![]() Still, most people who want adventure travel avoid nonstop flatness.Įl Camino is certainly doable. In fact, I was thrilled in the Big Basin in Wyoming because it was everything Colorado was not: flat, dry, and snow-free. Although I never really loved it, it was fine. I also used to hike long distances in flat, featureless deserts and farm country without much problem. I put up with much colder temperatures with far fewer clothing that I have now. If you're curious to find out where I am, through Twitter I update my Facebook status. In October, the popular trails are chilly, but snow free. What's nice is that if it's too cold and snowy in Asturias, I can easily drop down to El Camino Frances. They often yield crazier adventure stories too. For me, alpine mountains are more scenic than rolling hills or farmland. It should be more scenic than the traditional routes, which favor flatter terrains. My alternate route will be in the high mountains between El Camino Frances and El Camino del Norte (the coastal route). In sum, I'll do about 50% of El Camino Santiago on the popular Camino Frances (the beginning and end) and 50% on some wacky mountainous route of my own invention. I headed into the mountains, whereas normal pilgrims stay in the flatlands. You can see where I deviated from El Camino Frances (it's around Castilla, west of Burgos). The yellow line shows two of the official caminos. Then I followed the red line to the west, toward Santiago de Compostela and Finisterre, where I ended the journey. Go for extra divine credit by continuing to Finisterra, Spain.īelow is a map that shows where I went. I started in the east, on the purple line.Party with the pilgrims the rest of the way to Santiago de Compostela.Rejoin El Camino Frances somewhere between Ponferrada and Lugo.Continue traversing the mountain range west into the rest of Asturias, which has plenty of majestic, craggy mountains.Head north to Los Picos de Europa (which are over 2,600 meters).Stick to El Camino Frances from Pamplona to Burgos (hilly terrain).Half Camino Frances, half the mountain range around Asturias Jean Pied-de-Port, but I ended up on the Atlantic Ocean because that's where the Pyrenees end.įrom there, I had two options: take the coastal route (El Camino del Norte) or go to Pamplona and join El Camino Frances. Hendaye, France (near San Sebastian, Spain).Starting pointĭuring my trip across the Pyrenees I visited four popular starting points of El Camino Santiago: Therefore, I will hike my own hike, and make my own unique Camino Santiago. Walking along the ocean (or a really cool river) is nice, but walking through 20+ kilometers of farmland bores me. However, hiking through flat terrain is boring (for me). Hundreds of years ago, someone who purposefully walked across a mountain range instead of the perfectly flat option nearby would be branded a fool! This is understandable because most pilgrims who are trekking across Europe want to take the path of least resistance. Creating the most exciting Camino SantiagoĪlthough I'm sure that many of these trails have their appeal, judging from the topography they cover, they look somewhat flat. In short, El Camino Santiago is the ultimate hike your own hiketrail. However, the key takeaway from the map is that there are many caminos. ![]() It is the most popular way to Santiago de Compostela. This is the famous Camino Frances, or the French Trail. If you zoom into the map of Europe on the right, you may notice that one trail is a bit thicker than the rest. All roads may lead to Rome, but all caminos lead to Santiago de Compostela. In fact, ANY way to Santiago de Compostela is a Camino Santiago. These names imply that there is one trail, one way, one path to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Its most popular translated names (the Way of St. The name El Camino Santiago is deceptive. Fortunately, I have a solution that will keep me from giving up completely. It also made me admire all the pilgrims who are not only able to walk the whole trail, but to also do it with a smile on their faces! I am clearly not tough enough!īut I won't quit. Walking from Pamplona to Burgos is murderously dull, yet most say it is much more scenic than Burgos to Leon. I've never even though about quitting a trail. I've hiked nearly 15,000 miles (24,000 km) in the last decade, having a blast under nearly all conditions. I smile during mountaineering moments when most people cry.
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