worried about being a slow walker

[gypsywind]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

 

[wayfarer]

Hi gypsywind, first of all forget about the stages in the Brierly Guide, they are only recommendations. If you find yourself at a town or village at a particular time of the day and you feel its getting late just stay there even if its not where you intender to stop. Let your pace and the Camino make the decisions of where you will stop for the day. We planned destinations in 2012 but only kept to them about 50% of the time, sometimes we walked further, sometimes less. Have a safe and enjoyable Camino.
Buen Camino.

 

[Kennedy1]

Don't worry about Brierley's designated stops. You can stop where ever you want to stop. I would plan my day the night before and then find an albergue that was close to that location. This is your walk not Brierley's . Have a great journey.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

Hi, gypsywind,
Wayfarer gave you very good advice. And one more thing -- though some of the Brierley stages may seem long to you, you should know that on the Camino Frances there are very few times when you will have to go more than 8 -10 km between towns. Buses and taxis are plentiful in a pinch. Bars, cafes, albergues and other commercial establishments are usually filled with very helpful people. Pilgrims are everywhere.

A little anxiety, in my experience, is inevitable since you are stepping off into the unknown, but you should not be fearful. Buen camino!

 

[gypsywind]

Hi gypsywind, first of all forget about the stages in the Brierly Guide, they are only recommendations. If you find yourself at a town or village at a particular time of the day and you feel its getting late just stay there even if its not where you intender to stop. Let your pace and the Camino make the decisions of where you will stop for the day. We planned destinations in 2012 but only kept to them about 50% of the time, sometimes we walked further, sometimes less. Have a safe and enjoyable Camino.
Buen Camino.

Peregrino, thank you sooo much, 50% is a ratio I can live/walk with! Do you think after a few days of walking I will be able to gauge if I can make it to the next town, I hate to use up all my spare days in the 1st week. Thank you again for your advice, I need it and appreciate it. Gypsywind

 

[gypsywind]

Don't worry about Brierley's designated stops. You can stop where ever you want to stop. I would plan my day the night before and then find an albergue that was close to that location. This is your walk not Brierley's . Have a great journey.

I need that to be one of my mantras, this is MY walk !!! Thanks for the input

 

[gypsywind]

Hi gypsywind, first of all forget about the stages in the Brierly Guide, they are only recommendations. If you find yourself at a town or village at a particular time of the day and you feel its getting late just stay there even if its not where you intender to stop. Let your pace and the Camino make the decisions of where you will stop for the day. We planned destinations in 2012 but only kept to them about 50% of the time, sometimes we walked further, sometimes less. Have a safe and enjoyable Camino.
Buen Camino.

Thanks for all that, I feel like my concerns are getting more extreme, not less, the closer I get. I need to start breathing and let it roll as it should!! Love your photo ID! Never STOP...

 

[zzotte]

Just don't walk someone else walk, walk YOUR walk stop any place you want to stop, the guides and they are many its just that a guide not a rule.

Buen Camino
Zzotte

 

[domigee]

Hi gypsywind, the others have said it all. It's normal to feel apprehensive (well, as 'normal' as it'll ever be for us, hahaha). I know I was on my first camino and every other after that, actually!
Buen camino

 

[Devon Mike]

Just to repeat what has already been said, the Brierley Guide is just a book of maps and you can stop wherever you like. On the Camino Frances you will never find a gap of more than 19kms between places to stay, so just go with the flow.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

The OP is not saying she is worried about not making it from one Brierly stop to the next, but about stages where she feels there os nothing between those stops. The truth is that on the Frances there are very few times where there is nothing for 15km. The Eroski website can show exactly how many options exist. I know I just posted about that here couple of weeks ago.

Now, from Orisson to Roncesvalles there is nothing, but the Valvarlos route may help. From Carion de los Condes on the Roman road there is nothing for 17km. Between Navarette & Najera as well, if I recall.

A bit of planning, and a few buses and taxis can help.

This being said, you may be surprised at what you are able to cover. Try ot for a few days and see how you do. When I walked the CF for the first time it had never occured you could not walk according to the proposed stages in the guides, but it is possible and these days more than ever with all the new albergues mushrooming everywhere. For additional peace of mind booking a bed is also an option.

 

[GreatDane]

Between Navarette & Najera as well, if I recall...

Ventosa is at the 6km mark after Navarette and has an albergue. And don't worry about your daily mileage. Be amazed though when you are done and look at a map or globe and realized you walked from there to there!!!!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Caminoteca.com has at the bottom of its home page a link to a PDF that lists the albergues on the CF (am assuming it is complete and up to date) showing the distance between each one. This will help you plan and hopefully aliviate some anxiety.

 

[Kiwi-d]

Count your blessings! As a compulsively fast walker, I do wish I'd gone a lot slower, I'm sure I would have seen more. Fortunately I did make a point of staying in places that were not Brierly stops. You have received some very good advice above. Now, would you like me to list all my fears that gave me so many sleepless nights before I left......?

 

[don88]

I too am a slow walker. Never had a problem finding an albergue when I needed to stop. The biggest problem I had from slow walking was to find someone to walk with. I went several days at a time only greeting other pilgrims as they raced by, really missing talking and sharing, When someone slowed and walked with me even for only 10 minutes, it made my day.

 

[dougfitz]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

In my edition of Brierley, he says this:

Find your own pace, but the one described here will allow you to reach Santiago gracefully in 5 weeks.

Not even Brierley recommends that you follow the Brierley stages!

@gypsywind, I have, for planning purposes, mapped out a schedule based on 20 km days for this year. My wife is not confident that she can do more than that. It has a few longer days by a km or so, but not many. I suspect that you would be able to do the same for shorter distances other than the days crossing the Pyrenees. It is quite feasible to walk shorter distances and still find accommodation. Provided you don't feel compelled to match Brierley's 35 day pattern or someone else's 30 day pattern, you should be fine.

 

[robertt]

Let's say you are heading to a place 25k distant, but after just 10k you come to a place that looks okay. You stop there, if you feel like it...and then you have only 15k to do the next day (if you feel like it). If friends want to go on quicker, you will have new friends by the next day. If you walk slow enough, you'll have made more friends than Shane Warne, and they won't just be FB buddies. If, after allotted time, you don't get all the way to Santiago, you will have at least got all the way to somewhere good, and you can always come back (like those French who take a week each year to do a portion). I walked from Le Puy to Portugal, then back to Santiago, in this fashion. Miam Miam Dodo was the best guide for me, because it is mostly about accommodation.

Of course, if you go faster and keep to a schedule, that will be good too.

Got my fingers crossed for the Regordane Way (Way of Saint-Gilles) in the coming months. It'll be a slow old way, that's for sure.

Buen camino, gypsywind.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

C....... Now, would you like me to list all my fears that gave me so many sleepless nights before I left......?

No, absolutely not!
Next month I'm on my sixth camino [Sureste] and again in May, maybe the Primitivo [7th].
I worry about all of them. Where will I eat? Where will I sleep? Will I be able to reach the next village? .... and they all turn out perfectly OK.
I walk very short distances .... 20k maximum, and I've been known to walk just 6 kms some days!
Don't hesitate to take a bus, train or taxi if it helps you.
Relax. Enjoy. You don't say which camino you're walking - I assume the French route, which will have many other pilgrims to reassure and help you if necessary.
Gypsywind - this is your pathway, your pilgrimage: relax and enjoy it!

 

[Robo]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

Hi gypsywind. No need to panic as many other have already said.

But here is my 2 cents worth....from one of the slowest walkers you can imagine! Like the only person I met who walked slower than me was an 85 year old Grandmother!

I had to walk slowly and short distances, as a I started with Achilles Tendonitis, which as I look back now was probably a blessing. It made me slow down

If you get the time or inclination to check out my blog (lots of videos) it will give you some idea of my 'pace' or lack of it. But here are points for what they are worth:

1. Never, ever, ever, EVER.....try to keep up with faster walkers. Ever. get it? You will only alter your gait unnaturally and cause injury. I tried it once for only 15 mins on the way into Leon, and suffered as a consequence. Walk at your own pace. You will meet your friends again at the end of the day....you'll just arrive a bit later. And maybe by then they have already ordered the Vino Tinto!
2. On the CF there are not really any long stages without accommodation. I think 17km is the most. that section without water after Carrion. The idea of that spooked me a bit and I loaded up with extra water. But it was fine. A nice walk. By that stage you have settled into your routine and it's not difficult. That's almost an easy 4 hour 'stroll' with a few breaks.
3. Walk as far each day as is comfortable. I started on day 1 with just 8 kms. During the final 100 kms I was down to 10-12 kms per day as my Tendonitis had become worse. Each day just plan to walk what you feel is comfortable. Some days you'll surprise yourself. I even managed a couple of 32 km days, though in hindsight that was not sensible (for my tendons).
4. Here's a little secret. Whilst the Brierley guide is a great guide, it doesn't list ALL the accommodation options. You will see far more. I also took a scanned copy of Miam Miam Dodo on my phone, which has far more accommodation information on it.
5. And take on all the tips about foot care. double socks, Vaseline on your feet, changing socks during the day, airing your feet at the stops, elevate feet at the end of the day, hydration. That will keep your feet co-operating. You'll fast get the hang of it. I would often just stop by the path, take my boots and socks off and lay on the ground with my feet up on my pack watching the trees, the clouds and the birds for 20 minutes. Your feet will love you...

You will cope fine. Don't worry. It's just pre Camino nerves that all of us Newbies get You are really never more than 2-3 hours easy walking from a place to stay. (with a couple of exceptions like the one above). Use the guide books, plan ahead a couple of days, know where the earlier stops are if you need them etc.

And as others have said.....if you really feel exhausted one day, just pull in for a coffee and a cake, and order a taxi to the next accommodation spot! There is always a plan B. and C....and D....

It will be great to hear your stories when you get back. I bet it will start with ........ WOW..........what on earth was I worried about !

 

[Robo]

Peregrino, thank you sooo much, 50% is a ratio I can live/walk with! Do you think after a few days of walking I will be able to gauge if I can make it to the next town, I hate to use up all my spare days in the 1st week. Thank you again for your advice, I need it and appreciate it. Gypsywind

You will build up a keen sense of what is 'doable' for you But unless you are very walking fit already, it will take a few days to find your 'rhythm'.

In fact after 5 or 6 days on the road, you will feel very 'at home' with the whole thing

 

[jdpiguet]

Peregrino, thank you sooo much, 50% is a ratio I can live/walk with! Do you think after a few days of walking I will be able to gauge if I can make it to the next town, I hate to use up all my spare days in the 1st week. Thank you again for your advice, I need it and appreciate it. Gypsywind

Hello Gypsywind,

Don't care about the stops from the Brierley... Do your own planning and start as slow as possible and increase the pace as the days and the km accumulate!
It's much easier to make a day longer because it's early afternoon and you are full of energy than to force yourself to the next village because it's what is planned...
And don't book more than 1 or days in advance (if you even want to book). Let the Camino teaches you what you can and want.

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

PS: a good place to play, plane and dream is http://www.godesalco.com/plan/frances

 

[partyartie]

Where to sleep, where to eat, where to buy things? Those are not any kind of problems in Spain if you don´t make them to be.
It is ok to be worried but you are in a civilized country. Other pilgrims and friendly locals around all the time. Safe places to stay
over night more than needed, good food and drink, phones work. Any kind of help available all the time.

A couple of years ago in winter I made a trip from Finland through Russia and Kazakstan to Tengiz on the Eastern side of the Caspian Sea
alone by truck. Must say I was more than worried every day and afraid at night, four weeks. I´ll never go back.
If I compare this with my camino from Irun to Santiago last April-May the difference is like between heaven and hell.

Every morning I woke up on my camino I enjoyed just being there, making plans for the day and in the evening talk with others.
Next May-June I´ll walk the Portuguese from Lisbon to Santiago and after that...there are caminos, it´s just so nice.
We are different. Maybe you wish somebody to take you by the hand and guide you all the way and tell what to do. It´s ok.
(I don´t mean your wife or husband, which is great
If you walk alone or with your friend do your own camino, make your own plans. Just trust yourself, you´ll be fine.

 

[Robo]

I think that one of the wonderful aspects about walking the Camino, amongst many of course, is the sense of self confidence that grows.
In your capabilities, understanding your body and what it can cope with, and ultimately....that the small stuff isn't worth worrying about

Learning to just relax, enjoy the moment, and go with the flow.....

Of course until you actually get there, and experience it first hand.......that's just so much waffle!

 

[purplesage]

@gypsywind..... its all been said ! On my first Camino, I sometimes walked JUST 10 km a day and then chilled out. It was MY pilgrimage and I wanted to see, smell, feel, pray, be grateful. I reminded myself that the Camino is not a RACE. You will find its a lot more. Now, I walk between 25-30 km a day.... I just gets to you. You'll have a blast!! Buen Camino

 

[jimabfalter]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

My wife and I are very slow walkers and we walked at the busiest time last fall, sept/oct. We found that reservations were needed as there were the two of us. With one you might slip by more easily. We would figure how far we wanted to walk the next day and make our reservations in the evening. Sometimes the Alberque operators would help us if there was a problem, but my wife figured out the language without much difficulty. One word of advice. If you are a slow walker you will find out that Buen Camino has several different meanings. In a some of cases it means get out of my way. But then there are all the wonderful people that mean it in the most friendly way and stroll along and talk for a few minutes. The part we liked about walking slowly was we had time to turn around and look behind us and around us and not just at the path in front of us. If the way was too difficult and we fell too much behind we simply called a taxi or got on a bus. I know this is not kicking it old style, but we didn't mind and it took the worry out of having to maintain a schedule.
Buen Camino!

 

[partyartie]

jimabfalter

Great!

Don´t worry about taking bus or taxi.
I´m sure that people 600 years ago didn´t try to do it old style. Like 900 years ago.

 

[Lmsundaze]

In her book Slackpacking the Camino, Sylvia Nilsen has a schedule for people who want to walk just 10-15k a day. I don't plan to follow it slavishly, but it is a useful planning tool for people like me who don't plan to do long stages. I have it on my iPhone in the Kindle app as one more tool.

 

[Martha Jansen]

I need that to be one of my mantras, this is MY walk !!! Thanks for the input

And don't hesitate to use a transport for your backpack on a longer than normal stretch. it's okay to take a break from the pack now and then. I did the camino last fall and walked every day....but had some short days and days without my pack during my 56 days on the trail. I even took a taxi once and a bus twice before reaching Sarria. By then I walked with my backpack every day....I just turned seventy seven and did all but fourteen days by myself at my own pace. I was fortunate to meet four different people who walked my pace because of foot problems for a few days. But I still met many new rinds along the way that I would find every week or so when I checked into my albergue each afternoon. I walked many times before dawn...it's beautiful...and stopped early in the day. Always stayed in the dorms and loved every minute of my camio. Martha

 

[k1ypp]

In Jane's book, "Women of the Way: Embracing the Camino," she talks about this experience. "...If I were to do it again, I would change only a few things. I would get better maps or guidebook. I would not be so regimented in my daily schedule; I had a sense of needing to constantly move forward, and, consequently, I did not take time to visit places that were of interest, such as the monastery in Samos. I would be more adventuresome in sampling the Spanish cuisine, and look for places that offered good and reasonably priced food. Getting the pilgrim's menu was economical and easy— almost every town had a version— but it did become monotonous."

Her walk was 43 days and she wished it had been 65. There is so much to see. Don't let the destination be the goal, let the journey be the goal.

 

[BrienC]

You will build up a keen sense of what is 'doable' for you But unless you are very walking fit already, it will take a few days to find your 'rhythm'.

In fact after 5 or 6 days on the road, you will feel very 'at home' with the whole thing

Gypsywind (dig that handle), You've received some great advice here. And I most like Robo's comments (that I've quoted here). You will find your rhythm. But I can't help but add my two cents worth:

I'm making an assumption that you are doing some training, or plan to. Do it with your pack, at least the last few weeks. I never walked more than 80% of my planned daily average on the Camino in one training day, nor more than three of those long days in a week. (I am a very fit 57 year old, but think it all relative). Then, on the Camino, I walked 100% (average) each day, day after day. SO, I suggest do some training, determine your initial goals, then see what may come and go with the flow.

As others have indicated, there are many lodging options. During my CF last summer, I was walking well into the late afternoon and found a place to stay every time, without a problem. There are more options than listed in Brierly's book and more than on the recommended PDF list, at least there were last July. The Camino is growing in popularity--and so is supporting infrastructure.

Lastly, I've not seen any mention of how elevation change affects daily mileage. Simply, the more elevation gain in a day, the less mileage, for the same output. Orisson to Roncesvalles being the best example of that.

It's your Camino, or in Spanish, Su Camino. You'll have a great time.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

Take your time. Forget Brierly, his guide is for a select few. The Michelin Atlas can be found in San Jean is inexpensive and gives distances and elevations for MAJOR towns. There are all kinds of paces in between. Let the Camino be your guide. You will find exactly what and whom you need when you need it. I walked as little as 7 miles a day and as much as 29. I never went without anything. Even when I was like the last pilgrim into Burgos after the long slog. There wereno more beds at the municipal alburgue but the hospitaleros helped me find a bed else where.
Caminante! No hay camino. Se hace camino al andar!

 

[november_moon]

You will definitely find your rhythm after a few days and be able to estimate your abilities.

As others have said, we found that there were many places to stay that weren't listed in the Bierley Guide - we used his guide for the maps mostly and to get an idea of what was coming up - and were happy with it. There are some sections without much for quite a few km, so you can plan accordingly. For example, one day we stopped after just 16km because we saw from the map that it was a good 10km to the next town, and I knew I wasn't up to walking 26 km that day. Other days I did walk 26 km, but not that day. So we made a short day and had some fun relaxing and hanging out that afternoon - it was a good choice and we ended up spending a wonderful afternoon with some friends who had decided to do the same thing. As it turned out, there were a couple places to stay in that 10km stretch, so we wouldn't have had to walk the entire 10km if we didn't want to - they just weren't in the guide.

As you go along, you can also ask people to see what is coming up. If you see a long stretch that doesn't have much, ask the people where you stay the night before whats coming up - they'll generally know. AND...there are always taxis if you realize you've bitten off more than you can chew. You can ask in shops and restaurants for them to call a taxi for you - or there are usually signs with taxi phone numbers on fence posts along the way, ESPECIALLY along the long stretches between towns.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

Hola and welcome to the Forum. Yes there has been a lot of good advice. One of the big/small advantages of not adhering to the Brierley stages is that you will get to stay in towns/villages who really need your Euros and will in turn provide a welcome that you would otherwise have missed. If time becomes an issue you can take a bus/taxi/train and skip a few stages (say Belorado to Burgos; or Leon to Astorga). But this is up to you; its your Camino. Cheers

 

[Sixwheeler]

Gypsywind, everything everyone has said is true. I'll add my four pennyworth by saying it's just much more fun not to overplan. Get up, walk as far as you want then stop. Allow yourself time to visit places of interest or for a coffee or beer when you feel like it. And, yes, Miam Miam Dodo is excellent.
Ultreïa.

 

[gypsywind]

Just to repeat what has already been said, the Brierley Guide is just a book of maps and you can stop wherever you like. On the Camino Frances you will never find a gap of more than 19kms between places to stay, so just go with the flow.

12 miles ?! Thanks , that has really helped my stress, I believe I can do that, everyday, besides, I am so blessed to be able to, today, extend my stay and have an extra 5 days!!!

 

[gypsywind]

No, absolutely not!
Next month I'm on my sixth camino [Sureste] and again in May, maybe the Primitivo [7th].
I worry about all of them. Where will I eat? Where will I sleep? Will I be able to reach the next village? .... and they all turn out perfectly OK.
I walk very short distances .... 20k maximum, and I've been known to walk just 6 kms some days!
Don't hesitate to take a bus, train or taxi if it helps you.
Relax. Enjoy. You don't say which camino you're walking - I assume the French route, which will have many other pilgrims to reassure and help you if necessary.
Gypsywind - this is your pathway, your pilgrimage: relax and enjoy it!

Thank you soo much, what an inspiring thing to push away the worries!! I will do what I do, and am proud already!

 

[gypsywind]

In Jane's book, "Women of the Way: Embracing the Camino," she talks about this experience. "...If I were to do it again, I would change only a few things. I would get better maps or guidebook. I would not be so regimented in my daily schedule; I had a sense of needing to constantly move forward, and, consequently, I did not take time to visit places that were of interest, such as the monastery in Samos. I would be more adventuresome in sampling the Spanish cuisine, and look for places that offered good and reasonably priced food. Getting the pilgrim's menu was economical and easy— almost every town had a version— but it did become monotonous."

Her walk was 43 days and she wished it had been 65. There is so much to see. Don't let the destination be the goal, let the journey be the goal.

Thank you for that, it is the journey, and I have been without one for so long, I plan & plan & miss the trip, that will not happen on the camino !!! thankyou again

 

[Inbar]

You shouldn't worry You don't need a guide to walk at all! I'd say it is important to have an idea about the distances between place to place and what's in each town. Where's the next albergue. But you don't need to stop at any specific place - you can let your feet and your heart be your guides (with the help of the arrows of course!). In my experience, the little towns that aren't at the end of any "stage" are wonderful places, and as soon as you stop being concerned about your destination and when you'll get there you can truly enjoy the Way. Also, in those little towns and villages I never had a problem finding a bed.

 

[Penny Kingma]

Remember you'll be walking your Camino in unfamiliar surroundings, unlike your training walks now. When you are hurting physically and you know your path, it's hard...you start to focus on your limitations instead of the beauty. When the excitement of wondering what view the next turn or bluff brings...or the question of what the amazing smells could be....my thoughts are that you'll forget how far...and just experience the joy of living.
With M.S. And Lipedema I live everyday in pain. I leave for my first Camino May 27th...a lifelong dream. I've planned my first night in Orrison. Yet I will carry their contact information close in case just the pain of travel is too much to start on day 1. Plan not to plan...plan to breathe, live, enjoy...and travel as far as Your Camino allows.
Buen Camino.

 

[Ann Abfalter]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

My husband and I are slow walkers. We went during a very busy month when hostels filled quickly. You basically have to be off the trail by 1pm, as they fill rapidly starting at noon. We often stayed halfway between the Brierley suggested stops and we booked a day ahead. If you book ahead, most hostels will hold your bed until 3. In the cities, Pamplona, Burgos, Astorga & Santiago, we booked two night hotel stays. We found that from Sarria on, we had to book the stops 5 days out, especially in Santiago where beds fill rapidly. If you are going in a slower month, you may not have the issues we did. Regardless when you go, it is wise to pre-book Orisson (or Kayola) and Roncevalles, as beds are limited in both places. We got into Roncevalles at 5pm and had to sleep in shipping containers. And, we were lucky to get those. Some people slept on the floor. Hope this helps...

 

[gypsywind]

My husband and I are slow walkers. We went during a very busy month when hostels filled quickly. You basically have to be off the trail by 1pm, as they fill rapidly starting at noon. We often stayed halfway between the Brierley suggested stops and we booked a day ahead. If you book ahead, most hostels will hold your bed until 3. In the cities, Pamplona, Burgos, Astorga & Santiago, we booked two night hotel stays. We found that from Sarria on, we had to book the stops 5 days out, especially in Santiago where beds fill rapidly. If you are going in a slower month, you may not have the issues we did. Regardless when you go, it is wise to pre-book Orisson (or Kayola) and Roncevalles, as beds are limited in both places. We got into Roncevalles at 5pm and had to sleep in shipping containers. And, we were lucky to get those. Some people slept on the floor. Hope this helps...

Traverse City !!! Do you know my cousins? That does help, thank you for the time, I am starting April 1st, and will hope it's not that hard, I am concerned about booking in advance if I have to pre pay, and no refunds, but I am more concerned about no beds!!! I will think all your info through, Thanks again!

 

[CaminoKate0214]

I'm 47 and weigh about 280. I've lost 140 pounds or so which means I can now hike. I'm female with a long torso and short legs. I was a snail but I owned my inner snail! I also got tons of great pictures, talked to people and animals along the Way and enjoyed nature. You'll be fine. Buen Camino!

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Gipsy wind,
You have received great advice. I would repeat Walk at your own pace always. Take it easy for the first few days.

One of the weaknesses of the forum is that we do not know the person who is giving us advice.
Is it a tall and fit 25 year old or a small and overweight 75 year old.?
This makes a tremendous difference.

I fall into the second category and have been booking in advance, but I have not had to pay, but I must phone the day before and confirm my booking.

I have been using the website caminodesantiago.consumer.es It gives lots of albergues not mentioned in Brierley's guide.

Buen Camino to you and may the wind be always at your back.

 

[SYates]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

There is no reason at all to follow the 'Bierley Stages'. There are albergues every few km on the Camino Frances, so you can walk your own Camino. Buen Camino, SY

 

[gypsywind]

There is no reason at all to follow the 'Bierley Stages'. There are albergues every few km on the Camino Frances, so you can walk your own Camino. Buen Camino, SY

Thank you so much, SYates, you have alot of good info, i appreciate it. I am relaxing more about the planning .

 

[SYates]

Relax. Take one step at the time. One day after one day. You will get there. Hundreds of thousands have walked the camino before you and hundreds of thousands will walk it after you. You are in good company. Buen Camino! SY

 

[Ann Abfalter]

Traverse City !!! Do you know my cousins? That does help, thank you for the time, I am starting April 1st, and will hope it's not that hard, I am concerned about booking in advance if I have to pre pay, and no refunds, but I am more concerned about no beds!!! I will think all your info through, Thanks again!

Who are your cousins??? You may not have the crowding issues in April. With the exception of Orrison/Kayola, you don't have to pre-pay when booking albergues just call ahead. You will get a list with phone numbers when you pick up your credential at SJPDP.

 

[Introibo]

"The hardest part is getting to the starting line. After that all you have to do is put one
foot in front of the other".

Booking dot com was also a useful app when I walked from Porto. Unless you're on the
smallest of budgets there will always be somewhere to stay. Even if it means taxi out taxi
back.

Buen Camino

 

[El Condor 2014]

Hello All !! My start date is racing towards me, and I am getting worried about being between hostels after a long day. I am going to be slow, have been reading Brierleys guide, but worried about the long days where there is nothing in between the designated stops. Any ideas to calm my fears!!

@gypsywind , No such thing as a slow walker, relax , find your own pace and before you know you will be meeting people in albergues that you thought will be days ahead of you. When I walked El Camino in 2014 I met a gentleman 4 days into the Camino. he was suffering badly with knee soreness . He arrived in Santiago one day ahead of me.
Accommodations no problems in the Camino Frances.
Relax and Buen Camino

 

[Devon Mike]

@gypsywind , No such thing as a slow walker, relax , find your own pace and before you know you will be meeting people in albergues that you thought will be days ahead of you. When I walked El Camino in 2014 I met a gentleman 4 days into the Camino. he was suffering badly with knee soreness . He arrived in Santiago one day ahead of me.
Accommodations no problems in the Camino Frances.
Relax and Buen Camino

I had a similar experience last year when I met a couple of ladies many times at Albergues and cafes. They were much slower walkers, but kept turning up in front of me. They finally admitted to taking taxis nearly every day and just walking the last few minutes to the Albergues.

 

[Paulgrim]

Wenn arriving at Santiago
one can envy the ones that are slow walkers
and still are on their way ( Confusius )

 

[tpmchugh]

I am a slow walker, very slow . I planned my own stages using the Brierley guide. Two benefits were, because I would be stopping at albergues not in the daily destination of Brierley, there was never a problem getting a bed and the other benefit was having the time to see the beauty of the land around me. The downside, there always has to be one , is often the friends you make are only for a day as faster people walk into your life and just as quickly walk out again. Strangely though, you tend to meet people again, dont quite know how it happens, but I often caught up on pilgrims I never thought I would see again. I hate to plug my book, but the title down in my signature says it all for slow people. It was advice given to me by a veteran pilgrim who was also a tad slow. Just take it easy, walk at your own pace, dont let anyone rush you and stop at any point that suits you, not the Brierley guide which is just a guide not a set in concrete rule, Buen Camino

 

[Devon Mike]

Strangely though, you tend to meet people again, dont quite know how it happens, but I often caught up on pilgrims I never thought I would see again.

This can happen if the fast walkers take a rest day somewhere but you don't.