For the Guide — Impressions of “road walking”

[peregrina2000]

I remembered that before I left for the camino, there had been some forum discussion, maybe some of it even a little testy, about how much road walking there was on the Invierno. So I tried to pay careful attention, sometimes writing down notes, but not usually. I eventually decided there was no way I could be precise, so I would like to hear your reactions to my memory, and if you agree this is accurate:

Whether there is a lot of road walking on the Invierno depends on your definition of “road walking.” For some, it means “busy road walking.” For others, it means “walking on or alongside any asphalted road.” For still others, it means only “actually walking on asphalt/pavement/tarmac.” Though I don’t have precise numbers, having paid attention to this issue on my June/July 2019 Invierno, this is how I would describe it. There is very little walking on or near busy roads. There is a lot of walking alongside very untraveled paved roads. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, there is a soft shoulder to take you off the pavement if you want to walk on ground.

What do you think? Have I given an accurate impression?

 

[ranthr]

I think you have given the accurate impression!
I had prepared for a lot of hard road and wore hokas, and in some streches chose the road instead of the path because of mud. But I never felt bothered by hard road or traffic, which was less than I meet on a walk along the countryroad where I live. Did not meet many cars along the camino.

 

[KinkyOne]

Usually I divide route into three categories by surface:
- path/track (I would put descend to Belesar in this one for example, but generally the earth track usually through forest),
- gravel road (like AG roads or sendas, that stretch past the wind turbines after Alto do Faro would qualify) and
- paved surfaces (but on approx.half of them I found softer shoulder outside of the urban areas of course).

On Invierno I didn't have the impression there's much tarmac walking all in all. And I did some stretches like Rodeiro - Lalin along the main road but with gravel service road parallel to it. So what would it be, sedond or third category?

To definitely answer how much of each there is on certain Camino one would have to take out the phone and constantly check the GPS recordings re distances though

 

[Theatregal]

Yes, I think that would be an accurate impression, Laurie.

 

[Annette london]

I remembered that before I left for the camino, there had been some forum discussion, maybe some of it even a little testy, about how much road walking there was on the Invierno. So I tried to pay careful attention, sometimes writing down notes, but not usually. I eventually decided there was no way I could be precise, so I would like to hear your reactions to my memory, and if you agree this is accurate:

Whether there is a lot of road walking on the Invierno depends on your definition of “road walking.” For some, it means “busy road walking.” For others, it means “walking on or alongside any asphalted road.” For still others, it means only “actually walking on asphalt/pavement/tarmac.” Though I don’t have precise numbers, having paid attention to this issue on my June/July 2019 Invierno, this is how I would describe it. There is very little walking on or near busy roads. There is a lot of walking alongside very untraveled paved roads. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, there is a soft shoulder to take you off the pavement if you want to walk on ground.

What do you think? Have I given an accurate impression?

Think yourself and Kinky one have summed it up very well indeed
From Ponferrada to Las Medulas and again from Las Medulas to O Barco there is minimal Tarmac ...and from San Claudo just past Quiroga to Salcedo is mostly on forest tracks.....so 3 -4 days virtually Tarmac free

Personally I would consider anything that's made of Tarmac as "road walking" and hard on the feet

A lot of the small traffic free roads/lanes would have been hard going without the green or fallen leaves patches at the sides and we were usually able to find plenty of these ...even on some main roads
It's a lovely walk so let's hope it does get to "take off"

 

[amancio]

I subscribe Laurie's perception; I did the whole camino on sandals and I was fine. The wild bits in this camino are truely wild, it is a jewel! And now they are talking about diverting it to Castro Caldelas on account on whatever reason.

Castro Caldelas aspira a crear una variante del Camino de Invierno hasta Monforte

La Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio valorará una ruta alternativa al trazado que después discurre por Deza

www.lavozdegalicia.es

This is a map, in green, I marked the current route

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, no one asked me, and I am all in favor of alternatives, especially if they go through mountains. But my own humble opinion is that it would be much better to get one route firmly established before creating all the confusion that comes with too many alternatives. But maybe this will spur Pobra de Brollon into action with their plans for an albergue, if the competition can offer that.

This stge would apparently offer a boat ride to Belesar along the Miño, which would be a fun diversion!

And this is off-topic, but I think the Xunta is wrong to put “The Winter Way” in the vocabulary, as the picture shows. I have only met one person who used that term, a guy from Australia. I met him on the Invierno. He had done many hours of searching on the internet for information about the Winter Way and never came across this forum or the guide! Everyone calls it “the invierno” and I think that’s unlikely to change. So if anyone has the ear of important Camino Invierno officials, will you please pass on those comments?

 

[VNwalking]

There is a lot of walking alongside very untraveled paved roads. But in the overwhelming majority of cases, there is a soft shoulder to take you off the pavement if you want to walk on ground.

Just perfect, Laurie.

So if anyone has the ear of important Camino Invierno officials

Don't we wish? And they 'aspire to create a variante' doesn't create a whole lot of concern. Some day maybe it'll happen.
Sad. You'd miss out on the water hazard/obstacle course right as the camino gets to Monforte.

 

[Charrito]

Well, no one asked me, and I am all in favor of alternatives, especially if they go through mountains. But my own humble opinion is that it would be much better to get one route firmly established before creating all the confusion that comes with too many alternatives. But maybe this will spur Pobra de Brollon into action with their plans for an albergue, if the competition can offer that.

This stge would apparently offer a boat ride to Belesar along the Miño, which would be a fun diversion!

And this is off-topic, but I think the Xunta is wrong to put “The Winter Way” in the vocabulary, as the picture shows. I have only met one person who used that term, a guy from Australia. I met him on the Invierno. He had done many hours of searching on the internet for information about the Winter Way and never came across this forum or the guide! Everyone calls it “the invierno” and I think that’s unlikely to change. So if anyone has the ear of important Camino Invierno officials, will you please pass on those comments?

I'm with Laurie on this. We'll end up with something like the Variante Espiritual (Camiño Portugués), with a boat trip thrown in! By the way, that was a lovely unspoilt route until the hordes found out about it!

There's not a great deal of accommodation in that part of the world, and who would want to miss the marvellous stage from A Rúa to Montefurado and Quiroga? Not me!

I found this Wikiloc map. It's for bikes and it's in the other direction, but there's a pretty steep climb involved:

Castro Caldelas - A Rúa (Tramo 4/4)

Ruta Castro Caldelas - A Rúa (Tramo 4/4) de Mountain Bike en Castro Caldelas, Galicia (España). Descarga el track GPS y sigue el recorrido del itinerario del sendero desde un mapa. Ruta que atraviesa aldeas deshabitadas. El descenso hasta las Os Covallos es espectacular. Sin dudas el mejor de...

es.wikiloc.com

 

[amancio]

" my own humble opinion is that it would be much better to get one route firmly established before creating all the confusion that comes with too many alternatives " I could not agree more, Laurie, once it is settled, maybe, but spliting it now would only lead to further confusion.