Camino & the world's greatest walks?

[Wanderer64]

During my Camino I was surprised by the number of people I'd met who had already been walking for up to 1000km before connecting to the CF. This led to lots of conversations about the unique activity of long distance walking and other great walks around the world.

I'm curious to hear your opinions on the worlds greatest walks/treks/hikes. It's an open ended question and you can define "greatest" any way you like. How does the Camino compare to other long walks you've done? Maybe you don't think the Camino is among the greatest walks. All opinions welcome.

 

[MendiWalker]

Can you define "greatest", please.

Buen Camino!

 

[Wanderer64]

Can you define "greatest", please.

As I state in my OP, you can define "greatest" any way you like.

 

[Tincatinker]

A truly great walk; the Cricketers Arms, Berwick to the Rose Cottage, Alciston on to the Ram Inn at Firle finishing at the Trevor Arms, Glynde, all in East Sussex and an exquisite microcosm of rural England.

Though the Icknield Way from the Norfolk coast to south Dorset at 400 miles (640k) might appeal more to the mileage munchers.

 

[Caplen]

My Caminos have been 2 of the greatest walks I've ever done. But hiking between refugios on a populated path is a completely different experience than my other greatest walk.

August 2012 I hiked the High Sierra Trail from the Giant Sequoia Forest to the top of Mt. Whitney (highest US peak in the contiguous 48). It was the most stunning walk I've ever done. The Sierras are a wild and beautiful place. It was about 75 miles, and we took 9 days to do it. We had to carry everything, including 9 days of food.

It is hard to describe the feeling when you are deep into true backcountry. Halfway in, I stopped in awe realizing how far in we were, how on our own - left to our own defenses should anything go awry - we were. I felt so small and fragile and grateful to be a walking witness to a place relatively few humans ever experience.

 

[jirit]

I have a short list of my top ten of great walks, some I have done already and the balance of my to do list.

I have given two presentations already called five countries - five caminos - part 1 and more recently part 2 for our local camino chapter here in Victoria BC. Copies of my more recent presentation can be found on our Little Green Tracs blog

But my short list if just the tip of the iceberg and there are plenty more to consider.

 

[MendiWalker]

All my hikes are "great" for me. Doesn´t matter if they are long or short, high mountains or low hills. To be able to wake up very morning is awesome and if I can combine it with a hike even more so. I´ll just name two. The first time I hiked up a mountain in Nafaroa/Navarra called Saioa (1.419 mtrs.) , one of my daughters is named after it.I brought a stone back for her from the top. She still cherishes it till this very day. The other one was a hike to the top of Mt. Ararat (5.137mtrs).

Buen Camino!

 

[StuartM]

One that I'd been considering this year was the Janapar Trail in Nagorno Karabakh but for personal reasons ended up doing the Salvador instead.

 

[newfydog]

The Annapurna circuit was my favorite, but they put in a lot of roads recently

 

[burritobear9]

Just before my short 215k Camino this summer I walked along the Jurassic Coast Trail in England. As an absolute novice at long distance walking it was the most breathtaking experience. Beautiful scenery with the English Channel at your side for much of the trail.

Whoever you go --enjoy your journey and Buen Camino.

Cheryl

 

[Houlet]

All my hikes are "great" for me. Doesn´t matter if they are long or short, high mountains or low hills. To be able to wake up very morning is awesome and if I can combine it with a hike even more so. I´ll just name two. The first time I hiked up a mountain in Nafaroa/Navarra called Saioa (1.419 mtrs.) , one of my daughters is named after it.I brought a stone back for her from the top. She still cherishes it till this very day. The other one was a hike to the top of Mt. Ararat (5.137mtrs).

Buen Camino!

Funnily enough, my son and I do something similar.

When one of us climbs a mountain he brings back a stone which the other is tasked with replacing.

It works for us.

My favourite walk to date, the Southern Upland Way, in Scotland.

 

[karenhypes]

My wife and I walked the Wainwright Coast To Coast path across northern England from St. Bee's Head on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea. Quite spectacular as you walk through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. About 14-15 days. A great intro to long distance walking prior to a Camino. Dayton. London, Canada

 

[backpack45]

We've done some amazing long-distance hikes--including the LePuy route from Geneva across France and the Arles route. The Pacific Crest Trail (2,650 miles) includes the 221-mile John Muir Trail (Yosemite to Mt. Whitney) with no roads. The PCT and has many spectacular sections as it travels from the Mexican border into Canada. This is a true backpacking trip (carry food, tent, etc.) and some of it is wilderness area. Our latest spectacular trip was Patagonia--10 days hiking the circuit trail in Torres del Paine. We have much info about our hikes online backpacker.com (and I have written a book about it that would be helpful.) So many wonderful adventures possible! Susan "backpack45" Alcorn

 

[nellpilgrim]

I love em all but ...the Greatest walk for me is always going to be my next Camino/Jakobsweg

 

[Seawarrior]

Enjoy this string ... Any recommendations for warm ups for the Camino here in the US, where I could hike without having to carry food and a tent? I am thinking about hill or mountain trails where there would be places to stay overnight.

I would also love to hear about great hikes in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

 

[WayWalker63]

Enjoy this string ... Any recommendations for warm ups for the Camino here in the US, where I could hike without having to carry food and a tent? I am thinking about hill or mountain trails where there would be places to stay overnight.

I would also love to hear about great hikes in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

I was just going to post this exact question. I want to walk but really don't want to have to carry camping gear.

 

[MendiWalker]

There are some treks around the world where you don´t have to carry all your gear. You just have to carry your daypack.
Depends where , in some place mules carry it ( Morocco) in others horse (Turkey) and yet some people carry it (Kilimanjaro).

Buen Camino!

 

[nellpilgrim]

I would also love to hear about great hikes in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

For starters .............The Wicklow Way, The South Leinster Way, The East Munster Way, The Black Water (Avondu) Way, The Blackwater (Duhallow) Way & The Kerry Way and by walking all of these tail to tail that = Irish Coast to Coast Walk. The Coast to Coast walk allows you to include some of stunning high level alternative options en route (Lug Walk, the Blackstairs, Comeragh, Knockmealdown and Derrynasaggart Mountains and -my personal favourite- The MacGillycuddy's Reeks). Not to forget The Burren Way, The Ulster Way, St Declans Way..............feeling tempted? And if you want to go to the spiritual equivalent of boot camp you could also make the 3 day Lough Derg Pilgrimage.

 

[Seawarrior]

For starters .............The Wicklow Way, The South Leinster Way, The East Munster Way, The Black Water (Avondu) Way, The Blackwater (Duhallow) Way & The Kerry Way and by walking all of these tail to tail that = Irish Coast to Coast Walk. The Coast to Coast walk allows you to include some of stunning high level alternative options en route (Lug Walk, the Blackstairs, Comeragh, Knockmealdown and Derrynasaggart Mountains and -my personal favourite- The MacGillycuddy's Reeks). Not to forget The Burren Way, The Ulster Way, St Declans Way..............feeling tempted? And if you want to go to the spiritual equivalent of boot camp you could also make the 3 day Lough Derg Pilgrimage.

Is that all? Lol. Yikes, you've given me some great homework. Do any of these walks have hostels/auberges or similar places to overnight. How would the cost compare to the Camino? Thanks for all the great tips.

 

[gville pelagreno]

Enjoy this string ... Any recommendations for warm ups for the Camino here in the US, where I could hike without having to carry food and a tent? I am thinking about hill or mountain trails where there would be places to stay overnight.

I would also love to hear about great hikes in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

you can do an inn to inn hike on the green moutain trail in vermont nice sceanery and cool weather this time of year.

 

[LesBrass]

There's a wonderful walk in the south west of england where you dont need to camp out - being a Devon girl I'm a little biased... http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/

 

[nellpilgrim]

Is that all? Lol. Yikes, you've given me some great homework. Do any of these walks have hostels/auberges or similar places to overnight. How would the cost compare to the Camino? Thanks for all the great tips.

Yes there are thought of course the level and number of options varies from route to route and from section to section of individual routes. There are Youth hostels, private hostels, B & B's (which can sometimes be cheaper and better value than hostels!) Guest houses, Hotels and a few Mountain huts.
I'll PM you a link to blog on the Wicklow Way to give you a flavour of the Irish walks.
Costs of accommodation are very generally higher than the Camino Frances but would compare with mid price Chemins/Jakobsweg options.
You can discretely camp out but it can be pretty damp even in Summer.


Actually I get an error coming up when I try to PM you so here's the link
http://nellswicklowway.blogspot.ie/

 

[TheTinkerBell]

The Dingle Way, in County Kerry for me.

Anyone looking for information on trails in Ireland, this website is pretty informative.....

http://www.irishtrails.ie/

 

[hecate105]

As Les Brass said - the South West Coastpath in the UK is amazing! 630 miles of stunning seascapes, red cliffs, rolling green hills and quaint thatched pubs serving ale and good food. There are campsites, B&Bs or inns to stay in - or wild camp as we do. Dogs are always welcome along the way. But be aware - we may not have as high mountains as Spain - but we do go straight up - some of the paths would make a goat wince! We are happy to welcome any sofa-surfers from this forum - we are 2 miles from the route (as long as we are here!!)
Another beautiful route that meanders across Britain from the salt-caked south west, through the heart of England and across to the heavenly countryside of Anglia, is the Mary Michael Pilgrim's Way. It passes through ancient sacred places, both pagan and Christian, such as St Michael's Mount, Glastonbury and Bury St. Edmunds, as well as many Holy Wells, standing stones and long-forgotten shrines. The sections from Land's End, Cornwall, through to Glastonbury are now signposted, but many have travelled the whole route on foot or horseback. http://marymichaelpilgrimsway.org/route/ I helped with the pilot section and am walking the route in chunks and am happy to answer any queries.
We are not always lucky with the weather in the Uk - but it does mean we have a particularly verdant landscape - there are spectacular walks/cycles in most parts, but areas that stand out are: the Lake District, Scottish Highlands, The South Downs, Dartmoor and Northumbria.
We finished our (peculiar!) pilgrimage at Roslin Chapel near Edinburgh, Scotland. This meant cycling the whole east coast of England and we were stunned at the variety and beauty of the landscapes we travelled through. Perhaps a walk or cycle around the entire British coast would be in order...
(Tinkatinker - we spent our first night of the Uk leg of our pilgrimage at Glynde, wild camping by the river, we missed the Trevor Arms - but did sink a couple at The Snowdrop in Lewes...!)

 

[vicrev]

For me, the Ring of Kerry,Ring of Bearra, Ireland (Guiness never tasted soooo good) Skye & the Outer Hebrides, Scotland (malt whisky tasted soooo much better).............sounds like I base all my walks around the local beverage,come to think of it I probably do !!............Standout best was when I walked down the Aisle!!!...........................Vicrev

 

[Tincatinker]

Hecate105' if you are ever Sussex way again give us a poke. The Snowdrop held its annual beer festival last weekend. In fine tradition the (guest) beers ran out by Saturday evening.

Did you climb the Caburn by any chance? The hill fort at the top commands both the Ouse and Glyndebourne. If you went east on the old turn-pike to the Cuckmere you'll have passed the church at Alfriston, squatting on its pagan mound, glowering at its Yew grove.

I like the look of your Mary Michael's way. Now i have something to tinker with in the closed months. There are indeed some fine passage routes, I'll hesitate to call them pilgrimages, across this sceptred isle. The old Ways, the routes by which people, trade goods and ideas moved in the days before the M roads and the internet. Although my posted pub-crawl will not appeal to many it is still a wonderful walk, and follows the aforementioned turnpike (for those who like a bit of history with their beer).

Happy wanderings

 

[Saint Francesco]

Does anyone of you walked the Way of Saint Francis in Italy? It's relatively near my country and I think it can be done in 4-5 days. I'm short with time so I must choose this kind of paths.

 

[jirit]

Does anyone of you walked the Way of Saint Francis in Italy? It's relatively near my country and I think it can be done in 4-5 days. I'm short with time so I must choose this kind of paths.

While I have not walked it, I did a series of presentations on it, later posting some information about it ( there are in fact a number of trails labelled that same) on our blog.

I suggest you check out our blog Little Green Tracs for more information

http://littlegreentracs.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/03/the-cammno-di-san-francesco-in-umbria.html

Regards

 

[Saint Francesco]

Thanks jirit, I'm going for sure read your blog about it

 

[Wanderer64]

Some great food for thought offered up here. I'm really intrigued by the various UK walks mentioned.

Other than the Camino, I loved walking in New Zealand. I did the Routeburn Track many years ago and it remains one of the greatest treks of any length I've ever done. New Zealand's South Island reminded me much like my native British Columbia, Canada, but without the bears.

 

[jirit]

If you want a true pilgrim style walk in much the same way the camino Frances route was probably like 10-15 years ago, then you might want to consider walking the Via Francigena in Italy.

It is both a challenging and rewarding walk best described as a modern day pilgrimage that slices through Italy from Gran San Bernardo to Rome.

My wife and I walked it in 2008 and it became the basis of our book An Italian Odyssey.

 

[suekenney]

The Bruce Trail in Ontario, Canada. I walked 425kms of it barefoot last September and it was an experience right up there with a Camino experience, albeit different. Gorgeous paths away from villages and cities and very few people on the trail. At this point, they don't have the accommodation worked out as cleanly as the Camino, but lots of bed and breakfasts will give you a ride. A little more planning is required. You can camp in some places too. Check it out, especially if you like walking on rock. http://brucetrail.org/ Or pm me if you have questions.

 

[erikas]

I walked parts of the Lycian Way in Turkey before walking in Spain.
It was an amazing, beautiful & enriching experience. however the Caminos
of Spain have a very strong "enticing me back" appeal!

 

[hecate105]

Oh beggar! We were planning to go thru Alfriston, but one of us was bad-tempered that morning and insisted on going the easier route past Arlington Reservoir. Still - it means a reason to venture back that way again someday... Many of us seem to plan our routes via good ale houses!? A landlord in Burnham-on-Crouch (Queen's Head - diamond!) pressed a huge tome (Good Beer Guide) upon us - he was concerned that customers of our calibre might miss the very best East Anglia had to offer. Bloomin' heavy book - but we found it invaluable...

 

[Icacos]

My wife and I walked the Wainwright Coast To Coast path across northern England from St. Bee's Head on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea. Quite spectacular as you walk through the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. About 14-15 days. A great intro to long distance walking prior to a Camino. Dayton. London, Canada

Was out on my bike this morning and stopped to chat with a walker. She told me that she hopes to do the Coast to Coast walk some day. Naturally, I came home to see if it was mentioned on the Forum, and was delighted to find your post. I see you've done several Caminos - Do you mind my asking if you feel you can now find something different in long-distance walking on ancient pilgrimage routes that you think you may not find in, say, if you were to do the Coast to Coast again? I've done just one Camino and, although I love walking, especially through beautiful countryside, I think that for day to day long-distance walking, I might miss what the Camino has to offer - the old churches, the history, stopping to chat with fellow pilgrims over a café con leche, etc. etc., (even being concerned about the availability of toilets.) Wouldn't it be awful to commit time and money to a non-Camino, long-distance hike only to find that something is lacking, that you're not getting what you thought you would get. Hmmmm, I wonder if this is what draws folks back to the Camino time and time again. .................. My gosh, I think I have the Camino bug!

 

[karenhypes]

We will be walking our 4th Camino in about 10 days, the Portuguese from Lisbon. We have only done Caminos since our Coast to Coast walk in 2008. I think what drives us to find more Camino routes is the people you meet along the way. Not that you don't meet lots on other long distance trails but the spirit is entirely different on a Camino. We don't walk Caminos as a religious experience but it does become spiritual in a way. The spontanaiety of a Camino route is also so much different from other long distance walks we've done, ie. not so meticulously planned, able to alter your route or time frame instantly and not knowing what the next day might bring. We've never repeated a Camino except the walk from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia which we'll be doing for the third time this trip. However, there are so many interesting long distance walks in Europe especially that I'm sure we will do some more 'non-Camino' walks. Dayton and Karen

 

[Kialoa3]

We will be walking our 4th Camino in about 10 days, the Portuguese from Lisbon. We have only done Caminos since our Coast to Coast walk in 2008. I think what drives us to find more Camino routes is the people you meet along the way. Not that you don't meet lots on other long distance trails but the spirit is entirely different on a Camino. We don't walk Caminos as a religious experience but it does become spiritual in a way. The spontanaiety of a Camino route is also so much different from other long distance walks we've done, ie. not so meticulously planned, able to alter your route or time frame instantly and not knowing what the next day might bring. We've never repeated a Camino except the walk from Santiago to Finisterre and Muxia which we'll be doing for the third time this trip. However, there are so many interesting long distance walks in Europe especially that I'm sure we will do some more 'non-Camino' walks. Dayton and Karen

Best of luck on your upcoming camino. Robin and I shall look forward to your blog posts. Buen camino.

John and Robin