Disparities between Wise Pilgrim and Brierley distances

[MARSKA]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

 

[C clearly]

Perhaps there is a slight difference in paths indicated on the maps. You could follow along the exact maps, side by side, and identify where one took a variant that the other didn't. You could also compare the elevations and terrain to decide which one was unfair.

 

[SabsP]

Unfair?

Do 30 kilometers in totality make such a difference?
Again do not overthink it.
I remember twelve years ago I had no apps to guide me and I remember the mojones in Galicia where the kilometers neither made sense with their number after the comma...

 

[dougfitz]

... and the Pilgrim Office will tell you it's 775km.

What might seem like a big difference now will be in the noise by the time you reach Santiago. You will have walked a little more each day finding an albergue, doing your shopping and wandering around the town finding somewhere to eat.

Why anyone would think it is unfair is beyond me. There were many variations to every pilgrimage route I have walked, few of which made the distance any shorter! A guide author chooses one to describe, and might explain where complementary routes can be taken. They don't describe these in minute detail every time.

Edited to correct the distance acknowledged by the Pilgrim Office.

 

[dick bird]

There is first the difficulty in measuring a walking route between two points accurately even in the days of Satnav, then there is that fact that not only are there a number of variants, the camino route itself has and will almost certainly continue to change from time to time for any number of good reasons, e.g. a new road, a bridge, a dam, so any statement of distance is an approximation and very possibly out of date.

 

[Prentiss Riddle]

It's a matter of shoe size. Wise Pilgrim wears a 42 while poor Brierley wears a 40. If you wear a 45 it's only 653.3 km.

 

[Flog]

The 'official' distances from the three towns you mention are 779km, 755km and 713km.

But nothing is constant, all guide books and apps will vary, as will your own fitbit or whatever, the detail isn't really important..

 

[good_old_shoes]

The Camino is a living thing, so distances aren't always 100% accurate.

Sometimes the path gets rerouted slightly, so the distance changes, ect.

I've noticed that when walking longer distances, that the further you're away from Santiago, the more the overall distance indicated on signs along the way differs, sometimes the signs are a few hundred kms off because whoever set them up apparently looked up the distance by road instead of footpath, or something like that.

Sometimes I walked by signs that said 5km to xy, and then after walking an hour there was another one saying the same. Annoying, but not the end of the world. You get used to it.

In the end it doesn't really matter. You walk, you arrive at some point A few kilometres more or less do not really matter over the course of several weeks of walking.

For me, it's all part of the pilgrimage. Time doesn't really matter anymore after a while, nor do the kilometers. Just walk. Enjoy. Stop when you're tired or when you've reached your destination.

Buen Camino!

 

[dougfitz]

sometimes the signs are a few hundred kms off

Really? That would make it interesting.

 

[VNwalking]

What's a few kms between friends?
DIfferent variants, different ways of measuring, who knows? It all comes out in the wash.

Anyway the longer it is the more time you get on the way. So I'm always hoping the longer numbers are right.

 

[Trailhawk]

It doesn't matter. Let the Compostela decide the kilometers. But for all of us, the Camino is a numbers game.

 

[Harland2019]

Really? That would make it interesting.

On the way out of Hontanas there is a sign showing 248 miles to Santiago. It also showed 457kms (i.e. c. 284 miles) and 95 leguas (i.e. a league being 3 miles on land so 285 miles). So presumably they mixed up the number of 284 miles as 248 when they painted the sign!

 

[VNwalking]

But for all of us, the Camino is a numbers game.

I couldn't care less, and never pay the numbers much attention. Except when getting close to Santiago, wishing they weren't getting so low so fast.

 

[Former member 22438]

It doesn't matter. Let the Compostela decide the kilometers. But for all of us, the Camino is a numbers game.

The Pilgrims Office does .
Not especially for the Compostela but more for the certificate of distance.
They changed the system. Last year as a volunteer you could consult the computer for a certain distance .
SJPDP to Santiago is 749 kms
Lisbon 655km etc etc .

 

[RJM]

I've never paid any attention to listed distances in various publications and such for any of my Camino's. Just step on the path, follow the shells and arrows to that big cathedral in Santiago.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Really? That would make it interesting.

It was . In one town a sign would say 2100kms to Santiago then a few kms further in the next village it was 1967,47km or 2300, or the other way around, while my guide books were pretty sure it was still 2500 at least!

It's a bit like asking locals "how far to xy?" One will say "Almost there, maybe five minutes!" one "Still far, maybe three hours?" one "You can't walk there, it's too far, but there's a bus stop over there!" and one will know a shortcut or a more beautiful variant. In the end, you never know exactly what you get. Always fun.

Not blaming the people who put up the signs, by the way. There are so many different ways to Santiago, it's impossible to give a "correct" distance for everyone, especially in places far away from the destination, when there are still countless official and inofficiaI variants.

I was always happy to see a distance marker for Santiago at all, whatever numbers were written on it!

 

[JabbaPapa]

Fairly recently, a new calculation of the distances in Galicia was made, including because the route itself had changed in many places over the last years because of improvements and "improvements", as well as some longer sections having been put in place for pilgrim safety reasons, so that distances are now both actually longer than they used to be, and more accurately established -- in any case, the waymarkers in Galicia and in Castilla y León now generally indicate those new distances, whereas information from other sources has not necessarily been updated.

Plus, not everyone agrees on the distance from SJPP in the first place.

 

[Trailhawk]

I couldn't care less, and never pay the numbers much attention. Except when getting close to Santiago, wishing they weren't getting so low so fast.

We always noticed the signages with numbers. It either left us in despair or it boosts our morale. It is my guide since I am an analog guy. I carried a Cicerone guidebook and a compass.

For those who used phone navigation apps, the numbers are important. Calories lost, number of steps, distances, heartbeats, etc.

 

[dougfitz]

It was . In one town a sign would say 2100kms to Santiago then a few kms further in the next village it was 1967,47km or 2300, or the other way around, while my guide books were pretty sure it was still 2500 at least!

It's a bit like asking locals "how far to xy?" One will say "Almost there, maybe five minutes!" one "Still far, maybe three hours?" one "You can't walk there, it's too far, but there's a bus stop over there!" and one will know a shortcut or a more beautiful variant. In the end, you never know exactly what you get. Always fun.

Not blaming the people who put up the signs, by the way. There are so many different ways to Santiago, it's impossible to give a "correct" distance for everyone, especially in places far away from the destination, when there are still countless official and inofficiaI variants.

I was always happy to see a distance marker for Santiago at all, whatever numbers were written on it!

I am now wondering what country you started in and how long you were walking.

 

[VNwalking]

For those who used phone navigation apps, the numbers are important. Calories lost, number of steps, distances, heartbeats, etc.

Really? Maybe for you, but please don't project that on the rest of us, because you don't actually know.

I use a navigation app. For navigation.

Sometimes at the end of a day I know how far I've gone, sometimes not. I prefer to actually inhabit my body and let it tell me how far is far enough. As for all that other data, it's for a gym, not the camino (unless you have heart disease and actually need to know pulse rate). But otherwise, who cares?

 

[Trailhawk]

Really? Maybe for you, but please don't project that on the rest of us, because you don't actually know.

I use a navigation app. For navigation.

Sometimes at the end of a day I know how far I've gone, sometimes not. I prefer to actually inhabit my body and let it tell me how far is far enough. As for all that other data, it's for a gym, not the camino (unless you have heart disease and actually need to know pulse rate). But otherwise, who cares?

I saved phone battery for photos and videos. For navigation, the yellow arrows. When I see a number, it gives me an idea how far I have walked and how far will I walk.

Most of the time the arrows disappear. A lot of times, the guidebook would correct me and I would go back. When the guidebook does not give a hint, my button compass would save the day. The beauty of my journey is I get lost on the way and I get lost in my own thoughts. Good thing on the Camino is you have angels watching over you. They just appear when you used up everything you've got.

But the numbers - the mileage - on the signage and billboards, they're magic!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

Of course. Think of a running track. The distance varies depending on whether you're running/walking it on the left side or the right.

 

[dougfitz]

It's a bit like asking locals "how far to xy?" One will say "Almost there, maybe five minutes!" one "Still far, maybe three hours?" one "You can't walk there, it's too far, but there's a bus stop over there!" and one will know a shortcut or a more beautiful variant. In the end, you never know exactly what you get. Always fun.

My wife calls these 'walkers lies'. She coined the phrase when we were walking the Milford track nearly a decade ago. When she asked a DOC worker repairing part of the track what the track was like ahead, the response was 'its level for quite a while' despite the climb we could see ahead of us.

 

[dougfitz]

Of course. Think of a running track. The distance varies depending on whether you're running/walking it on the left side or the right.

Let's be generous and say the average Camino path track is about three metres wide, and we use about 2/3 of it walking. On a circuit that would make a difference of about six metres a lap. 30 km would need 5000 laps, or 2000 km on a standard track. @Rick of Rick and Peg, I like the suggestion, but I don't think it passes the pub maths test

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Let's be generous and say the average Camino path track is about three metres wide, and we use about 2/3 of it walking. On a circuit that would make a difference of about six metres a lap. 30 km would need 5000 laps, or 2000 km on a standard track. @Rick of Rick and Peg, I like the suggestion, but I don't think it passes the pub maths test

How about if while you are walking you constantly cross the camino thinking the other side is the shorter?

 

[dougfitz]

How about if while you are walking you constantly cross the camino thinking the other side is the shorter?

That's got potential. At an angle of 20°, it would only require about 450 km to add the distance.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Oh, oh. Maybe Brierley is measuring with one of the old fashioned push wheels that count the number of turns and so also counts the slopes of the speed bumps along the way. Wise Pilgrim, being a wise pilgrim, uses the easier GPS method.

Again, a .

 

[t2andreo]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

In the end ONLY the distance quoted by the Pilgrim Office is official. Originally, distances were measured from the steps of each town’s main church or cathedral.

I know from personal experience, that Wise Pilgrim uses a GPS transponder affixed to his bicycle when measuring routes. Others have used various analog pedometers or a rolling surveyor’s measuring wheel.

Personally, I am inclined to adhere to GPS-derived numbers. But to each their own.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[Walkalong]

Is there a guide that enables more opportunity to talk to more sheep, goats, cows, horses, donkeys, cats, dogs, bees, butterflies, birds and even insects? More casual conversations with new, kind, considerate friends?

 

[Kgaynor]

Having just finished my first Camino today, I understand your frustration. I was frustrated too at the beginning. Then I came to accept that the variations don’t really matter. You walk anyways. If the distance is +/- 8 km between locations, then it is.

 

[Rolotom]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

Lol.....hard to tell if you are joking.....you sound so sincere!!

 

[wisepilgrim]

When you measure the distance from one place to Santiago, you have to pick a path. There are a number of places along the Camino Francés where you have two choices of unequal length. If John chooses one of them to measure along and I chose the other well then our sums will never be the same.

Also, with experience I have learned to transcend time and space so the usual kilometers don’t count the same.

 

[wisepilgrim]

I know from personal experience, that Wise Pilgrim uses a GPS transponder affixed to his bicycle when measuring routes. Others have used various analog pedometers or a rolling surveyor’s measuring wheel.

Just to clarify, I most certainly do NOT use this method. It would be wildly inaccurate.

 

[NancyZ]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

If you look at the different apps they all have different distances.

 

[TexasIndia]

It also depends on where you stay. Not all hostels, inns, or hotels are exactly on the Way you are taking. Last year I ended up adding almost 10 km when I missed where my hotel was on the 2nd day. Instead of a 16.2 km day, it turned into a 26.1 km day! That was my 2nd night on the Camino. I didn't make that mistake again!

 

[aralgate]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

And the road sign leaving Roncevalles states 800 km to Santiago de Compostela??

 

[trecile]

And the road sign leaving Roncevalles states 800 km to Santiago de Compostela??

It says 790 km

 

[dbier]

Don't strain at gnats and swallow camels, as my grandmother used to say. From an engineering perspective, a difference of even 40 km ... over 740 km or more...is not significant.

Also, any recreational walker / runner will tell you that the distance they cover during any event is more than the official distance of the event, because they don't take the absolute minimum track.

Your brain is trying to frighten you out of this. Tell it to shut up, and come.

Buen Camino.

 

[VNwalking]

Your brain is trying to frighten you out of this. Tell it to shut up, and come.

Wonderful advice.

 

[SBurgess]

I agree with Rolotom. It is difficult for me to tell whether the OP is sincere or simply joking. It seems most everyone here believes Marska is serious.
So, in that vein, I say forget the distances and just put one foot in front of the other while enjoying the atmosphere, the history, relishing the newfound friends/pilgrims, and whatever any inner peace (however that occurs) the pilgrimage gives you.
The distances are irrelevant. Just move forward. When your body or mind tells you to stop for the day do so. Enjoy--both the journey itself and the final step into Santiago de Compostela.

 

[Lindsay53]

Unfair? I crossed from Castille y Leon into Galicia this morning and discovered the way markers had added an extra 30 kilometres to my Camino! I am devastated.....

 

[good_old_shoes]

I am now wondering what country you started in and how long you were walking.

A bit more than three and a half months, from germany.

I'm still not sure how many kms it was exactly!

 

[Yoyo]

... and the Pilgrim Office will tell you it's 775km.

My official Distance Certificate from 2017 even states 799 km as the distance from SJPP to SdC.

 

[HoosierOldLady]

a difference of even 40 km ... over 740 km or more...is not significant.

Also known as "decimal dust."

 

[dougfitz]

My official Distance Certificate from 2017 even states 799 km as the distance from SJPP to SdC.

Perhaps I should have been more precise. My distance certificate from SJPP is for 775km.

 

[Former member 92300]

SJPDP 767km vs 778.5km. 11.5km difference

Roncesvalles 742.7km vs 753.4km 31.7km difference

Pamplona,700.4km vs 731.5km 31.1km difference

Seems to me the problem can be solved by simply starting in SJPDP so that overall - both men are only walking 11.5km difference, as opposed to starting in Roncesvalles or Pamplona with 31.something km difference!

But - when you are walking 700-800km, a variation of 11-31.7km really doesn't make that big of a difference. Sure - that 31.7km can become it's own additional day of walking - or if you are walking 32 days that is less than 1 extra km/day.

As for the "why"? Well - where exactly in each town did they take their measurements? Where did they take different routes? Did they use the same routes/alternate routes but in one place WP took the shorter route and Brierly took the longer route? So many factors. And - at the end of the day - even though I could take my apple watch measurements if wanted to and add them all up for my daily distances albergue to albergue - I could compare it to someone else who stayed in all of the same albergues - and we would probably have different distances because of shortcuts/taking longer paths/wandering in a town to find a bar to eat/rest at.

And at the end of the day - the Pilgrim's office doesn't look at MY totals when issuing a distance certificates. They pick their own number and use that same number for every pilgrim who walked the same route from the same town. Mine says 779 from SJPDP, which is closer to Brierly. But - when you get to Roncesvalles - you will notice the street mileage marker says 790 km to go which just adds confusion since the pilgrims walk right past it as we leave Roncesvalles lol.

And yes - it might seem unfair - but maybe Brierly takes a longer but prettier route somewhere? Doesn't matter - we follow the arrows more often than the book or app map.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Perhaps I should have been more precise. My distance certificate from SJPP is for 775km.

Mine says I walked 799km. I got mine in 2017 like @Yoyo. Possibly they changed it that year.

 

[williamlittig]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

John Brierly is very tall. Fewer paces but greater distance.

 

[Flog]

My official Distance Certificate from 2017 even states 799 km as the distance from SJPP to SdC.

Perhaps I should have been more precise. My distance certificate from SJPP is for 775km.

Mine says I walked 799km. I got mine in 2017 like @Yoyo. Possibly they changed it that year.

And yet, the official distance, as quoted by the Pilgrim's Office is 779km, and has been for some years.

But outside of all this, does it really matter in the scheme of things, a few km here or there? It's a month more or less, walking from one end of Spain to the other, and it's the guts of 800km, isn't that good enough? It's good enough for me..

 

[williamlittig]

John Brierley is very tall. Fewer paces but longer distance

 

[raincitygal]

I decided kilometers are imaginary after the "map my walk" app I tried gave completely different distances than any guidebook, stopped worrying about it and just walked till I got there

 

[Derek Booth]

At the risk of boring people (I've written this before,)
The Wise pilgrim gives Pamplona to SdC as 700kms.

After 29 days I arrived at 'The Office' and was given a
Cerfiticate (sic) that said 729kms.

I reckon they allowed 1km a day to get to the Bar on
an evening. (and get back!!!)

 

[Camino Chrissy]

To worry about a few kilometers "here or there" makes no real difference to me. I agree with @Flog.

 

[dougfitz]

But outside of all this, does it really matter in the scheme of things, a few km here or there?

Not really, unless it is in the last 100km.

 

[SabsP]

To worry about a few kilometers "here or there" makes no real difference to me. I agree with @Flog.

I remember after our first day from Irun to Astigarraga ( Camino Vasco Interior ) that we at least added two kilometers to find our hostal for the day.The hostal is situated in an industrial complex ( sin numero ) in a commercial zone.When we passed a cargarage for the second time I knew we were definitely walking in circles. Part of the fun of a Camino.

Till today I do not know how I walked into Burgos on my first Camino in 2011.I might have discovered a new untrodden track....

 

[Former member 92300]

I should also add - Santiago, Finisterre, and Muxia all have "KM 0 Markers"... and obviously - you can end in any of the 3 - but only one gets you a Compostela from the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago (the other two do have their own though - the Fisterrana and Muxiana if you meet the requirements).

And as someone else pointed out - the KM Markers aren't all accurate. Once in a while you will suddenly gain mileage ahead if you pay close attention.

 

[Kit3010]

Dearest Pilgrims,
Perhaps the answer is obvious to others, but I am unable to determine why Wise Pilgrim provides a distance of 767km from SJPDP to SDC and Brierley gives a distance of 778.5km.

Wise Pilgrim on the Napoleon arrives at Roncesvalles with 742.7km left to SDC while poor Brierley must walk 753.4km to reach the same destination.

Again, at Pamplona, WP is only 700.4km from SDC while unfortunate Brierley is 731.5km distant.

Does someone know why WP doesn't need to walk as far as Brierley? Seem unfair to me.

 

[rojasa]

Whew! You're right, it IS unfair! We look forward to a full and utterly accurate report of distance when you complete your pilgrimage! Buen camino, OP!

 

[AussieWayne]

It's a matter of shoe size. Wise Pilgrim wears a 42 while poor Brierley wears a 40. If you wear a 45 it's only 653.3 km.

I like this response.
There are so many variables along the way it really doesn’t matter. I finished my Camino in April 2018. The SDC pilgrim office credited me with 799km.
I offered to walk another km but it wouldn’t have made any difference

 

[Icacos]

The OP hasn’t been back since his original post. Look how much mileage he’s got out of this!?

 

[CWBuff]

It doesn't matter. Let the Compostela decide the kilometers. But for all of us, the Camino is a numbers game.

The Pilgrims Office does .
Not especially for the Compostela but more for the certificate of distance.
They changed the system. Last year as a volunteer you could consult the computer for a certain distance .
SJPDP to Santiago is 749 kms
Lisbon 655km etc etc .

My official Distance Certificate from 2017 even states 799 km as the distance from SJPP to SdC.

My Distance Certificate received in June 2022 stated 779km SJPdP to SdC
Go figure....

 

[Kathor1]

Also known as "decimal dust."

Oh, I love this expression . Never heard it before.

So it means "insignificant amount" in general when compared to a larger amount and "too many decimal digits" in particular (nice one here: https://themetricmaven.com/pardon-the-decimal-dust/ and here: https://wordspy.com/words/decimal-dust/).

How I wish I had known this expression when I walked through Galicia. I am one of those people who could not care less about the exact distance in kilometres between SJPP and SdC but gets terribly irritated by the three digits after the decimal comma on the mojones. And there are many mojones between the border of Galicia and Santiago. I tried not to look at them.

 

[Henry B]

... and the Pilgrim Office will tell you it's 775km.

What might seem like a big difference now will be in the noise by the time you reach Santiago. You will have walked a little more each day finding an albergue, doing your shopping and wandering around the town finding somewhere to eat.

Why anyone would think it is unfair is beyond me. There were many variations to every pilgrimage route I have walked, few of which made the distance any shorter! A guide author chooses one to describe, and might explain where complementary routes can be taken. They don't describe these in minute detail every time.

Edited to correct the distance acknowledged by the Pilgrim Office.

I post this with a smile because my Compostela records the distance from SJPDP to SDC as 799km.... what's a kilometre or two when amongst new friends. Buen Camino.

 

[chinacat]

Also, with experience I have learned to transcend time and space so the usual kilometers don’t count the same.

Ah … you use a unicorn …

 

[t2andreo]

It says 790 km

View attachment 147055

The distance BY ROAD (in a car) is 790 Km. However, the foot path is shorter, as you are compelled to walk up and down every hill and mountain, whereas, vehicles travel on roads that were build to reduce vertical grades.

The trade off was more distance in a vehicle versus steep climbs. Most of the paved roads were built in a time of smaller engines with more manual gears.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[dougfitz]

I post this with a smile because my Compostela records the distance from SJPDP to SDC as 799km.... what's a kilometre or two when amongst new friends. Buen Camino.

You're only trying to make me envious!!

 

[trecile]

The distance BY ROAD (in a car) is 790 Km. However, the foot path is shorter, as you are compelled to walk up and down every hill and mountain, whereas vehicles travel in roads that were build to reduce vertical grades

Just walked through Roncesvalles today. There is a new mojón with the Camino distance to Santiago a few meters in front of the 790 km road sign.

 

[thomryng]

On the Camino, all published distances are lies. You get used to it.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

My official Distance Certificate from 2017 even states 799 km as the distance from SJPP to SdC.

I gave this a little thought. 799 is better than it saying 800. No one seeing the figure of 800 would believe it wasn't rounded up significantly. Besides, the 799 figure gives you the opportunity to tell a little story "Actually I walked 823 kilometers because I ...".

On the other hand, it really wouldn't have hurt them to say 801.

 

[CWBuff]

Just walked through Roncesvalles today. There is a new mojón with the Camino distance to Santiago a few meters in front of the 790 km road sign.

View attachment 147101

This is what I saw shortly before (and practically right next to) Roland Fountain
Sort of got me confused because I obviously did not just walked 30+km from SJPdP

Stone says 765 KM

 

[Camino Chrissy]

This post is off topic, but this thread is reminding me that on my recent walk on the second half of the Norte, not one mojone along the whole distance was defaced in any way. What an uplifting thing to see after my memories of the mojones on the Frances in 2017, where even the newer ones had the brass placards popped off.

 

[MARSKA]

My comment was intended to be tongue-in-cheek!

 

[MARSKA]

The OP hasn’t been back since his original post. Look how much mileage he’s got out of this!?

She

 

[MARSKA]

Unfair?

Do 30 kilometers in totality make such a difference?
Again do not overthink it.
I remember twelve years ago I had no apps to guide me and I remember the mojones in Galicia where the kilometers neither made sense with their number after the comma...

I was just being a bit silly -

 

[MARSKA]

Perhaps there is a slight difference in paths indicated on the maps. You could follow along the exact maps, side by side, and identify where one took a variant that the other didn't. You could also compare the elevations and terrain to decide which one was unfair.

Ha! Great idea!!!!

 

[MARSKA]

And yet, the official distance, as quoted by the Pilgrim's Office is 779km, and has been for some years.

But outside of all this, does it really matter in the scheme of things, a few km here or there? It's a month more or less, walking from one end of Spain to the other, and it's the guts of 800km, isn't that good enough? It's good enough for me..

Me too!

 

[MARSKA]

It says 790 km

View attachment 147055

Well now! Talk about discrepancies!

 

[MARSKA]

This is what I saw shortly before (and practically right next to) Roland Fountain
Sort of got me confused because I obviously did not just walked 30+km from SJPdP

Stone says 765 KM

I'd be confused, too! Very confused. Puzzled in fact.

 

[MARSKA]

If you look at the different apps they all have different distances.

Yep - got it!

 

[MARSKA]

I gave this a little thought. 799 is better than it saying 800. No one seeing the figure of 800 would believe it wasn't rounded up significantly. Besides, the 799 figure gives you the opportunity to tell a little story "Actually I walked 823 kilometers because I ...".

On the other hand, it really wouldn't have hurt them to say 801.

Or maybe just add an extra digit on the end- then it would be TRULY impressive. Ha!

 

[MARSKA]

When you measure the distance from one place to Santiago, you have to pick a path. There are a number of places along the Camino Francés where you have two choices of unequal length. If John chooses one of them to measure along and I chose the other well then our sums will never be the same.

Also, with experience I have learned to transcend time and space so the usual kilometers don’t count the same.

I, too wish to transcend time and space. Maybe with enough experience???????????????

 

[MARSKA]

... and the Pilgrim Office will tell you it's 775km.

What might seem like a big difference now will be in the noise by the time you reach Santiago. You will have walked a little more each day finding an albergue, doing your shopping and wandering around the town finding somewhere to eat.

Why anyone would think it is unfair is beyond me. There were many variations to every pilgrimage route I have walked, few of which made the distance any shorter! A guide author chooses one to describe, and might explain where complementary routes can be taken. They don't describe these in minute detail every time.

Edited to correct the distance acknowledged by the Pilgrim Office.

Doug - I wasn't being serious.
But good to know the office says 775.

 

[MARSKA]

Unfair?

Do 30 kilometers in totality make such a difference?
Again do not overthink it.
I remember twelve years ago I had no apps to guide me and I remember the mojones in Galicia where the kilometers neither made sense with their number after the comma...

Sabs - just kidding!

 

[MARSKA]

It's a matter of shoe size. Wise Pilgrim wears a 42 while poor Brierley wears a 40. If you wear a 45 it's only 653.3 km.

Oh Prentiss! That's why! Thanks for figuring it out and sharing!

 

[HoosierOldLady]

Oh, I love this expression . Never heard it before.

So it means "insignificant amount" in general when compared to a larger amount and "too many decimal digits" in particular (nice one here: https://themetricmaven.com/pardon-the-decimal-dust/ and here: https://wordspy.com/words/decimal-dust/).

How I wish I had known this expression when I walked through Galicia. I am one of those people who could not care less about the exact distance in kilometres between SJPP and SdC but gets terribly irritated by the three digits after the decimal comma on the mojones. And there are many mojones between the border of Galicia and Santiago. I tried not to look at them.

I became familiar with the term “decimal dust “ when I worked at a federal agency in Washington DC in the early 1990’s. It was used to refer to our agency’s very small annual budget approved by Congress.

 

[MARSKA]

Lol.....hard to tell if you are joking.....you sound so sincere!!

Rolostorm ..... you are not the only person who has said that to me (not here, but in real life). I am joking - I'm sorry, I didnt think it would be hard to tell... shudda known better .... LOL

 

[MARSKA]

John Brierley is very tall. Fewer paces but longer distance

And I am very short. Does that mean more paces and shorter distance?

 

[Bradypus]

And I am very short. Does that mean more paces and shorted distance

I usually walk alone. But once a year I meet up with a friend who is about 4" taller than me and we walk for a week or two together. Height matters!

 

[MARSKA]

The OP hasn’t been back since his original post. Look how much mileage he’s got out of this!?

I'm baaaack! She.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I'm baaaack! She.

You're back and I gotta say that I love your humorous replies! You are very "like"able.

 

[Kgaynor]

<joking>

These help with intent.

 

[t2andreo]

Just walked through Roncesvalles today. There is a new mojón with the Camino distance to Santiago a few meters in front of the 790 km road sign.

View attachment 147101

That mojone presumes one is walking. The road sign addresses the distance when driving.

Hope this helps,

Tom

 

[MARSKA]

<joking>

These help with intent.

Yes, thank you for mentioning the emoticons. Being an international forum humor can be difficult to interpret.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Just having come back from a GPS recorded hike I was reminded of another reason distances between identical points can have different values. While creating a GPS track an app calculates the great circle distance between each subsequent set of coordinates and sums them to give you the distance you have travelled. The more points recorded the more likely the resulting figure will be accurate. My OSMand app has a slider to tell the app how often it should query for a GPS location. It ranges from continuous to one second to five minutes. Set to five minutes the app isn't going to measure many bends and curves.

 

[C clearly]

Being an international forum humor can be difficult to interpret.

Yes! You might post a serious question (just as a hypothetical example, maybe about underwear), and some people will think you must be joking. Then you post a joking question and the same people might think you are serious.

This is why people shouldn't be too easily offended by responses they didn't expect!

 

[Blister Bill]

My wife calls these 'walkers lies'. She coined the phrase when we were walking the Milford track nearly a decade ago. When she asked a DOC worker repairing part of the track what the track was like ahead, the response was 'its level for quite a while' despite the climb we could see ahead of us.

You must have missed the wry DOC smile Doug... having heard your accent !

 

[dougfitz]

You must have missed the wry DOC smile Doug... having heard your accent !

If there was one, it must have been fleetingly brief, and we certainly didn't detect it. And as for the scurrilous suggestion that we Australians have an accent ...

 

[Camino Chrissy]

What! People on the forum have accents? I've not heard any yet; everyone sounds just like me.

 

[Bradypus]

And as for the scurrilous suggestion that we Australians have an accent ...

There is (or was) a shop in Llanberis selling coffee and outdoor gear. Run by a New Zealander. On a shelf there was a basket of those long metal spiky things campers use to hold the tent to the ground. The handwritten label on it said "tint pigs".

 

[Blister Bill]

If there was one, it must have been fleetingly brief, and we certainly didn't detect it. And as for the scurrilous suggestion that we Australians have an accent ...

Long memories of your mr Chappell !