Weather info

[Lysandre]

Hi, i'll arrive in Saint Jean Pied de Port on April 17th and walk all the way to Santiago.. maybe Fisterre if there's time.

I am trying to find statistics about weather on the Camino in 2011 or personal experience to give me an idea of what it will be like.

Thanks for your replys and all the contributions to this forum.

Lys

 

[dougfitz]

Hi, i'll arrive in Saint Jean Pied de Port on April 17th and walk all the way to Santiago.. maybe Fisterre if there's time.

I am trying to find statistics about weather on the Camino in 2011 or personal experience to give me an idea of what it will be like.

Thanks for your replys and all the contributions to this forum.

Lys

Try http://www.climatetemp.info/spain/.

Regards

 

[Andrewere]

Weatheronline shows weather history quite clearly. You can chose graphs for temps, rainfall etc.
Here's the link for Pamplona:
http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/ ... NOREGION=1

Andrew.

 

[anniethenurse]

Welcome to the Forum, Lys!

When planning my trips I rely on http://pilgrim.peterrobins.co.uk/santiago/weather.html and be prepared for anything. The weather can change so fast from a hot summer´s day to cold windy rain.

Happy planning!
Buen camino!
annie

 

[skilsaw]

I walked the Camino Frances from April 8 to May 5, 2004.
I had snow on my first day going to Roncesvalles and again 3 weeks later going up the hill to O'cebreiro. There was rain on about 5 days, and 2 weeks of blistering (wonderful) sun.

I wore one set of clothes and carried two others...
1) Long sleeve shirt and long pants, and
2) Shorts and a t shirt.

For warmth, I had a fleece jacket and for rain, a poncho.
On 2 subsequent trips I left the shorts and t shirt at home.

There are many lists in the forum of what to take.
Remember, "Less is better"

Buen Camino,
David, Victoria, Canada

 

[fraluchi]

I am trying to find statistics about weather on the Camino in 2011 or personal experience to give me an idea of what it will be like.

Statistics will be of little help, because often the local weather conditions are not "normal"!
You can check forecasts on http://www.aemet.es/en/eltiempo/prediccion/localidades/ which are very useful for the specific dates and locations of your walk.

 

[Lysandre]

Thanks
This is really helpful

I'm wondering if i should bring shorts or not now!

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

I checked the weather for Sahagun for the entire week that I would be in the region in early March 2012. I was walking from the 2nd - 12th March.

It was completely and utterly wrong. On the days when it said we would have rain or snow it was very sunny though with a significant wind chill factor and on the so called sunny days it was 21c+. The day we set out was promised to be sunny and we had to shelter from a lightning storm in an underpass.

Just work on the basis that you might experience everything from snow to sunstroke on the one trip because that is almost certainly what you will have.

I have come back with a sun and wind burnt face from just the 10 days.

It is what makes being a pilgrim so interesting and challenging.

Buy some proper walking trousers where the legs unzip at the thigh and you will not need to carry an extra pair of shorts. Also if the bottom of the legs get dusty or dirty you can still sit in your shorts while the leggings are being washed and drying out.

 

[Vidhisaharia]

Hi everyone..
We (my husband and I) are going to walk the Camino starting 2nd July. We will be walking "The French Way" and hope to finish it. This is the first time we doing this kind of stuff.
I need some help with the weather conditions. What should we expect?? Rain? Heat?

Thanks a lot..

 

[vagabondette]

What should we expect?? Rain? Heat?

yes

 

[Vidhisaharia]

Hey.. Thanks for the reply..

I checked a weather graph and it shows that July will not have much rain. I am not sure how accurate this information is.

In this case, what do you think we should carry as our rain gear??? Where should we buy it from??

 

[vagabondette]

most people here seem to be fans of the altus poncho. you can order it ahead or buy it there.

 

[mspath]

Hi everyone..
We (my husband and I) are going to walk the Camino starting 2nd July. We will be walking "The French Way" and hope to finish it. This is the first time we doing this kind of stuff.
I need some help with the weather conditions. What should we expect?? Rain? Heat?

Thanks a lot..

Vidhisaharia,

The camino will be hot and crowded during July, but, as always an extraordinary experience. Be sure to drink lots of water and to wear sunblock and a broad brimmed hat. Check the Equipment thread on the Forum to see what other pilgrims suggest for gear.

If you are beginning the Camino Frances in Saint Jean Pied de Port the office for the Amies du Chemin de Saint Jacques at 39 rue de la Citadelle can provide you with a Credential or Pilgrim Passport and lodging assistance. Their volunteers help run the albergue at 55 rue de la Citadelle. Recently renovated this is a fine place to stay, but they do NOT take reservations. If their albergue is full they will help you find lodgings when you are on site.

If you start in SJPdP on July 2 then probably you will be passing through Pamplona during the week of the San Fermin festival , July 6-14. This is when the bulls run through the city. ALL accommodation will be taken and the atmosphere will be electric and hectic. Hence, plan to sleep before or after Pamplona.

Happy planning and Buen Camino!

Margaret

 

[tyrrek]

I checked a weather graph and it shows that July will not have much rain. I am not sure how accurate this information is.

In this case, what do you think we should carry as our rain gear??? Where should we buy it from??

Hi! Just be prepared for anything. You're more likely to see rain the further west you go towards the Atlantic, but overall it's likely to be pretty dry. Sometimes the rain when it comes can be a very fine misty rain which is actually quite refreshing when you're walking. I've been fortunate on my Caminos that the heavy thundery showers have tended to happen after normal walking hours.

It will be hot by European standards, but you guys are from India so you'll cope! It will probably be less humid as well, I imagine.

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

According to weatherunderground, it rained in Santiago in July:

2011 - 8 days
2010 - 7 days
2009 - 13 days
2008 - 12 days

 

[ClassyChiq7]

As hot as people say it will be in July, I have seen posts that say it can get cold during the summer months. I'm in Madrid now and I've been watching the weather in a couple cities along the route (Leon, Burgos, Pamplona, Oviedo) and it's been raining a lot lately and has been in the 40-50sºF/9-15sºC at night and early morning. I don't want to bring too much but as they say in Spanish I'm a friolera...I get cold easily. If it's under 20ºc, I will be cold in long pants without a layer underneath. (In Winter I tend to sleep with flannel sheet, a blanket and at least two comforters). I will have a sleeping bag for nights but it will be cold when walking in mornings. I don't want to freeze. I leave SJPP on June 24th. Will the weather change that drastically over the next couple of weeks? I'm not an experienced hiker...what would someone suggest for warm clothes.
D

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Plan layers.

Long underwear (silk is lightweight; so is polypropylene)
Underwear - t-shirt
Pants and short sleeve shirt
Long sleeve shirt
Fleece
Jacket - lightweight windbreaker or rain jacket
Poncho

Add or remove a layer as the temperature changes. If you get cold easily, have some gloves for the cold or wet mornings.

Albergues have blankets, so a lightweight sleeping bag is sufficient even at the higher altitudes. Your poncho over your sleeping bag will add another 10 degrees (F) of warmth.