I thought it might be of interest, if you are planning your first Camino, to describe the process I go through.\u00a0 \u00a0I confess I’m a bit of an over planner, but hopefully you’ll see some merit in the process.\u00a0 And the planning can be fun.\u00a0 Not that I follow the plan in detail once we start walking……\u00a0 I’ll explain below.<\/p>\n
Of course it’s possible to just turn up and ‘wing it’.\u00a0 Many Pilgrims do.\u00a0 But I find a bit of planning helps me avoid a few issues such as:<\/p>\n
I’ll use our next Camino as a example of the planning sequence that I use.\u00a0 My wife Pat is coming on this one, so I need to take account of her likes \/ dislikes and also her previous Camino experience and the type of Camino she enjoys.\u00a0 \u00a0For example I’m happy to walk 25 kms through a desolate landscape and have a beer and a bar snack for dinner, before hitting my bunk in an Albergue.\u00a0 \u00a0Pat?\u00a0 \u00a0Hmm.\u00a0 Maybe not so much.<\/p>\n
So this is the Camino planning sequence I am working through right now.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
How Much Time do we have?<\/h4>\n
We both agree that anything less that 2 weeks is not really worthwhile.\u00a0 We have to travel all the way from Australia for one thing. And the second is, that we are really only getting into the groove by two weeks.\u00a0 So I have ‘negotiated’ 4 weeks.<\/p>\n
There is also the question of course, if you are working, around getting time off work.\u00a0 Much longer than 4 weeks can be tricky for me.\u00a0 So 4 weeks it is, this time.<\/p>\n
Do You want a Compostela?<\/h4>\n
To qualify for a compostela you need to end in Santiago.\u00a0 Along with a few other conditions.\u00a0 See here: https:\/\/oficinadelperegrino.com\/peregrinacion\/la-compostela\/<\/p>\n
Although Pat already has 2 compostelas, she would like more in honour of some relatives who have passed.\u00a0 You can have the relatives name added to the certificate.\u00a0 It’s called Vicario Pro.\u00a0 So it would be nice to walk some new routes to us, and get a couple of compostelas (certificates).<\/p>\n
Which Camino Route?<\/h4>\n
There are so many great routes.\u00a0 We have both walked the Frances a couple of times and now prefer quieter routes.\u00a0 We would also prefer to walk ‘new’ routes as that creates a nice sense of excitement and anticipation.\u00a0 Pat has only walked the Frances.\u00a0 I have also walked the VdlP, Invierno and Muxia\/Fisterra.<\/p>\n
I’d really like to walk another fairly remote Camino, but realise Pat might not enjoy it for a full 4 weeks!\u00a0 \u00a0So I’ve some up with a Hybrid.<\/p>\n
\n
- Camino Madrid. From Madrid to Sahagun, on the Camino Frances. (about 300 kms) then a train or bus to….<\/li>\n
- Camino Sanabres, starting in Ourense, ending in Santiago. (just over 100kms)\u00a0 I enjoyed the Invierno, and this should be similar I think.\u00a0 and finally,<\/li>\n
- Muxia, to Fisterra, to Santiago.\u00a0 which being over 100kms will also gain Pat another Compostela. As well as some great walking and seafood!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
So this ‘combo’ gives us about 500 kms walking, across three quite different routes, ending in Santiago twice.\u00a0 There is also some great sightseeing along the way.<\/p>\n
A ‘new’ aspect for Pat, will be the need to use Albergues quite a bit on the Camino Madrid.<\/p>\n
Camino Route Research<\/h4>\n
I like to have an idea of the route and any ‘tricky’ places along the way. I start with this website.\u00a0 Looking at the length of the stages, the amount of hills, the options for places to stay and so on.\u00a0 Mainly I’m checking for a day like……..30 kms with no villages along the way and only a 4 bed Albergue at the end of the stage, with no cafes of bars in the village!\u00a0 It can happen…….<\/p>\n
So I then watch YouTube videos or read blogs about the specific route.\u00a0 In particular, I’m looking for those long days that might be a struggle for Pat and ways we can break up the longer sections.\u00a0 It’s also a great way to get ideas for places to stay and those ‘must see’ sights along the way.<\/p>\n
Camino Accommodation<\/h4>\n
The type of accommodation that you prefer may influence your choice of route and will certainly influence your budget!\u00a0 \u00a0 We want to try to keep costs dow a bit, so we have agreed to use quite a few Albergues, and where possible, the cheaper private rooms.<\/p>\n
Time of Year to Walk the Camino<\/h4>\n
The time of year for you may be dictated by when you can get time off work, school holidays or other things.<\/p>\n
For me, it’s the weather!\u00a0 I don’t walk to walk in the cold and wet.\u00a0 And I don’t want to walk in the burning heat.\u00a0 \u00a0And of course the weather does differ a little bit depending on the route.\u00a0 Near the sea may get more rain. Down South is hotter.\u00a0 \u00a0So I spend some time researching weather websites, looking at the weather over the last couple of years.\u00a0 So far I have been very lucky.\u00a0 \u00a0For us, the perfect weather is:<\/p>\n
\n
- 10-22C whilst walking.<\/li>\n
- No rain!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Last year for example, walking the VdlP I experienced no rain all the way, and day time walking temperatures of about 8-9 C at dawn, up to 22-24C at the end of my walking day.\u00a0 Perfect!\u00a0 \u00a0More luck that anything though I’m sure.<\/p>\n
Your Camino Gear<\/h4>\n
Our gear is the same for every Camino.\u00a0 Although this time we will aim to reduce our pack weight even more if we can.\u00a0 We are getting older! Given we will use Albergues, Pat will need to carry a sleeping bag and towel, so she is conscious of keeping the overall weight down.\u00a0 Before adding food and water, my pack is planned to be 6.8 kgs and Pat 3.8 kgs.\u00a0 A couple of her items (sleeping bag and sandals) somehow ended up in mine!\u00a0 But as she is half my size and bodyweight, I think it’s fair.<\/p>\n
If for some reason you cannot carry your pack and need to use a pack transfer service, be aware that this is really only available on the more popular Camino routes.<\/p>\n
Camino Ports of Entry and Exit<\/h4>\n
I haven’t started to look at flights yet, but I think flying into and out of Madrid will make sense.\u00a0 We are starting to walk in Madrid of course.\u00a0 And getting back to Madrid from Santiago is not hard, as we have done that before.\u00a0 We normally fly but there are also trains.<\/p>\n
Camino Body Preparation<\/h4>\n
We tend not to train too much, but prefer to ease into our Camino wit a few short days at the start.\u00a0 Though we’ll do some local walks, just 5-6 kms, a couple of months before we depart.\u00a0 Maybe 2-3 a week.<\/p>\n
But we do other body prep!<\/p>\n
\n
- Losing weight!\u00a0 \u00a0We are both a bit overweight and so will make sure we reach our target walking weight prior to the Camino.\u00a0 For me, this is the number one way to reduce injury!<\/li>\n
- Medical stuff.\u00a0 I need to get some minor surgery done before we go.\u00a0 So I’ll leave plenty of time for that.<\/li>\n
- We both have knee, foot and tendon issues. So I’ll ensure we get scans and hydrocortisone shots if required, just before we go.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Do You Need to Plan a Camino this Much?<\/h3>\n
No you don’t.\u00a0 \u00a0I enjoy the planning process as it helps me research and understand the route.\u00a0 \u00a0But once I’m on the Camino, I tend to put the plan aside and let things unfold.\u00a0 The plan merely highlights any tricky sections along the way or alternatives I might want to consider.<\/p>\n
But gear and body preparation?\u00a0 Yes, that’s important.<\/p>\n
Do share your planning tips or concerns in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Camino de Santiago Planning Tips I thought it might be of interest, if you are planning your first Camino, to describe the process I go through.\u00a0 \u00a0I confess I’m a bit of an over planner, but hopefully you’ll see some merit in the process.\u00a0 And the planning can be fun.\u00a0 Not that I follow the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,172],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-planning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4346"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4385,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4346\/revisions\/4385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robscamino.com\/general\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}