October still good weather wise???

[Julz]

I heard of the Camino de Santiago from a traveller in Dubrovnik and am really keen to do it!
Problem is im worried that October is too late for me to walk with a backpack in terms of going into the cold and wet winter.
I also can only have about three days to walk and would love to do the last stretch. Where should i start to make it? Im not excessively fit but i can walk an average pace...
Help would be lovely for this novice!

Julz

[Anna-Marie]

Hi Julz,

I walked the Camino from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago from October 8 to November 15, 2008 (I was slow!). At the beginning, I had what I was told was unseasonably warm weather. The Meseta (in the middle) was quite cold--I used all my layers, including a pair of light gloves and a hat someone gave me. I saw some melting patches of snow but wasn't actually snowed on. It was also very windy and sometimes very wet. Galicia (the last part), which is usually wet, was actually somewhat sunny and occasionally quite warm during the day.

I really enjoyed it, despite the patches of bad weather. I guess it all depends on what you can put up with, and are prepared for. There are also parts of the Camino where you can stop at a bar several times a day for coffee, which always helps!

Something else to keep in mind is that some refugios close at the end of September or October--and it's hard to get information on which those are. Neither my (excellent) Confraternity of Saint James guidebook nor the information I got at the pilgrim office in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port was completely accurate. I don't think that was the fault of the guides--I suspect it changes from year to year. Also, in Galicia, even in November--and I suspect especially this Holy Year (though I don't know for sure)--the refuges were sometimes full by the end of the day.

I just realized you're only going to walk for three days! Where you start depends on how far/fast you can walk. If you want the Compostela certificate, you have to walk the last 100km. From what you say about your level of fitness, that would probably be pushing it. When I started I wasn't particularly fit and walked about 12-20km per day--though that was by Le Puy-en-Velay, France, which is almost all up and down, and I was settling in for the long haul. I know some people start out walking 25 to 30km per day.

The sheet I got in France marks the last three stages as follows:
- Ponte Campana to Ribadiso (22.5km)
- Ribadiso to Arca do Pino (22km)
-Arca do Pino to Santiago (20km)

I don't know how easy it'd be to get to Ponte Campana, though, since I don't think it's very big.

Hope this helps!
Anna-Marie

[Julz]

Thank you very much! thats a great help!
Im becoming more and more aware that the time i have is nowhere near enough the more i research it.
From what you say about the weather im not properly equiped...ive just spent two months in greece...nuff said.
This does help and i will keep looking into it, even if its another whole trip.
Thank you!
Julia

[Covey]

The "last stage" of the Camino Frances is Sarria to Santiago which is 100kms. If you walk the last 100kms of the Camino Frances to Santiago, you will receive a Compostella certificate from the Pilgrim Office which is just behind the Cathedral in Santiago.

If you were very fit, you could walk the Sarria to Santiago stage in 3 days, or fit in 4 days or not so fit in 5 days. You also have to factor in how you get to Sarria!

The easiest way to walk the last stage is to fly in to Santiago and catch the bus from the airport to Lugo and then another bus to Sarria. This takes around 4 hours. There is also a direct service to Sarria but that goes from Santiago itself and the airport is 17kms east of Santiago. After the walk you can fly out of Santiago, but as you do not give any indication of your travel plans, suggesting the easiest way to get to Sarria/Santiago is a little difficult.

If you are flying in to Santiago, then you have to allow for one days travel to get to Santiago and on to Sarria, and a day to Leave Santiago, so really to walk the last stage you need a total of 6-7 days.

[Anna-Marie]

Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a wonderful trip. It really is an amazing experience.

Buen Camino!

Anna-Marie