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Yes the sleeping in the back room of a bar/restaurant did not escape my thought process. LOL. I hike during the winter months in Canada -20C so the gear will not be an issue. But true enough about "unexpected" rain or snow. I will let you know how it goes!Who knows what the future will be?
In the happy, easier past years
accommodation started to close mid October but some place was always open. Hospitaleros usually could give advice on who/what was available on the next stage. There were no summer crowds and beds/bunks were available. I usually slept in an albergue, often the sole pilgrim, but also in back rooms of an open bar/restaurant.
Walking off-season in winter during those past years I rarely saw more than 20 pilgrims at one time. There usually was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst those on the route especially during storms or difficult stretches.
Helpful passing strangers also gave advice. Little was hectic; without the hordes of summer all had time to share info.
Nevertheless whatever the "season"
the weather can change quickly.
In March 2009 an unexpected 3 day blizzard struck Foncebadon.
Similarly November 2012 I was caught in a early white-out of snow climbing O Cebreiro.
You must be prepared whenever you walk.
See also this earlier thread re Winter Walking
Good luck with your new plans.
Thank you for the link! Yes, Christmas will definitely be tricky!Closer to the time then the website http://www.aprinca.com/alberguesinvierno/ is useful as it attempts to list what albergues are open over winter and tries to include when some of them might be temporarily shut or even if closed for Christmas. This is a project of love to help winter pilgrims and I was very thankful for it!
But be prepared to make calls or send Whatsapp messages to check things out, especially in spots which are more rural and less accomodation options even in normal pilgrim season. But Christmas is the tricker one and is probably when you will have to make sure you have somewhere to stay and will require some advanced planning
Thank you for the link! Yes, Christmas will definitely be tricky! I love the photo they have at the top of the page - it looks like the Pyrenees? I have kept debating bring crampons don't bring crampons. I know if i bring them i will curse the extra 300g of weight. If I dont bring them I will curse the lack of traction on the snow! LOLOL
One morning I woke up in Astorga on a cold snowy day thinking I would just go back to Rabanal. The owner of the albergue told us all we could either stay an extra night with them or take a bus to Molinaseca or Ponferrada as they were turning people back in Rabanal and the albergue was full. The police warned pilgrims if they attempted to walk to Cruz de Ferro and got into trouble they would not come and get them. Since I had to get to Santiago by a certain date to meet my older daughter I took the bus. Shortly after Cebreiro, I don't remember the little albergue I stayed at in some tiny little town that the owner told us at breakfast the path and the road was a sheet of ice and it was too dangerous to walk. It was about 5 or 6 kilometers above what i would guess was the snow line. I waited until about 10AM and continued down. It was really still slushy and muddy and still some spots with ice. She said when the camino crosses the road and goes to the right I would be fine to rejoin the path. She was 100% correct. You just never know in winter. Prepare for everything. Listen to weather reports but most of all listen to the people who live there. If they say stay then stay. if they say it is good to go then go. Nothing beats their lifetimes of local knowledge.Nevertheless whatever the "season"
the weather can change quickly.
In March 2009 an unexpected 3 day blizzard struck Foncebadon.
Similarly November 2012 I was caught in a early white-out of snow climbing O Cebreiro.
You must be prepared whenever you walk.
Amazing. Thank you so much! What a great storyI walked the CF in November/December 2019. Of course it is a new world today. When I walked I had a link on my phone to Aprinca and Gronze.com. I also have the Buen Camino and WIse Pilgrim app. They are both free to download. No app has all the places to stay. I would also say that no app or website was except for Aprinca (which also has fewer locations) was more than about 60-65% accurate in terms of openings/closings. I only encountered a problem twice when I entered a town and thought I would stay there and the albergues were closed when an app or website had them listed as open. But it is the CF so there wasn't too long a walk to an open albergue.
Keep in mind the sage advice of mspath:
One morning I woke up in Astorga on a cold snowy day thinking I would just go back to Rabanal. The owner of the albergue told us all we could either stay an extra night with them or take a bus to Molinaseca or Ponferrada as they were turning people back in Rabanal and the albergue was full. The police warned pilgrims if they attempted to walk to Cruz de Ferro and got into trouble they would not come and get them. Since I had to get to Santiago by a certain date to meet my older daughter I took the bus. Shortly after Cebreiro, I don't remember the little albergue I stayed at in some tiny little town that the owner told us at breakfast the path and the road was a sheet of ice and it was too dangerous to walk. It was about 5 or 6 kilometers above what i would guess was the snow line. I waited until about 10AM and continued down. It was really still slushy and muddy and still some spots with ice. She said when the camino crosses the road and goes to the right I would be fine to rejoin the path. She was 100% correct. You just never know in winter. Prepare for everything. Listen to weather reports but most of all listen to the people who live there. If they say stay then stay. if they say it is good to go then go. Nothing beats their lifetimes of local knowledge.
I love the photo they have at the top of the page - it looks like the Pyrenees?
Absolutely beautiful description of what it'd be like, also considering. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all down.Who knows what the future will be?
In the happy, easier past years
accommodation started to close mid October but some place was always open. Hospitaleros usually could give advice on who/what was available on the next stage. There were no summer crowds and beds/bunks were available. I usually slept in an albergue, often the sole pilgrim, but also in back rooms of an open bar/restaurant.
Walking off-season in winter during those past years I rarely saw more than 20 pilgrims at one time. There usually was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst those on the route especially during storms or difficult stretches.
Helpful passing strangers also gave advice. Little was hectic; without the hordes of summer all had time to share info.
Nevertheless whatever the "season"
the weather can change quickly.
In March 2009 an unexpected 3 day blizzard struck Foncebadon.
Similarly November 2012 I was caught in a early white-out of snow climbing O Cebreiro.
You must be prepared whenever you walk.
See also this earlier thread re Winter Walking
Good luck with your new plans.
Thanks so much! Amazing!In previous years Lourdes & Jose at the Acogda de invierno Betania in Fromista produced a list of accommodation open in the winter for that year. As far as I know they run the only Albergue that opens exclusively in the winter on CF. As I am walking in December myself, I will write to Lourdes about the winter accommodation list for 2021/22 and let you know.
Who knows what the future will be?
In the happy, easier past years
accommodation started to close mid October but some place was always open. Hospitaleros usually could give advice on who/what was available on the next stage. There were no summer crowds and beds/bunks were available. I usually slept in an albergue, often the sole pilgrim, but also in back rooms of an open bar/restaurant.
Walking off-season in winter during those past years I rarely saw more than 20 pilgrims at one time. There usually was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst those on the route especially during storms or difficult stretches.
Helpful passing strangers also gave advice. Little was hectic; without the hordes of summer all had time to share info.
Nevertheless whatever the "season"
the weather can change quickly.
In March 2009 an unexpected 3 day blizzard struck Foncebadon.
Similarly November 2012 I was caught in a early white-out of snow climbing O Cebreiro.
You must be prepared whenever you walk.
See also this earlier thread re Winter Walking
Good luck with your new plans.
Amazing!In previous years Lourdes & Jose at the Acogda de invierno Betania in Fromista produced a list of accommodation open in the winter for that year. As far as I know they run the only Albergue that opens exclusively in the winter on CF. As I am walking in December myself, I will write to Lourdes about the winter accommodation list for 2021/22 and let you know.
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