoid the airport. When I last walked the Camino, the route is marked but the left turn was not. A little bit of google map work resolves this easily.Yes, the river route (you walk past the airport first) into Burgos makes this a whole different walk!
What could I have been thinking! ‘-)Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????
I'd very much agree with this advice. The Brierley guide says at one point (I may be paraphrasing here) "Save yourself a dangerous and tedious walk through industrial wastelands and get the bus from here into town." It was a Sunday and I had to kill time wandering the streets and drinking in the bar at the bus station (Masilla de La Mulas) for three hours. I should have used the stuff between my ears and caught a taxi. Talking of which, a lovely American lady called Carol walking with her mature son Tim, were climbing the Pyrenees from Orisson to Roncesvalles in very high winds. Carol thought it was getting too much for her and turned back, having first taken some money from her son Tim to get a taxi to Roncesvalles. On the way down the track she persuaded a couple of others to turn back to and got them to share the cost of the taxi. Although we ribbed her a bit for giving up too soon, she was absolutely correct in her actions in many ways. 1. No need to call out the bomberos. 2. Passing on adverse weather conditions to other pilgrims. 2. Keeping the costs down by sharing.You could "save" a day or even two with this approach. Taxi's are very cheap and leave
when you want them to. Waiting several hours for a bus seems like a waste of time
Buen Camino
That’s what you have Priscilla and me for! To do your thinking. Well to tell you the truth Silvia does my thinking for me too!!!! Walk with us next year you will love it!What could I have been thinking! ‘-)
I know of this river walk that is supposed to be nice but in 2 CF Caminos I missed the cut off both times!!!!! So I had the other magnificent stroll through industrial Burgos!!!!Yes, the river route (you walk past the airport first) into Burgos makes this a whole different walk!
I totally agree. I wanted to see all of Spain, the good, the bad and the ugly.Hypermarkets and car showrooms are as much a part of modern Spain, modern Europe, as prettified pathways and 'peregrino' resources.
I would not want to miss SJPP or Orisson. Beilari Albergue is wonderful in SJPP. You can easily skip the walk into and out of Leon, as it is very industrialHi all
I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!
Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????
Ha! One of my most UNenjoyable (yet UNforgettable) stretches on any Camino...but you knew that!Do you think it wise to advise someone to skip walking in and out of Burgos and Leon? Is there a more beautiful walk anywhere on earth than the walk along the airport into Burgos?????
I agree with what you and Tinky are saying, but when I come to Europe, I am looking to see the old and ancient, which we don't have in the USA. I get my fill of all things modern and industrial on our side of the pond. That said, I always walk those unappealing stretches in and out of the cities, but personally they don't "trip my trigger".I totally agree. I wanted to see all of Spain, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Download the PDF that I posted above. It makes it super easy to find.Yes, I agree totally that the River Walk is an improvement. But, each time I head into Burgos, I seem to miss it and end up in the industrial estates...sigh... Hence, my reticence to try another go... Once I realized I missed the turn for the River Walk, I promptly found a taxi to avoid the rest of what I knew was ahead...
But, if you have the time, and can arrange NOT to miss the turn to the River Walk, go for it!
We located the river walk both times going into Burgos and it is quite relaxing and enjoyable with few people...well, I didn't find it, my son did.Download the PDF that I posted above. It makes it super easy to find.
Hi all
I will be beginning my first Camino (Frances) on the 20/21st of April 2018.
I have been reading about it for some time and loving this forum. I am now in the lead up having difficult making final decision on some of the details. Your expertise is required:
-due to limited time I will be walking every day. I would like to start in SJPdP, but this is likely to mean I will need to complete double section days later in the walk, or do some bus travel. I am generally against using buses for hike sections. But have heard that the SJPdP section is one not to miss.
-otherwise, I'll start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona. Any pros or cons re starting here instead of SJPdP?
- do I really need a sleeping bag? Due to budget I will be looking to stay in most basic pilgrim alburgeus along the route.
- how does one go about washing clothes/socks on the route?
-can a pilgrim stay in a pilgrim hostel the night before commencing their Camino?
Any other hot tips very welcome!!
I used taxi's in 2014 for this and all the drivers I had were very friendly and MORE than willing to answer questions. A few even waited around for me if I felt uncomfortable where I was exploring. Definitely do not be afraid to utilize this awesome resource! Even with drivers that did not speak much English, guess what???... we still understood each other! Just don't feel intimidated, you are a Pilgrim and where you need to be! Buen Camino!I'm not a cyclist myself, but maybe an option is to cycle the Meseta; Burgos to Leon. It took us a week to walk that part. Apart from a serious hill out of Castrojerez, its pretty flat.
On my second Camino, my sister developed terrible blisters, and decided to hire a bike to save her toes. It turned out that you needed to be a bit organised for that, and in the bigger cities there is bike hire, in smaller places not. She ended up buying one instead.
If you book the bike hire, and bike the flat, you still get to experience the Meseta, but you'll get into Leon days earlier as you cover the ground faster on a bike. She found cycling on the flat quite easy.
I am the world's worst cyclist myself so it wouldn't be an option for me, but if you're confident cycling. it's a faster option. That way you get to say you did it all yourself, if that's important for you.
It is nice to have a day in Leon and Burgos if you have time, they are wonderful cities with lots to see.
I agree with Dorpie every km after lunch is much harder, and hotter. Its nice and refreshing in the morning. I am a much more happy camper if I walk early, and get some kms in before the heat sets in.
Slightly off topic:
Also, we met a couple of women who did a lot of side trips, they'd finish for the day, then taxi to places of interest and back. It hadn't occurred to me, the taxis are reasonably priced, and its not something you do every day, but you get to see a bit off the track, without walking it, and leave your main pack behind while you explore wineries, ruins or whatever. I will do that next time, there were places I fancied seeing, but by the time I finished I didn't feel like walking more kms.
I agree with what you and Tinky are saying, but when I come to Europe, I am looking to see the old and ancient, which we don't have in the USA. I get my fill of all things modern and industrial on our side of the pond. That said, I always walk those unappealing stretches in and out of the cities, but personally they don't "trip my trigger"..
I have been out west many times and seen a large number of our beautiful national parks...Arches, Zion, Bryce, Rockies, Monument Valley, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Yosemite, Sequoia, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Kodachrome state pk, and Banff & Jasper in Canada...Eastern side I've been to Acadia, Shenandoah, Smokey Mountains. They are all outstanding for sure! I was not referring to our awesome landscapes! They are "right up there" with many of the world's best.Yeah...but we have Monument a Valley, MesaVerde and Montezuma’s Well. Had to throw the last in. I was a Seasonal Ranger there the Summer of 1967.
There must be some similar stuff on the other (crowded) side of the Mississippi, but dang me if I can think of any. As you can tell, I am a Westerner, through and through!
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?