advice needed please..

[hazyhorn]

Hi all,
similar questions may have been asked so apologies if this is repetitive.
I need some advice- I am walking with a friend in the 1st or 2nd week in April, first time. We are still a bit vague on plans and dates but will have about 8 days to walk and want to end up in Santiago. Is Ponferrada the best starting point? Can we get our pilgrim passports there? Lastly- would it be best just to get a return flight to Santiago and just make our way to our starting point via local transport.
Any help much appreciated.

Aine

[Covey]

Ponferrada to Santiago is just about 200kms and in 8 walking days you can just about do it. If the 8 days includes travel time then it is out of range.

To get to Ponferrada the easiest way is to fly in to Santiago and catch the ALSA coach from Santiago bus station to Ponferrada which takes about 2.5hrs.

You can get a passport at the official albergue in Ponferrada which is near the centre of the town in the corner of one of the main car parks.

Ponferrada to Santiago is quite a hard bit of walking. El Cebriero (looks like Mount Everest when you are walking towards it!!) is not as bad as it looks but the route is not as flat or as easy as some make out.

[hazyhorn]

Hi Covey
Thanks for the prompt reply. No doubt there will be other questions as the days roll on! I think our plan is to walk for the 8 days not including travel- I am a pretty good walker but havent done anything lengthy since before Christmas so I hope the 'pretty hard' doesnt phase me!
Thanks again
Aine

[Covey]

The first stretch from Ponferrada is to Villafranca which is 20kms which will warm up the legs a bit. The next day takes you to the top of El Cebreiro which will stretch the legs a bit but the third day is 20kms downhill all the way to Triacastela which tends to be very hard on the knees!!

After that, you will be fine!

[hazyhorn]

Thanks again- that is reassuring! Are roller skates an option?!
Aine

[Covey]

Roller skates or a skateboard would make life a lot easier on the downhill leg from El Cebriero to Triacastela. The road from the top of Cebreiro to Triacastela is a long and winding one, and the camino track follows the road for most of the way.

HOWEVER in true Camino fashion, on a couple of occasions the yellow arrows turn right and take you scrambling down the hill to the bottom of the valley (2-3kms) where you get to see a derelict church, before making you climb back up to the top again to rejoin the road. Having done this a couple of times you begin to wonder why the Big Man in the Sky has decided to punish his faithful pilgrims in such a perverse manner.

Whilst you sweat and toil up the last of these steep climbs back to the road, He at least had the decency to put a caf? at the top so you can recover whilst watching the autobus pilgrims alighting from their coach to walk the last 3kms into Triacastela!!

[hazyhorn]

Thanks Covey- again you are a mine of information..but who told you God was a 'he'??

[Covey]

The answer is in an excellent book "God is an Englishman" by R F Delderfield.

[JSO]

Hello All,
New to forum. We will be waking from the 17th of April for 7 days. I am just wondering if you can tell me if the refuges are heated at night and what rating is recommended for sleeping bags. Don't want my toes to get cold! Thanks! JSO

[Covey]

Some official albergues have heating but often it is only put on when it is wet to help dry kit. A lot of the private albergues have heating and you will often find a tumble drier which is useful to dry wet clothing.

Carrying a sleeping bag in April is a good idea, but in June - Sept you can manage quite well with just a sleeping bag liner in silk or cotton. (Silk will keep you nice and warm!!)

In April you only need a lightweight sleeping bag rated for indoors use. You will not be sleeping outside in the cold. When you have 20-30 people sleeping in a dormitory, the mass body heat keeps you warm, and if the tootsies feel cold, pull on a pair of socks.

30% of pilgrims carry a sleeping mat which is a waste of space, weight and money. In 4 trips down the Camino Frances, I have never seen anyone actually use one!

[JSO]

Wow that was a very prompt reply and most helpful as well. Thanks, Covey.

[hazyhorn]

The answer is in an excellent book "God is an Englishman" by R F Delderfield.

Its fiction I take it?...

[Covey]

Who knows?

[JSO]

Hello Covey,

The newbie again. There is a group of 5 arriving on the 17th of April to hike for 7 days from Roncesvalles. We were wondering how much money to take? Do the refuges and restaurants take debit or credit or is it strictly cash? If it is cash how readily available will ATM's be? ...and how much cash would your recommend we bring? I haven't used a traveller's cheque in years and would they be accepted in the refuges? Any words of wisdom would be most appreciated by all 5 walkers. Thanks in advance for your help.

JSo

[Covey]

The minimum you need is ?25 per day, but that is for a very basic budget walk with nothing for extras. If you allow ?40 per day then that allows for a couple of beers in the evening and no scrimping.

The albergues and bars are strictly cash so do not plan on using plastic. Take ?200 in cash with you and when you need a top up for the cash then use an ATM. You will find an ATM in most places you walk through except the smallest villages.

Travelers cheques are no use on the Camino except being able to get them cashed in a bank. As bank's keep strange hours in Spain, avoid TC's.

Make sure you tell your credit/debit card company that you are going to be in Spain and needing to draw cash from ATM's. A lot of pilgrims have problems using cards in Spanish ATM's where your card company sees you using your cards as normal around wherever you live and then it suddenly pops up in a Spanish ATM asking for cash. At this point the automated anti fraud software will kick in and will probably reject the transaction, leaving you standing outside a Spanish bank with no money. Even worse, it might withhold your card!! You will then spend hours on the phone to your card company trying to persuade them to allow your card to work.

You can use a credit card in a hotel or restaurant in places like Pamplona, but outside the large cities, Spain is a cash society as far as pilgrims are concerned.

Have fun

[JSO]

Thanks once again. Your feedback and knowledge is much appreciated. All very good advice for our group. Can't wait!!! JSo