Walking in October

[Lis]

Hi fellow pilgrims. I'm walking the Camino starting October 1. I bought a waterproof goretex jacket and not the lightest piece of clothing. After researching many sites I now read that a plastic poncho is the thing to wear when raining. From researching I know the rainy season is spring (May) mostly. How is the weather in October and I guess, if anything, my jacket will be a wind protector. Also, is a light-weight sleeping bag for 0 C warm enough during cold nights? I'm very excited about this pilgrimage. I hope to meet some of you who are walking in October. I'm planning for 35/40 days for this walk, starting in St. Jean Pied de Port. I'll be flying into Paris and train/bus from there. Any ideas or hints to make the trip to St.JPdP easier, let me know. I've been reading that busses and trains aren't always timely.Can you take a train straight from Paris to St.JPdP?

[EmilyT]

Hi - I'd be interested to know what you have found out about walking the route at the end of the year. We are looking at taking the month of November to walk the Camino Frances and were wondering what the weather would be like and whether we'd be crazy to do it at that time of year! We don't mind a bit of cold, but don't want to be walking in too much rain. Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks!

[Des Butler]

Hi, a friend and i arrive in SJPP on 2nd of oct and will get underway next day.We intend doing the walk by the end of the month, so no doubt unless you walk quicker than us, we will cross paths i am sure.
I found it hard to find out what sort of training one should do in prep,so i began the first week of sept,doing 2 hours a day 3 hrs for second week, 4 for third, and then 5 for last week.It is proving difficult as i get wet every time i go out,so hopefully can keep to schedule.
Des.

[isabelle304]

Hi Lis and Des. Am arriving in SJPP from London on 1 October and will start walking on 2 October. I have not trained for this as it was a very spur-of-the-moment decision (I hate planning things in advance) so will be starting extremely gently/slooooowly, most certainly taking 2 days over the 1st leg (to Ronscevalles). If you come across an overweight, sweaty, black woman in her early forties, speaking with a heavy French accent, that will be me! (oooh what a lovely picture I paint of myself! not!). I speak English fluently (having lived in the UK since I was 18) but hardly any Spanish, so expect to struggle quite a bit to communicate with the locals! This worries me less, however, than the fear of being bitten by bed bugs!

Can't give advice on what to pack/take for an October pilgrimage as this is my first Camino, so for me also it will be trial and error.

Hope to bump into you during my pilgrimage.

Isabelle