The camino

[Laura Ingalls]

DH and I are planning on doing the Camino (Frances route).

Any helpful suggestions other than go back in time and be a few years younger?

[Ego]

We used this guide.
https://caminoguide.net/

Very good. He updates it every year and if you sign up he sends a link to the most recent version.

The 2024 app version is here:
https://www.caminoapp.net/index.php

[Freedom_2018]

The Camino Frances was our first Camino in 2017 from St Jean Pied de Port. Started in September (was quite warm initially) and took our time 6ish weeks including rest/sightseeing days...most people aim to do it in 4 plus weeks ..we wished we had taken longer than 6 weeks to make the experience richer.

Not sure where you are going to start from but given how the Frances has exploded in popularity (Sarria onwards feels like a zombie horde ), time of year would be a huge factor.

There is tons of advice out there so no point repeating but only $0.02 I would add are:

1) Get to know your feet well. There is a lot if foot care and shoe size advice out there but what I haven't seen mentioned is that know the arch of your foot (high, low, flat) and know that in general if your arch is high and you are carrying 20ish lbs backpack over the weeks, the arch stretches out and foot will lengthen (in addition to volumetric increase due to long hours if walking). Someone with lower or flatter arch will not lengthen much but volumetric increase happens.

2) Many upsides to meeting and walking with others but if walking at a pace not typically yours for many days to keep up with good company....might experience pain/injury/blisters which will suddenly show up after a few days all the while one is enjoying the company of walking peers.

3) Since 2017, we've walked the Camino Portuguese and the Primitivo (both in spring). The Primitivo by far was our favorite. Hopefully you get to do it before it becomes increasingly popular too.

4) If you can/want use luggage transfer. Your back will thank you in the years ahead. Saw a few back, knee and soft tissue injuries that take a long time to heal and never quite fully. As one grows older (we are now 52 amd 68) I realize the benefits if not having 'stupid' injuries. We only got one small blister each throughout the walk and quickly took care of it.

Small slideshow of our Frances:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B-thBV_93FM&t=732s

Happy to answer any specific questions if I can.

Buen Camino.

[Jean]

why the camino in particular when there are lots of long distance hiking trails? real question not a judgement, i'm also following an imaginary line on the ground.

Most important advice i have for long distance hiking is to wash your ass everiday with fresh water, because interleg schaffing is much worst than blisters.
Rubing your feet regularly (every evening) with cold waters feels good, and help prevent blisters i think.
Do a few 2 or 3 day hike before, just to see youre faillure point and address them when home is near.
Hope it helps.

[guitarplayer]

@Freedom_2018 is too modest, not mentioning their thread on the same.

viewtopic.php?p=152419#p152419

[Freedom_2018]

@Freedom_2018 is too modest, not mentioning their thread on the same.

viewtopic.php?p=152419#p152419

Ah I had forgotten about that one. One of the downsides of not being much of an active participant on the forum (though I look it up from time to time). The other downside is not knowing how to post a pic from my phone (or having forgotten how to do it)!

[Freedom_2018]

why the camino in particular when there are lots of long distance hiking trails? real question not a judgement, i'm also following an imaginary line on the ground.

Most important advice i have for long distance hiking is to wash your ass everiday with fresh water, because interleg schaffing is much worst than blisters.
Rubing your feet regularly (every evening) with cold waters feels good, and help prevent blisters i think.
Do a few 2 or 3 day hike before, just to see youre faillure point and address them when home is near.
Hope it helps.

I think it (the walking that is, not the ass washing...which is quite non-negotiable in my book and not just for schafing avoidance ) depends on what one is seeking out of the walk.

For us the Camino was a mix of walking, nature, old architecture and opportunity to practice fledgling Spanish with local people, people watching and the novelty of being in a different culture while having a destination (Santiago) to walk towards and occasionally the sense of being a part of the timeless river of humanity through the ages (sometimes I need a bit of sensory immersion into the affairs of the world to ground myself from being too much in my own head....but a little bit does go a long way....and occasionally one does meet some people one really resonates with)

For myself, somewhat to my surprise, I found that endless stretches of pure untouched nature (to the extent that such a thing exists), after a while got a little boring/repetitive...but then again, I crave it every now and then, especially after spending extended time in 'crowded'/civilized areas.

One of the most indelible and enjoyable experiences was traveling full time through the US and parts of Europe during the 2 years of Covid. It further cemented in my mind how averse I am to overcrowding in my travels.

[Western Red Cedar]

I'd echo what @Jean said to do a few, multi-day treks with your gear before leaving. This might be as simple as walking different routes and distances in your hometown to see how your body feels walking for extended periods with a pack. This is my standard advice to anyone planning on a long-distance backpacking adventure, as it gives you the opportunity to test your gear, get a sense of what it will feel like, and potentially go lighter.

Sounds like a great trip. Buen Camino!

[Laura Ingalls]

We have been hiking with our packs and gear of approximate weight.

I am a bit worried. No blisters or chaffing issue. I just run out of gumption before I get to Camino like distance and elevation changes.

[jacob]

Worth mentioning is that going from an otherwise sedentary weekend warrior (5000 steps/day + 15-25,000/day on weekends) to a daily 25-30,000 steps/day for 5 weeks straight may be a rude awakening to your "walking work capacity". Or maybe not. If you already do 15-20,000/day then you'll be fine.

When we first moved into the house, I started a walking commute and moved from the above weekend warrior mode to 15,000+/day (that's ~half the typical Camino daily). I wasn't happy at all the first month of that. I was plainly exhausted because I was not used to the mileage and so it felt like a relentless grind. It affected me mentally more than anything else. A kind of overtraining malaise.

Also socks! The ability to change into dry socks halfway through the day is worth a lot.

[Laura Ingalls]

@Jacob
My past six month daily average is 12,3xx. It is pretty steady and contains a fair bit of walking on sand. I haven’t been a desk job person for a long time.

[Western Red Cedar]

Knowing the habits and preferences of a hiking partner can also be quite helpful. Some people like to stretch for a while in the morning, some like a big breakfast or a hot beverage before starting out, some prefer to get started and have a light breakfast after walking for an hour. Some people aren't comfortable hiking alone, while others prefer some solitude. Some people like a short "packs on" break, every 10-15 minutes, and others prefer to go for a while and take a longer break.

Since you are planning on doing the trek with DH, it should be pretty easy to sort through some of that and you may already know those preferences, but I just mention it because people I've trekked with have a wide variety of preferences when it comes to style, fuel, breaks, etc...Trips like this can add a level of stress and tension as a result of the heat, fatigue, dehydration, or other issues.

I'm not exactly sure what your motivation is for the trip, but it might also be helpful to plan ahead on giving yourself an out if one or both of you aren't enjoying it. It could be as simple as giving yourself psychological permission to get an AirBnB for a week or two if you need a break, skipping chunks, or something similar. My MIL did the Camino Frances after retirement, and her husband got a monthly rental in Santiago. They both thoroughly enjoyed their experience.