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Walking the old way.

Robert Hudson

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Primitivo.. (2018)
Hello, in a week or two I am going to start the camino primitivo from Oviedas to Fisterra. I have a couple of questions regarding the camino. Are there places to sleep in at each night of the trek, or would it be wise to take a sleeping bag and tent? And, for those of you who have done this, what items do you regard as absolutely necessary to take with you? I am going to take a good hat and shoes but I don't want to be over loaded with heaps of things I wont end up using. I would like to send my sleeping bag and inflatable mattress along with other items that will weigh me down to the end of the trek to pick them up once I am done. Also, what about food and water? Should I carry enough supplies for a few days or can you buy these items each time you stop at the villages? Lastly, what about wolves and bears? Are they a danger to people on the camino? How should one prepare them selves for a potential encounter? Thank you for your time reading this message. Kind regards, Rob Hudson
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I think that perhaps you have misinterpreted the term "Primitivo" ;) There are no dangerous wild animals that you are likely to meet along the way. There are enough albergues for you to sleep indoors each night. If you are willing to pay for private rooms you will have an even wider choice. There is no need to take a sleeping mat unless you choose to sleep outdoors for your own reasons. I have done so on the Via de la Plata but did not have any need to do so on the Primitivo. For a few stages it would be useful to carry food for lunch but I do mean just for one or two meals and a couple of snacks - you will not need to carry supplies for more than a day. There are plenty of bars, restaurants and food shops so that you will find at least one per day. For the most part it is a very straightforward walk between villages and small towns, with a few high (3000 foot+) hill areas. It is not by any means a wilderness trek.
 
Thank you Bradypus that's great info. Can you also tell me please where do you start from in Olviedas, and do you register anywhere to say that you are starting it? I guess there is heaps of info there in the town but I want to be prepared. Also maps, you must be able to buy one at the starting point right?
 
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There is no official starting point in Oviedo though the cathedral would be a natural place to begin from. You do not have to register anywhere - simply have your credencial stamped and dated anywhere in town. I did not carry detailed maps. They are really not necessary on the Caminos which are well signposted. I carried a printed version of a guide put together by a member of this forum which had all the information that I needed. You can find the most recent version of it here:
https://www.pilgrimagetraveler.com/support-files/combined-guide-to-the-camino-primitivo-1-21-18.pdf

Liz's guide uses information from the Gronze and Eroski websites which are useful to check for recent changes of accommodation or route. The Gronze website is better at listing private accommodation while the Eroski site gives background information which is useful (but only in Spanish).
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/primitivo/
https://www.gronze.com/camino-primitivo
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
You will start in Oviedo (not Oviedas) and yes , there are municipal and private albergues all along the way. There are also plenty of pensiones and regular hotels. Bears and wolves aren't a concern. The number of them left in Spain is very small and you are extremely unlikely to run into either. I suggest carrying some bread and stuff for a sandwich on some of the stages as the distance between bars is long. Look at the guides and you will see which stages have the longer spacing between bars. Always carry at least 1 liter of water. Water fountains are not found every few kilometers on this route.
Make sure you do some basic research before you start. There are plenty of threads here on the forum and a very good guide as well. Gronze.com is also a reliable source.

You don't say when you are going but you definitely won't need a sleeping mat. A sleeping bag or at least a liner is required, and needed in the albergues.
 
There is no official starting point in Oviedo though the cathedral would be a natural place to begin from. You do not have to register anywhere - simply have your credencial stamped and dated anywhere in town. I did not carry detailed maps. They are really not necessary on the Caminos which are well signposted. I carried a printed version of a guide put together by a member of this forum which had all the information that I needed. You can find the most recent version of it here:
https://www.pilgrimagetraveler.com/support-files/combined-guide-to-the-camino-primitivo-1-21-18.pdf

Liz's guide uses information from the Gronze and Eroski websites which are useful to check for recent changes of accommodation or route. The Gronze website is better at listing private accommodation while the Eroski site gives background information which is useful (but only in Spanish).
http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/los-caminos-de-santiago/primitivo/
https://www.gronze.com/camino-primitivo

This is the official sign in the cathedral square in Oviedo. One way takes you to El Norte (Coastal route vía Avilés) the other to the Primitivo.
 

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It can be a little tricky getting out of Oviedo do I recommend starting at the Catedral & following the signs carefully. There is a fair amount of road walking on this Camino but the country is spectacular. And we did see one boar. Oh, and it rains, a lot. Bag your clothes inside your pack so they stay dry. Recommend poles.
 
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It can be a little tricky getting out of Oviedo do I recommend starting at the Catedral & following the signs carefully. There is a fair amount of road walking on this Camino but the country is spectacular. And we did see one boar. Oh, and it rains, a lot. Bag your clothes inside your pack so they stay dry. Recommend poles.
Huh? Didn't find that there was that much road walking or that the route out of Oviedo was tricky at all. But we stayed by the Metro station and you can't miss the arrows.
In May we had little rain (a few downpours) and modern quality backpacks are made to repel water especially with a pack cover. I don't think there's a need to bag clothes inside a pack if they have a pack cover or poncho. I find that standard stuff stacks are enough even in prolonged rain.
 
thanks again everyone. Am going to arrive in the vacinity 2 - 3 days prior and prepare myself before the trek. Have been staying in hostels and finding it hard to sleep/get up early. but i want to set off each day on the trek by 6 at the latest, preferably 5 am or earlier.
 
Have been staying in hostels and finding it hard to sleep/get up early. but i want to set off each day on the trek by 6 at the latest, preferably 5 am or earlier.
Bear in mind that sunrise is at about 7:00 am at present. Start walking at 5:00am and you will likely have left an Albergue full of disgruntled pilgrims and will be groping in the dark. Them yellow arrows ain't luminous.
 
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