Camino Vasco del Interior in reverse

[Ramblanista]

Just a quick one. I'll be walking the Camino Frances in July/August for my PhD fieldwork. Before returning to the UK I'll be spending a couple of weeks hiking the Basque mountains and it makes logistical sense to walk the Camino Vasco from the Tunel to Irun from where I'll catch a train to London.

Has anybody done this in reverse? Is it feasible?

Thanks

Sian Lacey Taylder

http://ramblanista.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/2016-summer-of-sweatel-verano-de-sudor.html

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Ramblanista, for me, walking any camino "backwards" would be frustrating and probably no fun at all. Except for maybe the Frances, where you can just walk towards the flow of people coming at you. But maybe you are not as directionally-challenged as I am.

Anniethenurse and I are headed to the Ebro, Castellano-Aragones, Lana, and San Olav if all goes well -- didn't you want to go back and do some more walking in that neck of the woods?

 

[MinaKamina]

Hi Ramblanista, @LudoPeregrinus is walking al revés from SdC to Vezelay. He took the Camino Olvidado, then the Camino del Norte and he is currently in France on the Lemovicensis. You can follow his Camino al revés on twtter. He has the same name there, https://twitter.com/LudoPeregrinus He posts great pictures and does not mention any problems with finding his way ~but then he doesn't mention how he manages that either Perhaps there isn't any secret because it isn't that complicated.

@anniethenurse has posted a google map of the Vasco del Interior: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/google-map-camino-vasco-del-interior.12668/

Buen Camino!

 

[Ramblanista]

Hi, Ramblanista, for me, walking any camino "backwards" would be frustrating and probably no fun at all. Except for maybe the Frances, where you can just walk towards the flow of people coming at you. But maybe you are not as directionally-challenged as I am.

Anniethenurse and I are headed to the Ebro, Castellano-Aragones, Lana, and San Olav if all goes well -- didn't you want to go back and do some more walking in that neck of the woods?

Hi Peregrina

In an ideal world I would, indeed, be exploring the lesser-known Caminos but this summer I have to do my PhD fieldwork so, as I need plenty of fellow pilgrims and a variety of landscapes, I'm afraid it's back to the Frances. After reading the reports of unprecedented numbers on the CF I'm beginning to have reservations. As I did the CF pre-PhD in 2012, the idea was to see how much academia and a thesis to prove had altered my response to the landscape but now I'm thinking maybe I should switch to the VdeP?

I'm interested, from an academic perspective, in the idea of 'walking against the flow', I did for a couple of km into Mansilla de las Mulas after finishing the Vad, it was quite fun.

It'll be back to the lesser-known trails next year. I'm going to save the Ebro/Castellano-Aragones for when I'm a little less mobile so my next project is to hike the GR11 Transpirenaica then follow the Olvidado - which I loved - and the Invierno to Santiago.

Do you know what? When I first encountered the Camino four years ago, I never thought my life would revolve around it. I'm actually paying the university to do my PhD!

Sian

 

[peregrino_tom]

Hi Sian
I'd say it's very feasible to walk backwards from the actual tunnel as the route is well-marked and not complicated. However whether it's actually worth doing is another matter. If you somehow manage to start from the tunnel (are you arriving across the mountains???) you'll have a walk down off the mountain into Zegama, then one day on very pleasant camino. After that you're pretty much on the valley floor with all the industry and busy roads for two days. Then at Hernani you can either take a short walk into San Seb or a roundabout, pleasant and quite hilly day via Santiagomendi and Elizalde/Oiartzun to Irun.
By starting at the tunnel and going in reverse you get the worst of most worlds as a large part of the magic comes after the tunnel when going in the usual direction. Also I doubt you'll get much opportunity to test your 'against the flow' experience as it's a quiet route. Cheers, tom