Hike plan, working draft
I am over the moon that the Camino trip is only six months away! However, I have to accept that it is unlikely that I can hike all 481 miles from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela in the available nineteen walking days given the heat of summer, pack weight, and the mountainous nature of much of the Camino, especially the final Galician section. This would necessitate covering 25 miles per day regardless of terrain with no rest days, which a Roman legionnaire could handle, but which would likely break me in half! However, there are many things along the Camino that I refuse to miss. What to do?
I'm kicking some maps and dates around and spit balling a plan. (tentative and supremely flexible, of course) Shane and I will have to sit down and discuss things in detail, but here's a working draft:
I'm flying out of Dulles on June 22nd in the afternoon, to arrive in Barcelona morning of the 23rd. I will immediately find the most expeditious transport available to Pamplona, and thence to St. Jean Pied-de-Port. Hopefully Shane and I can link up in St. Jean, if not before (it remains to be seen if we will be on the same flight, or even arriving in the same city!). I hope that we can get walking on Friday the 24th, reaching Roncesvalles at the end of the first (insanely mountainous) day. If we can manage this, we should reach Logrono by afternoon of the seventh trail day (the 30th). This is a major city of 120K+, and we should be able to rent a car or catch a train or bus to facilitate a two-day motorized phase which will take us from Logrono through Burgos and Leon (with a couple side trips possible to Clavijo and Santo Domingo de Silos, and so on depending on our mode of transport and METT).
I suggest that we might resume our walk between Manjarin and Ponferrada on the 3rd. This will provide two built-in days of relative rest and recovery which will allow us to hit the highlights of Burgos and Leon. Hotels as opposed to refugios may also be a good option at that point.
If we want to see a bullfight (not sure about this, as it is certainly cruel but coolly fascinating, not unlike a hot chick when you're a freshman.) we should arrange to be in Pamplona or Leon on a Sunday. Should be doable, especially if we are willing to bust out a few extra miles here and there.
We'll cover the final 200 km of the trip, including the "Camino Duro" or "Hard Road" mountain section as well as the medieval 30-kilometer "Whore Zone", no longer in operation), on foot in nine days. This will probably suck a great deal. However, we should arrive at our destination on or about the 11th. We will have 1-2 days of recovery/sightseeing in Santiago(during which we can collect our certificates), and 1-2 in Madrid. I will catch my flight back to the states on the 15th.
Multiple contingencies exist, and if my tendon goes out, I will take the necessary recovery time in one of the cathedral cities, and then walk the mandatory final 100 kilometers from Sarria even if it takes a week. No worries!
I'm kicking some maps and dates around and spit balling a plan. (tentative and supremely flexible, of course) Shane and I will have to sit down and discuss things in detail, but here's a working draft:
I'm flying out of Dulles on June 22nd in the afternoon, to arrive in Barcelona morning of the 23rd. I will immediately find the most expeditious transport available to Pamplona, and thence to St. Jean Pied-de-Port. Hopefully Shane and I can link up in St. Jean, if not before (it remains to be seen if we will be on the same flight, or even arriving in the same city!). I hope that we can get walking on Friday the 24th, reaching Roncesvalles at the end of the first (insanely mountainous) day. If we can manage this, we should reach Logrono by afternoon of the seventh trail day (the 30th). This is a major city of 120K+, and we should be able to rent a car or catch a train or bus to facilitate a two-day motorized phase which will take us from Logrono through Burgos and Leon (with a couple side trips possible to Clavijo and Santo Domingo de Silos, and so on depending on our mode of transport and METT).
I suggest that we might resume our walk between Manjarin and Ponferrada on the 3rd. This will provide two built-in days of relative rest and recovery which will allow us to hit the highlights of Burgos and Leon. Hotels as opposed to refugios may also be a good option at that point.
If we want to see a bullfight (not sure about this, as it is certainly cruel but coolly fascinating, not unlike a hot chick when you're a freshman.) we should arrange to be in Pamplona or Leon on a Sunday. Should be doable, especially if we are willing to bust out a few extra miles here and there.
We'll cover the final 200 km of the trip, including the "Camino Duro" or "Hard Road" mountain section as well as the medieval 30-kilometer "Whore Zone", no longer in operation), on foot in nine days. This will probably suck a great deal. However, we should arrive at our destination on or about the 11th. We will have 1-2 days of recovery/sightseeing in Santiago(during which we can collect our certificates), and 1-2 in Madrid. I will catch my flight back to the states on the 15th.
Multiple contingencies exist, and if my tendon goes out, I will take the necessary recovery time in one of the cathedral cities, and then walk the mandatory final 100 kilometers from Sarria even if it takes a week. No worries!