With our recent experience on the Camino Frances fresh in our minds, we thought we might share a few tips with others who may be considering heading out on the Camino themselves. If we had it all back, there are a few things we may have done differently. Hope our post helps you to have a more enjoyable time on the Camino!
1. Take it easy on the first day…or better yet, take it easy for the first few days
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were told 20% of people who start the Camino drop out in the first week. I don't think the percentage was as high among the group we began hiking with, but a sizeable number of people did drop out. Among them, a few folks we had begun to make connections with. It was sad to see them make an early departure and all seemed disappointed by the outcome of their efforts.
Just about everyone who did quit, developed problems on the first or second day of the hike due to over exertion and neglect of developing foot/leg issues. When starting in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port the first day is a real ball-buster. Many guidebooks suggest taking on a 28km stretch from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Roncesvalles. The hike includes 6 brutal hours of uphill climbing in some of the windiest conditions we've ever encountered, followed by a steep one hour decent to the Monastery at Roncesvalles.
The hike can be divided into two days, by going 8km from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to the albergue at Orisson. While this may seem like too short a day, keep this option in mind just in case. The hike can also be made easier by shipping your bag by courier the first day to Roncesvalles for the cost of about 8 euros. You can get information on sending your bag by courier at the albergue you stay at or at the tourist office. If you are not a fit hiker, you might also consider beginning the Camino in Roncesvalles as opposed to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Many pilgrims, especially those from Spain, start the Camino in Roncesvalles.
In short, take it easy on the first day. At the very least, stop for plenty of breaks - there's lots of amazing scenery to enjoy along the way - and take care of any foot or leg issues as they develop (see below).
2. Stop and address any foot and leg problems ASAP
The Camino is hard…harder than most pilgrims expect. Regardless of how much you walk in preparation of your pilgrimage, you will walk longer distances, on consecutive days, wearing a backpack, while on the Camino.
Whether you wear hiking boots, trail runners, or sandals, you should be intimately familiar with how they feel after consecutive long days of walking. Try combinations of different shoes, insoles, socks, and sock-liners leading up to your trip and go with whatever works for you.
Almost everyone we met on the Camino got blisters, tendonitis, strains, sprains, cramps, stiffness, or sore knees, feet, ankles, or shoulders at some point (or some combination thereof). As soon as you feel any discomfort, stop and investigate.
That sore spot on your heel can develop into a debilitating blister that will linger for weeks and might just be the result of your socks falling down. That pebble in your shoe that doesn't bother you if you walk with your foot turned in just a little bit, might result in your knee being sore for days afterwards.
There are farmacias in most towns and they are miracles of supply for all ailments foot, leg, and muscle related. Bring some basic blister treatments, consider any advice you get from fellow pilgrims (and you will likely get lots), but most of all deal with seemingly insignificant issues BEFORE they cause you days of discomfort.
As an aside, Pamplona (the first large town on the Camino Frances) has several athletic shoe stores and if your are having problems stop in and get some advice. Buy new shoes if you are experiencing severe foot problems. Don't be shy in showing the staff what ails you - I assure you they've seen worse!
3. Less is more: Carry only what you need
This one is pretty self explanatory and there's lots of information to be found online regarding limiting the weight of your backpack on the Camino. A rough guide would be to bring a 40 litre pack - or a smaller pack, if you can manage it - and to keep the weight of your belongings to under 10kg, or 25 lbs.
In addition to only bringing the minimum amount of items with you when you begin the Camino, remember that this rule applies to your day-to-day requirements as well. For example, where water is concerned, there are ample potable water sources to be found along the route on most days. You'll usually only need to carry enough drinking water for a couple of hours of hiking. The same applies to food, most days snacks can be purchased along the way. Remember to keep in mind regular business hours in Spain - most shops will be open in the morning until 2pm and then will close for siesta usually until 4:30 or 5pm, hours may be further limited or stores may be closed all together on Sundays.
There are a few days when you will hike long stretches without access to food and water. Most guidebooks clearly point out when this occurs so you can prepare accordingly.
This recommendation applies to other items you may need on a daily basis such as toothpaste, soap and shampoo. Carry small quantities of toiletries and medical supplies and replenish as required along the way.
4. Be prepared for bedbugs
Bedbugs, blech! Some may suggest that bedbugs are not an issue on the Camino, but take this reassurance with a grain of salt. Bedbug breakouts on the Camino are not ongoing, but do happen on a regular, debatably frequent, basis. We were lucky enough to experience one such occurrence when we recently hiked the Camino. We were told however by a nice lady at a farmacia that 3 weeks prior to our arrival, there were no reported cases anywhere along the Camino. Unfortunately for us however, most of the albergues along the latter half of the walk were dealing with bedbug issues.
Most of the pilgrims we hiked with dealt with multiple cases of bites throughout the last two weeks of the journey, but a few were able to escape unscathed. Many of these had taken precautionary measures such as using sleeping bags and sheets treated with promethrin, spraying around the sleeping area at night and keeping all belongings in sealed plastic bags. You could also consider regularly spraying your backpack with insecticide and keeping it and your belongings off the floors and beds.
5. Keeping your budget on track
Like many of the other pilgrims we encountered, we had a daily expenditure budget to stick to during our time on the Camino. This meant we slept most nights in albergues and usually ate fairly inexpensively. Purchasing coffee, tea and food for breakfasts and lunches in the supermercado helped keep our food expenditures to a minimum. In the evenings we often cooked communal meals with other pilgrims - a great way to sample cuisine from around the world as pilgrims come from just about everywhere. These shared dinners were some of the highlights of our experiences on the Camino - wonderful nights of sharing stories and good food, washed down with delicious (and relatively inexpensive) Spanish wine. With these practices, we handily stuck to our budget of 25 euros per day per person (50 euros for the two of us), during the month we spent on the Camino.
That's not to say you should always pinch your pennies. With 250,000 people hiking the Camino on an annual basis, there are a large array of services and comforts available along the way if you'd like to up the ante on the level of luxury you enjoy on your Camino experience. At the very least, you should splash out on enjoying the regional specialty dishes and beverages you'll come across. You might also want to treat yourself to a night or two (or three or four) of more upscale accommodations to give yourself an occasional break from the lively activity and noisy nights (snoring) in the albergues. Along these lines, you will find that in the larger cities, many pilgrims will be apt to get together in large groups to do a bit of celebrating on the town. For nights like these, you may want to consider staying in a hostel or hotel without a curfew so you don't miss out on any of the fun!
6. Take a break
Slow down and enjoy the view - your legs, feet, and shoulders will appreciate it. Many of the adverse health issues faced by our fellow peregrinos resulted from overexertion, moving too fast for too long without drinking enough water. I can't stress enough the importance of walking at a pace you are comfortable maintaining for the long haul…it's a long way to Santiago. Don't try to keep up with stronger hikers for too long each day - you'll probably see them at the albergue later anyway.
Take the backpack off and have a proper lunch, while you're at it, take your shoes and socks off to give the dogs some air.
If you are struggling on consecutive days or are very stiff and achey, consider shipping your backpack and walking with a lighter load for a day - believe me it will feel like taking a day off. Many pilgrims schedule in some flex days to stay in a larger town for an extra day to recuperate and enjoy some of the finer things northern Spain has to offer…the wine in Logrono, the architecture of Burgos, the tapas in Leon, or the "pulpo" (octopus) in Galicia.
7. Get a good night's sleep
There are a number of key items you should remember to pack with you in order to ensure you can get a good night's sleep in the albergues. Among these are a supply of good ear plugs and something to cover your eyes if you're picky about lights being on. On the flip side, you should also have a headlamp or flashlight with you for those times when you crawl into bed after lights out, or when you need to get out of bed when nature calls. If you're an early riser you'll probably be bringing one of these with you anyway so you can gather your belongings in the albergue in the dark.
Following an evening stretching/wind-down routine might also relieve some of the achiness and result in more comfortable nights' sleeps. From time to time, massage services are also available at some albergues, taking advantage of these opportunities will do you loads of good. And, of course, as the Spanish pilgrims will often remind you, more wine means a better night's sleep.
8. It's your Camino: Alone time and social time
As one pilgrim we met on the Camino explained it, the Camino can be as social or solitary an experience as you desire. You just have to make your preference known. Sometimes you may feel like spending time with a group of people, for a night on the town, cooking and eating a shared meal, or participating in a group discussion while hiking. Involving yourself in these social experiences is easily done for most people. The Camino lends itself to a very inclusive, supportive, and welcoming environment. Most of the pilgrims you encounter will be open to meeting new people and sharing the company of others - it might be the best part of hiking the Camino.
…or the worst, depending on your intentions. Some people come to the Camino seeking solitude and quiet time for reflection. This type of experience may be more difficult to attain, especially (and ironically) if you have come to the Camino as a solo hiker. Many solo pilgrims we met commented that they found it difficult to find solitude, as most people attempted to include them in conversation and shared activities. The way most people seeking solitude dealt with this, was to engage briefly in conversation before politely stating their intention to go off on their own. A friendly "hasta luego" might help ease any awkwardness that might arise.
The end word is, the Camino can be whatever you want it to be, just make your intentions known.
9. Listen to the advice of others…but not too carefully
You may encounter more than your fair share of pilgrims along the way who are eager to share advice on everything from what shoes to wear, restaurants to eat at, albergues to stay at, and how to avoid bed bugs. Much of this will be excellent advice. Some of it will be, well, less excellent.
It's important and helpful to learn from the experience of others, but keep in mind this advice may be skewed by personal perspective, miscommunication, misinformation, or somebody's terrible mood when they are having a bad day. Listen to the advice of others, you'll need it along the way, but don't be surprised if your experience is different from what you've been led to believe. That awesome hostel may be less stellar than you've been led to expect, or that hostel you've been told to avoid may turn out to be a wonderful place. That blister remedy may not help in your particular case, and you may to explore another treatment.
Everybody walks their own Camino after all.
10. Remember, rewards on the Camino are rewards well earned
The Camino is an epic adventure. To walk 800 kilometres across Spain is no easy feat. You will experience a multitude of hardships; leg and foot injuries, bed bugs, snoring in the albergues at night, stomach problems, and, lets face it, you might not love everybody you meet on the Camino. It's important to keep in mind that your journey will be a difficult one, but not without rewards. Rewards, that in most cases, will far outweigh the hardships you endure. Walking even part of the Camino will leave you with a tremendous sense of accomplishment, a better understanding of yourself, and wonderful friendships gained through the experience of sharing such a momentous challenge.
Buen Camino, peregrino!
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| "Walker, there is no path. The path is made by walking." - Antonio Machado |
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