Walkingboy
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino France
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Has any body walked both?
Has any body walked both? I walked the C2C in 2015 and am starting the camino on March 23rd 2018. The C2C was a hard walk and at only 190 odd miles quite a lot less that the Camino Frances. I took 2 weeks for this so that does equate to 5 weeks for the Camino. Although I am now 65 I believe I can do it but it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty.
The walk from Leon to Santiago, about 210 miles, takes 2 weeks.Has any body walked both? I walked the C2C in 2015 and am starting the camino on March 23rd 2018. The C2C was a hard walk and at only 190 odd miles quite a lot less that the Camino Frances. I took 2 weeks for this so that does equate to 5 weeks for the Camino. Although I am now 65 I believe I can do it but it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty.
The Camino will provide - YET AGAIN!Has any body walked both? I walked the C2C in 2015 and am starting the camino on March 23rd 2018. The C2C was a hard walk and at only 190 odd miles quite a lot less that the Camino Frances. I took 2 weeks for this so that does equate to 5 weeks for the Camino. Although I am now 65 I believe I can do it but it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty.
way more expensive
HiHas any body walked both? I walked the C2C in 2015 and am starting the camino on March 23rd 2018. The C2C was a hard walk and at only 190 odd miles quite a lot less that the Camino Frances. I took 2 weeks for this so that does equate to 5 weeks for the Camino. Although I am now 65 I believe I can do it but it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty.
My husband is 63 , walked the CF to Burgos in 2013 and since then (and before) has been working his way through the UK National Trails. Said they are way tough compared to his camino and yes, way more expensive. But enjoys them.
Hello I waked the C2C in May 2016 and The CF in May this year . The C2C was a harder walk in my opinion , especially the Lakes District at the beginning with its big climbs and descents . We took 2 weeks , including a rest day in Richmond . The Camino isn't harder , just longer , and we had 4 rest days ( Pamplona, Burgos , Leon and another small village) which helped out tired feet . The C2C is also more expensive as you don't get the cheap accommodation and eating options so readily available on the Camino. Both are beautiful walks in their own wayHas any body walked both? I walked the C2C in 2015 and am starting the camino on March 23rd 2018. The C2C was a hard walk and at only 190 odd miles quite a lot less that the Camino Frances. I took 2 weeks for this so that does equate to 5 weeks for the Camino. Although I am now 65 I believe I can do it but it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty.
Hola, Walkingboy, I agree with everything Jill has said, plus some.
When I walked Wainwright’s coast-to-coast a few years back, you could add-in gale-force winds, near-zero-visibility fog, getting lost, and lashing rain. I’m not criticising anything, I enjoyed every minute of it (well, at least when we were reliving the day’s adventures with fellow walkers and wine in a cosy pub), but at times it was very hard work. By comparison, in terms of the effort required, other than the endurance needed to walk 850 kms, the Camino Frances is easy. Nothing wrong with that, I love the Camino, it’s an ideal world, and I wish I was wandering along it right now.
Buen Camino,
wes
Hello Sunbun, I walked from late-April to mid-May and took about 16 days, including a day off in Richmond. Every day there was either one or a combination of drizzle, rain, very strong wind, mist and fog. When the wind and rain coincided it was really hard going, because the terrain is generally far more difficult than on the Camino Frances.What time of year did you walk the C2C?
it would be good to know from someone who has done both how they compare for difficulty
Hi, my friend and I walked in September and carried all our kit. Did not use the luggage transfer. Must admit I did take too heavier pack and learnt that this was a mistake. Will to make that one again when I walk th Camino starting at the end of March 2018. Cheers. DaveWhat time of year did you walk the C2C?
Hi @Walkingboy - I was so carried away going on about the general case for walking trips in Britain I overlooked answering your specific request for a comparison between the C2C in northern England and the Frances in northern Spain.
I was making the case, based on four trips, that just about any long distance walking trips in Britain are more difficult, by a significant multiple, than the Frances by reason of the relative lack of adequate infrastructure at reasonable intervals, whether or not it is moderately priced, in Britain. While on the Frances very adequate and reasonably priced accommodation is available in most cities, towns and villages along the Frances: and often there is a choice, even in small villages.
The points of difficulty for the Frances are the 2 ascents of note and three singularly difficult descents.
The first ascent of note is from Saint-Jean to Col Lepoeder. This starts at 170 metres above sea level (asl) and you attain 1430 m asl, a 1260 m climb, over 18.5 km = around 7 % on average: the average is significantly exceeded in the 8 km pull up to Orisson.
The second ascent of note is from Les Herrias (about 45 km west from Ponferrada) at 650 m to La Laguna at 1200 m, a 550 m climb, over 5.5 km = 10 % on average.
The first potentially difficult descent is from Col Lepoeder at 1430 m to Roncesvalles at 950 m, or 480 m down, over 7.5 km = around 7 % on average through a forest.
The second is from Alt del Perdon (about 13 km west of Pamplona) at 770 m to Uterga at about 500, or 270 m down, over 3 km = around 10 % on average over an extremely difficult surface.
And the third is from Col de las Antenna (about 80km west of Astorga) at 1515 m to Molinaseca at 590 m, or 925 m down, over 14 km = around 6 % on average but over some difficult surfaces.
There are other equally sharp rises and falls but of much shorter duration and/or easier surfaces.
While the quality of the tracks for the Frances are in the eye of the beholder they do allow daily distances of 40 km or more on a regular basis for those who want to do that. And completions of around 25 days for the whole 800 km are not unknown. Over two sessions in May 2016, I retired hurt at Estella and restarted from there in October 2017, I completed in 27 days walking (not including rest days) when aged 74/75.
So, although I have not attempted the C2C in northern England I hope I have given a flavour of the Frances from which you can make your own comparison.
Be pleased to answer any questions.
Kia kaha (take care, be strong, get going)
Thanks for suggesting this thread, Wes. Your description of the C2C is scary though. Honestly, do you think it's foolhardy for a 76 year old woman to attempt it alone? I know there will be lots of others on the walk, and I'm hoping that if things get really bad, I can tag along with others. I got through the wonderful Camino Frances basically alone, by sheer will power, and the help of my trusty hiking poles, which I used to pull myself over mountains. It was hard and painful and glorious. I'm not exactly having second thoughts about the C2C, but I admit that I'm nervous about it.Hola, Walkingboy, I agree with everything Jill has said, plus some.
When I walked Wainwright’s coast-to-coast a few years back, you could add-in gale-force winds, near-zero-visibility fog, getting lost, and lashing rain. I’m not criticising anything, I enjoyed every minute of it (well, at least when we were reliving the day’s adventures with fellow walkers and wine in a cosy pub), but at times it was very hard work. By comparison, in terms of the effort required, other than the endurance needed to walk 850 kms, the Camino Frances is easy. Nothing wrong with that, I love the Camino, it’s an ideal world, and I wish I was wandering along it right now.
Buen Camino,
wes
What did you find the most difficult part of the C2C? The terrain, the weather? I've walked both the Camino Frances and the Portuguese from Porto to Finisterre, and my plan is to walk the C2C this coming September. I'm trying to prepare myself for what may be the hardest thing I've ever done, and I'll be 76 by then. I'm wishing now that I had someone experienced walking with me, but I'm also okay with going solo.I walked the C2C in 2013 and have since walked both the Camino from SJPP and the Portuguese from Lisbon. I am 77 years old and found the Wainwright by far the most difficult.
Thanks for suggesting this thread, Wes. Your description of the C2C is scary though. Honestly, do you think it's foolhardy for a 76 year old woman to attempt it alone? I know there will be lots of others on the walk, and I'm hoping that if things get really bad, I can tag along with others. I got through the wonderful Camino Frances basically alone, by sheer will power, and the help of my trusty hiking poles, which I used to pull myself over mountains. It was hard and painful and glorious. I'm not exactly having second thoughts about the C2C, but I admit that I'm nervous about it.
Thank you for your honesty. I'm going to look into getting a GPS device. That sounds really helpful. I'm also going to take a course on using a compass with a topographical map. And my days are mostly reasonably short. The longest is the 14.5 miles from Patterson to Bampton Grange. The average is 10 to 12 miles. How were weather reports for a day, prior to walking? I'm wondering if the forecast is too bad, I might skip a section altogether. BTW, I know you will love the Portuguese Camino.Ok. Here's my two cents. I am 71. In the last 5 years, I have walked the Camino Frances twice and cycled the Norte once. My husband and I are planning to walk the Portuguese in May. We walked the C2C last August. It was entirely too rigorous for me to walk alone. These factors: navigation was extremely difficult; very easy to lose one's way and with the added risk of fog and rain( even in August), unmarked trails and very few other walkers, it was downright dangerous. Now that is my experience. There was a young German woman walking alone and she was always very thankful for our friendship and companionship. If I did walk, I'd definitely have a GPS device that was not dependent upon connectivity and I'd study the terrain. We walked on our own but had our luggage transported to a B&B each day with pre-arranged reservations. There are not many services; we packed our lunches everyday and had breakfast and dinner at the B&B. Most of the other walkers were from Australia. It was a great experience retrospectively. I am not inclined to repeat it whereas I am drawn constantly to the Camino.
I would love that!! Thanks!Sounds good. Yes, our days were about that long as well (unless we got lost). Yes, we watched the weather and did take a bus to the next town one day. I can share my blog if interest to you. (You must promise not to be offended by typos)!
Hello Kathy, I've re-read the posts from December and you're right, we do make the C2C sound a bit dire. I guess I wasn't expecting to have to expend so much effort on (1) watching where I was placing my feet, and (2) assiduous compass and map-reading. On all of my four Caminos I wandered along in my own thoughts for about 90 per cent of the time; on the C2C I was primarily occupied with getting from A to B. And there were a couple of occasions in heavy fog, with daylight running out, and no cellphone cover, when, for about an hour, I was genuinely concerned. Still, those of us who've recounted these experiences clearly made it in one piece, and thousands of people make the walk uneventfully every year. I think a GPS would make a big difference, but I'd also be cautious about walking alone if the weather's ordinary.Thanks for suggesting this thread, Wes. Your description of the C2C is scary though. Honestly, do you think it's foolhardy for a 76 year old woman to attempt it alone? I know there will be lots of others on the walk, and I'm hoping that if things get really bad, I can tag along with others. I got through the wonderful Camino Frances basically alone, by sheer will power, and the help of my trusty hiking poles, which I used to pull myself over mountains. It was hard and painful and glorious. I'm not exactly having second thoughts about the C2C, but I admit that I'm nervous about it.
Thanks for suggesting this thread, Wes. Your description of the C2C is scary though. Honestly, do you think it's foolhardy for a 76 year old woman to attempt it alone? I know there will be lots of others on the walk, and I'm hoping that if things get really bad, I can tag along with others. I got through the wonderful Camino Frances basically alone, by sheer will power, and the help of my trusty hiking poles, which I used to pull myself over mountains. It was hard and painful and glorious. I'm not exactly having second thoughts about the C2C, but I admit that I'm nervous about it.
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