• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

What was your first day like?

capecorps

Member
First day on the Camino.

It is said that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

I was no exception.

I had micro-planned myself from my home in the Beaches, Toronto to Pamplona in Northern Spain. Subway to the Red Rocket, then to Pearson Airport then to Schipol Airport then to Madrid Airport then to a Bus to Pamplona. Just under two days: went like clockwork.

But here’s the rub. I had optimistically assumed I’d be sleeping like a baby through most of it. No such luck. Wide awake for two days. So the bus leaves me, the only passenger deep underground in the Pamplona bus station alone in the dark, 6:30 am. I hoist my backpack and gingerly make my way upstairs gradually becoming aware of sleeping rubbies (winos) in the stairwells. As per my micro-plan, a cafeteria should have been open, but everything was deserted and in total darkness. I shouldered my way through some rough looking individuals to the streets of Pamplona – to find- no sign of life. No people, no cars, no nothing.

I started walking, and I walked and walked through spectacular Medeavil streets. Everything was closed, deserted like the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. I finally came to a church with a big door with a smaller door set within it. I knocked on the small door and a priest came and led me to an enclave where a few people were adoring the Host. I joined them and the hours sped by. When I came out, the city was alive with traffic, people and activity.

Unbeknownst to me, I had come to Pamplona on a National holiday and the Spanish take their holidays seriously.

I signed into Casa Paderhorn. Everyone there seemed very unfriendly. So I thought, what the heck: went out and had lots of tapas and even more wine, staggered back at 6:00 pm, slept a solid twelve hours and started walking the next day.

And that was the beginning of the best time I ever had.

What was your first day like?
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Now THIS is a great way to start the Camino! Thanks for sharing. This summer, my first day just getting to SJPdP was an adventure. If you have some time and a glass of wine, read "Uh-oh. I'm in trouble..." here.

"Rubbies" ha!
 
Short and slow for us.
After a week of racing like chickens with our heads cut off around Paris, not wanting to waste one second, we sat in the square in Astorga for a couple of hours, doing nothing, waiting for the post office to open (so Grandpa could send on 3kg of excess gear!). We took the gentle stroll to Santa Catalina and despite the distance being only 10km, called it quits for the day - washing, journals, kids playing, pilgrim dinner, bed. It was a welcome change of pace after the manic week in Paris.
And we loved it.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Capecorps Shalom and Greetings from Jerusalem
We have shared a similar experience! My first Camino was solidly planned from home to Saint Jean, got out in Pamplona and just missed the last bus East before the Good Friday holiday weekend! We Jewish pilgrims to Saint James are not as familiar with your holidays and actually have no idea what goes on! Your winos were sound asleep in the stairwell, mine were out walking around singing dancing and otherwise cavorting in the streets. The hostels were packed so I took a cheapo hotel and set out to explore. Passing the cathedral about 2200 I heard heavenly music from within and upon entering discovered the local organist and choir practicing for Sunday's mass and enjoyed an amazing two hours of singing and organ. Didn't sleep a wink that night because of the racket and commotion outside and thinking-is that what the Spanish always do? First day out from Pamplona is easy, was a sunny day, pleasant walking there in the springtime then I came upon Alto Perdon and the statues here. People love them or hate them I sat there totally flabbergasted and amazed photographing each one. This amazement and flabbergastedness continued with me until I successfully reached Santiago and it was a wonderful life changing experience-no still Jewish but obssessed totally with the Camino.
S
 
Gosh! I must have been lucky - mine was pretty uneventful. Arrived at Biarritz airport and met friendly pilgs on the bus to the train station. A few beers and a sandwich with them outside the station then we all got the train to SJPP. The pilgrim office sent me to one of the nicest albergues I've stayed in, and then I walked to Valcarlos the next day. The hardest bit was the last hundred metres into Valcarlos on a steep uphill, where I quickly learned that sometimes it's OK to stop every 20 metres to catch breath!

Buen Camino!
 
My first day was one of the richest on my Camino....
I arrived half asleep at 8:00 am in Madrid after an overnight flight from Miami. Despite the long walk to baggage and customs, I still had to wait 90 minutes for the ALSA bus to Pamplona. I was very anxious with no experience with the incredible Spanish bus system. My anxiety was for naught as the bus arrived 10 minutes before departure time and my name was on the roster. I tried to sleep on the 4 hour bus ride to Pamplona; but was twarted by the 80's music (Duran Duran etc) the bus driver had pumping from every speaker. We arrived mid afternoon and with a little help from my map and several locals, was pointed to the albergue. Quickly approaching a zombie state, I checked in at the abergue and unpacked, repacked and then walked the city for tapas and search of english speaking pilgrims (Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, Italian, but none spoke fluent english.) I returned early to my bunk and was asleep at 7:00 p.m. I was so tired I did not confirm the route out to town and woke up before 4:00 am. wondering what to do. I laid in bed for an hour, got ready and left in the dark; trusting my prayers for were being heard. I walked one half a block and heard english being spoke - my guardian angel had been was working overtime and placed "Simon from Bath" in my path. He was an experienced pilgrim who help melt my anxieties allow me to trust and be open to the experiences of the Camino.
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
My first day was pretty darn memorable. I, too, wound up in the underground bus station at Pamplona, completely disoriented and jet-lagged. I dragged my duffel bag up the steps to the outside, looked around and had no idea what to do next. Luckily for me, a wonderful young lady happened by and walked me all the way to the door of my hotel, just off the Plaza del Castillo. I spent two nights there, then headed out into the countryside, no idea what to expect. That ascent up the Alto de Perdon was brutal, not to mention the descent on the other side. When I arrived later at the albergue in Uterga, it was like paradise. And there, I met and had dinner with someone who soon became a dear friend, and someone I continue to talk with to this day, despite him living in Spain and me in Texas. In fact, we plan to walk the Camino del Norte together this coming summer ...
 
Like a lot of people I had presumed I could 'manage' my Camino and get the one I wanted...you know the warm dry sunny mud free one where you get to keep super clean, become uberfit, gain spiritual weight whilst shedding corporeal kilos, have unblistered feed, carry everything you want (not need) whilst keeping your head up to admire distant horizons.... :lol:. However though emergency dentistry and snowstorms were not on my original wish list for the first day they, along with many other unexpected 'gifts' throughout that journey, enabled my camino to 'Suffer a sea change into something rich and strange' becoming in that process a far more valuable and joyful experience.
 
moral to the tale: avoid Pamplona as a starting point :lol:
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Kiwi-family said:
moral to the tale: avoid Pamplona as a starting point :lol:
No! Pamplona is a great starting point. Easy to get to, nice place if you have to recover from jetlag etc, lovely albergue, rich culture etc etc. And if you're not confident about starting from SJPP and crossing the mountain you can leave from Pamplona and climb the Alto del Perdon on the first day instead. I love that day out of Pamplona! :D

Buen Camino!
 
From 3 weeks in Italy, to one day in Paris, I took the overnight to Burgos, my starting point. I had the google instructions on how to get from the train station to the Cathedral, but looks like the train station has changed from south to north, and so nothing was as it should have been. Finally after asking many times for directions I arrived, still in the dark, as the train had let me off at 5 am. Sat on the steps of the Cathedral and watched as other pilgrims started their day. Since I had booked a room in a hotel I was going to sightsee. When the hotel opened they informed me they had no record of my reservation and no payment. Perhaps that was the best thing to happen to me, other than losing my $80.00 so I went to the Peregrino's Albergue and checked in there, and really felt like I was beginning my pilgrimage, along with the many others.
My first walking day to Hornillos was wonderful, met many nice people, and wasn't overly tired at the end of the day. A great beginning of a 25 day pilgrimage. And it only got better.
 
northyukon said:
From 3 weeks in Italy, to one day in Paris, I took the overnight to Burgos, my starting point. I had the google instructions on how to get from the train station to the Cathedral, but looks like the train station has changed from south to north, and so nothing was as it should have been.
Yes, Burgos train station is miles away from the centre, and Burgos is a funny shaped city, so it's not clear where the centre is if you walk in from there. I managed to get there by following maps at bus stops, but I'd suggest getting a taxi (unless you're there at 6am on a public holiday like me and there's not a taxi or train to be seen!).

Pilgrims walking through don't have to worry about all this fortunately! :D

Buen Camino!
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
capecorps said:
First day on the Camino....Everyone there seemed very unfriendly. So I thought, what the heck: went out and had lots of tapas and even more wine, staggered back at 6:00 pm, slept a solid twelve hours and started walking the next day.
And that was the beginning of the best time I ever had.
And so it starts for many pilgrims who, notwithstanding previous planning, find themselves in another world with new realities.
It still happens to an old-timer like me who arrives tired, or rather exhausted, in a different time-table, another language, other customs, unfamiliar sounds and smells, etc.
And it invariably was the beginning of an eye opener.
 
tyrrek said:
Pamplona is a great starting point. Easy to get to, nice place if you have to recover from jetlag etc, lovely albergue, rich culture etc etc.
We couldn't agree more! We started our Camino for the 5th time in this town, most recently in September 2012.
 
Re: Re: What was your first day like

tyrrek said:
(...)I quickly learned that sometimes it's OK to stop every 20 metres to catch breath!

Buen Camino!

Every ten if need be. :-D
My first day looked like yours except I found a fellow pilgrim while waiting in the registration line at the airport at home
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
The first day of my first camino was awful. It had snowed and rained all night, and the trail down from Roncesvalles was a sea of sticky, ankle-deep MUD that sucked my boots right off my feet a couple of times. Scenery was lovely, but back in those stone-age days of 2001, there was no place to get a cup of coffee for the first 10K! The rain really set in once we got to Zubiri, but we had booked into the hostel in the next town, and were committed to that... OMG that slog along that road, past the ugly magnesium plant and the grafitti, was positively brutal.

Thank goodness we had booked (God bless the Pamplona cab driver who insisted we do so when he brought us up the day before.) I had the finest hot bath of my life, a big firm bed with the sound of the rain and river running just outside, and a fun, funny dinner with fellow pilgrims and the wisecracking innkeeper. I slept like a stone that night!

Whenever times got tough on the trail that followed, I could always look back on that day of mud and rain and tell myself "at least it´s not as bad as THAT!"

Reb
 
Everything was good until we got to Bourdeau. We walked to the train station and asked for confirmation on what train to get onto. Got on the train, but did'nt know the car we were in was supposed to split off at Dax and head to Pau. The part of the world i come from, trains go east or west if at all and dont split. We were on the way to Pau and not Biarritz for about an hour before the conductor discovered our mishap. :oops: Her "ey yi yi" caused my already nervous heart to drop to the floor. After that, the conductors phoned ahead for us and shuttled us back to Dax, even holding a train or two back to wait for our arrival. We would be told "allez" as we were jumping out the door to the platform and running to the next train. We eventually arrived in biarritz in time to catch the last train to St. Jeans. It was touch and go though. My premier experience of being in another country and having to rely on the generosity of others.

Kelly
 
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.
The first day and it doesn't matter where you start is a day of exuberance, of excitement, of joy of amazement and not a little effort-even in the best physical shape the hyperactivity of emotion is overwhelming and the day passes quickly. The second day may be marked with first doubts and loss of some self-confidence, one begins to understand the enormity of the task ahead and it may be difficult to hit the right rhythm and to maintain it, this day goes slowly. Third day rules! The pain sets in-those suffering from blisters start looking for needles and thread, slips twists sprains and swellings take their toll, Achilles rears its ugly head and the word tendonitis is first mentioned. Many pilgrims are seen performing the well-known and infamous "Santiago Shuffle" around the albergue-goes both with and without music. Remember the first day dream about the last but that third day is a monster.
 
Our first day was very unexpected. We started from Pamplona at 2:00 in the afternoon. We reached Alto del Perdon about 1 1/2 hours before sunset. At the top we met a man pamplonian man who hikes Alto del Perdon often. My brother and I talked to him for about 1 1/2 hrs when the sun started to set. He was a great historian and told us many interesting things about spain, pamplona, and the people. one of the most interesting people we talked to the whole trip. We still had to get down the mountain and to an alburgue. When we finally reached an alburgue the sun had set. The alburgue was full! So we went around town looking for some shelter to lay out our sleeping bags as it was supposed to rain that night. We couldn't find anything that would shelter us from the rain. So we walked to the next town in the pitch black and they did not have an alburgue. My brother did have a headlamp. We walked to the town after that and arrived at 9:55 and it closed at 10:00. We were put into another room as every single perigrino was already sleeping. it was very awkward checking in as it was out first time. the hospitalero would not let us speak or take a shower as not to wake the other pilgrims. The hike was awesome that day though. And the next day was better! The next day we stayed at our favorite alburgue: Casa Magica
 

Attachments

  • night.JPG
    night.JPG
    39.8 KB · Views: 4,552
My first day was a study in contrasts. I had just finished two months of train travel/touring around Europe, so my pack was quite heavy, and I timed the end of that trip to land in Pamplona for the week of San Fermines (The Running of the Bulls) madness, where I slept in the park most nights and I frankly don't remember much. :oops: I then left the muchedumbre of Pamplona for the hot, empty unknown of the Camino. It took some time, but I eventually adjusted from the bacchanalian to the ascetic life. :D
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
After arriving in SJDPP in the evening of April 19th 2012 and having had a delightful supper at L'Esprit du Chemin I went to the Pilgrim's office to register and to get advice regarding the weather for the following morning.

The pilgrims office informed me NOT to go over the Route Napoleon due to expected bad weather. Fair enough, I was an ex emergency services worker so I did not need telling twice not to put myself in jeopardy.

The next morning (20th April) after a great breakfast I set off on my pilgrimage to take the Valcarlos route.

I had not gone too far when a pilgrim approached a group of us and informed us that we were going the wrong way and that the route ahead was for cyclists only. We then took an alternative road – led by the pilgrim who had previously advised us.

After walking for about 45 minutes we started seeing signs for 'Orison'. By now, something did not seem quite right but who were we to know? The climb was now starting to get very steep and it was really taking it out of me. Shortly afterwards we arrive at Hunto and the journey to there nearly killed me; I found it very tough going.

Eventually I got to Orison and the weather and views were very good but I was still mindful of the bad weather advice given out by the pilgrims office. Luckily for me, I was booked in for a nights stay at Orison as this was my original intended route.

I filled my water bottle, used the toilet and promptly dropped my new John Brierley guide down the loo as I was about to flush it! (I mentioned this in a previous thread). By now pilgrims were walking straight past Orison and heading for Roncesvalles. I mentioned the bad weather but they seemed happy with the situation and pressed on. I decided that as no one was returning to Orison I would cancel my night's stay and carry on walking over the route Napoleon.

I don't think that I had walked 300 yards when a snow plough came down the road ! (towards Orison). I kid you not. There was still no returning pilgrims and I continued with my journey.

The snow had only settled as I left the main road and I had to take the path over the mountains. There was lots of footprints in the snow so it was easy to follow them and not get lost. After a while I met a man who was walking in the snow and coming in the opposite direction. He explained to me about the expected conditions.

The gist was that the snow extended over about 2 km right to the very top and past the pilgrim's hut. He advised NOT to take the steep descent but to take the long way (road) round to the monastery. I was now out of my comfort zone and I had walked for 6 hours before having something to eat in the pilgrim's all weather hut.

The snow was now up to the tops of my boots and I was starting to tire with the weight of my pack on my back and slip sliding in the snow. I finally reached the highest point of my climb before the descent and was suddenly confronted by the most strongest winds that I have ever encountered. The winds were so strong that it blew me off my feet and I lost my water bottle. The good news was that the tracks in the snow led away from the steep descent down to Roncesvalles monastery and around on to the road route. Every previous pilgrim had heeded the advice of my lone walker and taken the long route.
I later learned that the lone walker ( although I have no proof of this) is the owner of Orison refuge and he goes out regularly to check the route and to see how safe or unsafe the route is for his clients.
Finally I was just approaching Roncesvalles monastery as the clock was chiming 4-00 pm. It had taken me 8 hours, out of my comfort zone and against the good advice that I should have heeded. I only met one other pilgrim when I stopped for a break at the pilgrim's hut far up in the mountain.

One final word: BOOTS. My boots were great for getting over the route Napoleon and for keeping the cold out from my feet. They have proved indispensable to me on many occasions on walks in the North of England and they still do. Putting them on now 5 months after I came back from my Camino is just like putting on an old pair of slippers and still give good service.

BUT THEY WERE NO GOOD FOR WALKING ACROSS SPAIN IN THE HEAT. THE HEAT WILL KILL YOUR FEET AND PROVED TO BE VERY HEAVY AS WELL.

Like most pilgrims I had to start walking from 6-30 am in the mornings and try and finish by 2-00 pm in the afternoon due to the heat. Just something to bear in mind if you are planning your Camino for next year.

Go for it, heed the advice and Buen Camino!

Charlie

Apologies for posting this originally on the wrong thread – 'Did your Camino fail or exceed your expectations?
 
Sept 2 2012 Started for Orisson after a wonderful night at Esprit du Chemin in SJPP. It was a sunny day with some clouds that looked like a monster...beautiful. I had a bit of a cry as I was beginning. In my journal I said "this trek up here is a real kick in the pants...small steps is the way to go." I was thankful I was not on a bike and surprised when I passed people more fit than I. The trip to Orisson was intense but short. (I wish there were an alburgue at about 12Km.) I met two young german girls along the way. We took turns passing each other a number of times. I would see them over the next few days as well and then we lost track of each other. On the last day, day 36, on the way into Santiago, walking up yet another hill, I met one of them again and we again took turns passing each other til we arrived in front of the cathedral.
 
The day began four and a half hours later than planned due to an American Airlines delay in Dallas. Got to Pamplona and slept about three hours, left for the Camino at about 4:45 am, very excited and immediately got lost. Walked for about 3 hours, rounded a corner and saw the Hotel I'd left 3 hours before. A very good man helped me get to the Camino and I was off.....having already walked about 10 or 12 kms. I learned much that first day and it put me on a path that I will always cherish. I met some of the best people I have known and they spanned generations, nationalities and ethnicities. The first day was a hard but worthwhile lesson, I had to get better and I did. First day on the Camino, I learned my first lesson on the Camino.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
1999........September 4: I spent a long time wrapping my feet and left the refugio in Pamplona three hours and two coffees (in two separate bars) after everyone else had left. I was scared shitless and I walked 18 kilometers. I was exhausted (but no blisters). I stayed in a private albergue because I was afraid of meeting "real" pilgrims, and then next day I got up and did it all again, and AGAIN...Eventually, I stopped fighting with myself! It got fun aftrer that!
 
2004…....May ¿23?: When I arrived in Roncevalles I felt excited, vulnerable & terribly shy. The Forum didn’t exist back then so I had no idea that 70 or more others would be setting off the same time as I. It was overwhelming. I carried next to nothing in my back pack and didn’t own a camera –I collected postcards instead. Being summer, it hadn’t occurred to me that I might need a fleecy or jacket or anything to ward off the cold, and it was very cold first thing in the mountains.

The first week was a bit like Summer Camp. By the time I reached Logroño I was peopled out and overexcited, chatting non-stop to everyone and anyone and near collapse. So, to calm down and shut up I put a sign around my neck saying , Heute bin ich nicht sprechen; Aujourd’hui je ne parle pas; I am not speaking today. I didn't speak Spanish so that wasn't a problem.
 
i started out from SJPDP & i thought i was going to die crossing what are the tallest mountains in the world , i had done a fair bit of training , but on nice flat level ground , i was totally unprepared for how steep it was ,also i forgot oxygen bottles & a Sherpa , & my sister did'nt help my mood by shouting motivational quotes @ me like , ''pain is weakness leaving the body'', i had't wanted to punch her so much since she married my action man to her barbie . but we stopped in orrison , & the next day was much better .
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I remember ascending to the Aubrac from Le Puy and feeling free and excited, if a bit uncertain. At the top, before Saint-Christophe, the wind was suddenly so severe that I had to crawl to keep my footing above the river gorge. I met my first pilgrim friends, a couple from Quebec whom I will never forget, in Saint-Christophe, but it was so windy we could not hear one another! So my first major Camino memory is - WIND!
 
The following is what I wrote to friends from the time I arrived in SJPP to the end of my first day's walking to Roncesvalles. I had flown from Dublin earlier in the day ... had spotted one potential peregrino in the terminal in Dublin and when I exited Biarritz airport to catch the bus, I found him and 5 other Irish guys waiting. We instantly joined each other and started asking and answering all the standard questions ... 'What made you want to do the Camino?'; 'How far are you hoping to walk?', 'How did you prepare?' and one which brought up quite a few amusing answers, 'What have you got on your MP3 (iPod, etc) player?' Meeting with these guys seemed like a big 'welcome to the Camino' gift for me, as I'd had a few of the usual worries and doubts earlier in the day. The company was good and it helped me ease myself into my big adventure. We had a snack together at the train station in Bayonne and dinner together in SJPP.

Location: St Jean Pied De Port ... jumping off point...

where the keyboards are funny ... the beds look comfortable ... and EVERYONE seems to be here for the Camino.

I'm about to head out for some food with my new best friends!! (But they'll never replace my old best friends!!) I've been in the company of six Irish men since I got off the plane!! So won't delay. Tomorrow is a big day.

Location: Roncesvalles - end of Day One... first day was beautiful. It was not as tough as I expected and I feel great after it. Started out from a foggy St. Jean Pied de Port at around 8a.m. Bought bread and water for the day and set off on my first navigation exercise of the Camino. The hospitaleros in the Albergue had assured me that when the town was in fog, the weather would be very pleasant in the hills. They were right. The view a few kilometres from town was wonderful.

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/6...ickr.com/4113/4945410498_d5388ffd4a.jpg[/img]
DSCN1002 by Griangraf, on Flickr[/url]

The weather and the scenery both gave me the assurance that I was in the right place at this time... mountain pastures with cows wearing big clanging bells around their necks, then open plains with wonderful views across the Pyrenees, intense blue skies, lovely breeze whenever it was needed. Birds of prey hovered overhead. A day-long hike of 16 km uphill, crossing the border into Spain, reached the Col de Lepoeder and 5 km downhill, to Roncesvalles - all quite gradual and not too tiring at all! Every so often I shook my head a little and smiled to myself at the realisation that, after all the months of preparation, I was here, walking through the French / Spanish countryside. I felt happiness, satisfaction and a hint of apprehension at what was ahead. However, if today's experience was any indication of what lay ahead, there was no reason to be fearful.

Accommodation tonight is in the legendary big stone barn, sharing one open space with about 120 other pilgrims. I settled into what will be the daily routine of arrival, booking in, washing self and clothes, relaxing, eating, going to bed. Shared the table at dinner with one Italian and two Columbians and practised communicating in the absence of fluency in each other's languages.

Attended the Pilgrim Mass and blessing, caught up with the rest of the Irish and suddenly curfew time was approaching fast. Brought in the washing and hit the sack. The first few snorers had already started up before my head hit the pillow, but sleep would soon come.
 
Hiking 20 k up the 1060 meter Ibaneta pass via the Valcarlos route on my first Camino in 2004 at age 65 to the monastery at Roncevalles was one of the most difficult days on that Camino and certainly the MOST physically exhausting day of my adult life then to date. I was pooped! Although I had hiked in preparation for the trip, nothing had prepared me for such an effort. Beneath a deep blue sky and brilliant sun I gasped and ached while my pack weighed like bricks. But eventually I made it to Santiago walking all the way.

On that first Camino I learned the hard way that this is NOT a walk in the park! Just because so many pilgrims have been successful does not guarantee that all will be. Anybody any moment can pull or fall or break anything. The most common injury is the result of trying to walk too far too quickly carrying too much!

Thus for other Caminos 2005 through 2012 I have started walking slowly and very easy for the first week. Daily distances cited in guidebooks are not sacred. We all need to consider the topography and the weather plus our health and pack weight as well as personal strength and ability to endure.

Still after all these years what matters for me is to DO IT!

Margaret Meredith
 
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 posted this a while ago-- so here it is again: :D

The morning I was to start walking the Camino Frances, I sat on my bed at St. Jean Pied de Port and started sobbing uncontrollably. I was so nervous and anxious. I was a solo female, about to turn 50 and have never (ever!) walked more than 5 miles at a time in my entire life. Sitting on a strange bed, thousands of miles away from home, I let it all out sobbing like when nobody is watching. After a little while, I took a deep breath, grabbed my bag and away I went. The second I stood at the door and felt the early morning air all fears melted away. Within 15 minutes of walking the Camino I was chatting with a Mother-Daughter team from Denver and admiring the small vegetable gardens we were walking by. Later on, I shared fruits and energy bars with a nice young man from Belgium. I made it to Roncesvalles in 7-8 hours and it felt amazing. That day, which started with me crying, remains one of the best days of my life.

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you;
they're supposed to help you discover who you are."
-Bernice Johnson Reagon
 
My first was quite challenging as I started in SJPP and crossed the Pyrnees. It took me far longer than expected- I started around 0700 and did not arrive in Roncevalles until after 5pm. I also ran out of water about two hours outside of Roncevalles. This was a huge lesson for me- fill up the water bottle as frequently as possible!
 
I do not recommend how I started my first day. Or, I guess, how not to prepare for your first day

- Red eye from Sacrament to Boston.
- Walk around Boston until your next red eye to Paris.
- Arrive in Paris, decide not to stay the night and hop on the overnight to SJPdP
- Get off the train and start walking.

I made it to Orisson and got their last tent. The next day to Roncesvalles was spent taking 10 steps and resting. I didn't have any food with me, so the kind guy I met who was clearly worried about me, gave me his orange. Ate it, took 10 steps, puked, rested.

After that, nothing could be worse so it was smooth sailing for the remainder of the walk.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
My first camino was supposed to start in SJPdP and we had trained for it. Physically we were ready. I was 65 atthe time-and my sister was 74. There was no room for us in Orrison, but we knew that and had factored that into our plans. We were leaving in mid September….🤪🤣😂 Unfortunately,there was extreme heat for the next few days. The day to climb to Roncevalles was not viable for us in that heat….weather the day of departure was way too hot, it was a scorcher. It was a heat wave and dangerous! So instead, prudently took the shuttle later in the morning and started in Roncevalles. It was so hot,we actually took 3 days to get to Pamplona. That is when we realized that we needed to be out the door by 5am or walk in cooler weather. So we now start in October or Early March.

It will be interesting this year. Because of Covid, we are starting on September 2nd. So the Pandemic has trumped the possibility of high temperatures in our planning.
 
Last edited:
(snip) to an enclave where a few people were adoring the Host. I joined them and the hours sped by. (snip)
I cried.

Adoration is the other Big Thing that the Great Shutdown took away from many of us. We're just now getting ready to restart...of course, since people who sign up for weekly Adoration tend to be older, and there has been more than 12 months since the last day, we're having to have new sign ups to replace those who became too ill or even died during the great drought.

Thank you for this post.
 
My sister and I walked our Camino in August 2016. We chose to walk the Valcarlos Route because neither of us were sure that we were up to tackling the Pyrenees (with what I know now, I think we'd be fine).

We started the day by catching a morning train from Bayonne into SJPDP and immediately went to the post office to send things home as we had already realised by this point that our packs were too heavy. We then had a bit of breakfast and we on the road by a tardy 1030am.

We walked only 11kms that hot day and by the time we reached the Municipal at Valcarlos, we were shattered and pretty dehydrated too - we were yet to learn just how much water one needs on the Camino. We claimed our beds and cleaned ourselves up.

After returning from a snack in the town I was rummaging around looking for my hiking shoes. I said to my sister, "have you seen my shoes, I can't find them. I'm sure I left them beside my bed..."

My sister answered, "I don't know where your shoes are, but mine are under my pillow..."

We laugh about it now because my sister must've been pretty dehydrated to put my shoes (yuk) under her pillow (gross ha ha).

Her shoes were strewn under my bunk right up against the wall.

It still makes me chuckle.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
I wondered and stared.

Never been to alpine regions before (but drove through the Alps to France and Italy).
The mountains, the mist, the sights and sounds. Very new to me.

Got to SJPdP on sunday evening and started early from my Albergue on Monday morning.
Took the Route Napolean. Walked in clouds. It was refreshing and not a bit exhausting.
Physically I was well prepared.

Got to Roncesvalles and had to wait in line, booked the dinner in the Hotel and took a little stroll outside the monastry. Sat down and wrote my diary. Had dinner with 6 other nations. What an adventure!
I was curious what to expect next.
 
I wanted to quit.
I was not a hiker and thought I was ready, even though I was 57 and weighed 300 pounds. I carried 40+ pounds in my pack including my CPAP. It was so very hard and I ran out of water and got cramps. It was like the wagon train heading west in the pioneer days as I was removing stuff out of my pack as I went to lighten the load. I learned a lot that first day and after three days I had my pack about where it should have been on day one.
I was an engineer for 30 years and had planned this trip for two years after I retired. I was so wrong on my planning and equipment I am embarrassed to say.
next Camino I will carry one change of clothes and smaller CPAP, water, phone charger, phone, extra pair of socks and a buff/hat. Learning the hard way in some cases is the best.
 
My first day was actually two days.
Two days in a bus, and in bus stations, or stumbling around looking for the bus.


I had, like many others, meticulously planned how to get to my starting point – St. Jean. The bus was supposed to take me from my home country to Bayonne, and from there I wanted to take the train to St. Jean. One change from bus to train, very easy, right? Back then I was suffering from severe depression, social anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks. My French was very rusty at best and my Spanish non existant, and I had never done anything like the Camino before. So I wanted to be sure I at least knew exactly how to get to my starting point without problems.


Well, you all know it didn‘t work like that!


First, the bus stopped in Brussels, and the passengers were divided into two different groups, each into a new bus. None of those two had a stop in Bayonne (different from what the guy selling me the ticket had said!), and therefore none of the busses wanted to take me.

Also, both were full and apparently even overbooked. Somehow they made room for me in one of them, and I found myself in a bus with no other pilgrim or even tourist – no, it was filled with Spanish and Portuguese people only, all on their way home to celebrate Easter with their families, chatting around loudly non stop. The only other non spanish/portuguese person was a quiet frenchman who I later found out was on his way to work as a hospitalero on the via de la plata.

Of course, the only languages spoken were Spanish, Portuguese and French.


So, I was already kind of on the Camino in the bus. The Spanish people fed me cookies talking to me as if I could understand them. The hospitalero noticed my shell and gave good advice of which, sadly, I only understood one part - „Don‘t be afraid, don‘t run“ - a sentence that is still very important to me, 6 years later. The first moment of Camino magic! There was a lot of snoring, too. Welcome to albergue life!


The Portuguese bus driver was very protective, and therefore decided he certainly would NOT let a lone female pilgrim out of the bus all alone in Bayonne in the dark in the early morning hours. Too dangerous. No idea how I understood, but it was clear. All the Spanish passengers agreed.

I was furious. What a macho! I can make my own decisions! How dare he! Later I learned that it was around the time Denise Thiem had vanished… 😲 🙊


So, instead of leaving the bus in Bayonne, I was taken to San Sebastián.

I had never been there, I didn‘t even know it existed, and I had no idea how to get to the Camino from there (of course I didn‘t know I already was on the Camino there, back then 🙈 ). I wasn‘t let out at the central bus station but at a deserted stop who knows where, and had no idea what to do.

I walked around the city in the dark, with my much too heavy backpack, and got my first blisters. It was a beautiful warm night though, you could smell the mediterranean plants and the ocean, the stars above were shining, and many young people were on their way home from the clubs and bars. They helped me find the way to two different railway stations, but it seemed that there was no train going to any city on the Camino I knew the name of. I walked back to the bus stop, confused on how to continue.

At around 8am a café at the corner opened, and while I had my first cafe con leche there, I suddenly noticed a bus parking close by with the direction „Pamplona“.

Yes!!!

I ran to the bus, screaming and waving my arms so that it wouldn‘t leave me behind, only to learn that you can‘t buy a ticket in the bus in Spain, and that I needed to get one from the office. Of which I didn‘t know where it was, of course.

Until I had found it and bought a ticket, the bus had already gone. Of course!


I got on the next bus to Pamplona though and had already prepared myself to start walking from there, but when I arrived at the famous underground bus station, I found out that there was a bus going to St Jean in the afternoon. So I waited another 5 hours or so for that bus, underground, because I didn‘t want to spoil the experience of walking through the town.

I was on the road for more than 30 hours already then, without sleep and without a shower. Being all smelly and lying on a bench completely tired, I was seriously afraid of getting kicked out of the bus station. I guess the large shell saved me from that fate.


When I finally arrived in the gîte in St Jean, it was almost two days since I had left home.
My first day of walking therefore was actually the third day of my Camino.



I still get goose bumps thinking back to that bus trip. What would have been a disastrous bit of travel for many, was not only a perfect start of a wonderful pilgrimage for me, but the beginning of a new life, a life without depression, anxiety and panic attacks.


Nowadays many say the Camino is just another hiking path. Not for me. Not back then, not now, not ever.
 
Last edited:
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
I was absolutely amazed on the first day I arrived, staying at Corazon Puro before being dropped off in SJPdP. It seemed surreal that I was actually there after watching "The Way" a few times the prior year...I was on "cloud 9" and almost needed to pinch myself to believe it!
 
First day from SJPDP up Valcarlos in February 2012.
5 random pilgrims from Holland, USA, Mexico, Italy, Scandinavia.
Great weather so we decided to push al the way to Roncesvales along the paved road, as everything else was covered in deep snow.
At some point up the mountain a snow storm decended upon us.
Darknes fell upon us - we kept fighting although we all were tired and unprepared for the hardness.
Cars on the way down the mountain in snowy weather - us waving a little hand lamp to make ourselves visible.
Dutch pilgrim, diabetic, had an episode and the cookies I had in the bottom of my backpack was shared and regulated the blod sugar.
Arriving late at Roncesvalles - knocking on the big wooden door.
A woman opens the door - look at us and say "Locos".
They had heard we had left SJPDP (only 8 pilgrims in Roncesvalles that night) and had been worried.
She called the restaurant and we went there to recieve one of the most wonderful warm meals of my life.
But it was clear to us all - if we could do what we just did, we would all make it to Santiago, which we did.

Never to be forgotten and a transformation for me as I had thought I would go for a walk alone to think, and it turned out to be a meeting with kind strangers and social realtionships which is, In my experience, what the Camino is about for me.
This is why I keep returning,
To become the best version of myself.

Buen Camino
Lettinggo
 
Last edited:
For my first Camino - my journey began a few days before departure. I was departing from my hometown the day BEFORE Spain was due to re-open after the COVID closures. So - less than 72 hours before departure, I had to get a COVID test. Then there was a problem with my COVID test so I had to get another one. Spent 36 hours worrying - what if my COVID tests are not back before departure? What if I test positive? I was stressed enough that I got another COVID test at another place - in case those results would be faster. Alas - test results came back and where negative (Whew! I huge sigh of relief). As were the other set I got. I also did all of the apps/paperwork that the airlines and Spain were requiring. Day of departure - I had to drive 2 hours to Phoenix, Arizona, where I sat and waited for my plan and then flew to Salt Lake City, Utah. There, I had to wait several more hours for my flight to New York City.

In NYC I had another REALLY long layover - but at least my previous plane landed in the correct terminal and there was food that would be available for purchase when I get hungry. I overheard some sort of conversation stating that only same day test results would be allowed by the airline so I went to investigate. Every airline employee I talked to gave me the same information - even though it was clearly written otherwise on the website. I asked where in the airport I could get same day testing. There were two locations, 1 in the terminal that I was in, one outside the security area. The on inside the terminal was closed and no one could tell me when it would open. The one outside the area also wasn't open yet - but the opening hours were clearly listed on the webpage. So - I reluctantly left the security zone. Good thing I did, there was already a line. But what I didn't know was that there were no food options for me - nothing I was permitted to eat on my medically restricted diet. There was also no good place for me to charge my phone or sit and rest. It is now the next morning and I FINALLY get tested - for the 4th time in around 72 -80 hours - and this time I am paying way more for the 1 hour test (not the rapid test - but the fast result time PCR test). Still negative.

At this point, I am REALLY hungry and REALLY tired - but it is still more than 5 hours before my connecting flight and the airline they won't give me my new boarding pass (needs to be checked in person due to COVID and wanting to see my test results) and that means they won't let me go through the security line to get to my gate because it is too early. And that is where all the food is. Every half hour I try to get past the airline lady so I can get my ticket printed... and FINALLY get through. I was finally able to eat but did struggle to find a place to rest. Then I have to get my boarding pass and my COVID test results inspected AGAIN. I finally board the 3rd and final plane to Madrid. I think I did briefly sleep, but I was mostly awake.

Get to Madrid and have to navigate through the city to the train station. Finally get there and I can't seem to buy a ticket at any of the kiosks. I am exhausted and frustrated and the lobby is total chaos - I can't figure out the line and the number I picked was nowhere near close to being called. Eventually I find an actual line which is actually moving - and I get to the counter 2 minutes before the train was scheduled to depart. So, I have to wait several more hours for the next train. Still nowhere to sleep. Take the train and I want to sleep - but I was afraid of missing my stop. I walk and try to find my reserved hotel, it is closed with a sign on the door to call a number - I don't speak much Spanish so this stressed me out - but the person who answered did speak English. They said they sent me a message directing me to go to another hotel. Didn't get it because I was travelling already when they sent it. Had to walk quite a ways away to the other hotel. Well, at least it is nicer!

Check in - fall asleep. Then I get woken up by a phone call wanting to know if I was checking out today or tomorrow. It is dark in the room and I look at the clock and it says 12:00 (midnight), so I say "tomorrow". 5 minutes later I realize it isn't midnight... it is noon - they called because I missed checkout. And if I don't leave soon - I am going to miss my but to SJPDP! I think I had slept for 16 or 18 hours straight. I race to pack up and find the bus station. Get there and no kiosk is selling tickets to SJPDP. Look for an employee - there are none. Try the kiosk. No ticket. Look at signs and don't see any that might give me directions. When I do see an employee - they disappear as quickly as they appeared. Finally, 2 Spanish ladies ask if I am trying to go to SJPDP. "YES!". They tell me that the bus is downstairs and to buy the ticket on the bus. "THANK YOU!" I would have missed the bus and the next bus wasn't until the next day. Get downstairs and find my bus only to learn it isn't going to SJPDP - it is not allowed to cross the border. So - how the heck am I going to get to SJPDP? Thankfully, when I get to Roncesvalles the same 2 ladies approach me and ask if I want to share a taxi. "YES!". Get to SJPDP, check into my albergue. I am the ONLY pilgrim in the building. I was supposed to stay 2 nights. Go to dinner, get some sleep, get up for breakfast and see a couple other pilgrims at breakfast preparing to depart. So - I am suddenly decide I want to start walking. I decided to call and see of Orison had a bed for the night - and they did (again - Spain and France just reopened). Ran into the lovely Spanish ladies in Orisson, along with a couple other pilgrims - and there I met my first Camino family and the rest is history!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.

Most read last week in this forum

My name is Henrik and I will be coming down to SJPdP from Sweden on March 26 and start walking on March 27. I don't really have any experience and I'm not the best at planning and I'm a little...
When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top