Yet another thread about walking alone

[Kiwi-family]

As an introvert, I have this romantic notion of a few weeks walking alone. But at the same time I am aware how much of the satisfaction of my past Caminos has resulted from the shared experience- and then from discussing memories after the fact. We talk far less about the Caminos that we're walked as "part of the family only" than the one short jaunt we completed all together.
Can any solo walkers comment?

 

[VNwalking]

@Kiwi-family, all I can say is "Go!" Try it and see.
You say you're an introvert--so long quiet days of just putting one foot in front of the other may suit you down to the ground. (I do not tend to loneliness, but for those who do, it'd be more of a challenge.)
It's definitely a different experience, particularly if you're walking on a less traveled way. The social aspects of the journey are far reduced, while the inner aspects are really allowed to shine. It's perhaps not as much 'fun' (depending of course on how you define that), but potentially much more profound. I certainly know that I discovered more--on many levels--from one day of solo walking (going in the wrong direction on the Lana/St Olav) than I have from most of the rest of my journeys combined.

 

[C clearly]

Somewhat related to your question, @Kiwi-family ...

I traveled extensively when I was young and single. Then I became very immersed in raising 3 children. When they were old enough, I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. (You probably don't think of it that way and you have been much more immersed!) I saw the opportunity to travel on my own again (my husband wasn't much interested), but I wondered if I would be able to enjoy it after years of always seeing the world through someone else's eyes and helping them interpret it.

Much to my great pleasure I was able to make the transition very happily, and I enjoy traveling alone more now than I did when I was young and foolish. I find that I socialize differently and am more relaxed when I travel without dependents. (This reminds me of the previous thread.) Sometimes I do travel with my husband, and enjoy it, but those are very different experiences.

Talking about shared experiences is certainly a huge pleasure, and it sometimes seemed a bit as if something was missing, but I have gotten over that sense and now accept that it doesn't always have to be the case. Rather, the experience is mine alone (to be shared here on the forum, of course!)

 

[evanlow]

I walked alone for my first four Caminos. Definitely a different experience. You have time for I introspection, something lacking if you walk with someone else. In the evening, as long as there are other pilgrims there will always be others to talk to. Best of both worlds.

 

[Robo]

Hi Kiwi-family. I'm not quite a Camino veteran like you, CCleary, EvanLow and Viranani, but I have done one alone (40 days) and one with my wife (10 days)

I need to be really careful what I say here

OK, both were good. Which was better? Alone

Alone. The comparison may be a bit biased, as the 'alone' Camino was my first. So it was all new and exciting. And it was much longer, so I had the chance to go through the 'three stages' we all talk about. Physical, Emotional, Spiritual.

The Negatives:

1. I consistently felt guilty taking time out 'just for me'. My wife Pat was dealing with issues at home, though she was 100% supportive.
2. There were times I felt desperately lonely. Hard on the CF I know. But 'alone in a crowd' type of thing. A couple of times I was in a 'funk' for a couple of days, particularly when injury was worse. But this was also a good thing! It gave me time to dig deep and really understand my motives for being there....

The Positives:

1. Total freedom to do as I pleased. Walk as far as I wanted. Walk fast, walk slow, stop here or there. Stay where I wanted. Be with who I wanted. Push myself on....or take a day off. It was all my choice.
2. Meeting people. Yes, walking alone actually made me engage with people more. When I yearned for company, I sought it out. When I needed to unload...someone was there to listen... It's much easier to talk about some stuff with relative strangers. (I dined alone about 50% of the time. Sometimes by choice, but mostly not. Sometimes I was the only person there....)
3. The Camino Family. I kind of had a couple, as I was walking really slow and they moved ahead after a while. Building those friendships was a very special part of the Camino.
4. The Introspection. It was like a 40 day meditation retreat! Impossible if not alone I think...

With a Partner.

The Negatives:

1. The Big One. Having to consider someone else, for every little decision. This sounds a bit selfish, but you know what I mean. I want to lie under this tree for 30 mins. But they want to get on to the next stop, as they are cold. I want to push on another 8 kms, but they don't. I don't want to talk, but just think.......all day.....
2. Not actually 'being' alone. You're not really detached from your normal life as you brought it with you. So there isn't that deeper sense of contemplation, reflection...because there is someone with you. I didn't really 'let go' as I did alone.
3. Not engaging with other Pilgrims as much. Because we had each other....

The Positives:

1. Always having someone special, someone you love, to share those special moments with. There were times on my solo Camino that I really wanted Pat to be there and share a special moment with me.
2. Never feeling totally 'alone'. (Like those funk days I had)

So our future Camino plans are these.........

Pat would like the experience of a longer Camino, just once. So we'll walk for 45-50 days in 2018, together. She is not as addicted as I am

After that, I will probably walk every year or every other year, alone. I feel I need that time to totally disconnect and 'reset'...
While Pat gets time to spend back in Bangkok with family and friends, and the food and the shopping, that she misses being here in Sydney.

So to answer your question, from my perspective only of course. Alone wins. Hands down....

But of course we are all different

 

[Kitsambler]

Can any solo walkers comment?

Given the size of your family and your well-told tales of your pilgrim adventures with them in previous years, I don't wonder at the appeal for you of walking solo. All of my walks, with the exception of the first week of the first year, have been solo (with a couple days of Swiss friends in various years as the exception). My German is limited, and my French is positively paltry. In most - but not all - of the French sections, there was an English speaking pilgrim at the lodgings. In Germany I would meet up with other walkers maybe two nights a week. So there were not the crowds of Spain. I used the days to compose my blog postings and journal entries, and at meals and at nights I read in my Kindle. It was a lovely time of peace and quiet for me, very healing. But not every day was a joy. There are grinding days, when one wonders why, exactly, one is doing this. And without the encouragement of fellow-travelers, this can be depressing. One must persevere through one's own grit; this is the trade-off for the peace and individual pace of solo pilgrimages. That being said, you can certainly do it - and you would benefit from the experience, I'm sure!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I've always got to a Camino on my own, with no friends or family joining me. This being said, my first and second Caminos, on the Frances, I was rarely alone for long as there were people at the nars, cafes, albergues, restaurants, and along the way. I don't think I ever walked for more than an hour or two without walking with someone for a while.

Then came the Norte, Primitivo and Portuguese I walked alone 95%. Not by choice, but there simply were too few of is on the road, amd walking at different speeds. I found those Caminos much more difficult: I was hoping for distraction from my mind asking "are we there yet".

At home I am a happy camper on my on, but walking day after day, I prefer the distraction and motivation. I would be happy walking with a companion whom I would catch up to at this or that bar, chat a bit, walk a bit together and separate again.

 

[Bradypus]

I think that I approach the issue of walking alone from the opposite direction. My wife has often described me as a married hermit with two offspring. I much prefer solitude to company when walking - and at most other times too. On my first Camino Frances walk I rarely met another pilgrim during the day and I found myself alone for 1/3 or more of my nights in the refugios. After I came back home to the UK someone asked me if I had been lonely while walking. I simply could not understand the question: my mental and physical engagement with the process of walking the Camino was intense and I felt a deep connection with its history and those many thousands who had walked there before. How could someone be lonely as part of such a multitude? To me at the time the question made no sense. Walking the Camino Frances again this year I enjoyed some of my encounters with fellow pilgrims very much. Some of the people I met were fascinating and inspiring. But overall I found the near-constant interaction with such huge numbers along the way mentally and emotionally draining. In complete contrast I returned from walking the S:T Olavsleden in Sweden and Norway last May feeling excited and refreshed - having met precisely 3 other pilgrims (2 of whom were a couple travelling together) in my 17 days of walking. I think that solitude and/or loneliness are deeply personal and individual experiences. Very much more a product of our own personalities and mental state than of the environment around us. It is interesting to read other peoples' accounts but they are of limited value in predicting how you personally will find travelling alone for a lengthy and demanding journey. Something I suspect you will only discover when you try it yourself.

 

[Robo]

Very well put Bradypus! My wife says I am even more of a hermit now! I'm just quite happy in my own thoughts all day

I get the point about the large numbers. I was able to 'shut that out' quite a bit and in fact the numbers weren't that bad till the final 100. I would walk most days alone and often out of sight of other pilgrims for hours on end. But I did enjoy the company of others at the breaks and in the evenings when my Introspection 'sessions' were over for the day. I liked the 'balance' the CF offers.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thank you for your very thoughtful replies. You have certainly highlighted some advantages I had overlooked.
It may be six or seven years until I am in a position to leave all for a month or more (our youngest is ten and I'm committed to home education).....on the other hand, our current 14 year old is about to spend three months in India so a time of freedom may come sooner than I expect!
I'll let these thoughts simmer.

 

[Bradypus]

I get the point about the large numbers. I was able to 'shut that out' quite a bit and in fact the numbers weren't that bad till the final 100.

I think our ideas of "weren't that bad" might be slightly different. Part of my problem with the Camino Frances this year was an overdose of nostalgia. In the first year I walked just under 5,000 pilgrims received Compostelas. Presumably many of those only walked the later stages and so longer-distance pilgrims were very thinly spread indeed. Even in the last 100km I encountered very few walking in mid-summer. Last year I believe the number of Compostelas issued was 262,459. That makes a huge difference to the experience for me. I understand that many people enjoy the bustle of the modern Camino Frances. The infrastructure which has grown up alongside the increasing numbers makes it a far easier and more comfortable experience too. Being a contrary misanthropic old git I tend to prefer the old days That is one of the reasons why most of the time I choose to walk less popular routes and off-season.

 

[JasonHayes]

I walked the Frances with a wife and child so was never alone. I enjoyed it immensely.
About 3 years later I walked the Pennine Way in the UK on my own where it is not so popular. I camped all the way as did most others that I met but there wasn't many out there. I suppose I was trying to compare it with the Camino and missed seeing familiar faces at the end of each day.
I haven't done a long distance walk for over 10 years and I wonder, especially with the Camino how I would go with all the distraction that modern technology seems to bring with us all the time even on a pilgrimage. I hate it when I go for a walk and my phone goes off and I'm in deep conversation with myself. I may as well head back.
Are there any pilgrims that don't take technology with them? How did you go Bradypus with your 3 Camino Frances from 3 different eras ? I'd like to know.

 

[Bradypus]

@JasonHayes - I've sent you a PM. More than happy to chat but I think we'd be wandering off-topic here.

 

[Robo]

I think our ideas of "weren't that bad" might be slightly different. Part of my problem with the Camino Frances this year was an overdose of nostalgia. In the first year I walked just under 5,000 pilgrims received Compostelas. Presumably many of those only walked the later stages and so longer-distance pilgrims were very thinly spread indeed. Even in the last 100km I encountered very few walking in mid-summer. Last year I believe the number of Compostelas issued was 262,459. That makes a huge difference to the experience for me. I understand that many people enjoy the bustle of the modern Camino Frances. The infrastructure which has grown up alongside the increasing numbers makes it a far easier and more comfortable experience too. Being a contrary misanthropic old git I tend to prefer the old days That is one of the reasons why most of the time I choose to walk less popular routes and off-season.

Wow. Those early years must have been so good. I quite understand why you would want to walk the less popular routes out of season.

And here I'm worried by the potential increase from 2015-2018

 

[Robo]

How did you go Bradypus with your 3 Camino Frances from 3 different eras ? I'd like to know.

That would make a great thread Bradypus.....

 

[David]

Hi Rachael - it is very simple. If you walk alone you reach outward, if you walk with some else you reach inwards. It is almost impossible to not talk about what is happening back home, what Jim did at the office party, the awful new shopping mall ....

if you walk with someone else you will take a table for two, eat your meal, and look longingly at others, the ones you aren't talking to - if you walk alone you go and ask if you can sit at the table and those people 'over there' are no longer 'over there'

walk alone, always., - and in your facing outwards all sorts of amazing things will happen.


Buen Camino

 

[Felipe]

I wanted a long journey of solo walking in a beautiful, tough, mountain landscape. So, I chose the lonely Piedmont Way, in the fall.
It was magnificent, and a great experience. But after a week, I started to say “Good morning, the sheep! How are you doing?” to the flocks I met along the Camino (there are maaaany), just to hear the sound of my voice. They just kept munching grass, uninterested. It was fun, but I felt that a week more of solo, and the sheep could start talking back to me.
It was actually good to finally reach the very crowded SJPP (although, also, it was kind of a shock). So, one of the good things of walking solo, is that after a time you appreciate again the company and the socializing with fellow walkers.

 

[Fritz]

Hi there are so many experiences shared here, it's one of the things I enjoy most about this forum. Let me share some thoughts about walking the CF mid October - end of November -- a very different experience than what I read about summer walks.

I too am an introvert (INTP for the Myers Briggs'y folks out there) I have a small writer's retreat --a Thoreau - esque cabin in rural Iowa. Many writers and artists come to stay saying "I really need the solitude." But what some share with me is after 2 -3 days, the silence and lack of another person is overwhelming. Some even left their week long stay early.

Now for each of those people, I have many who love it so much they return every few months.

So about walking alone. In 2013 I began solo and quickly met groups and individuals and by the 3rd or 4th day, I was walking "with" someone most of the day. Once I reached Finnesterre, I walked solo to Muxia and returned to Santiago on foot - it was the end of October and with fewer pilgrims and even fewer who walk the reverse direction from Muxia, I saw very few pilgrims until I reached an albergue for each night.

This year, in late November, I arrived in Santiago and that day 157 pilgrims registered at the office. That gives you an idea of how few pilgrims there are in November vs July. With the exception of 3 days, I walked alone each day from Logroño to Santiago and much of the day, I did not see other pilgrims ahead or behind me on the trail. I was also very lucky on the days I walked with someone to walk with people who had great stories to share and we walked in a similar style and pace. Walking "together" to me is a bit like dancing, some partners are great together, others stumble over each other. And I'm a lousy dancer.

I did see plenty of pilgrims in bars and in albergues -- so I had a mix of large groups and solitude. And it is usually easy to join a conversation and then walk with group if you choose. And if the bar is empty, wait a bit and someone or group will be along shortly.

My experience walking alone was that I never knew other walker's daily plans. As a result I enjoyed several mini-reunions. The conversations included the sharing you described -- and since we were at the same place on different days, it was a fun to hear about it in a slightly different point of view.

For instance, the Cruz de Fero had snow -- that melted -- two days before arrived there. I really enjoyed hearing about something I hadn't seen but was a familiar place.

In three albergues, I was either alone for the night or there were only 2 or three of us, but each speaking a different language. The hospitaleros and their families were very kind and welcoming. In one albergue, where I was the only pilgrim, the family showed me how to lock the door, and then said good night and left, returning to their home.

Walking alone -- the sound is different -- the only footsteps are your own, the walking stick clatter is either just yours or none at all. The wind makes sounds that imitate music or voices. You can talk or sing to yourself as loud or quiet as you like.

I think the beauty of the Camino Frances is that in the less traveled seasons, you can enjoy a little or a lot of solitude.

 

[peregrina2000]

Great responses, I'm enjoying this thread a lot. I've been a "solo walker" for about a decade now, and I have enjoyed two kinds of solo caminos. One is walking alone but on a camino that is well-traveled (Vdlp or Primitivo for instance) and the other is walking alone on a solitary camino (Olvidado, Castellano-Aragones, Invierno, Vadiniense for instance). The latter is a double whammy of "alone-ness." I don't know which you are considering, Rachel, but I can recommend them both. The solitary caminos are more of a challenge, no doubt about that, and I have been fortunate to have surprise visits from pals like Reb or Ender, or to strike up conversations in local places with residents, many of whom have a LOT of questions about what in the world I am doing. My Spanish comes in quite handy and I am not sure I would be doing these solitary caminos without it. But there is something deep inside me that pulls me towards these routes. The beauty, the "hidden jewels" you come upon, and the out of the way-ness of them makes the solitude so very rich. And this last summer, as I was mourning the death of my 90 year old mom, it was also, for me, the perfect environment in which to grieve.

Walking alone on the traveled caminos has the advantage that you can have companionship when you want it and only when you want it. You are always assured that there will be options for breaking bread with others. You don't have to stop when others go pee, you don't have to stop when you don't want another cafe con leche, and when you go on by yourself, you're likely to wind up walking with someone else, if you want to, that is. I finished up my solitary caminos this past summer in Burgos (well, ok, I had Reb for company on the San Olav, and Anniethenurse for company from the Mouth of the Ebro to Zaragoza) and I then went to Leon for the Salvador/Primitivo. I loved the opportunity to meet all sorts of people (in fact, the Primitivo "family" was a solid 15 strong!), but I would be hard pressed to choose between the CAstellano-ARagones (in which I met no one) and the Primitivo with the 15 friends it brought me.

So, a long way of saying that probably the best way to test the waters of walking alone is to walk one of the higher traffic caminos. If you like that, and want to see what it's like to really be alone (well, except for post-walking communing with locals) there is almost no end to solitary and spectacular camino opportunities. For the last bunch of years, I've been writing blogs, all in my signature below, no doubt incentivized by the fact that I had a lot of post-walking time alone. Maybe they will give you a sense of how at least one peregrina found the alone-ness.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[bsewall]

I spent a great deal of time on this year's Camino thinking about solitude and loneliness. I found that the difference between the two is connection. If I am alone, yet connected in heart to the spirits, friends or family, I am in solitude. I am alone, yet in some way still connected with the world. If I lose that connection, then loneliness steps in. It is the horrible deep pain of feeling completely alone with nothing to hold on to. I love solitude. I fear loneliness.

During the day on the Camino I want solitude - a quiet time to walk with nature, the spirits, and my memories - a time to just flow with the world and see what happens. In the evening I do feel loneliness knocking on the door. It is then that I need a real connection - I need people around me. I want to hear their stories, laugh with them, drink wine, and enjoy their company. And that is when I walk into a pilgrim cafe and I reconnect with my fellow pilgrims.

 

[Aurigny]

For me, it's one of those Martha-and-Mary things. If you're walking with someone else, practical considerations are always nagging at the back of your mind. How are their feet holding up? Will there be a bed for them at the destination? What if there isn't? Are they getting enough water? Etc.

When you're by yourself, nearly all of that goes out the window. Yes, my feet hurt, but I'll get there. If there isn't a bed, who cares? It's summer; the nights are short; and there's bound to be a 'bus shelter or a picnic bench somewhere. Or: I don't like the look of this town. I'm going to push on to the next one. It's all very liberating.

Being relieved of the responsibility of having to worry about such things, one can think seriously about why one is out there in the first place.

 

[timr]

What a great thread!

Especially appreciate @Viranani @Bradypus @Fritz @peregrina2000 @Robo @David (and everyone else).
I relate very much to a lot of what is written above. I am highly introvert, but have committed myself for large parts of my life to working in an extrovert way. From which I need to recover from time to time!

I have three times on caminos set out with others and five times gone by myself. I have enjoyed all. I like walking alone and I like walking with people. I like eating alone and I like eating with people.

I do not need to meet any other people on any day of my life, quite honestly. I don't think I have ever found it lonely to meet no one else for a whole day, or indeed a whole week. (eg on Baztan, Portugues, Piedmont from Lourdes to SJPdP). [I should say that my various occupations over the past 40 years have involved a huge amount of professional and social daily contact with other people.]
For the past two years, on return from a two-week Camino (Frances and Primitivo) I have gone straight to a self catering monastic hermitage for a week here in Ireland, to build on the experience. And I have booked in already for 2017. I walked the Baztan route alone in October this year, and the Portugues alone in November and met very few people along the way on either. Both times I did enjoy it when I did meet people, but I didn't feel I wanted to go looking for them.

May I be a bit heretical? I don't particularly get the whole "camino family" thing! It is not what I go for. I have met some wonderful and interesting people along the way, some of whom I have kept in touch with and some of whom I have visited later after the camino. But when people write that they worry about taking a day off because they may "lose" their "Camino family" I cannot relate to that. I appreciate that other people's experiences and expectations are different and I respect them completely.
I don't need to be alone to be solitary, and I don't mind the busy-ness of the CF too much. I am fairly able to ignore it.

A supplementary question:
It has occurred to me now and then, especially this year as I walked, especially along the Baztan and Portugues routes, that if I fell and broke a leg, in a place with no phone signal, I may not be able to get myself out and may not be able to summon help, and no one may pass by. This would certainly have been true several times along the Baztan in October. This did not cause me any anxiety, before during or after my walk. I have no dependents, which certainly makes a difference. I do have a lot of friends and relations. Has anyone else had similar thoughts? Specifically I am addressing the issue of having what may turn into a fatal accident, just to make myself clear.

 

[Felipe]

A supplementary question:
It has occurred to me now and then, especially this year as I walked, especially along the Baztan and Portugues routes, that if I fell and broke a leg, in a place with no phone signal, I may not be able to get myself out and may not be able to summon help, and no one may pass by. This would certainly have been true several times along the Baztan in October. This did not cause me any anxiety, before during or after my walk. I have no dependents, which certainly makes a difference. I do have a lot of friends and relations. Has anyone else had similar thoughts?

Thanks for your thoughts and also the down to earth approach. On the practical side, yes, physical safety becomes a concern when you walk in a lonely path, in a rugged landscape, where possible nobody will pass by for a long time. I (for the first time in my Caminos), decided to carry a cellphone; improvised a tag with my basic data and family contacts; and called beforehand the hospitaleros in next stage so somebody always knew my possible whereabouts.
I was the only solo walker, and after a while I noticed that some of my fellow pilgrims were discretely checking my safe arrival. This was really moving.

 

[jpflavin1]

As an introvert, I have this romantic notion of a few weeks walking alone. But at the same time I am aware how much of the satisfaction of my past Caminos has resulted from the shared experience- and then from discussing memories after the fact. We talk far less about the Caminos that we're walked as "part of the family only" than the one short jaunt we completed all together.
Can any solo walkers comment?

I have walked all my Camino's mostly alone. My first Camino I met folks in SJPdP and walked the whole Camino as the family grew to 20 by the time we reached Santiago. It was a wonderful experience.

Since that first Camino, I have only walked solo. Like Laurie, I have walked with other walkers and routes where I was totally alone the majority of the time. I found these walks overall more pleasurable. I enjoy the solitude of walking alone during the day and the communal aspect of Albergues' in the evening. There is a sense of freedom waking up each morning with the only plan being to walk.

The only downside, by not being able to speak Spanish, is I never really get to communicate with people in the communities where I pass through or stay. Last year, on the Madrid, I went 11 days without really having a conversation.

Ultreya,
Joe

All that said, I would like to walk this route with my son's someday.

 

[timr]

The only downside, by not being able to speak Spanish, is I never really get to communicate with people in the communities where I pass through or stay. Last year, on the Madrid, I went 11 days without really having a conversation.

Ultreya,
Joe

All that said, I would like to walk this route with my son's someday.

Joe I am planning the Madrid this year, because of the solitude. And though I too enjoy meeting up with people in the evenings, the thought of not doing so is not a problem. I would like to talk with real people along the way. And so, despite the fact that it will be very inconvenient, and involve a lot of travelling, I am starting a course of Spanish lessons on 12th January!

 

[jpflavin1]

Joe I am planning the Madrid this year, because of the solitude. And though I too enjoy meeting up with people in the evenings, the thought of not doing so is not a problem. I would like to talk with real people along the way. And so, despite the fact that it will be very inconvenient, and involve a lot of travelling, I am starting a course of Spanish lessons on 12th January!

Timr:

It will be well worth your efforts, imo. I speak enough to ask for things and get by but can not hold a conversation. I believe there is a lot missed by not being able to converse. I have tried Rosetta Stone and taken a class here and there but never converted that to conversation. The Madrid, imo, is a great walk.

Joe

 

[ShellsG]

I have only walked one Camino so far but in planning for my next I wonder about how solitary I want to be. I work in a very busy, noisy environment and nothing suits me more than hiding away on my own on my off duty hours. I like my own company but if I do a Camino I think I want the camaraderie of others ... I am debating the VDLP and my one hesitation is how quiet it would be in the fall. I read these blogs about only seeing the same 5-6 people every day. On my Camino last fall I loved sitting in the bar with friends, I loved walking into an Albergue and having someone fling their arms around me in a bear hug, happy to see me. I didn't love the person who decided that planning my Camino was her affair although in a couple of instances it did help. I didn't love the woman from my own country who I seemed to run into all the time and who was rubbing many others the wrong way, was loud, opinionated and not making many friends so she stuck to me when she could ( and I am ashamed to admit that I actually hid from one day). I think of my next camino and how solitary I think I want it but how much I would miss those moments of intense excitement and joy and yes, trepidation!! I don't think I could walk with a family member or a friend from home because I am that introvert that relishes those moments to myself and am selfish. Ugh, this whole post makes no sense in writing but in my head it does and it makes me think about what I will do.

 

[Bradypus]

I didn't love the woman from my own country who I seemed to run into all the time and who was rubbing many others the wrong way, was loud, opinionated and not making many friends so she stuck to me when she could ( and I am ashamed to admit that I actually hid from one day).

I don't know if it helps to know that you are not alone but I will freely confess here that on several occasions I have walked an extra-long day - on one occasion 15km further than I'd originally planned - just to make sure I'd left one particular human haemorrhoid well behind me. Not everyone who walks the Caminos is easily lovable. Some are best left behind you - as far behind as you can manage

 

[ShellsG]

I don't know if it helps to know that you are not alone but I will freely confess here that on several occasions I have walked an extra-long day - on one occasion 15km further than I'd originally planned - just to make sure I'd left one particular human haemorrhoid well behind me. Not everyone who walks the Caminos is easily lovable. Some are best left behind you - as far behind as you can manage

But just when I would think I was in the clear I would sit down to dinner and hear that voice !! That voice would make me drop my head to my hands and cry a little tear and shake my head and say no ... no... it can't be. Yet, it was.

 

[JasonHayes]

I don't know if it helps to know that you are not alone but I will freely confess here that on several occasions I have walked an extra-long day - on one occasion 15km further than I'd originally planned - just to make sure I'd left one particular human haemorrhoid well behind me. Not everyone who walks the Caminos is easily lovable. Some are best left behind you - as far behind as you can manage

You did wait for the missus in Santiago didn't you?

 

[Micah26]

I too am an introvert. I get my batteries charged from alone time drained when with others. I've learned as I think one has to if you're a "minority" to function more internally when needed. Hence the old I can be alone in the midst of a crowd concept. I haven't walked yet, but when I do, I hope to do both. I will walk after my mom passes, my friend passed this past April. I need to mourn the transition of these two wonderful souls alone. But, I know I will also need to reach out to others so as not to get caught up in my grief. I am sure that somehow most likely around music I will find my way towards the middle of the group. And I am sure even in the midst of strangers I will feel the great mystery of love surround me when I need it the most. This will be healing despite myself! Trust that you will find the Way.... Or it will find you...

 

[Saint Mike II]

As an introvert, I have this romantic notion of a few weeks walking alone. But at the same time I am aware how much of the satisfaction of my past Caminos has resulted from the shared experience- and then from discussing memories after the fact.
Can any solo walkers comment?

G'day Kiwi, as one without a close partner much of my travel is alone. I will admit ther are times/places were it can be depressing. But I always try to put a positive spin on the here & now. I will be departing St Jean come May first. Alone! However I expect to meet many pilgrims both alone & in groups who will offer friendship & share a vino. So if I may, come and enjoy. Cheers

 

[Fritz]

What a great thread!

A supplementary question: ....
that if I fell and broke a leg, in a place with no phone signal, I may not be able to get myself out and may not be able to summon help, and no one may pass by. .... Has anyone else had similar thoughts? Specifically I am addressing the issue of having what may turn into a fatal accident, just to make myself clear.

@timr I share your interest in this topic and what I like about your question is that the "answer" is somewhere at the intersection of faith, the practical, and the philosophical.

Tom Robbins wrote in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues "The principal difference between an adventurer and a suicide is that the adventurer leaves himself a margin of escape (the narrower the margin, the greater the adventure.) "

So with that in mind, the practical. Medical and survival experts (I'm thinking of the of the SAS and others)use the rule of "3's". The human body can survive:

• 3 minutes without air
• 3 hours without shelter
• 3 days without water
• 3 weeks without food

(Note they say survive, not comfort, I like my food!)
So with that framework, having clothing to protect you on a unexpected overnight in the wild and plenty of water will go a long way toward keeping you alive in a true emergency. Having to make a choice between carrying water or food, water is has the higher survival to weight ratio. Assuming reasonable shelter and a non life threatening injury, you 'll be very uncomfortable but able to survive for a few days to a week, perhaps longer.

Also, the simplest life saving tool and most overlooked is a whistle. The human voice gives out long before our ability to blow a whistle. Whistles are lightweight and can be carried anywhere every day. So if you tumble down a ravine a whistle may give you better odds. (Not perfect.)

But dying -- and dying alone -- crossed my mind on both caminos. And maybe the camino is the ideal place to reflect on end of life.

Last, for your friends and relations, no matter if we have 2 or 3 or 300 -- it makes sense as a solo traveler to have some kind of a plan so that if you go quiet, they know how to react. Maybe others can share their thoughts on their contacts.....

Our forum has examples of both people who chose to go "quiet" ....and people who met with violence. Having some kind of a plan might give piece of mind to us as pilgrims and those who are important in our lives but somewhere else.

 

[m108]

" I don't particularly get the whole "camino family" thing! It is not what I go for. "
wow! I finally feel a little less weird! thanks timr
In terms of safety: of course we "keep an eye" on each other, even when is a very few people.
I have an example, which I very like to recall. In a very, very hot day I walked 18km without shadows and without houses, water, bar .... somewhere halfway was bush and I lie down and put my head in the shade of a bush (shadow was enough for the head). After some time came past the young American (about 25 years old), with whom I was only gast last night in Albergue. He stopped and talked to me - obviously it was that he wished to make sure it's with me all right, without being too direct (in the sense of: "Grandma, will you survive? ). When after 10-15 minutes convinced that I was all right, he continued his journey. I was touched with the attention and sensibility of a young man. This is one of my favorite Camino - memories.
However, when you walk alone you have to remember that in a "set" is also that it can happen something where they will not be able to help. And to do all, that it does not happen (equipment, preparation, caution ....)

 

[Saint Mike II]

Hi there are so many experiences shared here, it's one of the things I enjoy most about this forum. Let me share some thoughts about walking the CF mid October - end of November -- a very different experience than what I read about summer walks.

I too am an introvert (INTP for the Myers Briggs'y folks out there) I have a small writer's retreat --a Thoreau - esque cabin in rural Iowa. Many writers and artists come to stay saying "I really need the solitude." But what some share with me is after 2 -3 days, the silence and lack of another person is overwhelming. Some even left their week long stay early.
For instance, the Cruz de Fero had snow -- that melted -- two days before arrived there. I really enjoyed hearing about something I hadn't seen but was a familiar place.
I think the beauty of the Camino Frances is that in the less traveled seasons, you can enjoy a little or a lot of solitude.

@Fritz - well I never!!?? I have seen a myriad of confessions on this Forum but did I see someone confess their MBTI number. Congratulations! (BTW I worked for the Australian Tax Office - where a significant % were ISTJ - I always felt like an outsider - I was an N also). Cheers

 

[timr]

@timr I share your interest in this topic and what I like about your question is that the "answer" is somewhere at the intersection of faith, the practical, and the philosophical.

Tom Robbins wrote in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues "The principal difference between an adventurer and a suicide is that the adventurer leaves himself a margin of escape (the narrower the margin, the greater the adventure.) "

Also, the simplest life saving tool and most overlooked is a whistle.

But dying -- and dying alone -- crossed my mind on both caminos. And maybe the camino is the ideal place to reflect on end of life.

Having some kind of a plan might give piece of mind to us as pilgrims and those who are important in our lives but somewhere else.

@Fritz thanks for very thoughtful and thought provoking reply. I am never looking to add an item to my packing list but maybe I will squeeze in a whistle in future!
I like your analysis of the intersection of the faith, practical and philosophical!

 

[timr]

" I don't particularly get the whole "camino family" thing! It is not what I go for. "
wow! I finally feel a little less weird! thanks timr

Haha. Wouldn't if be great if we met up on the camino and we could ignore each other!!!
Again, I have to say I have enjoyed hugely meeting people along the way. And I have shared some of @Bradypus and @ShellsG experiences of fellow travellers too.
And more than once (But not always!) my instinctive prejudices about someone have proved quite wrong when I did talk to them. (That is a part of life.)
I loved your Camino memory of being cared for. I don't consider myself old, in any way, but I have found it nice when young people decide to keep an eye on me. Shivering at the kitchen table on the Primitivo last year a beautiful young lady offered me a share of the blanket she had over her legs.!!!
Off topic: @m108 I had the good fortune to visit Ljubljana in October 2016.

 

[LesBrass]

I think I might be a shy extrovert... or maybe an outgoing introvert? I don't love crowds... I prefer quieter paths... but I like to see familiar faces... and I don't like to feel totally alone.

I've walked the CF a couple of times and certainly at times it did feel too busy... but not always... and it wasn't always a problem; sometimes it was good.

When I walked the VdlP I walked with a friend. This was great because I was never totally alone and I loved her company... but we did have very different walking styles (I walk faster and further) and this could be a problem for some.

I am a pretty nervous type and I think I might need the security of knowing that there are people around (or not too far away). I'm starting alone from Lisbon this year but I'm hopeful that there will be one or two other pilgrims. In 2018 I'm toying with the idea of the Levante in spring but the isolation is a big worry for me. I wish it wasn't so... but maybe that's what I need to learn from my caminos?

 

[JabbaPapa]

There's a difference between "alone on the Francès", and alone.

It's possible to be mostly alone even on the busy French Way if you are significantly faster or slower than 15-35 K daily, but even that's not really the same as alone.

To be truly alone is to walk one of the tertiary Ways, or to travel from sufficiently far enough, and you may meet no other pilgrims until a certain point (I was completely alone from Paris to SJPP in 1994 -- I walked through some small villages where they hadn't seen a pilgrim in 40 years or so), or only sporadically or in small numbers, and perhaps with zero hospitalero support.

It's hard to be genuinely and radically alone on the Way, even if you're someone who needs a significant degree of alone-time -- and even for an introvert, I think the Camino is far better "alone in the crowd", or even on a secondary Way where they may have only a dozen pilgrims a week in summer, because the existence of at least a minimal network and minimal support and the real possibility of occasionally meeting other pilgrims (who might also value their own solitude BTW) provides a basis for a genuine pilgrimage in the spirit that the more genuine alone-ness can hinder. Then again YMMV.