Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Not cycling, but still important.

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Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

For my holiday this year, I've decided to do the last part of the Camino de Santiago (French route) from Sarria to Santiago - 112km over hilly/mountainous terrain.

I've got my pilgrim's passport, my guide and the badge:

D8F67972-4BB2-4C36-9AE5-B37DBCBDDCD0.jpeg

I've decided to do the walk over 6 days, splitting what is normally the long second day. The guide books I have don't quite fit up with this plan, as they're based on a five day timetable for this section, but I found a web-site, Forwalk, that enables you to create your own tailor-made guides. A printed, glossy A5 guide booklet was only €19 and arrived in 3 days from the Netherlands.

I've bought new boots for the walk (Meindl Asti Mid GTX) and they're breaking in well. I'm experimenting with different types of socks (e.g. double-skinned, compression, etc) to see which go best.

I've also bought a new rucksack (an Osprey Stratos 36) as my existing ones were a bit too small or a bit too big. I'm intending to pack as light as I can but will need to carry a lot of water each day.

I'm toying with taking a small hydration pack with me, and using the Spanish Post Office's rucksack service, where they will ferry your rucksack from hotel to hotel. The leg from Sarria to Santiago would only cost €20, irrespective of however many overnight stops along the way - which is an absolute bargain. OK, it's cheating a little but it will save my knees...

I'm also getting some training in, taking myself (and on occasions Jack or even Jon) for long walks around various parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. I keep trying to find hilly bits to climb.

I'm really looking forward to this trip, which will be a bit of an adventure - both physical and spiritual.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by LowlifeDes » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
I'm experimenting with different types of socks (e.g. double-skinned, compression, etc) to see which go best.
Keep a variety in mind. What works one day might not the next.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Rutabaga » 4 years ago

The main thing I look for in walking socks is absence of a seam across the toe area, ever since one nearly crippled me by rubbing my toes raw on the Northumberland coast path.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by JohnToo » 4 years ago

I'd had a pair of traditional leather walking boots (Zamberlan) for 20 years. I put up with constant adjusting of laces on a walk to redistribute the pressure points, and I assumed general foot-soreness was an inevitable part of walking in mountains. Then the leather started delaminating so I gave up and bought a new leather pair earlier this year. They are a revelation in terms of flexibility and comfort out of the box. I should have bought new ones years ago and saved myself some pain but I didn't realise boot design was progressing so much.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by JohnToo » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
For my holiday this year, I've decided to do the last part of the Camino de Santiago (French route) from Sarria to Santiago - 112km over hilly/mountainous terrain.

I've got my pilgrim's passport, my guide and the badge:


D8F67972-4BB2-4C36-9AE5-B37DBCBDDCD0.jpeg


I've decided to do the walk over 6 days, splitting what is normally the long second day. The guide books I have don't quite fit up with this plan, as they're based on a five day timetable for this section, but I found a web-site, Forwalk, that enables you to create your own tailor-made guides. A printed, glossy A5 guide booklet was only €19 and arrived in 3 days from the Netherlands.

I've bought new boots for the walk (Meindl Asti Mid GTX) and they're breaking in well. I'm experimenting with different types of socks (e.g. double-skinned, compression, etc) to see which go best.

I've also bought a new rucksack (an Osprey Stratos 36) as my existing ones were a bit too small or a bit too big. I'm intending to pack as light as I can but will need to carry a lot of water each day.

I'm toying with taking a small hydration pack with me, and using the Spanish Post Office's rucksack service, where they will ferry your rucksack from hotel to hotel. The leg from Sarria to Santiago would only cost €20, irrespective of however many overnight stops along the way - which is an absolute bargain. OK, it's cheating a little but it will save my knees...

I'm also getting some training in, taking myself (and on occasions Jack or even Jon) for long walks around various parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. I keep trying to find hilly bits to climb.

I'm really looking forward to this trip, which will be a bit of an adventure - both physical and spiritual.
Did you watch "The Way"?
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

JohnToo wrote:
4 years ago
Did you watch "The Way"?
Doesn’t ring a bell. I did watch ‘Pilgrimage: the road to Rome’ and ‘Pilgrimage: the road to Santiago’, both of which reinforced my desire to do the Camino (that, and the fact it goes past a distillery that makes one of my all time favourite gins).
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by JohnToo » 4 years ago

The Way was a film with real life father and son Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez playing fictional father and son. Basically it was Martin Sheen doing the pilgrimage somewhat grumpily, meeting an odd ball assortment of fellow travelers along the way, and finding it changed him. A bit predictable plot but pleasant enough, I liked it, but then I can watch Martin Sheen for ever (Jed Bartlett, where are you when we need you...)
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

JohnToo wrote:
4 years ago
The Way was a film with real life father and son Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez playing fictional father and son. Basically it was Martin Sheen doing the pilgrimage somewhat grumpily, meeting an odd ball assortment of fellow travelers along the way, and finding it changed him. A bit predictable plot but pleasant enough, I liked it, but then I can watch Martin Sheen for ever (Jed Bartlett, where are you when we need you...)
I'll take a look on Netflix.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by ransos » 4 years ago

JohnToo wrote:
4 years ago
I'd had a pair of traditional leather walking boots (Zamberlan) for 20 years. I put up with constant adjusting of laces on a walk to redistribute the pressure points, and I assumed general foot-soreness was an inevitable part of walking in mountains. Then the leather started delaminating so I gave up and bought a new leather pair earlier this year. They are a revelation in terms of flexibility and comfort out of the box. I should have bought new ones years ago and saved myself some pain but I didn't realise boot design was progressing so much.
My wonderfully comfortable Meindl Burma Pros finally gave up last year, at about 15 years old. It turns out that the cushioning degrades over time, eventually causing the sole to detach from the rest of the boot (exactly the same thing happened to my work safety boots). Happily, Meindl offers a repair service, so I posted the boots to Germany and they came back good as new, for what I thought was a very reasonable fee of £80.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Iris » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
(that, and the fact it goes past a distillery that makes one of my all time favourite gins).
Looking for the inspiration of the holy spirit?
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by JohnToo » 4 years ago

"The Way" also features at the end a superb practical teaching illustration for anyone who has ever been asked to explain how it is possible for a child's swing to gain height 😁
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by The Real Ravenhurst » 4 years ago

When you going, Reggers? My mum is something of an aficionado of the Camino Frances. I once joined her for a week, from León to Villafranca del Bierzo. She is an advocate of Thousand Mile Socks and Flexitol Heel Balm, and she keeps her pack down to 5kg. You'd be amazed what some people carry - she met one man who carried about 5kg of lentils...
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

JohnToo wrote:
4 years ago
"The Way" also features at the end a superb practical teaching illustration for anyone who has ever been asked to explain how it is possible for a child's swing to gain height 😁
I watched it last night. Great film! 👍
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by Regulator » 4 years ago

The Real Ravenhurst wrote:
4 years ago
When you going, Reggers? My mum is something of an aficionado of the Camino Frances. I once joined her for a week, from León to Villafranca del Bierzo. She is an advocate of Thousand Mile Socks and Flexitol Heel Balm, and she keeps her pack down to 5kg. You'd be amazed what some people carry - she met one man who carried about 5kg of lentils...

I fly out on 14 September and will be walking from 16 - 21 inclusive. Back to the U.K. on 23 September.

I’m planning to use the Correos Camino service, which ferries your bag for you each day (at €20 for the six days I’d be mad not to), and then just take a small daybag - with a large water bladder and a few bits.
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Re: Camino de Santiago (Frances) - Sarria to Santiago

Post by The Real Ravenhurst » 4 years ago

Regulator wrote:
4 years ago
I’m planning to use the Correos Camino service, which ferries your bag for you each day (at €20 for the six days I’d be mad not to), and then just take a small daybag - with a large water bladder and a few bits.
That's incredibly good value, although I guess it means deciding where you're staying in advance?
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