Winter Camino Questions

[johnnythunder]

i bought my ticket to madrid and have 20 days between flights to work with. just looking for some advice as to how to see the best parts of the walk without spending too much time traveling. the dates are in mid-february (maybe that will help).

i have a lot of long-distance backpacking experience but have no idea what a good daily mileage estimate would be on the camino. on one hand, it'd be great to see as much terrain and as many towns and villages as possible. but, how many kilometers is too many given the short days and reduced services of hiking in the winter?

also, i need some help picking an itinerary...my initial thought was to start in leon (or sahagun. or fromista) and hike to fisterra. a friend recommended walking from pamplona to burgos and then taking a bus to astorga, finishing in santiago.

what do you think? is the section between pamplona and burgos considerably better than the walk from santiago to fisterra?

i have an ultralight camp and kitchen setup which i plan to bring along (at least the tarp and pad which only add 600 grams to my pack) so that could open up some extra distance opportunities and ease some of the worry about being caught without a place to sleep in the winter.

any help or links would be appreciated.

 

[jdpiguet]

Hi Johnny,

Welcome to the forum!

It depends a lot of your goal: do you walk for the Compostella, for the cultural environment or simply to walk for itself?
Another point to take into consideration is the weather: some sections can be impossible to walk in February (see the following thread). The meseta, (between Burgos and Leon) is roughly 800 m osl and have a continental climate: it can be very cold in winter.
Even if most of the albergue are closed in this low season, you will be able to find a shelter every day.

There is several threads about winter Caminos, use the search feature to get a grip...

Buen Camino,
Jacques-D.

 

[jsalt]

i bought my ticket to madrid and have 20 days between flights to work with. just looking for some advice as to how to see the best parts of the walk without spending too much time traveling. the dates are in mid-february (maybe that will help).

i have a lot of long-distance backpacking experience but have no idea what a good daily mileage estimate would be on the camino. on one hand, it'd be great to see as much terrain and as many towns and villages as possible. but, how many kilometers is too many given the short days and reduced services of hiking in the winter?

also, i need some help picking an itinerary...my initial thought was to start in leon (or sahagun. or fromista) and hike to fisterra. a friend recommended walking from pamplona to burgos and then taking a bus to astorga, finishing in santiago.

what do you think? is the section between pamplona and burgos considerably better than the walk from santiago to fisterra?

i have an ultralight camp and kitchen setup which i plan to bring along (at least the tarp and pad which only add 600 grams to my pack) so that could open up some extra distance opportunities and ease some of the worry about being caught without a place to sleep in the winter.

any help or links would be appreciated.

Hi, welcome to the forum! In mid-Feb there will be albergues to stay at in all the main towns, so no problem with accommodation. Don’t rely on small villages for a place to stay. Pamplona to Burgos is a lovely part of the camino. As you don’t know yet what kind of distances you will be making each day, I would suggest starting in Pamplona and taking each day as it comes. Then decide along the way when you want to catch a bus . . . or not at all. You can always go back another time to finish the walk into Santiago and on to Finisterre and Muxia. I find I make many more camino friends out of season. There are much fewer places to stay, so you end up staying in the same places and spending the evenings together. In summer you lose people you’ve just met in the crowds. If I’ve made some good friends I would then be reluctant to jump on a bus and get ahead of them. (However, sometimes you really do want to get out of sync with some people!) But you can only make these decisions at the time, not by pre-planning. Go with the flow! Jill

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Use gronze.com to see which albergues are likely to be open. Leon to Santiago is typically 14 days. You will go over the highest point on the Camino in that stretch, so weather will be a consideration. Add three days for Fisterra, and you will have 17 days of normal walking. If you can stretch out your distance, you could start further back. Buen camino.

 

[mountaingoat999]

i bought my ticket to madrid and have 20 days between flights to work with. just looking for some advice as to how to see the best parts of the walk without spending too much time traveling. the dates are in mid-february (maybe that will help).

i have a lot of long-distance backpacking experience but have no idea what a good daily mileage estimate would be on the camino. on one hand, it'd be great to see as much terrain and as many towns and villages as possible. but, how many kilometers is too many given the short days and reduced services of hiking in the winter?

also, i need some help picking an itinerary...my initial thought was to start in leon (or sahagun. or fromista) and hike to fisterra. a friend recommended walking from pamplona to burgos and then taking a bus to astorga, finishing in santiago.

what do you think? is the section between pamplona and burgos considerably better than the walk from santiago to fisterra?

i have an ultralight camp and kitchen setup which i plan to bring along (at least the tarp and pad which only add 600 grams to my pack) so that could open up some extra distance opportunities and ease some of the worry about being caught without a place to sleep in the winter.

any help or links would be appreciated.

Hi JonnyThunder

mid February is just as good as any other month with its pros and cons.....there is no drama with the snow, just walk on the road as everyone else does when and if there is too much snow on the trail, sometimes there's a few days walking along a ploughed road .....done it before.......There is always some place to sleep some where and not all albegures have heating.
I have stayed in a few that don't have and are poorly insulated so good sleeping bag.

some only have a wood burner which is not on over night....
so warmer outside in a tent or other with good bag.

there will be section of road that if the snow is not compacted your need to divert..its not a problem

There has been a few pilgrims? on some forums now that say the Mesta is boring ,its not far from it..

you say you have ultralight camp and kitchen set up......PM me if you are going to camp...winter camping is my passion .. even on the camino..I am also a ML(mountain leader)so we can discuss that if you like.....all day long.......takes time putting a tent down covered in snow......the locals look at you like your nuts....but really respect you for it

backpackers carrying a tent on through trails walk at least 25 kms..and stop when they want...I am not weather depended. Rain /snow / sunshine it does not matter..for 20 days Astorga is as good as some bigger places to stop with transport links train /bus

with your long distance -backpacking experience you do very well on covering distances..on some days I cover 35 to 40.. after a few days into a trail...50 has been my max and only so often....some days you just want to stay out side


we are going Jan 9th starting 10th

 

[Magnara]

We walked in January and finished on February 9th in Santiago. My two cents' worth: Pamplona to Burgos is great. Skip the meseta, unless you enjoy battling fierce, freezing headwinds. Jump on a bus/train combo to Leon instead and then pick it up and walk on. If you find you are running short of time, do a bit of bus here and there. It is, after all, your camino, and you can do it any way you want. Finish in Santiago, walking into that gorgeous cathedral and enjoying the town. You can go to Fisterra by bus, rental car, or walk it at a later date. Whatever you decide, you'll have a great experience.

 

[MTtoCamino]

Some very good advice from those who have actually walked this in the winter. Since I have not have a fantastic time!
Buen Camino
Keith

 

[returning_pilgrim]

Your initial thought is the best one. Jump sections and you will loose a day through waiting around for a bus or a train. Sahagun or Carrion de las Condes could be a good place to start. I have walked in winter but not February, from what I have read it seems to get the most harshest weather so there will be places you will have to go slow.

 

[peregrinolincoln]

I was on the Camino for three weeks from mid-January to mid-February earlier this year, and attempted to do the same plan that your friend recommended. I walked from Pamplona to Burgos without any problems. It was a very beautiful route, and I encountered a lot of snow in the higher elevations, especially entering Santo Domingo and in stage right before Burgos. I was caught in a very bad snow storm that day and it was quite frightening, since I did not see any other pilgrims that entire day. After Burgos, I then took a bus to Astorga. I walked to Rabanal, but after that both the road and the hiking path toward the cross of iron were closed for many days due to a huge amount of snow. O'Cebreiro was closed as well. The Spanish authorities closed these road and were patrolling the areas very diligently to make sure no one was traveling them. I back tracked to Astorga and took the train to Sarria and finished the Camino to Santiago. I loved the walk in the winter - a lot of prayer and solitude (I am a Catholic priest and it was just what I needed). That was my third time on the Camino. I plan on going in January 2016 - I plan on flying out of Memphis on January 17 and flying into either Madrid or Bilbao. I will either start in Pamplona again or will walk part of the Camino del Norte from Bilbao or San Sebastian. From my limited experience last winter, and having walked the Camino in the spring and the summer, a winter Camino means being more flexible regarding the weather. Leaving Burgos last January, I remember there being a sheet of ice all over the city in the morning hours and walking was very treacherous throughout the city. Good luck for your preparations for the Camino.

I also want to add what someone else pointed out - think about how important it is to get the compostela or to even arrive in Santiago. When I left last January, I was not sure if it was important to me to arrive in Santiago de Compostela - I just wanted to walk on the Camino. I knew I would decided while walking, and after about 5 days I realized that I did want to arrive in Santiago and have that experience again. This time, when I leave this upcoming January, I again am not sure about where the road will lead me. The important thing for me is be on the Camino. I am priest in Mississippi, and my life is very action-packed with very little downtime. Going on the Camino for me is a type of retreat. It really renews my spirit and is a lifeline for me. Everyone has very different motivations for going - the Camino will help you decide what is best for you.

 

[mspath]

For much info on winter walking with many useful links see this earlier thread.

 

[MTtoCamino]

I was on the Camino for three weeks from mid-January to mid-February earlier this year, and attempted to do the same plan that your friend recommended. I walked from Pamplona to Burgos without any problems. I was a very beautiful route, and I encountered a lot of snow in the higher elevations, especially entering Santo Domingo and in stage right before Burgos. I was caught in a very bad snow storm that day and it was quite frightening, since I did not see any other pilgrims that entire day. After Burgos, I then took a bus to Astorga. I walked to Rabanal, but after that both the road and the hiking path toward the cross of iron were closed for many days due to a huge amount of snow. O'Cebreiro was closed as well. The Spanish authorities closed these road and were patrolling the areas very diligently to make sure no one was traveling them. I back tracked to Astorga and took the train to Sarria and finished the Camino to Santiago. I loved the walk in the winter - a lot of prayer and solitude (I am a Catholic priest and it was just what I needed). That was my third time on the Camino. I plan on going in January 2016 - I plan on flying out of Memphis on January 17 and flying into either Madrid or Bilbao. I will either start in Pamplona again or will walk part of the Camino del Norte from Bilbao or San Sebastian. From my limited experience last winter, and having walked the Camino in the spring and the summer, a winter Camino means being more flexible regarding the weather. Leaving Burgos last January, I remember there being a sheet of ice all over the city in the morning hours and walking was very treacherous throughout the city. Good luck for your preparations for the Camino.

I also want to add what someone else pointed out - think about how important it is to get the compostela or to even arrive in Santiago. When I left last January, I was not sure if it was important to me to arrive in Santiago de Compostela - I just wanted to walk on the Camino. I knew I would decided while walking, and after about 5 days I realized that I did want to arrive in Santiago and have that experience again. This time, when I leave this upcoming January, I again am not sure about where the road will lead me. The important thing for me is be on the Camino. I am priest in Mississippi, and my life is very action-packed with very little downtime. Going on the Camino for me is a type of retreat. It really renews my spirit and is a lifeline for me. Everyone has very different motivations for going - the Camino will help you decide what is best for you.

That is the best description of a walk in the winter I have read! Thank you for sharing. Did you carry any type of emergency shelter? What is your thoughts on that?
Thanks
Keith

 

[peregrinolincoln]

That is the best description of a walk in the winter I have read! Thank you for sharing. Did you carry any type of emergency shelter? What is your thoughts on that?
Thanks
Keith

I had no problem finding a place to stay at night. A couple times I was with just one other person (Rabanal del Camino and Logroño) and once by myself (Villambistia). I had a list for the albergues that were supposedly open during the winter, and I could not find one open in Belrado, even though there were supposedly a couple that were supposed to be open. I saw a sign in Villambistia that said the albergue was open, and was so glad to find it, even though it was not on the list. Another time an albergue that was supposed to be open was closed, but someone gave me and another pilgrim a ride to the albergue in Los Arcos. When we get closer to the winter season, someone will post an updated list of albergues open during the winter, and it never hurts to ask at the albergues who is open on the upcoming stage of the Camino.

I never carried any emergency type shelter, but definitely come prepared with layers of clothing and things like gloves, a scarf, and a Merino wool sweater. One of the staff members at my church bought me a pair of Under Amour Winterwear tights - those were fantastic. I was never cold during the hike. Again, the most important thing in the winter is to talk to the hospitaleros at the albergues and the workers at the bars and coffee shops along the way to find out about inclement weather and route closings, and to take their advice when they give it. Some pilgrims tried to walk across closed routes, and they end up putting their rescuers and themselves in danger. Being flexible is very important in the winter. For me, winter is the only time I can get away from my parish for several weeks, and fortunately I enjoy going on the Camino during the winter.

 

[Magnara]

We never went without a bed in our winter camino - first checked our Brierley, but usually the albergues were closed. I think from what I read more are open these days during the winter. But from Christmas Day to 6 January, the day the Spanish exchange gifts (Three Kings' Day) many Spanish go on holidays, so even more is closed for that period: shops, small hotels etc. But we would just find a bar or cafe and ask about rooms for rent. It was never a problem.

 

[LookingFor42]

Thanks for all the advice on this thread. I am intending to walk Burgos to Santiago starting on 25 January 2016. I'm from the sub-tropics so it will be a challenge but at least I am going to Holland and Poland for a month before the Camino so I won't be coming straight from the heat of the Australian summer to the cold of the Meseta. I am hoping that 20 days will be enough to walk from Burgos but if it's not I'll take a bus somewhere along the way or push back my post-Camino plans (I actually don't fly out of Amsterdam back to Australia until 24 February so, theoretically, I could try to walk from Pamplona but I want to try to see my grandmother in Holland once more before I leave Europe).

I have found that there is a relatively cheap flight from Amsterdam to Bilbao and then a train from Bilbao to Burgos to get me to the start of my Camino.

Interestingly, if all goes to plan, I will walk into Santiago de Compastella exactly two years after I decided to spend a few years traveling the world. And this will also be my final trip as a digital nomad before I head home to live more permanently back in the city I thought I wanted to leave. I've planned to walk the Camino so many times in the past two years but something always stopped me. This time I don't feel that same sense of "it't not quite right". Rather, I feel a sense of "yes, this time just book the flight and see what happens".

 

[grayland]

I am starting from SJPP on 14 January. That would normally put me into Burgos on the 25th.
There is a very good chance we will run into each other.
Buen Camino

 

[Fiona Lyon]

We are planning to walk five days from Sarria to Santiago 8-12 January. Hopefully we may see you on our way somewhere.

Fiona and Marcus.

 

[Deleted member 43985]

i have a lot of long-distance backpacking experience but have no idea what a good daily mileage estimate would be on the camino. on one hand, it'd be great to see as much terrain and as many towns and villages as possible. but, how many kilometers is too many given the short days and reduced services of hiking in the winter?

Hi JT - I walked in Jan/Feb and distance wasn't an issue insofar as daylight was concerned. I ended up with a time crunch at the end (because I foolished answered my phone one day and work was on the other end) so did a couple of 40+km days over the last week. I had my headlamp on the last couple of kms but there was no drama there, easy to find the markers. I carried a OR Bivy when I went over the Pyrenees but sent that by mail once I reached Logrono, never used once but sure regretted the extra weight for that week... Only town I couldn't find an open Albergue was Belorado so not worries about accommodation and after a long cold, wet or snowy day, a nice long hot shower and place to dry your clothes.
Buen Camino!