Which is most challenging?

Grandma · Nov 3, 2016

Hoping to complete either the CF Sarria to Santigo or CI Ferrol to Santiago next year - before I decide which please can anyone advise which has the most/most challenging hill climbs?

SYates · Nov 3, 2016

Quick return question: Which time of the year are you planning to go? Buen Camino, SY

Grandma · Nov 3, 2016

Probably May..

Bradypus · Nov 3, 2016

I would say the Ingles has more and steeper hills - though neither routes you mention are especially difficult. The really challenging sections of the Camino Frances are all east of Sarria. Reading recent posts from @JohnnieWalker I believe that the marked route for the Ingles has been altered recently to avoid one very steep climb up to Hospital de Bruma. If so then I think there would be little to choose between Sarria-Santiago and the Camino Ingles.

Tulle · Nov 3, 2016

Bradypus said:
I would say the Ingles has more and steeper hills - though neither routes you mention are especially difficult. The really challenging sections of the Camino Frances are all east of Sarria. Reading recent posts from @JohnnieWalker I believe that the marked route for the Ingles has been altered recently to avoid one very steep climb up to Hospital de Bruma. If so then I think there would be little to choose between Sarria-Santiago and the Camino Ingles.

Do you mean the so-called "monster hill" after Bar Julia? I walked there in September and didn't find it very challenging. Could that be because I am used to walking uphill or because the route has been altered so there is no longer a "monster hill"?

Bradypus · Nov 3, 2016

Tulle said:
Do you mean the so-called "monster hill" after Bar Julia? I walked there in September and didn't find it very challenging. Could that be because I am used to walking uphill or because the route has been altered so there is no longer a "monster hill"?

That's the one I was thinking of. I walked it a couple of years ago. I'd class myself as a fairly experienced walker and I found it quite demanding in places: short sections of track in the woodland climbing out of the valley were very steep. Added to the longer but more gentle uphill plod over quite a few km to Bruma it made for a pretty tiring day. I can imagine it being a tough day for less experienced walkers or those whose fitness is limited. The other "short sharp shock" would be the very steep climb out of Pontedeume - hard work on the knees!

Tulle · Nov 3, 2016

Bradypus said:
That's the one I was thinking of. I walked it a couple of years ago. I'd class myself as a fairly experienced walker and I found it quite demanding in places: short sections of track in the woodland climbing out of the valley were very steep. Added to the longer but more gentle uphill plod over quite a few km to Bruma it made for a pretty tiring day. I can imagine it being a tough day for less experienced walkers or those whose fitness is limited. The other "short sharp shock" would be the very steep climb out of Pontedeume - hard work on the knees!

Yes, I agree, it's hard work on the knees! But my old knees prefer uphill to downhill...

Smallest_Sparrow · Nov 3, 2016

if you go to this website http://www.gronze.com/camino-frances

and scroll down to 'desde sarria' (after sarria) etapa (step) 29 and click, it will show you the distances, and scrolling down, the elevations of that step. you can click each of the steps to Santiago to see what the hills are like (if you don't read Spanish well, you can use Google translate to translate the page)

for the ingles, go here: http://www.gronze.com/camino-ingles

buen camino

Grandma · Nov 3, 2016

Thank you so much - those links were really helpful and based on what I've seen I'm pretty certain I'll be opting for the CF from Sarria.

SYates · Nov 3, 2016

I think that is a good decision as it also has more pilgrim infrastructure making stages more flexible.
Buen Camino, SY

rometimed · Nov 3, 2016

I didn't find either of them very difficult and both i'd consider to be fairly similar. Ferrol to Santiago will be far less busy and I really liked the Albergues on that route but there's a lot more options and variety on the Sarria route.

Deleted member 12253 · Nov 4, 2016

Grandma said:
Hoping to complete either the CF Sarria to Santigo or CI Ferrol to Santiago next year - before I decide which please can anyone advise which has the most/most challenging hill climbs?

Neither. Both very easy in 4 or 5 days

JohnnieWalker · Nov 4, 2016

The route of the Camino Inglés has not been altered "the hill" is still there.

Smallest_Sparrow · Nov 4, 2016

that's why I like giving people distance and elevation maps...hard and easy are in the eyes (or knees) of the beholder.

Martyduc · Nov 8, 2016

JohnnieWalker said:
The route of the Camino Inglés has not been altered "the hill" is still there.

Yes it is!!it's a long continuous climb after about 20 kms already!! But do it

dougfitz · Nov 9, 2016

Martyduc said:
Yes it is!!it's a long continuous climb after about 20 kms already!! But do it

When I did this, the climb from Bar Julia to the highest point reached before Bruma (just short of the road junction at O Pozo) was about 7km with an elevation gain of about 400m. The steepest almost continuous section is shortly after Bar Julia, and is a little over 2km with an elevation gain of about 233m. I say 'almost continuous' because about 450m into the climb the road dips slightly, but very shortly afterwards resumes its steep ascent.

My recollection is that it is much less difficult than some of the more arduous climbs on the CF.

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Which is most challenging?

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