Starting in April 2011

[Sharni]

Hi All, I am new to this forum but have been poking around for a bit gathering information about the Camino. I will be starting walking from Saint Jean Pied de Port in April next year and am looking forward to experiencing the Camino.

[Covey]

Welcome Sharni to the Forum. I hope you have fun planning your Camino, and even more fun actually walking it!

[Sharni]

Thanks Covey, i am really looking forward to it. I have been wanting to go for a long time now. I hope to complete the walk in 30/31 days but have 2/3 days up my sleeve before my flight home (I am pretty fit already and am now training with my pack loaded with 10kgs which is more than I intend on carrying!) Would others agree that this is a reasonable timeframe? Cheers

[Covey]

The Pilgrim Office in St Jean will give you a planning sheet which lays out a 34 day schedule to get from St Jean to Santiago. Some follow it slavishly, others use the plan for the first few days until they have got used to how the Camino Frances works, and others ignore it completely and walk the Camino their own way. The plan is based on walking an average of 20-25kms per day, and an averagely fit pilgrim will find 25kms a day little problem based on starting at dawn and finishing around 2pm.

By the time you get to Logrono, you will probably find that 30kms a day will be a good goal and I would plan on spending an extra day in Burgos and Leon as a "reward" When you start from St Jean, Santiago seems a long way away, but if you promise yourself a treat after achieving a shorter term goal such as a slap up meal when you get to Pamplona and a day off at Burgos, the going seems a little easier.

[mullinshinch]

Hello,

My daughter and I are also planning on leaving from St Jean the 1st of April at the latest of 2011. I watched a Ytube video yesterday of some peregrinos who left the 25th of March 2008. They had lots of rain and snow between St. Jean and Roncevalles. Can anyone give me the best weather station to link to? Thank you.

[savage garden]

Hi Sharni,
I am retired and from Sydney and I am thinking of starting from the same place a little later, but I'm concerned about crowds. I am thinking maybe the last week in April/first week in May. I am trying to find out if there are any more accommodation alternatives that might be more at the "pension" end of things as sleep is important to a man of my age, especially with all the exertion.
Good luck with your adventure!

[Sharni]

Thanks Covey, I think I will try your idea of a "Reward" day, it sounds like a good idea.

Mullinshinch I too will be watching the weather with interest!!

Savage Garden, Good luck to you too, I hope you enjoy your journey! I plan on taking ear plugs but I suspect (hope?) that I will be so weary at the end of the day that I will sleep through anything

I will be starting early April 2011 so I think that weather rather than crowds will be more of an issue for me. I am trying to find that happy balance between having the sensible/practical amount of warm/cold/hot etc clothing that wont weigh too much!!

[grayland]

Hi Sharni,
I am retired and from Sydney and I am thinking of starting from the same place a little later, but I'm concerned about crowds. I am thinking maybe the last week in April/first week in May. I am trying to find out if there are any more accommodation alternatives that might be more at the "pension" end of things as sleep is important to a man of my age, especially with all the exertion.
Good luck with your adventure!

There are "hotel" options virtually everywhere along the way. These range from very plush hotels in bigger cities to small and perfectly suited hotels everywhere. Be aware that Hostel is a small hotel and not a hostel in the normal sense of the word. Many people break it up with stays in Albergues and small inexpensive hotels.

[Covey]

As a Recycled Teenager of 63, I can understand that some view the Albergue system with a little concern and think that the basic living that the albergue offers might not be to our taste.

The albergues are basic in that they offer a bunk bed, showers and usually a kitchen and some form of garden/outside area in which to dry clothes and sit. The "official" (State government owned) are usually the most basic, but there are quite a number of private albergues run by families as a business which offer more modern facilities, partly because the private albergues only came into being over the last 6 years. The official albergues charge €4 - €5 per night and the private albergues from €6 - €10 per night.

In most villages and towns we pass through you will find bars that have a few rooms to let, or small hotels or Casa Rurals. Expect to pay €20 - €35 per night for a single room with private bathroom. In the very large towns/cities there is a wide range of establishments from small private hotels up to national chains and again expect to pay from €20 up to €150 per night.

The albergues are the centre of a pilgrims daily life on the trail. It is where you meet new friends, find companions for dinner, get advice on how to tend your wounds and plan your tomorrow. I use albergues except when I am in Burgos and Leon and there I stay in a small hotel for a couple of days. That is my treat or reward for completing each section and I have a few nights rest in a room on my own and a bathroom of my own. Burgos and Leon are facinating cities and well worth the extra time spent there and if you are in a hotel, you miss the 10pm lockup at the albergue!!

Have fun.

[grayland]

For those starting in March or April, I would suggest taking a look at the thread: "6000 pictures" on this forum. It is a really nice visual trip of what you can expect. Lots of work by this Italian Pelegrino.
Foto Bestetti Enrico CD 03 2002

[Ange]

Hi all,

I'm from Manchester in the UK, and going to walk the Camino in March/April next (nearly this!) year (2011). I can't wait, am very excited by the challenge ahead and the mental, physical and spiritual benefits I'm sure I'll gain along the way. I was working in a stressful, well paid job which I had really stopped enjoying for 14 years up until quite recently when I was made redundant. I quickly decided that I should grab the opportunity to travel/have some time out etc and it was very strange, having not known a great deal about The Camino beforehand, I quickly found myself getting drawn to doing it, it's been almost as if I've had no say in the matter. I read somewhere that 'you don't chose the Camino, the Camino choses you' and that is excatly what it feels like. I have a feeling it's going to be life-changing for me - it just feels like the time's right to have a big change in my life and this is the perfect way to begin/help me with that process.

Since reading up more about it and discovering places like this forum, my exciting (and apprehension) is growing. I know I'm going early enough in the year to probably come across bad weather - particularly between St Jean and Roncesvalles - but I'm just trying to see that as all part of the challenge. If the worst comes to the worst I can presumably walk round on the main road - has anyone else gone at this time of year and/or has any advice to give? I'm giving myself plenty of time - 6 weeks, so I can have the odd rest day, hopefully continue on to Finestre. Would love to swap thoughts with anyone going around the same time.

Ange

[Covey]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum. Hopefully we can all help with the apprehension side of life as many of us have walked the Camino Frances more than once (it kind of gets to you!!) and a little pre-planning will make your life a lot easier.

There are two routes from St Jean to Roncesvalles. There is the "over the top" route which on a clear day offers spectacular views but which can be impossible to walk or closed in bad weather. There is very little shelter and only two places to stop for refreshment in 27kms.

I walked the "winter route" this year through Valcarlos which follows the original road route through the hills. The climb is 400m less than the top route and there are numerous places to stop and have coffee (or something stronger!) and hot food. There is less chance of being caught out by rapid changes in weather, and if you are, you are near a bus route! In 2009 I went over the top route in August in rain and low cloud and visibility of no more than 10m. Only once in four trips over the top have I had the wonderful views, but in Sept 2010 I stopped at a café near Valcarlos, had an excellent lunch whilst watching a very colorful wedding at the church next door. In future, I shall take the winter road as it is much more fun.

[Ange]

Thanks Covey, that's really helpful. I'm pretty sure I'll take the winter route as I don't want to risk getting into difficulties on day one - and the prospect of having stopping points early on is appealing as well!

Much appreciated.

[Covey]

The first day from St Jean to Roncesvalles is the toughest day on the Camino Frances. It is basically a 20kms road walk which is uphill all the way, followed by 7kms downhill walk, mostly on a road. If the weather is warm and sunny, it is well worth the climb for the views from the top, but if the weather is poor, then there are no views and little shelter, and after Orrison, nowhere to stop for a rest and food. It is the downhill bit which is the most difficult because your knees come under a lot of stress and strain.

Because it is Day 1, we are all fresh and fired up with enthusiasm and our legs are in good shape. If St Jean to Roncesvalles occurred in Week Three, we would all be standing at the bus stop waiting for salvation in the form of a coach.

Incidentally, the St Jean to Roncesvalles "over the top" stage has NO public transport so if you are hurt/hurting, you have to keep walking!