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A Spaniard's Advice to Camino-Walkers
Condensed from a Spanish website, focussed on the Camino

Here is a modified summary of some sound Spanish advice that I found on the web, under Consejos para el caminante. That website is intended for serious walkers doing the full 800 kilometers from the French border to Compostela, walking about 30 km a day – much more taxing than the gentler stretch of the Camino we have planned. I've just included those bits of it will that apply to us. -- Pat R.

 

Get into Training


Rudyard Kipling said it best: "Just think you can, and you really can; it all depends on the mind." Our mind and will needs to prepare our body for the effort required on the Camino. Even if you are a sporty person, it is advisable to do some hiking practice in the preceding month, with the walking shoes or boots you're going to take the Camino. Those who are really unfit should begin three months in advance with suitable training:

  • It is important that you test your fitness in some way. The Camino de Santiago is not a Sunday stroll.

  • If you can walk to work, do so, as a major part of your preparation. If you do without the elevator and climb the stairs instead, you've also taken a big step forward.

  • Begin with an hour and increase the length gradually up to two hours. Do not worry about your speed, as you will no need it on the camino; the main thing is to strengthen your muscles.

  • During the next two weeks vary the routine by increasing the length some days, and choosing paths that have ups and downs. After a month you should easily be able to walk three hours over any sort of terrain.

  • Before walking it's good to do some stretching exercises forneck, shoulders, waist, knees and ankles.

Travel with the essentials

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Packing for the camino needs a bit of care: What to bring? Will need a poncho? Since we intend to sleep in hotels, we can forget about sleeping bags or ground-sheets. Here are the sort of things you might bring each day:

  • A plastic water bottle.
  • A pair of trekking poles, if you want to use them, or the classic pilgrim's staff.
  • A change of shirt, underwear and socks in your knapsack each day, in case it rains.
  • Comfortable hiking trousers.
  • A light pullover and waterproof jacket.
  • A visor or hat; Sunglasses and sunscreen lotion.
  • A few aspirin or ibuprofen, band aids and iodine.
    (Our group nurse will have some first-aid items, in case of need).
  • An ID card, Health Card, credit card and the pilgrim badge.
  • Mobile phone & camera (and their chargers.)

Moderate your pace and distance


Take the Camino at a pace suited to your age and condition:

  • The saying "walk like an old person and you arrive like a young person" is the best advice for a pilgrim starting out. During the first three days is not advisable to attempt any speed-walking. When  the initial stiffness and discomfort has passed your pace can be progressively increased without exhausting yourself.

  • On the Camino you will come across some enthusiastic athletes who walk up to 40 km in a day, but even among them many fall victims to painful tendinitis. (You can prevent such injuries by simple stretching routines before and after the walking session, especially stretching your legs, back, lower back and shoulders.)

Eating to keep your strength up:

On the Camino, aim at a proper walker's diet:

  • It is essential to enjoy a full breakfast each day including milk, cereal (flaked cereal, bread, toast, fruit loaf or fruit), and accessories (butter or margarine, cheese, ham, jam, honey, sugar, etc).

  • Since each stage will take an average of 4 to 6 hours walking, we should take a short break every hour to eat some carbohydrates and have a drink, enabling us to better maintain a decent pace, and to avoid both "The Wall" (exhaustion) and dehydration.

  • During continuous exercise, regular intake of water is as important as carbohydrates, especially on days of high heat and humidity. A widespread mistake is not to drink water regularly and wait until one feels thirsty or hungry to start taking water and food.

  • Walking with a full stomach is not healthy. The most important meal of the day is at the end of the stage and, if the day gets longer and you need to eat on the road, you should opt for a snack or a light meal of pasta or vegetables.

  • Rehydration at the end of each stage is is also important, and if there has been much perspiration it is also necessary to replenish lost electrolytes.

It is polite to show appreciation

We hardly need to say this, but some people seem to forget their manners when abroad:

  • The Camino de Santiago is not a duty but a free choice and therefore the pilgrim should behave with due courtesy all along the way. In the shelters and facilities along the route one should take care not to belittle the locals or abuse their hospitality.

  • To avoid littering along the way, it is advisable to bring an empty bag in which to place all wrappers, cans and food scraps one accumulates during the stage.

  • All pilgrims deserve the same respect, whether they are Camino veterans or are on it for the first time. Each has personal goals and expectations, but they are all sharing the same trail toward Compostela. El Camino is one of the best schools of civic and human values; by taking its teachings on board, one returns home renewed and a better person.

  • Be fair, it is not acceptable to request free shelter or haggle about the price of lodging while spending money freely on frivolous things.