Camino Olvidado

[John Pearce]

I going to walk the Olvidado in Spring this year. I would like to find folks who are interested in going as well. I have walked 11 Camino’s in the passed 8 years. It is my intention to be prepared to wild camp at times due to the lack of albergues on this route. I do not walk very fast.

 

[WestKirsty]

I going to walk the Olvidado in Spring this year. I would like to find folks who are interested in going as well. I have walked 11 Camino’s in the passed 8 years. It is my intention to be prepared to wild camp at times due to the lack of albergues on this route. I do not walk very fast.

Hi John! I also hope to walk this Camino but later in the Spring or Summer. It seems a few others are as well as a discussion thread has been going now for a few weeks. You might find some useful links etc. with regards to accommodation: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...ning-to-walk-the-olvidado.78420/#post-1103531

Buen Camino!

 

[John Pearce]

hello, I will be taking the ferry from Portsmouth England to Santander sailing on 31st of March. Are you going to start in Bilbao or Pamplona. To be honest the lack of accommodation give me the excuse to wild camp. I use a 3 wheeled walking trolley to carry camping kit.

 

[WestKirsty]

hello, I will be taking the ferry from Portsmouth England to Santander sailing on 31st of March. Are you going to start in Bilbao or Pamplona. To be honest the lack of accommodation give me the excuse to wild camp. I use a 3 wheeled walking trolley to carry camping kit.

I've kind of started already doing shorter day trips and weekend walks (I live in Bilbao so have easy access!). I've walked from Pamplona to Miranda de Ebro before so plan on picking up the trail from Miranda and continuing on starting in the middle of June.

I've also walked from Bilbao and done several day trips along the Olvidado. So I am quite familiar with the first stages out of Bilbao - with the exception of accommodation options; I just took the train home

I am also tempted to bring a tent with me for this one! I've also noticed a number of campgrounds along the route that advertise spots for tents for 4 euros. I might try those!

 

[John Pearce]

That’s very interesting about the camp sites for 4 euro, just what I need. Do you know much about the difficult parts of the Olvidado. How difficult was the route from Pamplona. I ask due to the use of the trolley.

 

[MikeJS]

That’s very interesting about the camp sites for 4 euro, just what I need. Do you know much about the difficult parts of the Olvidado. How difficult was the route from Pamplona. I ask due to the use of the trolley.

I cannot imagine using a trolley on the Olvidado, some parts were more in need of a mountain goat! That said, it is a fabulous route and the best I have ever walked for scenery and experience.

 

[WestKirsty]

That’s very interesting about the camp sites for 4 euro, just what I need. Do you know much about the difficult parts of the Olvidado. How difficult was the route from Pamplona. I ask due to the use of the trolley.

I'm afraid I don't. From what I've read, the more mountainous sections start from Aguilar de Campoo, which I haven't walked yet. The first few days from Bilbao are straight forward and I don't think the trolley would be a problem. From Pamplona, nothing too difficult until at least Miranda de Ebro. After that, I have no idea! It'll be a bit of an exploration in June

But yes, probably good to hear from others who've walked it as I've seen pictures of some sections that I imagine would be very difficult with a trolley.

 

[John Pearce]

It proper sounds like folks are gettin the bug and it’s coming up to walk-in time again. The 3 wheel trolley can be turned into a structure a bit like a wheel Barrow for the difficult bits. It’s not easy, but it’s done the San Salvador,Frances x2, Norte, Portugues, Finisterie and the ingles. I did not take it on the Primitivo, but I wish I had. It is mighty fine waking up in paradise, rather than in a snore fest In the albergue’s, that keeps this ageing person awake. But if anyone else thinks the trolley on the Olvidado is madness please say so and which bits you think might be a challenging.

 

[MikeJS]

It proper sounds like folks are gettin the bug and it’s coming up to walk-in time again. The 3 wheel trolley can be turned into a structure a bit like a wheel Barrow for the difficult bits. It’s not easy, but it’s done the San Salvador,Frances x2, Norte, Portugues, Finisterie and the ingles. I did not take it on the Primitivo, but I wish I had. It is mighty fine waking up in paradise, rather than in a snore fest In the albergue’s, that keeps this ageing person awake. But if anyone else thinks the trolley on the Olvidado is madness please say so and which bits you think might be a challenging.

There are most definitely sections of the Olvidado where I think it would be impossible to use a trolley. In particular the section from Vegacervera - I wrote 'The way continues along a very quiet road into Ciñera and then heads off road. This section is another spectacular route and has a part that is very steep heading down to a narrow way through a gorge. Quite vertiginous and it would be dangerous in the wet.'

 

[LTfit]

Welcome to the Olvidado club @John Pearce ! I'm shooting for a June/July Camino starting in Bilbao. I'm planning on doing the mountain alternatives and from what I've seen I can't imagine using a trolley.

The stages I've planned in the large part end in towns where there is an albergue but are longer than the standard ones quoted in apps and guides.

I hope that others chime in to help you plan.

Ultreia!

 

[John Pearce]

Hello all you lucky pilgrims. And thankyou very much everyone who has contributed to this thread it is much appreciate.
It does sound like an amazing Camino the Olvidado and I am getting excited. It also looks like it’s going to be tough with the trolly. It sounds like I will have to go round certain sections or send the trolly on by train or taxi etc. I think route maps, road maps and train maps and more maps will be the order of day. Does anyone know of maps that might cover all or part of the difficult sections. Does sound like it’s going to be OK to Aguilar de Campoo, so I guess from then on. I think I need to work out exactly where the difficult spots are. Maybe rent a friendly donkey. Has anyone walked the Olvidado in April?

 

[dick bird]

Hello all you lucky pilgrims. And thankyou very much everyone who has contributed to this thread it is much appreciate.
It does sound like an amazing Camino the Olvidado and I am getting excited. It also looks like it’s going to be tough with the trolly. It sounds like I will have to go round certain sections or send the trolly on by train or taxi etc. I think route maps, road maps and train maps and more maps will be the order of day. Does anyone know of maps that might cover all or part of the difficult sections. Does sound like it’s going to be OK to Aguilar de Campoo, so I guess from then on. I think I need to work out exactly where the difficult spots are. Maybe rent a friendly donkey. Has anyone walked the Olvidado in April?

We used Wikilocs a lot, but I think Rayyrosa also have an interactive map of the Olvidado. The route used to be very well way-marked but the waymarks were done some time ago and in some places have disappeared. And then there is the ever excellent Gronze: https://www.gronze.com/camino-viejo-santiago

By the way, there is some confusion over names: the Olvidado usually refers to the route that starts in Bilbao and the one that starts in Pamplona as the 'Camino Viejo', although confusingly, the names are often used interchangeably. If you want company you will have to take it with you as you are very unlikely to meet other pilgrims along the way. Buen camino

 

[John Pearce]

Thank you Dick I will check out the maps you suggested. I just about worked out that Pamplona to Aguilar de Campoo is the Camino Viejo. I was just wondering if anyone else was going down the way at the same time, Its all about being older and a little bit concerned. But I did the San Salvador and the Primitivo on my own and actually most of my Camino’s have been on my own, so no real problem at all.

 

[laineylainey]

John, good luck with your walk on the Olvidado and please give us others, walking later in the year, some news from your trip? It would be wonderful to hear if anything has changed since last year and how your journey went. Yes, I too got a lot of information from others about this trip, especially @Sitkapilgrim @Maggie5859 and of course @peregrina2000 . This is proving to be a much more detailed route to plan for me, because of alternative routes, length of some days and unlike you I think, accommodation. I too have downloaded all of Enders maps offline on Wikilocs, as others have advised that some of the more mountainous days it is best to have GPS and am using Wisepilgrim and Ender's latest version of the route (in Spanish, although here is an earlier one in English) to help me see what accommodation options there are and how to plan the stages according to length and difficulty of the route. If you need any of these resources please ask because the Olvidado community, as all the others, are so helpful.
Buen Camino.

 

[John Pearce]

Sounds like a good idea to do a daily blog. When and where I can if if if. Looks like I will be starting on the 1st April from Bilbao (with the trolly). And taking lots of maps and good ideas.
In Cacabeos there is the most fantastic hotel bar restaurant that was once a Pilgrim hospital called the Moncloa it’s paradise at the end of the rainbow.
They really know a lot about the local wines which are fabulous and as good as any Ribera or Rioja.

 

[omicko]

Looks like I will be starting on the 1st April from Bilbao (with the trolly).

Hiya John, some knowledgeable people told me it's better to leave after the middle of April because of the possibility of snow. ( In some of the higher parts there are poles either side of the road, 3 m high, to show the edges of the road when it's covered with snow. )
I have done this Camino three times, once at the beginning of May and twice at the beginning of June. Cheers, Mick.

 

[John Pearce]

Thanks very much Omicko, that bit of info helped me to decide to walk from Bilbao to Aguilar de Campoo then take a bus to Pamplona and walk to Aguilar again and then on to Cacabeos. Which will slow me down a couple of weeks. Then on the Invieno to Santiago. I am retired so I can dordle if needs be. Although I only have 90 days.
The Napoleon pass on the Frances was still snowing in early April last year and I think that is higher than the Veijo and the first part of the Olvidado, Anyway it’s all a challenge. I will be setup for -31degrees, so it said in the adds for my sleeping bag and I am taking a ski suit and lots of arctic socks.