Introduction

[sara2804]

Hey all!
I’m Sara, 21 years old from Slovenia, studying in Austria. I’m planning to walk Camino Frances in March (first day, 6. 3.) Would be happy to hear if anyone else did it in spring and how many layers of clothes did you bring?
Little unsure how to choose the righy

 

[Takahiwai]

Hi Sara,
Welcome, and buen camino for March. I have probably, over the years, walked the CF, or at least parts of it, at all times of the year. The weather in northern Spain is notoriously unpredictable, so you might get rain, snow, sun, and wind - it's impossible to say. I would pack optimistically, for spring weather, and rely on the fact that you can pick up essential items pretty much all the way, on the CF. I would definitely pack a rain cape - or something similar - though, because you can be pretty sure to get rain at some point.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

After winter if you have any old outer clothes that need discarding keep something to discard in Pamplona. In other words, bring something warm for the first few days and then get rid of it.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Hi Sara, welcome. Presumably you're talking about walking the CF from SJPDP.

As @Takahiwai says, spring weather is notoriously unpredictable and you could get the lot.

Whilst I agree that you can pick up pretty much everything you need in towns along the way: you have to get to those towns first so ensure you pack enough layers to keep you comfortable down to zero degrees Celsius.

Layers are the key, for me that's a t-shirt, a long sleeve, and a lightweight puffer jacket. Good socks, long johns, pants, lightweight gloves (liner gloves) Buff and beanie complete the outfit. Everything except the puffer jacket is Merino.

Pants - I'm one of those people that use zip-off hiking pants year round.

Worst case Poncho or rain jacket over everything and I'm good to minus 5. Obviously there are all sorts of combinations to wear these in to keep me comfortable at a large range of temperatures.

Some people prefer polypropylene rather than Merino, and fleece jackets - your call. You've probably already got suitable clothing coming from Slovenia and living where you do.

The advantage of the Merino T-shirt is that it's good as a base layer but also on a hot sunny day (I still wear it at 30 degrees C) - plus I don't have to wash it daily if I get caught out, it takes at least two or three days before beginning to smell (unlike polyprop). But as I said, that's my personal choice.

Buen Camino !

 

[Molly Cassidy]

The year I lived in Asturias we had snow on 1st March and that wasn't at very high altitude. You need enough layers to keep warm walking during the day and something warm and dry to put on when you've finished walking.

 

[CTLawGal]

Hey all!
I’m Sara, 21 years old from Slovenia, studying in Austria. I’m planning to walk Camino Frances in March (first day, 6. 3.) Would be happy to hear if anyone else did it in spring and how many layers of clothes did you bring?
Little unsure how to choose the righy

Am I mistaken that there are some parts of CF where walking is prohibited before March 31? I may be mistaken, but I thought there were closures to avoid snow rescues....? And that if you have to be rescued, there is some kind of fine to cover costs?

Others can likely clarify since I'm not sure (I thought I read this a couple of years ago when first researching the CF). Just wanted to make sure you are aware since you are planning on leaving so early in the season.

 

[Molly Cassidy]

Am I mistaken that there are some parts of CF where walking is prohibited before March 31? I may be mistaken, but I thought there were closures to avoid snow rescues....? And that if you have to be rescued, there is some kind of fine to cover costs?

Others can likely clarify since I'm not sure (I thought I read this a couple of years ago when first researching the CF). Just wanted to make sure you are aware since you are planning on leaving so early in the season.

The Napoleon route is closed but you can walk via Valcarlos instead.

 

[trecile]

Am I mistaken that there are some parts of CF where walking is prohibited before March 31?

The Napoleon route is closed from November 1st until April 1st.

 

[henrythedog]

Whilst the Valcarlos route remains open. So everyone is right; which is good..

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

For newbies/noobies like Sara: often someone submits a post that does the job so well that others don't bother submitting their own similar post. They will however react to the good post with a "like" () or something else so after awhile re-read the posts on the thread to see who had what reaction to a post. For example, I gave ato Peter's post #4 above.

 

[dougfitz]

Hey all!
I’m Sara, 21 years old from Slovenia, studying in Austria. I’m planning to walk Camino Frances in March (first day, 6. 3.) Would be happy to hear if anyone else did it in spring and how many layers of clothes did you bring?
Little unsure how to choose the righy

I did my first camino from SJPP starting at the end of Mar, just before Easter that year. I took thermals which I used as a base layer in the Pyrenees, but by the time I reached Arneguy, that was overkill, and I removed them. Thereafter, I used a three layer approach to start each day:

• base layer - wool blend tee-shirt / briefs
• mid layer - long sleeve trekking/travel shirt, long trekking trousers
• warm layer - fleece jumper, although more recently I have worn my rain jacket in the morning instead of a fleece to keep the wind off.

On chilly days, I will wear my rain jacket or fleece as an extra, fourth, layer. On only one day on that first camino did I need to add an fifth layer to keep warm, and that was pretty early on when leaving Logrono on a particularly chilly morning. This was more difficult, as this was going to be either an extra tee-shirt or an extra shirt, and both required stripping back to the point where I could get that on. That wasn't particularly pleasant.

My packing now contains two of my base and mid layers, one being worn and the other in my pack. But now I add a pair of shorts and a long sleeved tee-shirt to wear at night and which can be used as a base layer if it looks like being a particularly chilly morning.

As a matter of practice, if I wash and there are things that aren't completely dry, I will bite the bullet and wear these at the start of the next day. This ensures that I have a complete set of dry clothes should I need them during the day, and then when I arrive where I am staying at the end of the day. In fine weather, I can wear my shorts and long sleeved top around an albergue, but if I want to go out to look around a town or have a meal, I need more than that, and will change into that dry set of clothes.

ps the thermals went into the mail when I got to an open post office after Easter.

 

[slee92630]

I did my first camino from SJPP starting at the end of Mar, just before Easter that year. I took thermals which I used as a base layer in the Pyrenees, but by the time I reached Arneguy, that was overkill, and I removed them. Thereafter, I used a three layer approach to start each day:

• base layer - wool blend tee-shirt / briefs
• mid layer - long sleeve trekking/travel shirt, long trekking trousers
• warm layer - fleece jumper, although more recently I have worn my rain jacket in the morning instead of a fleece to keep the wind off.

On chilly days, I will wear my rain jacket or fleece as an extra, fourth, layer. On only one day on that first camino did I need to add an fifth layer to keep warm, and that was pretty early on when leaving Logrono on a particularly chilly morning. This was more difficult, as this was going to be either an extra tee-shirt or an extra shirt, and both required stripping back to the point where I could get that on. That wasn't particularly pleasant.

My packing now contains two of my base and mid layers, one being worn and the other in my pack. But now I add a pair of shorts and a long sleeved tee-shirt to wear at night and which can be used as a base layer if it looks like being a particularly chilly morning.

As a matter of practice, if I wash and there are things that aren't completely dry, I will bite the bullet and wear these at the start of the next day. This ensures that I have a complete set of dry clothes should I need them during the day, and then when I arrive where I am staying at the end of the day. In fine weather, I can wear my shorts and long sleeved top around an albergue, but if I want to go out to look around a town or have a meal, I need more than that, and will change into that dry set of clothes.

ps the thermals went into the mail when I got to an open post office after Easter.

This was very helpful as I'm leaving early March 2025. Can I ask about footwear? I was going with just trail trainers/runners, not Gortex, mistake in March??

 

[dougfitz]

This was very helpful as I'm leaving early March 2025. Can I ask about footwear? I was going with just trail trainers/runners, not Gortex, mistake in March??

I wore waterproof boots, and for all but one camino, still do so to this day. I was guided on that camino by friends who walked it at a similar time two years earlier and faced 28 days of rain, IIRC, together with the associated mud. The year I walked, there were several days of rain, certainly less that a week of rainy days in total, and other than some wet, muddy sections in the Pyrenees, no other really difficult sections of mud to contend with.

While I still wear boots, I don't think there is any one correct answer on this. People walk in all sorts of footwear quite successfully. Find footwear that fits and consult a podiatrist if you have any foot conditions that need care.