Is late April too early for Camino Le Puy

[Robbo55]

I am getting excited now and starting firmer planning for my 2025 Camino starting in Le Puy. I had thought to start late April, but am not sure if that is too soon weather wise. All thoughts welcome. If it is not ideal, what time would you suggest starting bearing in mind that I want to avoid the heat

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I am getting excited now and starting firmer planning for my 2025 Camino starting in Le Puy. I had thought to start late April, but am not sure if that is too soon weather wise. All thoughts welcome. If it is not ideal, what time would you suggest starting bearing in mind that I want to avoid the heat

I walked the Le Puy Camino in 2018 and started on June 1st. I heard a couple of stories that those who had started out just one week prior had walked in some new snow and slush on those early stages of the Margeride and Aubrac regions as they have elevations averaging 1000-1200 meters. That said, each year is different and it does warm up as you go along, and start heading down towards the Lot river valley.

 

[Robbo55]

Thanks for that Camino Chrissy. have you walked other Caminos? This will be my first and I ahve wondered if I might be smarter walking a busier one with more infrastructure for my first go?

 

[Dani7]

Weather being so unpredictable it’s hard to gauge when to leave. Case in point last two springs in Spain had some pretty cold weather. These two vloggers travelled Le Puy in spring, one in 2023 « Days we spend » and one this year « On the trail with Bart ». Happy planning

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thanks for that Camino Chrissy. have you walked other Caminos? This will be my first and I ahve wondered if I might be smarter walking a busier one with more infrastructure for my first go?

Yes, I have walked many various Caminos. The Via Podiensis is beautiful and a definite favorite of mine. I don't know your fitness level, or how much interaction or camaraderie with others you are looking for, so it is difficult to advise you.
The Le Puy has a majority of French speaking walkers, so if you do not speak the language and are not coming with a friend or family member, you may feel quite isolated.
I usually suggest the Camino Frances for a first time walker because I had appreciated all of the infrastructure, a very nice variety of landscape, and meeting pilgrims from different countries; many who were on their first pilgrimage like I was.

 

[Robbo55]

Yes, I have walked many various Caminos. The Via Podiensis is beautiful and a definite favorite of mine. I don't know your fitness level, or how much interaction or camaraderie with others you are looking for, so it is difficult to advise you.
The Le Puy has a majority of French speaking walkers, so if you do not speak the language and are not coming with a friend or family member, you may feel quite isolated.
I usually suggest the Camino Frances for a first time walker because I had appreciated all of the infrastructure, a very nice variety of landscape, and meeting pilgrims from different countries; many who were on their first pilgrimage like I was.

Thanks for your kind words. Yes I am trying to get the balance right- I think I am fit enough and am happy with being alone, but the lesser is the bit I am a little concerned about

 

[Robbo55]

Thanks for your kind words. Yes I am trying to get the balance right- I think I am fit enough and am happy with being alone, but the lesser is the bit I am a little concerned about

Ops meant the reduced infrastructure is the thing the I Wii set about for a first timer. Frances seem a bit too crowded for me

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Ops meant the reduced infrastructure is the thing the I Wii set about for a first timer. Frances seem a bit too crowded for me

Yes, there is less infrastructure on the Le Puy, but if your heart is set on it, you will find a way to make it work like I did.
Another Camino suggestion with good infrastructure is the Camino Portuguese from Porto. It's a good choice for a first time walker.

 

[Robbo55]

I will check it out thanks Chrissy.

 

[Pafayac]

Ops meant the reduced infrastructure is the thing the I Wii set about for a first timer. Frances seem a bit too crowded for me

Podiensis with less infrastructure than Frances ?
Not so less in my opinion: less beds, but less pilgrims too.

 

[Lexicos]

I started from Le Puy on 29 April this year and it rained every day, bar one, until I stopped 17 days later. On one day it even snowed a little. The trail was often very muddy, so much so I decided to defer my pilgrimage until next year. Next time I plan to continue in Mid-May, to hopefully see dry weather and sunnier days. And yes, it was cold. But, having said all that, I guess one never knows what the weather will be like on any given year. I still enjoyed the walk but alas I missed getting to Saint Jean, or even Santiago, as I had planned. Short answer; be prepared for possibly wet and possibly cold weather.

 

[Lexicos]

Oh, by the way, accommodation was a bit tricky at times but I still managed to find somewhere for each night. It just took a bit longer, more phone calls and advance booking. I was never left out in the cold!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Podiensis with less infrastructure than Frances ?
Not so less in my opinion: less beds, but less pilgrims too.

Definitely less infrastructure if you compare it to the Camino Frances. I take the word to mean more than just lodging, but also to mean bars, restaurants, coffee/pastry shops, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc. which are not sprinkled out along the way, but are mainly in the larger towns/cities. The number of these services along the Camino Frances is far superior based on my personal experiences.
The gites on the LePuy most often include demi-pension as there is often nowhere else to get a meal; at least that is how it was in 2018.

 

[Mananath]

Podiensis with less infrastructure than Frances ?
Not so less in my opinion: less beds, but less pilgrims too.

Oh I don't know about that, esp toward the end. There were a few days when I walked 30k+ days and didn't come across any shops at all. I had to start carrying cans of coke to get some caffeine in the afternoon.

 

[Mananath]

I started from Le Puy on 29 April this year and it rained every day, bar one, until I stopped 17 days later. On one day it even snowed a little. The trail was often very muddy, so much so I decided to defer my pilgrimage until next year. Next time I plan to continue in Mid-May, to hopefully see dry weather and sunnier days. And yes, it was cold. But, having said all that, I guess one never knows what the weather will be like on any given year. I still enjoyed the walk but alas I missed getting to Saint Jean, or even Santiago, as I had planned. Short answer; be prepared for possibly wet and possibly cold weather.

I started on may 27 and found the weather in June to range from really cold to really hot to rainy to very muddy. The weather made it very challenging. But I definitely had less rain than you did.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I started on may 27 and found the weather in June to range from really cold to really hot to rainy to very muddy. The weather made it very challenging. But I definitely had less rain than you did.

The only thing we can be sure of with the weather is that Mother nature has a sense of humor and likes to trick us.

 

[Kitsambler]

The Via Podiensis is beautiful ..
The Le Puy has a majority of French speaking walkers.
I usually suggest the Camino Frances for a first time walker because I had appreciated all of the infrastructure, a very nice variety of landscape, and meeting pilgrims from different countries; many who were on their first pilgrimage like I was.

My first route was the Le Puy, done in two year sections in September. I walked the CF last year, in September.
Spain is not France!
- The daily infrastructure on the Le Puy, at roughly 50/day, is sufficient to accommodate the number of walkers. While in Spain, at 500/day, the infrastructure is (argueably - see other threads) not sufficient.
- About 85% of the walkers in France are French. The French like to converse (ie, argue) among themselves over dinner (table is an opportunity for conversation, which might go on for hours). The others, whether from Switz, Germany, Low Countries, Scandanavia, will all speak English, as will many French (if you start off with a few French phrases -- ie, show you're making an effort -- they will shift to English). Nightly hosts seat the English-speakers together at table.
- The food in France is French food. Guilt-free French food! What could be finer?
- The scenery in France in September was green. In Spain, it was 50 shades of brown.
In short, I regard Spain as a major disappointment (so far). I'm exceedingly glad I started my pilgrimage experience in France.

 

[pinkwadingbird]

I walked the Chemin Le Puy from mid-August to mid-September. Only 1 day of rain that I can remember. Not sure how hot is too hot for you but definitely no problems with mud and rain later in the season. There are some steep, rocky sections that would be no fun at all to navigate when wet and muddy.

 

[David Tallan]

Thanks for that Camino Chrissy. have you walked other Caminos? This will be my first and I have wondered if I might be smarter walking a busier one with more infrastructure for my first go?

Many people advise just that, walking a Camino with more infrastructure for your first Camino (either the Frances, or the Portugues from Porto, or even the Ingles, depending on how much time you have). More infrastructure often translates to more pilgrim supports, which can be handy for a first-time pilgrim. It also translates into more flexibility in terms of the distances you can choose each day, which can also be important.

People have certainly had successful experiences with first Caminos on less-walked routes. But less there is something personally very important driving the choice of the route, I'd generally recommend a more populated route for a first Camino. If solitude is important to you, there are ways do get it even on the most popular routes.

 

[Michael-FL]

I am getting excited now and starting firmer planning for my 2025 Camino starting in Le Puy. I had thought to start late April, but am not sure if that is too soon weather wise. All thoughts welcome. If it is not ideal, what time would you suggest starting bearing in mind that I want to avoid the heat

I am starting at Le Puy-en-Velay on 8 September 2024, arriving SJPdP on or about 9 Oct, hoping for milder autumn temps and walking all the way to Santiago, expecting by then to be cool and rainy, but I’m prepared to suck it up.