Pi Wakawaka
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Plans are set April 2016 Camino Frances
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I did not take your poles or your friend's poles, and I always try to do as you instruct and leave only footprints and respect. Why are you ranting at me? It seems a bit extreme to be so horrified and disappointed by annoying situations that can happen anywhere.Hola fellow peregrinos.
I am not far from reaching Santiago (2 days) and just wanted to share some advice, and have a rant.
Please WAKE UP when you wake up and make sure you take your OWN gear. Use a torch if it is dark. I went to leave my albergue this morning to find one of my pair of walking poles gone. These have done a lot of hikes with me and travelled half way around the globe. Needless to say, I was pissed off. One is not the same as two when it comes to knee problems and uphill, let alone that my poles are my friends just like my boots. Someone also took my friend's walking pole. She was gutted also.
AND... I am horrified and disappointed when I have come across so much pilgrim rubbish. Food wrappers, cigarette packets, empty water bottles, tissues and wipes, receipts, duct tape etc etc.
It is a pilgrim disgrace to come to Spain and disrespect the country and it's people. It is a privellage and an honour to walk a Camino. You ought to leave nothing but footprints and respect. Rant over.
@Cayou:1. I'd be very upset if my poles were 'taken' ... they are like old friends, hundreds of miles in the Sierra Nevadas, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Southern California ...
2. Great plan on the trash pick-up - I've done that as well. So, need to carry extra 'baggies' this August. I need a job and that will be perfect.
That's terrible if I had my poles stolen I would have been unable to continue. Have to agree about the rubbish. It's a real shame and not uncommon.Hola fellow peregrinos.
I am not far from reaching Santiago (2 days) and just wanted to share some advice, and have a rant.
Please WAKE UP when you wake up and make sure you take your OWN gear. Use a torch if it is dark. I went to leave my albergue this morning to find one of my pair of walking poles gone. These have done a lot of hikes with me and travelled half way around the globe. Needless to say, I was pissed off. One is not the same as two when it comes to knee problems and uphill, let alone that my poles are my friends just like my boots. Someone also took my friend's walking pole. She was gutted also.
AND... I am horrified and disappointed when I have come across so much pilgrim rubbish. Food wrappers, cigarette packets, empty water bottles, tissues and wipes, receipts, duct tape etc etc.
It is a pilgrim disgrace to come to Spain and disrespect the country and it's people. It is a privellage and an honour to walk a Camino. You ought to leave nothing but footprints and respect. Rant over.
If you only have room for 6 bottles, you need a bigger pack!what does a bag of rubbish weigh, certainly not as much as my 6 bottles of wine.
Yes, prevention is a way to reduce thefts, but one must never blame a victim for being trusting.So someone accidentally took your pole.
My guess everyone left their poles at the door with their boots ...
Prevention is about collapsing your poles and stuffing them in or tying them to your pack.
Stealing a sleeping bag while the pilgrim is in the shower? That's some low "stuff" to do.....hopefully bad karma catches up.As sad as it is, you should also consider that your walking pole was 'taken with intent' ie stolen. When we walked last year several pilgrims had 'lost' gear - pacer poles in particular - and one even had his sleeping bag taken while he was in the shower. I even stumbled upon an opportunist who was 'trying out' walking poles from the collection and who made a hasty retreat back onto the Camino when challenged.
Stealing a sleeping bag while the pilgrim is in the shower? That's some low "stuff" to do.....hopefully bad karma catches up.
ha ha...I ain't that philosophical.Actually I was totally blown away by the pilgrim's response. He was unbelievably philosophical, just said that the 'borrower' must have needed it more than he did then organised a taxi to Sarria and came back with an (expensive in total) replacement.
Are you allowed to take your poles inside the albergue somewhere else than in the bin provided to leave them in? Is it 'mandatory' to leave your boots and poles where it is assigned? (I guess when I do my camino, I'll try and hide my poles inside my bag or just hang them on the outside of my pack, if allowed.)So someone accidentally took your pole.
My guess everyone left their poles at the door with their boots ...
Prevention is about collapsing your poles and stuffing them in or tying them to your pack.
The poles, just collapse them and stick them in your pack, or hook to the exterior of it.Are you allowed to take your poles inside the albergue somewhere else than in the bin provided to leave them in? Is it 'mandatory' to leave your boots and poles where it is assigned? (I guess when I do my camino, I'll try and hide my poles inside my bag or just hang them on the outside of my pack, if allowed.)
Don't leave that happy place! All of these things exist where you are (with minor variations). Take the normal precautions. You wouldn't leave your wallet on the seat of an unlocked car; don't leave valuables unattended in an albergue with dozens of strangers. Trust but verify. Don't be cynical or naive. Trust your normal instincts; they have served you well for all these years. While the Camino is unique, it still exists in the world. Buen camino. You are going to love it.I'll be leaving for my first Camino on the 29th and I'm trying very hard not to let things I read disturb me. Theft, littering, unwelcoming individuals...it's sad to read. I've been dreaming of doing this for a very long time and refuse to leave the happy place I've pictured.
Please don't let any negativity you read on here put you off, and that also goes to all those future pilgrims out there reading this. Please....I'll be leaving for my first Camino on the 29th and I'm trying very hard not to let things I read disturb me. Theft, littering, unwelcoming individuals...it's sad to read. I've been dreaming of doing this for a very long time and refuse to leave the happy place I've pictured. I've chosen to use it as a way to prepare mentally for something that is already going to be both physically and mentally challenging. It's shown me that my determination to do this is stronger than first thought.
Could I bring plastic bags to put my shoes in to bring inside with me?The poles, just collapse them and stick them in your pack, or hook to the exterior of it.
As far as boots/shoes go, kinda mandatory to put them in the racks that may be in the entrance or outside. If you are concerned they may be stolen (highly unlikely), just remove the insoles and put them in your pack. I doubt if a wannabe thief would want a pair of hot footwear with no insoles.
I'm sure you could. Nobody at the albergues would even notice. You bag them, put them on the floor near your pack, nobody would care. I'm not advocating that everyone does it, and I don't think footwear theft is much of an issue on the Camino (I never saw it), but if they ain't muddy and overly dirty and funky, why not?Could I bring plastic bags to put my shoes in to bring inside with me?
Mark:I'm sure you could. Nobody at the albergues would even notice. You bag them, put them on the floor near your pack, nobody would care. I'm not advocating that everyone does it, and I don't think footwear theft is much of an issue on the Camino (I never saw it), but if they ain't muddy and overly dirty and funky, why not?
Yeah, you are right. I never took my footwear in the sleeping area, and was just saying that if one was concerned enough, they could. Like I recommended earlier, I always removed my insoles (aftermarket) and cleaned them off and put them in an outside pocket of my pack. Nobody ever messed with my funky shoes and if they did they wouldn't be much use with no insoles.Mark:
What about humidity? Boots left overnight in plastic would, I think, get very moist, having no chance to air out overnight.
Please don't let any negativity you read on here put you off, and that also goes to all those future pilgrims out there reading this. Please....
Like I've said on here before, things tend to get blown way out of proportion on this forum. Embellished. Exaggerated. Like a bunch of fisherman talking about their catch. The first day walk over the Pyrenees becomes a trek over Everest. A couple of bedbugs here and there become biblical plagues. The meseta becomes the Sahara desert. An occasional tired, impatient hospitalero becomes an epidemic of rude volunteers, and an item here and there filched becomes roving bands of highwayman.
Certainly if you take about a half a million people and they walk across the same route every year, all about the same time, you are bound to have some issues as people is people. That will never change.
Believe me, if walking the Camino was as bad as it is portrayed on here at times, my arse wouldn't have walked it thrice, and contemplating number four.
Cheers and ultreia. You will have a great time.
I'm not going to leave my shoes or poles in a gear room. Im just can't afford to replace them. I've seen too much stolen this year. It's unbelievable. I take a plastic bag with me. I take off my walking shoes and put them in the bag and put them in my pack. I take out my 'rest' shoes and put them on. I mark my poles with bright yellow duct tape and collapse them and attach them onto my pack. I reserve a pair of brand new rubber tips for nights.
I'll be leaving for my first Camino on the 29th and I'm trying very hard not to let things I read disturb me. Theft, littering, unwelcoming individuals...it's sad to read. I've been dreaming of doing this for a very long time and refuse to leave the happy place I've pictured. I've chosen to use it as a way to prepare mentally for something that is already going to be both physically and mentally challenging. It's shown me that my determination to do this is stronger than first thought.
You'll have a good time, some of these post are just rants. I had a very good time and read nothing before I left so the adventures and miss-adventures just blended together. have fun.I'll be leaving for my first Camino on the 29th and I'm trying very hard not to let things I read disturb me. Theft, littering, unwelcoming individuals...it's sad to read. I've been dreaming of doing this for a very long time and refuse to leave the happy place I've pictured. I've chosen to use it as a way to prepare mentally for something that is already going to be both physically and mentally challenging. It's shown me that my determination to do this is stronger than first thought.
Hola fellow peregrinos.
I am not far from reaching Santiago (2 days) and just wanted to share some advice, and have a rant.
Please WAKE UP when you wake up and make sure you take your OWN gear. Use a torch if it is dark. I went to leave my albergue this morning to find one of my pair of walking poles gone. These have done a lot of hikes with me and travelled half way around the globe. Needless to say, I was pissed off. One is not the same as two when it comes to knee problems and uphill, let alone that my poles are my friends just like my boots. Someone also took my friend's walking pole. She was gutted also.
AND... I am horrified and disappointed when I have come across so much pilgrim rubbish. Food wrappers, cigarette packets, empty water bottles, tissues and wipes, receipts, duct tape etc etc.
It is a pilgrim disgrace to come to Spain and disrespect the country and it's people. It is a privellage and an honour to walk a Camino. You ought to leave nothing but footprints and respect. Rant over.
Ha ha...yeah, the chastising that occurs on here from time to time is a bit comical.I was very worried about someone taking my shoes either by error or outright theft. That started in Roncesvalles when I was directed to that shoe room with zillions of other pairs. "What happens if someone 'mistakenly' takes my shoes", I thought. So I always snuck them in with me. I was chastised for this a few weeks ago when I mentioned it in another post. I use special orthotics, though not special shoes, and there was no way they were going to leave my sight. The only "theft" I ever experienced was the loss of a transport payment envelope off my pack. When I reached the little hotel I had booked in Burgos, NO PACK! I was stunned. They called back to Atapuerca and there it was, with no envelope on it. It was delivered within an hour or so.
I hope the point of leaving boots at the door is to keep out dirt. Taking boots up to your bed is completely different from walking around in them. I do not feel the least amount of guilt about doing that! Poles too.So I always snuck them in with me. I
And in the case of my teenage boys' feet, the stench.I hope the point of leaving boots at the door is to keep out dirt.
Hola fellow peregrinos.
I am not far from reaching Santiago (2 days) and just wanted to share some advice, and have a rant.
Please WAKE UP when you wake up and make sure you take your OWN gear. Use a torch if it is dark. I went to leave my albergue this morning to find one of my pair of walking poles gone. These have done a lot of hikes with me and travelled half way around the globe. Needless to say, I was pissed off. One is not the same as two when it comes to knee problems and uphill, let alone that my poles are my friends just like my boots. Someone also took my friend's walking pole. She was gutted also.
AND... I am horrified and disappointed when I have come across so much pilgrim rubbish. Food wrappers, cigarette packets, empty water bottles, tissues and wipes, receipts, duct tape etc etc.
It is a pilgrim disgrace to come to Spain and disrespect the country and it's people. It is a privellage and an honour to walk a Camino. You ought to leave nothing but footprints and respect. Rant over.
Unfortunately stealing does happen in albergue's. I met a young American lady who had her walking boots stolen from under her bed at an albergue , so figure it no respect or thought to how will this person continue her Camino.Ahm, I don't really worry about anything being stolen from me. All very much old and used stuff. Nobody wants that. And I would never go for Camino with brand new eqipment. My walking poles, for example, I thought they'd gave up on me in 2014 but some duct tape does miracles. You want them? Go take them
Interesting to know what their logic, excuse or lies were regarding how they came in possession of the poles was?I mark my poles by wrapping a bit of pattern or colorful duct tape around them. Last year mine were stolen by two women in broad daylight outside while we were having café, Good news is that we were sitting having café the next day when the woman walked up with them. It was a delicate situation, but I got them back. However, I have also been a hospitalera and have seen people accidently grab the wrong poles out of the container early in the morning when they are half awake. Again marking them with tape or something distinctive.
This morning, I picked up garbage in my neighbourhood, which I dumped in the bin at the transit station. When I got to work, I emptied the dishwasher and put in it the dishes left in the sink. I did so to improve my own environment. The only person whose behaviour I can change is my own.
I know that on the camino this effort can be endless: the route stretches out before the pilgrim as an endless path of garbage, graffiti and toilet litter. Benches that one might like to sit on are surrounded with toilet paper. When on camino, one day I joined a group of pilgrims standing looking out at a beautiful, hilly landscape. Right at the path was a bench facing the view. Next to it was a memorial for a pilgrim who had died near there while on camino. All around was the usual litter, including food litter where people had lunched at the bench. Suddenly, I couldn't stand it. I took out a plastic bag and began to pick up tissues, orange peel and other food litter. An Asian couple joined me in picking up litter. I explained that it was wrong to desecrate a pilgrim memorial and they seemed to agree. It was satisfying to see the area tidy, appropriate for the beautiful scenery and the memorial. I picked up bits of litter all along the frances. But this was the only time that I felt that I was doing anything that actually had a noticeable, if local and temporary, effect. I shall go on picking up litter on the camino when I am there in the fall. To my mind, cleaning up the world is the job of a adult. It's never done, and one is never confident that the next generation will continue the job. I have great respect for the members of this forum who meet each year to spend a week cleaning up. You folks are the best of us. Thank you.
What I think would be really nice is if we could purchase, over there, some litter picker uppers, but there don't seem to be any there for purchase. And, at least on this side of the pond, the inexpensive litter picker uppers are next to useless, and the good ones are quite expensive. And, anyway, who wants to travel with a litter picker upper?Note to self: Add some small garbage bags and latex gloves to packing list.
I think it may be easy enough to fix a nail to a walking stick using a hose clamp... Then take it off when you need the pole.What I think would be really nice is if we could purchase, over there, some litter picker uppers, but there don't seem to be any there for purchase. And, at least on this side of the pond, the inexpensive litter picker uppers are next to useless, and the good ones are quite expensive. And, anyway, who wants to travel with a litter picker upper?
Well, in my case too, so no problem whatsoever leaving them unguarded...And in the case of my teenage boys' feet, the stench.
with the boots I secured a carabiner through the back loops.
Don't be cynical or naive.
Am I ranting at you? I am sure you are adult enough to know the answer. Minimising the respect deserved by viewing it as 'normal', is an irresponsible view.I did not take your poles or your friend's poles, and I always try to do as you instruct and leave only footprints and respect. Why are you ranting at me? It seems a bit extreme to be so horrified and disappointed by annoying situations that can happen anywhere.
Hi. Believe it or not... 2.5 days after someone took my pole, I saw it in cafe... and had seen the guy at regular intervals. I was relieved to have my trusty old scratched up pole back and gave him his one. He did not even know he had a different one 2,5 days later!!!! It was funny watching his reaction.I mark my poles by wrapping a bit of pattern or colorful duct tape around them. Last year mine were stolen by two women in broad daylight outside while we were having café, Good news is that we were sitting having café the next day when the woman walked up with them. It was a delicate situation, but I got them back. However, I have also been a hospitalera and have seen people accidently grab the wrong poles out of the container early in the morning when they are half awake. Again marking them with tape or something distinctive.
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