El Camino San Olav - A Walker's Guide

[alexwalker]

This guide is, to my knowledge, the only written guide to this Camino. As you can see from the posts below, I had some problems uploading it initially, but got it fixed.

The guide was written after I walked El Camino San Olav 3rd - 6th Sept. 2016.

UPDATE: The San Olav guide is now to be found and downloaded from the Resources section. I advice that you go there for downloads, because I will put new versions/updates there, as there is version control there.

Some of the posts below show my initial problems in uploading the guide because of size. Thanks to SYates I managed to solve it, and we let the posts stay "as is" for info to future uploaders.

 

[SYates]

Uh oh, 70Mb! How many photos/images are in there? SY

 

[alexwalker]

Uh oh, 70Mb! How many photos/images are in there? SY

Yes there are maybe 20-30 pictures, but not large ones...

Edit: 47

 

[alexwalker]

Tried to split it, but even a file 12.5 Mb is too big...

 

[SYates]

The problem is not only the uploading here, it is also the downloading time for people, especially those on limited bandwidth. I PM you my email and if you like I have a look at it and see what can be done. SY

 

[peregrina2000]

Right; so the first version of a guide to this Camino is done. However, at 70 Mb, it is too big to upload...
Will contact Ivar to hear what can be done.

Looking forward to seeing this, Alex, and to hearing all about your walk.

 

[alexwalker]

Thanks to valuable help from our SYates, the file is now compressed and ready for you to download. Hope you like it...

PS: All comments on grammar, spelling, and any inaccurancies are very welcome!

UPDATE: The San Olav guide is now to be found and downloaded from the Resources section. I advice that you go there for downloads, because I will put new versions/updates there, as there is version control there.

 

[SYates]

Glad I could help, do you also plan to upload it to the resources section directly? Would be easier to find there ...

Buen Camino and thanks for creating this guide, SY

 

[alexwalker]

Glad I could help, do you also plan to upload it to the resources section directly? Would be easier to find there ...

Buen Camino and thanks for creating this guide, SY

Thank YOU for assisting. Good idea: Will do.

 

[SYates]

Threads sink into oblivion, resources stay ;-) SY

 

[alexwalker]

It is now also in Resources, and Ivar has made this thread a sticky, so it will float forever...

 

[SYates]

Well done and Thanks! SY

 

[Purple Backpack]

This is amazing and your wonderful guide is much appreciated. It's downloaded so I can detour on the next Frances trip. My ancestors are from Bergen, Eidsvoll and Vikersund so I found the linked story fascinating. Tusen takk for sharing this unique side trip!

PS: Since you are from Norway, perhaps you can answer something for me. I have looked at the St Olav trail and see there are two routes from Oslo. If you have hiked in this area, which would you recommend?

 

[C clearly]

Thank you! This is a very nicely written and informative guide - very tempting.

 

[alexwalker]

This is amazing and your wonderful guide is much appreciated. It's downloaded so I can detour on the next Frances trip. My ancestors are from Bergen, Eidsvoll and Vikersund so I found the linked story fascinating. Tusen takk for sharing this unique side trip!

PS: Since you are from Norway, perhaps you can answer something for me. I have looked at the St Olav trail and see there are two routes from Oslo. If you have hiked in this area, which would you recommend?

Thank you!

I haven't walked th St. Olav in Norway. Accomodation is expensive and far between, I think, and Norway is a very expensive country. But if cheap accomodation is developed, I may consider.

There is a west and east route. The west route is thru Gudbrandsdalen: More places, but more traffic on roads. The east route is thru Østerdalen: More rural.

Eidsvoll is on, or near, the eastern route.

 

[SYates]

And the friendly linky-link to this guide in the resources section is - drrrum-roll please: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/resources/el-camino-san-olav-a-walkers-guide.518/

BC SY

 

[ranthr]

Takk,takk! Excellent work, Alexwalker!
Helpful instructions in the start.

 

[alexwalker]

I need to thank SYates for helping me out on image compression in the PDF file, which made it possible to upload the guide. To my shame, I had forgotten about it, but she managed to lead me on track. Thanks!

I would also like to thank Rebekah Scott for having me in her house and letting me use her computer to write down essentials while they were still fresh in my mind. It made the basis of the guide: That afternoon in her friendly house helped me a lot. Thanks!

(On the other hand, by coincidence (or?), I brought with me to her house a veterinarian (for her dogs, that is...) when it was very much needed )

I would appreciate if you honorable forum members could point out errors in my grammar, spelling (remember; I am a Norwegian; English is not my native language, although it was my working language for +30 years in the computer industry), as well as vital information I may have missed, including useful links to external sites.

There are some minor stuff I have already corrected/added, as well as I have changed a little in the PDF file so that external links open in a separate window of your browser, instead of leaving/overwriting the guide itself. Tech stuff. But I will wait posting the next version: I would appreciate if you could proof-read my stuff and give me your feedback. So just hit me with your comments/corrections: All is welcomed!

 

[alexwalker]

Takk,takk! Excellent work, Alexwalker!
Helpful instructions in the start.

Thanks. The way out of Burgos to get on track on the San Olav is surprisingly simple, indeed.

 

[alexwalker]

UPDATE: A new version has been uploaded. A very useful link added, spelling/grammar corrected.

 

[alexwalker]

Update:

I just received a nice email from the Norw. couple running the San Olav chapel and Foundation (translated from Norw.):

"Thank you so much for this useful information!
It is a great guide, clear and spot on. We have taken the liberty of distributing it to the hotel you mention as well as to a local chapter in the Lara district who had the idea of San Olav and who has waymarked the whole camino.
Well done, and welcome back to Covarrubias!

Greetings
Øyvind og Kari"

I have given them full rights to use the guide as they wish, in order to attract more walkers.

So this means that the few, but important, missing waymarkers I pointed out in my guide will hopefully be fixed soon. If not, the guide "walks" you through it, anyway.

Edit: I will most certainly return to walk this camino: It was simply great.

 

[Tulle]

A question: The headline on the front page says "Camino de San Olav (between Burgos and Santo Domingo) Is that correct? Doesn't Camino de San Olav end in Burgos?

 

[VNwalking]

No, Covarrubias is. It is possible to go from there to SDdS either on the Ruta de Lana--about 18kms--or the longer GR82--that's signposted at 21 kms but my legs said it was a bit more.
I did the walk in reverse and I have to say it was spectacular--especially the GR 82 over the hill through Contreras to Covarrubias and then on the San Olav to Modubar San Cibrian. Wowee. Wonderful.

 

[Tulle]

Sorry, I don't understand that I wrote Burgos, of course I meant Covarrubias.. I have walked the Camino myself, a wonderful experience )

 

[willydp]

Thanks for the very easy to follow guide.
Will put this one on my wishlist

 

[ranthr]

@alexwalker , took the bus from Burgos some years ago since it was difficult to get accomodation when I walked in autumn. Do you think this route from Burgos is a suitable walkingroute for an old woman? Is it possible to walk on to Camino Frances without going back to Burgos?

 

[peregrina2000]

@alexwalker , took the bus from Burgos some years ago since it was difficult to get accomodation when I walked in autumn. Do you think this route from Burgos is a suitable walkingroute for an old woman? Is it possible to walk on to Camino Frances without going back to Burgos?

As an old woman who has walked this route, I can say yes indeed it is both suitable and lovely. I was walking the Ebro and met Reb in Santo Domingo, and we walked from there to Burgos on the San Olav in three days. It is a very special route, and there is a link to my blog below this post in my signature. The San Olav only goes between Covarrubias and Burgos (and then you add on some of the Lana from Santo Domingo to Covarrubias), so you have to either start or end in Burgos. Vnwalking has also walked and enjoyed the route. And she’s almost an old woman like me!

 

[VNwalking]

Vnwalking has also walked and enjoyed the route. And she’s almost an old woman like me!

Yup. Laurie speaks the truth! The only correction I'd make to her post is that 'enjoy' is way too mild a word. It was a string of stellar walking days. I was alone, for what it's worth - which meant I got lost right off the bat, leaving SDdS on the wrong path. But no harm was done; in fact it made for one of the best days of walking ever. I wrote some posts about it here after the fact and here in the moment....
[Edit...yes...Laurie and I are definitely 'older.' I can maintain a steady but no longer too-fleet-of-foot pace. But good luck with anyone keeping up with her. (Older you may be - but you're not old yet, @peregrina2000 .)]

 

[Bad Pilgrim]

Wow,

I am definitely going for this Camino next summer (2019). I should be there around the midst of July. I will look through the ressources that you all mention!

I hope it is accepted that a Swedish boy walks this "Norwegian" Camino de Santiago...! :OD :OD

At the entrance of Covarrubias there is a large sign saying "Bienvenidos" (Welcome) to visitors… And the first translation on the sign is actually Velkommen ("Welcome" in Norwegian)!

I will start in Burgos, walk to Covarrubias and then take the bus back to Burgos... Hopefully to walk somewhere else: possibly continue on the Camino francés for a while.

Thanks everyone!

BP

 

[Stivandrer]

And - if you are a Xmas pressie short, or have a case of Pining for the Fjords, like the proverbial Dead Parrot (!), in these early stages of preparation there is a wall calendar to be had at St Olavsleden web shop !

http://stolavsledenwebbshop.tictail.com/product/väggkalender-2019?fbclid=IwAR0FVfa8_PtVBhVzrAEDdG40Pg9IFgejwopCR08AnhInYhdLrdXhP8IeZQQ

Should the price be a deterrent, , you could talk about your future plans to friends & next of kin, and they will do ANYthing to shut you up, and then buy it for you !!


sorry this is the wrong st olav camino and the wrong thread to put it,
I will move it in a bit when I fnd the right person who would walk in Norway,
Mea Cupla !!!

 

[peregrina2000]

Wow,

I am definitely going for this Camino next summer (2019). I should be there around the midst of July. I will look through the ressources that you all mention!

I hope it is accepted that a Swedish boy walks this "Norwegian" Camino de Santiago...! :OD :OD

At the entrance of Covarrubias there is a large sign saying "Bienvenidos" (Welcome) to visitors… And the first translation on the sign is actually Velkommen ("Welcome" in Norwegian)!

I will start in Burgos, walk to Covarrubias and then take the bus back to Burgos... Hopefully to walk somewhere else: possibly continue on the Camino francés for a while.

Thanks everyone!

BP

Hey BP,
I would suggest that you continue on a little further and go to Santo Domingo de Silos if you have the time. I walked from Santo Domingo to Burgos (the opposite direction you will be walking) with Rebekah a few years ago, and I have to say it was a very beautiful camino.

And if you are starting to get pangs of guilt about not telling any of us what happened to you at Yelbes, don't worry, we are very patient.

 

[dick bird]

This guide is, to my knowledge, the only written guide to this Camino. As you can see from the posts below, I had some problems uploading it initially, but got it fixed.

The guide was written after I walked El Camino San Olav 3rd - 6th Sept. 2016.

UPDATE: The San Olav guide is now to be found and downloaded from the Resources section. I advice that you go there for downloads, because I will put new versions/updates there, as there is version control there.

Some of the posts below show my initial problems in uploading the guide because of size. Thanks to SYates I managed to solve it, and we let the posts stay "as is" for info to future uploaders.

El Camino de San Olav - Burgos - Noruega - Camino de San Olav

El Camino de San Olav en España

www.caminodesanolav.es

There is also this, which may be useful. We are thinking of walking it in reverse as a slightly longer way of completing the Lana, but not until May/June 2022.

 

[peregrina2000]

El Camino de San Olav - Burgos - Noruega - Camino de San Olav

El Camino de San Olav en España

www.caminodesanolav.es

There is also this, which may be useful. We are thinking of walking it in reverse as a slightly longer way of completing the Lana, but not until May/June 2022.

Great idea! And not just because that’s what I did! Rebekah and I posted some threads,

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/the-camino-san-olav-to-burgos-2016.42409/

When you get to Santo Domingo, head to Covarrubias and then you have three really nice days that will take you, among other 5 star attractions, to the visigothic church of Quintanilla de las Viñas. I think you love these old churches like I do, @dick bird, and this is one that cannot be missed. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, I believe, so plan carefully!

Whether you take the San Olav backwards or continue on the Lana, you will be plunked right into Santo Domingo de Silos with its amazing cloister. Great choice of caminos, IMO.

 

[peregrina2000]

And one more thing, the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza was closed for several years for restoration, is now open, and looks spectacular. And there are good ways to walk there and work it into the San Olav.

Monasterio de San Pedro de Arlanza

Situado en la provincia de Burgos, el Río Arlanza rodea las ruinas del histórico Monasterio de San Pedro Arlanza, testimonio artístico del románico. Fundado y dedicado por El Conde Gonzalo Téllez y...

www.turismocastillayleon.com

 

[dick bird]

Great idea! And not just because that’s what I did! Rebekah and I posted some threads,

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/the-camino-san-olav-to-burgos-2016.42409/

When you get to Santo Domingo, head to Covarrubias and then you have three really nice days that will take you, among other 5 star attractions, to the visigothic church of Quintanilla de las Viñas. I think you love these old churches like I do, @dick bird, and this is one that cannot be missed. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, I believe, so plan carefully!

Whether you take the San Olav backwards or continue on the Lana, you will be plunked right into Santo Domingo de Silos with its amazing cloister. Great choice of caminos, IMO.

And if we can, we'll follow the Francés as far as Fromista, then follow the Castellano-Lebaniego to Santo Toribio then via Pótes to San Vicente de Barquera, i.e. coast to coast. At least. that's the plan.

 

[peregrina2000]

And if we can, we'll follow the Francés as far as Fromista, then follow the Castellano-Lebaniego to Santo Toribio then via Pótes to San Vicente de Barquera, i.e. coast to coast. At least. that's the plan.

only one word — WOW.

 

[VNwalking]

Great idea! And not just because that’s what I did! Rebekah and I posted some threads,

I did it too. A wonderful walk.

And one more thing, the monastery of San Pedro de Arlanza was closed for several years for restoration, is now open, and looks spectacular. And there are good ways to walk there and work it into the San Olav.

I posted a map someplace else. But there at least are two optons here if you want to include SP in your walk.
1. As a side trip from Covarrubias (taxi?)
2. Take the GR82 out of Santo Domingo, through Contreras. From Contreras make your way to the BU-905; SAN Pedro's about 1.5km on the right. Then walk into Covarrubias from there, about 7kms.
3. As #2 but bypassing Contreras, going direct to Mambrillas from San Pedro. This is shorter and faster, but it'd be a pity to miss Covarrubias.