BBC radio piece on increasing numbers of "coolcation" pilgrims in Norway

Bradypus · Sunday at 11:50 AM

I woke up this morning to discover a short piece by Bob Walker on BBC Radio 4's "Sunday" religious programme. About increasing numbers walking the Olavsleden pilgrim routes in Norway. Partly those who are looking for a quieter alternative to the Caminos but also those who are looking for a route which is literally cooler than those in Spain in the summer months. Bob's piece is about six minutes long and begins about 6 and a half minutes into the programme. Available on the BBC iPlayer service.

Sunday - ‘Coolcation’ pilgrimages; The Catholic author who inspired Wicked; Faith in Space - BBC Sounds

A look at the ethical and religious issues of the week with Emily Buchanan.

www.bbc.co.uk

dougfitz · Sunday at 1:15 PM

It was interesting walking this year to observe that they are having similar problems in the last 100km with accommodation as many complain of from Sarria. In one place where I was the only pilgrim in 2012, there were 14 German pilgrims in a group in the parish house, and another eight of us accommodated and fed at a local farm. A little further on I stayed a little off the main route, and caught a bus to where I was going to stay, and back again the next day, because the place where there had only been two of us when I last walked had been booked out some time in advance. This is wonderful for the property owners, but not great for the pilgrims themselves.

The difficulty with both these places, and perhaps some others, is that those running them are semi-retired or looking to retire completely from the land, and their children don't always have the same interest in taking over the farms or supporting the pilgrim movement, especially if they have already established themselves either elsewhere on the land or in other careers. This is a shame, because in other places I stayed, a younger generation has taken up the running of several of these family farms and the associated support offered to pilgrims. The aging effect is not new - it was evident the first time I walked in 2012, and again to some extent in 2018 when I walked the S:t Olavsleden - but it seems a little more widespread this year when I walked.

This shouldn't discourage anyone with an interest in undertaking what is still a pretty demanding pilgrimage, even over the last 100 km, but certainly if one walks from Oslo, Sundsvall or the other towns at the start of the other St Olavs Ways. I have walked the longer routes three times now, and they have all been very rewarding pilgrimages.

MikeJS · Sunday at 4:32 PM

I heard it too. I think they should have mentioned just how expensive Norway is. In addition, they made it sound like all the Spanish Caminos were very busy…..

dougfitz · Sunday at 4:54 PM

MikeJS said:
I heard it to. O think they should have mentioned just how expensive Norway is. In addition, they made it sound like all the Spanish Caminos were very busy…..

Busy is relative. I arrived two days before St Olavs Day. Sometime during the St Olavs Eve services, they announced that a total of 170 pilgrims arrived in those two days, Compared to SDC in the days preceding Santiago's feast day, that number is miniscule. But it is worth knowing that the celebrations and festivals draw people from all over the country, not just pilgrims. So Trondheim is busy for a week or so with visitors.

And it is true that routes like the Sanabres and VE which I walked last year were very pleasant, and not crowded in the way that I remember the CF was from Sarria when I last walked that.

Stivandrer · Sunday at 6:45 PM

https://www.pilegrimsleden.no/assets/images/Statistikk-2023-Pilegrimsleden.-St.Olavsvegene-til-Trondheim.-Gudbrandsdalsleden-St.Olavsleden-Kystpilegrimsleia-Borgleden-og-Osterdalsleden.pdf

Numbers
See if this translates w Google translate

filly · Monday at 10:02 AM

I did this Camino in July 2019, arriving at Nidarosdomen just in time for the special service on St Olav’s Day, 29 July.... with backpack! Front row position on the flagstones with pillar back support. Memorable.. Santiago was flower wreathed high up on the cathedral facade!

I would highly recommend doing this trip with a tent, Jetboil, blow-up mattress and some food. There were difficulties with accommodation AND food AND weather on the fells. It made all the difference being independent! Locals were so welcoming, obliging and helpful. There were a few organised groups which had booked out some of the hostels... some of the lakeside camp sites were spectacular too.

No need to slavishly follow the official tracks as there were loads of variants and possibilities. A highlight was the lake/Mjøsa crossing on the longest continuously running paddle boat and the strawberries!

My avatar photo is testimony to this journey... I never thought of reporting this trip on this site.

dougfitz · Monday at 10:57 AM

filly said:
Santiago was flower wreathed high up on the cathedral facade!

The wreath is placed there on his feast day. The photo you shared is St Olav, whose sculpture has a wreath placed there on St Olavs Day, IIRC.

filly · Monday at 11:40 AM

I stand corrected…. or do I?

Methinks they were both wreathed, in fact!

duncanwhyte · Monday at 2:27 PM

I walked most of the St olavsleden in June/July this year. It's a fine walk, long distances and quite a lot of road. The most scenic and cute was the border crossing.

There's hostels, shelters, toilets and camping in the Swedish section. Enough places to get food. When you can eat at the midday buffet, it's good value. Campsites are mostly good. If wild camping a hammock is ideal.

However Norway gets costly. And this is where I got out. The final run into Trondheim is either along a peninsula or through forest. Which was likely to take a week and get expensive. So I opted to get out the morning after crossing the border.
Costs per day in Sweden were 20-40. In Norway 75-100. Even at the first pilgrim stop, camping was not allowed and the accommodation was glamping and beyond. Hence the prices.

It's cooler and long hours of light. Some mornings I had fine frost on the tent. You could really go all out for distances if needed.

I used the first walk to discover ideal free camping spots and shops. Next time I will plan my sections accordingly. There's enough in Sweden, but Norway was tempting.

Bradypus · Monday at 2:35 PM

duncanwhyte said:
It's cooler and long hours of light. Some mornings I had fine frost on the tent. You could really go all out for distances if needed.

I walked the S:T Olavsleden in May a few years ago. Still very cold and very little infrastructure open. I walked a couple of days around 50km because my options were (1) keep walking, (2) pitch my tent, or (3) freeze! It didn't help that my time in Norway coincided with both a national holiday and a hospitality industry strike.

Still a beautiful and memorable experience and one I still remember fondly. But you really have to drop any ideas that it is simply a northern version of the Camino Frances and be prepared for the very different conditions. Of which cost is a major factor.

dougfitz · Monday at 5:52 PM

filly said:
I stand corrected…. or do I?6

you didn't claim it was Santiago, so I wasn't correcting any mis-statement, rather clarifying that the picture you shared showed the sculpture depicting St Olav.

JustJack · Monday at 8:06 PM

I was listening to a podcast the other day about this route, and the podcaster was talking about meeting a group of prisoners walking the route. Around 7 or 8 of them, accompanied by a guard. What a fantastic and progressive notion, allowing prisoners to walk a pilgrimage route. And it probably has a positive ROI in terms of lower recidivism.