Distant booms

[larry1948]

Walked Camino Frances between Sept 9 and Oct 15. Noted noise similar to sonic booms while in the mountainous regions. Does anyone know the source of the booms?

 

[Bradypus]

Which areas? Could be many things. I've heard artillery fire exercises when on the Via de la Plata. Not sure about the Frances but there is at least one fenced off military exercise area near Burgos. Military explosives? Quarrying?

 

[Tincatinker]

Walked Camino Frances between Sept 9 and Oct 15. Noted noise similar to sonic booms while in the mountainous regions. Does anyone know the source of the booms?

That is the sound made by overloaded pilgrims dropping their rucksacks outside a bar. The locals are used to it and take no notice

 

[Bradypus]

That is the sound made by overloaded pilgrims dropping their rucksacks outside a bar.

If it was in Asturias my first thoughts would be about the combination of sidra natural and fabada.

 

[larry1948]

If it was in Asturias my first thoughts would be about the combination of sidra natural and fabada.

Yeah, that was me, but the sound in question was coming from another source.

 

[Vacajoe]

There are active quarries in several spots near the CF.

 

[larry1948]

Which areas? Could be many things. I've heard artillery fire exercises when on the Via de la Plata. Not sure about the Frances but there is at least one fenced off military exercise area near Burgos. Military explosives? Quarrying?

If I recall correctly it was between Leon and Fonfria. Heard the sound on several days. The booms were irregular in frequency. Quarrying came to mind, but wouldn’t expect the booms to continue over time - blast then move the rock.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

In some areas they are using air canons to scare off birds from crops. Walking in autumn you can also hear shots from hunters.

 

[Bradypus]

If I recall correctly it was between Leon and Fonfria. Heard the sound on several days. The booms were irregular in frequency.

Could it have been gunfire from hunting? A popular sport in the autumn and often takes place very near the Frances. I've walked past groups actively shooting with both shotguns and rifles. My impression was that the shooting was carefully organized and at no time did I feel anxious about it.

 

[SirJizzle]

Actually I am working for the AirForce
So I know that there are some military Low Level Flight training areas next to the Camino route

 

[Kanga]

Walked Camino Frances between Sept 9 and Oct 15. Noted noise similar to sonic booms while in the mountainous regions. Does anyone know the source of the booms?

Possibly hail cannons, used to try to prevent damage to stone fruit orchards and vineyards. Early September sounds about the right time. Here's the Wikipedia article.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Could also be blasting during road construction. Or tunnel excavating.

 

[SabsP]

Possibly hail cannons, used to try to prevent damage to stone fruit orchards and vineyards. Early September sounds about the right time. Here's the Wikipedia article.

Indeed no scientific evidence that those hail cannons work.
Some local farmers here use them too. An utterly annoying sound.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Indeed no scientific evidence that those hail cannons work.
Some local farmers here use them too. An utterly annoying sound.

hmmm, I have come across some such devices seemingly used to scare birds away.

 

[SabsP]

hmmm, I have come across some such devices seemingly used to scare birds away.

Yes, like our farmers here use in their orchards.
The stubborn crows could not care less.... But the farmers keep insisting on using them. Some kind of " rural legend " that it works afterall.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Yes, like our farmers here use in their orchards.
The stubborn crows could not care less.... But the farmers keep insisting on using them. Some kind of " rural legend " that it works afterall.

Western Front re-enactment group?

The German Guns

 

[Peregrinopaul]

hmmm, I have come across some such devices seemingly used to scare birds away.

The plantation farmers use them here too, to scare birds from the grapes. They are pneumatic. And certainly alarm my dog from 2km away. Easily identified by the constant interval between booms.

 

[Kathor1]

I’ve never heard of hail canons for vineyards before but I see now that they do exist. They are different, however, from the “boom” producing devices to keep birds away from the grapes. They look more like shown in the photo below. Depending on the setup, they emit sound at regular or irregular intervals.

When walking in September or October, this would be the first thing I’d think of when hearing these sounds. In second place, I’d think of a hunting party - again especially in autumn.

 

[SabsP]

The plantation farmers use them here too, to scare birds from the grapes. They are pneumatic. And certainly alarm my dog from 2km away. Easily identified by the constant interval between booms.

And I can't understand they still believe it works. See the wikipage @Kanga posted.

Cheers @Jeff Crawley for Baldrick! My favourite character fom Blackadder.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

It seems to me all of the posts have merit as possibilities.
Approximately two weeks ago in Italy, we heard loud booming noises sporadically for a half hour or more. We wondered if it could have been military training of some sort, quarries, or construction work for new roads. It was a bit unnerving, but it didn't especially sound like guns, although we did see a few weekend boar hunters ocasionally with their dogs.

 

[Vancouver Rose]

Walked Camino Frances between Sept 9 and Oct 15. Noted noise similar to sonic booms while in the mountainous regions. Does anyone know the source of the booms?

I walked the CF over the same period of time and heard them, too. The first time I looked madly around for guidance... should we duck and cover?! Where?! Others either didn't notice or weren't nearly as alarmed as I was. They were indeed irregular, but sometimes, two would come within a minute. Then I might not hear another for days. And a couple of times I'd guessed it was gunfire, likely from hunters.

 

[MassNative]

Could it have been gunfire from hunting? A popular sport in the autumn and often takes place very near the Frances. I've walked past groups actively shooting with both shotguns and rifles. My impression was that the shooting was carefully organized and at no time did I feel anxious about it.

We walked across the Bierzo valley today, and could could hear shotgun blasts, two barrels back to back, and hunting dogs barking. I assumed somebody was bird hunting.

 

[Wockin]

When you hear sonic booms types of noises it feels and sounds very different than gun shots or canons. It’s a weird sensation. I think the air force guy had something that seemed like that’s what it could be. I took this picture once when I heard a boom like that and must have been the exact same time.

 

[xin loi]

Western Front re-enactment group?

The German Guns

In May of 2022 I met several Spanish men , along the Primitivo, wearing OLD WW II uniforms because they had been re-enacting the Normandy invasion.

 

[Cindy McGuire]

Walked Camino Frances between Sept 9 and Oct 15. Noted noise similar to sonic booms while in the mountainous regions. Does anyone know the source of the booms?

I walked the CF over the same period of time and heard them, too. The first time I looked madly around for guidance... should we duck and cover?! Where?! Others either didn't notice or weren't nearly as alarmed as I was. They were indeed irregular, but sometimes, two would come within a minute. Then I might not hear another for days. And a couple of times I'd guessed it was gunfire, likely from hunters.

I heard the same thing for several hours before arriving in Fromista. The locals didn't know.

 

[1elantra]

That is the sound made by overloaded pilgrims dropping their rucksacks outside a bar. The locals are used to it and take no notice

 

[dick bird]

I heard the same thing for several hours before arriving in Fromista. The locals didn't know.

Most likely to have been either fireworks or a quarry. I have heard booms too at various places and it turned out to be one of those.

 

[dick bird]

Western Front re-enactment group?

The German Guns

Just a gentle reminder here to keep on topic. Much as I love the Blackadder series, there is a danger not everyone will get the cultural reference.

 

[Vancouver Rose]

Most likely to have been either fireworks or a quarry. I have heard booms too at various places and it turned out to be one of those.

I go to fireworks competitions every year. What I heard was definitely not that.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Actually I am working for the AirForce
So I know that there are some military Low Level Flight training areas next to the Camino route

I heard such sounds many Caminos ago and I was told the very same thing. I believe that there is a military aerodrome near Valladolid and they would fly over the Camino.

 

[SirJizzle]

I heard such sounds many Caminos ago and I was told the very same thing. I believe that there is a military aerodrome near Valladolid and they would fly over the Camino.

Actually, as far as I know, there is a low flight level Trainings area in a "Canyon" like Terrain... 2016 I saw them flying there as well but at that time I was not in the function of a Flight dispatcher. Now I am since 4 years and I know some of the spanisch Military areas there .
And two of them are mostlikely crossing the Camino Francés

 

[ginniek]

There may be NATO training going on, using different locations to simulate terrain that may be unfamiliar to pilots from different NATO countries. Enough said.

 

[wisepilgrim]

More often than not these noises can be attributed to a small village firing off a cohete. Just fireworks designed ti make noise to announce a local fiesta. From time to time you may even hear a duel between adjacent villages as each believes that their patron saint deserves more bang than their neighbors.

Or it a bear hunter, never can be too careful with those bears.