El Camino

[Tonibe63]

Not bike related so thought the Pub was the best place to put this.
Having done a fair amount of bike travel over the last 10 years and exhausted our list of must do destinations, having read many bike travel books and identified that it's about the people you meet on the journey not the mode of transportation, having heard a well known "iconic" motorbike traveller say his favourite adventure was hitchhiking across America and also having met a couple of motorbike travellers who have more recently discovered travel by cycle ......... we are considering dumping the motorbike holidays this year and doing something else .
We've done the Picos and Pyrenees on motorbikes for the last 2 years, crisscrossed parts of the path a number of times and have had our interest renewed by the recent TV series.
So my question is has anybody done parts of the walk, is there any good websites or forums for research and any advice you can offer a couple of slightly fat, slightly fit and slightly 50something walking newbies. It's by no means a definite but need to start planning something and this could be an interesting challenge.

Cheers, Tony

[WIBO]

Hi Tony...

That route goes past my front door with a place to stay about 20 m from my house. I have often offered walkers a meal when everywhere is closed and have met some great folk for a BBQ here....from far afield as South America to North America to Canada to St Petersburg.

Sometimes if the place is full I let them sleep here and have breakfast with them. Once on their way and when they offer to pay for food etc, I say just send me a postcard if you can be bothered from St Jaques....

I once met a Belgian who had one of those Hardly Davidson things......he'd walked the route and had lost 17kgs in doing so.

The last chap that stayed with me was a Hungarian Dr who'd lost his way,arriving into a dark, wet deserted village at 2300hrs......it was warm and I had my front door open......seeing the back pack I knew what he was at......no where else to stay......fed and watered he was glad to have a somewhere to sleep.

I still to this day don't know how that it was possible for him to get lost.

The routes in my region are easy walking and very scenic when off the beaten track. Great greenlanes!!

The cost per night where I'm at is about €10 in a new clean two bunk bedded room. My next door neighbour will stamp your route book to prove you've done it.

There's film with Martin Sheen called 'The Way'...I havent seen it yet...but you'll get an idea of the topography no doubt.


I suppose a google search will spit out what you need to know....if you pass call for a beer.....I'm the only Ulsterman in the region ...they'll know where to send you.

All the best



.

[Tonibe63]

Many thanks Keith, the beer sounds good and if we ever get this off the ground I'll drop you a pm to see if we can meet up .
We were given 'The Way' film as a gift a few years ago and the seeds were sown a while ago but typically we can't find it now, time to clear out the cupboards me thinks. Following a suggestion by WillS we have been to St Jean Pied de Port twice and seen excited people of all nationalities setting out ....... probably best we don't see them 5 days in to the walk .
Thanks for the input, lot's to research and think about.

[WIBO]

Great stuff...........Willy Spray............I know he does the odd bit of walking.


A lot come past from the Lourdes direction.....probably get cheap flights from Stansted etc.


Easy to get stuck straight into it....Lourdes to Lestelle Bétharram.....Asson....Bruges...Arudy etc....


You literally have to walk past my front door to get to the accommodation ..........I'll have beer.....I always do.


Do it..........everyone that stops is of a great mindset......I make food if the village is closed and we exchange culture.....great to see.

[johnnyboxer]

Similarly it's on our 'to do' list

I want to do it one hit, over 5-6 weeks and she wants to do it in stages, for a week over the next 5 years

[Tonibe63]

We've got 2 weeks from mid June plus 2 weeks from mid September and whatever else left maybe next year ........ but like I say it is all at the 'thinking' stage at the mo.

[Spike941]

Me and Mrs Spike walked the whole 900km from St Jean pied de Paul to Muxia in September/October 2015. We took 6 weeks (the Mrs isn’t really a walker) but probably the best adventure I’ve ever been on. We followed the John Brierley book, which imho is the best guide book, with good easy to follow maps and accommodation details. Don’t over think it, just do it. My only advice is, get your boot/sock combination right, and don’t carry too much stuff. We walked with Peter Campbell and his wife for a few days, and get a mention in his book. Mrs Spike even appears in one of the photographs in the book.

[Tonibe63]

Thanks Spike.
Did you do any training in advance or just regular long day walks?

[boboneleg]

Me and Mrs Spike walked the whole 900km from St Jean pied de Paul to Muxia in September/October 2015. We took 6 weeks (the Mrs isn’t really a walker) but probably the best adventure I’ve ever been on. We followed the John Brierley book, which imho is the best guide book, with good easy to follow maps and accommodation details. Don’t over think it, just do it. My only advice is, get your boot/sock combination right, and don’t carry too much stuff. We walked with Peter Campbell and his wife for a few days, and get a mention in his book. Mrs Spike even appears in one of the photographs in the book.

When you were walking up the long climb from St Jean Pied de Port did you spot any of the 'cheaters' going up in taxi's

[Redmurty]

there's been a TV programme about the walk with a winging vicar in it, they vanned some and walked some but that may give you a flavour.

I know someone who walked the lot and loved it for the community, she was a Christian though and got into it as such.

With regards to training do regular walks if you are not used to it, build the weight of your pack up slowly and the distance and chuck in some multiday trips into the mix, I always find the 3rd day of any long walk the hardest. Sort any hard skin on your feet out soonest.

Personally with a biggy coming up I buy 2 pairs of boots one for training and one to break in for the actual walk, my personal boot of choice now a days are Keen's nice and light

but most of all go and enjoy, especially the place with the wine fountain

cheers Spud