First time fears

[Maraujo]

Hello, this is my first time walking the Camino and I'm suddenly paralyzed with fear. I am starting in 2 days and have suddenly developed a huge fear of being lost. I arrived in Oviedo today and immediately got lost walking from bus station to my hotel. Tried
doing a preview walk to the Cathedral and got lost. I have previously done a lot of backpacking in the states, but during covid I stopped. I let myself get very out of shape, gaines 25lbs and developed plantars facsiitis, I haven't trained or prepared much and Im pushing 60. I just threw some stuff in a backpack and headed over. My motto has always been couch to summit and have enough money for a plane ticket home . My hope in doing the walk is to find what I've lost, or to at least to know what I've. I'm normally a pretty chill, no worries type of person and someone used to getting lost (lol) so this new fear of being lost has thrown me. Any advice navigating the start of the route through Oviedo would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Robo]

Hopefully someone will be along shortly who knows that route, with some tips…

But do any of us get lost? Of course! Did we survive? Of course. You get better at navigation as you go….

Follow the arrows, follow other Pilgrims, ask people…. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, I’m sure you can say “Camino” in a questioning tone…

I’m sure once you get your first day completed you’ll wonder what all the fear was about?

 

[Telelama]

Hi Maraujo, we've done the primitivo twice, including just a few months ago. The way is well marked starting at the cathedral. Look for brass markers on the ground and yellow arrows painted on telephone poles, light poles, on the curb, sides of buildings and more. They're there I can assure you.

Another option would be to take a taxi to Parque Camino de Santiago at the edge of Oviedo. There's a camino plinth here that makes it really easy to follow the trail out of town.

Can you get lost? Sure, but someone will help you get back on the trail. I know of people who have walked miles off the camino and a nice local drove them back to the camino. The markers are there and if you're paying attention, you won't miss them. It's a really nice walk to Grado. Plus, you won't be alone, there's others that you can follow (just don't leave it all to them, they might be lost too! )

Being nervous is normal. I would be surprised if you were not. We've done five and are still nervous at the start. Remember, it's just a walk. Take a rest if you get nervous. Have a beer/wine. Watch the clouds go by. Talk with someone. Breathe deeply in, slowly out and just go.

The nervousness might just smooth itself out once you're out there walking.

 

[Telelama]

Maybe this can be of help? It'll get you on the right road out of town. Just find the Parque de San Francisco and just a few blocks away is the camino. You have to walk past the Decathalon, so ask someone for directions from the Parque to Decathalon, then continue on past the Decatalon roughly two blocks.

 

[mochilaverde]

I use a map app (OSMand) with the route marked on my phone. I don't worry about getting lost AND it also allows me to improvise detours that go off the official route. Even better, once you have downloaded the map of the area you're in, you don't need to be connected to wifi or data to use the map!

OsmAnd | OsmAnd

Offline Mobile Maps & Navigation

osmand.net

Once you install the app, download the regional maps for Galicia and Asturias from within the app.

Now use the web browser on your phone to download gpx route from the Dutch camino association. (Scroll down until you find the table for Spain.)

Downloads - Santiago

Indeling – Per land vind je hier een overzicht van praktische downloads voor onderweg, ingedeeld in onderstaande drie categorieën. Handleiding – Wil je meer weten over hoe je de bestanden samen met een geschikte app in je smartphone kunt installeren, lees dan de handleidingen. Overzicht – Alle...

www.santiago.nl

Once you have the gpx route on your phone, you can display it over your map from My Places -> Import Favourite.