Walking on the 9th August 2011

[dancuk]

Hello all,

I will be commencing my walk from the 9th of Aug 2011 and only have 4 weeks to complete the walk.I do not think that I will be able to cover all of the walk in that time and I plan on skipping a few sections such as Leon - Ponferrada. Will this give me enough time to cover the remainder if I start in Roncavalles? thanks for any reply.

Maria

 

[sillydoll]

Mara, in my opinion one of the most beautiful parts of the Camino Frances is the section between Astorga (two days walk from Leon) to Triacastela. You will miss the stunning 'purple' mountains, the Cruz de Ferro, Foncebadon, el Acebo and Molinaseca.
If you must miss a section, most people find the meseta a bit flat and featureless.
In 2002 I walked the Camino from Roncesvalles to Santiago in 27 days - my walking partner was 74 years old.
Don't decide beforehand what parts to miss. Have a walking plan and if you get behind, play catch up by taking a bus into and out ofthe larger towns and cities.
Remember too that World Youth Day is being held in Madrid this year and over 2million people are expected to participate - with many thousands planning on walking the last part of the Camino in order to earn the Compostela so the period before WYD and the week after the 21st are going to be exceptionally busy.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Will this give me enough time to cover the remainder if I start in Roncesvalles?

It should. Another possibility is to start or finish a day on a bus so that you cover 40-50 km instead of 20 km. Then you can get a taste of all the sections. As an example, you can catch an early bus from Ponferrada to Villafrance del Bierzo, and walk along the Valcarce River to Ruitelan or La Faba.