Walking March 24

[samantha]

My name is Samantha Forrest and I will be starting my much awaited pilgrimage at the end of March at St. Jean Pied de Port. I am very excited about finally doing the pilgrimage. I am an American currently live in southern Germany (Bavaria) and I will be moving to Alaska when I finish....

I am 32, and traveling solo. Is there any advice one could give for the conditions of the Pyranees in late March? My pack weigs about 29 pounds. I have tried to get it down as much as possible, but warm clothes are heavy :!:

By the way, I am walking for peace

 

[samantha]

Okay, no one has jumped to reply to my first post, but I did want to give a little update to myself, I guess :lol:

I am leaving for the Camino a week earlier than I thought. I am leaving next thurs or friday (16'th or 17'th).

I am getting a little nervous, but I know it will be ok. I would love any last minute advice from any old salts...

samantha~

 

[Covey]

I am sorry to say this, but your pack is too heavy!!!

Many go backpacking with heavy packs and carry enough kit to last 6 months, but the Camino is 4-6 weeks and you do not need much in the way of kit.

Basically you need two sets of clothes, excluding outerwear. Starting at the feet you need one pair of good lightweight walking boots and a pair of flipflops or waterproof sandles for standing in the shower and wearing in the evening. 4 pairs of good walking high wick socks. 2 pairs of walking trousers which zip off at the knees. Two sets of base layer thermal longjohns and long sleeve vest. You walk in one set if the weather is cold and sleep in the other. 2 high wick walking shirts with long sleeves. A fleece with long sleeves and a waterproof jacket and trousers.

Forget lots of maps and guidebooks, you don't need them and the route is generally well marked, and most of the time you can follow the people in front. Take one luxury in the form of your favorite paperback book. For a long trip I always take Shogun by Clavell. It does not matter how many times you read it, it always throws up bits you did not remember from the last time of reading.

Your sleeping bag needs to be as light as possible. In summer you probably do not need one, but in March you will.

Carry half a small bottle of shower gel/soap which covers washing and doing your hair. Have a short hair cut!!! Everything else you can replenish along the way, so you do not have to carry 6 weeks supply.

ALWAYS carry a roll of toilet paper. Carry a small torch and a folding penknife or camping knife.

Do not worry about taking clothes for your social life, there isnt one. Having arrived at that nights stop, shower as soon as possible (any hot water runs out quickly!!), do your laundry if needed and put on the clothes you are going to wear the next day, jump into your flipflops and go and have a beer and something to eat.

The Camino in its basics is walk - eat - sleep for 30+ days, so what you carry is the most important thing in your life for 30 days. If you need to replace items along the way the bigger towns will probably have it. You will be surprised at how little you really need to carry to be comfortable.

The most important thing is that whatever you carry must be light and durable. Forget fashion as most people are too knackered to even notice if your clothing the colour coordinated and designer label.

You need to aim for a pack weight of 8kgs with a maximum of 10kgs. Unlike backpackers who stuff their packs on trains and busses, you are going to be carrying your pack for 8 hours per day, every day for 30+ days. On day three you will feel that you are carrying the burdens of the world on your shoulders, let alone worrying about world peace.

Have a good time.

Covey

 

[William Marques]

Samantha

Take things easy. Don’t turn the Camino into a race, go with the flow. This will save your feet and save you stress. Michael McMahon puts it very well "Having cut my ties to everything except my backpack for four weeks, I felt free. I walked at my own pace, stopping when I felt like it. Sometimes, I lingered to admire the landscape or the architecture; more often than not I walked on, enjoying the reality rather than the view. For four weeks, the past didn't matter, and nor did the future. I learnt to be content with how things are, and didn't have to think any further ahead than getting to Santiago.”

Take only what you need. This is difficult the first time as you don’t realize how little you need, (there are a number of websites that publish packing lists such as the Confraternity of St James), but remember there are plenty of shops in Spain and France and you will able to pick up anything you did not pack on the way. Wear the things you cannot be without on the plane in case your luggage goes astray, the camino is not a place to break in a new pair of boots. The old adage applies; when you've decided what things you want to carry along and how much money you'll need, bring half as much stuff and twice as much money. You'll have done yourself proud if you use everything you brought at least once, and if you manage to avoid using all the money. A very rough budget would be 1 euro per kilometre if staying in refugios.

There is no right way just your own way. Don’t take too much advice, even this, on what you must do. Your own camino will be unique.

Don’t expect anything of the camino. You cannot predict what your experience will be, so don’t try. As the saying goes, “If you ever find happiness by hunting for it, you will find it as the old woman did her lost spectacles - on her own nose all the time”.

Don’t expect anything of the people on the camino. Nobody puts it better than Judith. “A pilgrim does not demand, a pilgrim is grateful. He leaves what he can and takes only that which he needs.” You have no rights as a pilgrim and must rely on the kindness of strangers.

Look after your things. The people around are the same as those at home. Don’t leave you wallet and passport lying about if you wouldn’t do the same at home. And if you would, tell us where this utopia you live is, so we can all move there.

You will find that most of the people leave the refuges at about the same time this means especially in summer that there are people-jams of those who have come from the refuges in the bigger towns. If you start earlier than the crowd and walk a little faster or leave after them and walk a little slower you can walk alone in the height of summer - if you want to.

Four thing I would not go without:

1 A pillowcase (a clean pillowcase to use with the pillows in refuges or fleece from your pack weighs very little and gives a clean place for you head each night, you can also use it as a hat)

2 A tiny torch (a very small torch or head torch is useful for the early starts it is wise to make in summer to walk in the cool of the morning)

3 Earplugs (after your first night in a refuge you will realise these are probably the first thing you should pack)

4 A mobile phone (many pilgrims have a prejudice against mobile phones but I think they can be useful in emergencies, for booking rooms in hostales and hotels for a little luxury and for security for those walking on their own)

The route you take and the way you do it make you no better or worse than any other pilgrim. There is a tendency for some of those who have walked, travelled further, carried a heavier pack, trekked in the most difficult weather or spent the least amount of money to think they are the truest pilgrims. This type if pride is out of place on the camino. We are all pilgrims, it’s just that some of us haven’t realised it yet.

All the routes as described in guides now are recent inventions, at the peak of the pilgrimage’s popularity in the middle ages the walkers would have followed the road as foot traffic was most of the traffic. Over the years many of those roads have become places you would not want to walk any more. What I am trying to say here is don’t be too tied to the yellow arrows if you feel like taking your own route do so.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always on your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rain fall soft upon your fields and,
until your journey's end,
May God hold you safely in the palm of his hand.

Buen Camino

William and Bronwyn

 

[Peter Robins]

Well, you've got 2 excellent replies there!

As regards your question re the Pyrenees. You can get the latest situation and forecast from Meteo France. The nearest high-level station to the Roncesvalles pass is Iraty http://www.meteofrance.com/FR/montagne/ ... SKI0764002
somewhat to the E, but roughly the sort of conditions you can expect. Current status graphically depicted at http://www.meteofrance.com/FR/montagne/ ... EUID=PBASQ

On the Spanish side, the nearest forecasts are for Valcarlos http://www.inm.es/cgi-bin/locali.cgi?ig=31738 and Burguete
http://www.inm.es/cgi-bin/locali.cgi?ig=31174

As you can see, the tops are currently snow-covered and more snow is falling at the moment. Of course, this could (in fact, probably will ) all change by next week.

Ask in the accueil in St-Jean, and if there's still snow use the road route via Valcarlos not the path. Alternatively, start in Pamplona.

 

[samantha]

Peter, William and Covey,

WOW. It has taken me few days to digest your wonderful insight and I cannot thank you enough for your thorough and genuine replies. I have gotten rid of all the superfulous items in my pack and reduced the weight (who needs hair conditioner! Today I picked up my airline ticket from Munich to Bilbao, and I fly in five days!!! (I'm doing the pilgrim dance in front of my computer!)

I am having a little trouble getting info on transportation from Bilbao to SJPDP. So far I have found a bus to Bayonne (40 Euro) and then a train to SJPDP. Is this the only way? Is there a cheaper option (besides the obvious- walking!) One last question, I PROMISE! Should I stay the night in Bilbao or in Bayonne (I have to stay in at least one because of connections)?

 

[William Marques]

One last question, I PROMISE! Should I stay the night in Bilbao or in Bayonne (I have to stay in at least one because of connections)?

Depending in your flights I suggest Bilbao would be the better choice. A wander around town, perhaps a visit to the Guggenheim museum and a good rest.

Get up refreshed in the morning to tackle the task of getting to St Jean which with connections etc will take longer than you think. Pop into the Accueil St Jacques when you get there and find somewhere to rest that night.

That way you will have the whole day to walk to Roncesvalles.

Buen Camino
William

Alternatively if it is an early morning flight try Horst and Cristines method:
"Here's our Bilbao - St. Jean:
6:30 AM Arrival at Bilbao airport (from Cologne with HLX).
9:25 Airport shuttle bus to Bilbao Termibus - 1,15 EUR.
11:30-13:00 Alsa-Bus to Irun - 10,32 EUR.
We did the 2km's Irun-Hendaye, afterwards we found out, that the Alsa-
bus' last stop is Hendaye. So one should try to leave the bus not before Hendaye.
15:30-16:00 SNCF-train Hendaye -> Bayonne (departures 06:48/13:28/15:30/16:20/16:47/18:39).
17:30-18:30 SNCF-train Bayonne -> St.Jean Pied-de-Port.
The SNCF-railway timetable shows only two trains a day from Bayonne to St.Jean
I lost the prices for the trains (about 10 EUR).
And yes, the Saint Jean - Roncesvalles stage is for sure a wonderful stage!!
Horst & Christine"

 

[mexicantraveler]

Good luck!!!

Dear Samantha, Peace be with you! Have a wonderful Pilgrimage and don't worry about anything, I am sure you'll be fine. I am planning on doing mine end of May and I can hardly wait so it is great to hear that you are almost on your way. Good luck and God bless!!!

Buen Camino...

Hortensia

 

[samantha]

Hortensia,
Thanks for the blessing, I will be in touch when I complete my journey. I was originally planning on walking in May, but life has presented the oportunity to me now, so off I go.
Good luck to you, too!! :wink: I'll be with you in spirit....

William,
Your input has been invaluable to me!! The tip you forwarded with "Christine's method" gave me the missing link I needed. I am now stopping in Irun instead of Bayonne, which enables me to go straight to SJPDP on the 18'th (no overnight needed in Bilbao or Bayonne).

The logistics can make one crazy! But, I guess it is all part of the "way". Just think of all the logistical problems the pilgrims faced 500 years ago. It puts things into perspective when I think about that.... :lol:

Thanks again for your help. I will pass on the favor to a future pilgrim in days to come after my journey!

sam~