Hiking Poles needed Pontevedra to Santiago?

[Unweekends]

I'm walking a short 3 day Camino.

Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis ( Day 1)
Caldas de Reis to Padron ( Day 2)
Padron to Santiago de Compostela ( Day 3)
FREE day in Santiago then head home ( Day 4).

Is there elevation & difficult terrain in these cities? Will I need hiking poles?

 

[Tincatinker]

The profiles are available on Gronze. https://www.gronze.com/camino-portugues

Do you usually walk with poles? If so, use them. If not why are you asking?

Edit: no, no significant elevation changes and no, no difficult terrain. Mostly paved or graded surfaces. Watch out for the odd missing manhole cover

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I use hiking poles on my day hikes in So. Cal. I think the only people who don't use them on any hike just don't know how beneficial they are...

 

[Unweekends]

I'm asking because if it's a lot of assents & decents the I want to use hiking poles. If it's pretty flat, then I will not need the poles. My knees get bad sometimes.

 

[Tincatinker]

I walk around 2500 miles a year. I never use poles

 

[Tincatinker]

I'm asking because if it's a lot of assents & decents the I want to use hiking poles. If it's pretty flat, then I will not need the poles. My knees get bad sometimes.

Then review the profiles published on Gronze and make your decision based on the data

 

[henrythedog]

I'm asking because if it's a lot of assents & decents the I want to use hiking poles. If it's pretty flat, then I will not need the poles. My knees get bad sometimes.

If your knees get bad, anytime, perhaps you might consider using poles more frequently?

As a one-off your chosen route does not ‘need’ poles. I would, however, use poles.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I walk around 2500 miles a year. I never use poles

Never is another bad word.

 

[Tincatinker]

There’s no such thing as a bad word. Context is everything

 

[Damien Reynolds]

There’s no such thing as a bad word. Context is everything

I wasn't responding to the OP. I was responding to your 2500km remark. I mean, you walk that far, and you don't use poles?

 

[Damien Reynolds]

ok, I can only base it on my experience. Poles have saved me so many times.

Sometimes its just from falling after I'm tired and walking down a rocky slope.

Sometimes it is when crossing a log over a river.

Sometimes it is for a little leverage while crossing a tiny stream of water so my feet don't get wet.

And they have no downside.

 

[Tincatinker]

I wasn't responding to the OP. I was responding to your 2500km remark. I mean, you walk that far, and you don't use poles?

Yep. I’ll take and use poles in “wild” country. I find them useful in muddy or loose rock scenarios but, for me, for most walks they’re just furniture. Like the posh rucksacks and the breathable wet wear and the perfect trainers.

Mostly I go for a walk in the clothes I wear everyday with a toothbrush and a spare change of knickers and socks in my pack. If I’m going for more than a week I’ll probably take a change of shirt, depending on season.

And that’s 2500 miles, 4000km. It’s not really very far

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Yep. I’ll take and use poles in “wild” country.

You can't impress me with your mileage.

I find it funny how you retracted your never statement.

 

[dbier]

*Some* people benefit from poles in *some* circumstances.

The OP stated that the OP benefits from using poles on ascents and descents, tho OP doesn't specify how steep a grade. Others have pointed out here that the OP's route doesn't seem to have a lot of elevation changes, but only the OP can say whether the route looks flat enough to forgo poles.

And, contrary to statement, there *can* be a downside to using poles.

If, oh, say, a person using hiking poles finds that they do indeed relieve stress on the legs, but at the cost of aggravating an old upper back injury to the point of being unable to shoulder a day pack? (True story).

My choices on the Primitivo were: a. use poles, ship pack, chew aspirina, and keep the day pack on the right side, or b: don't use poles, still ship pack, wear day pack, and watch the left knee swell and stiffen up. There's a reason why the last 30km into Santiago took me 10 hours.

Either way, hopefully the OP has an answer they can use, although if they're not familiar with profiles, it may still be a challenge.

 

[kuhawkhead]

The profiles are available on Gronze. https://www.gronze.com/camino-portugues

Do you usually walk with poles? If so, use them. If not why are you asking?

Edit: no, no significant elevation changes and no, no difficult terrain. Mostly paved or graded surfaces. Watch out for the odd missing manhole cover

Here’s my two cents day 8 on the coastal route. Take them. I experienced a sharp hip pain while crossing a steep and uneven section on day two. I walked the stage but took a cab the final 2 miles to the hotel from a pub on the edge of town. The next day I took a cab the final four miles into Baiona because I just couldn’t do the incline. Level walking was fine, downhills were fine. Uphills were nearly impossible. I’ve been using my trail buddy poles since and I have hit my stride and found my groove. I would take them.

 

[Tincatinker]

Here’s my two cents day 8 on the coastal route. Take them. I experienced a sharp hip pain while crossing a steep and uneven section on day two. I walked the stage but took a cab the final 2 miles to the hotel from a pub on the edge of town. The next day I took a cab the final four miles into Baiona because I just couldn’t do the incline. Level walking was fine, downhills were fine. Uphills were nearly impossible. I’ve been using my trail buddy poles since and I have hit my stride and found my groove. I would take them.

you're a long way south of where the OP is proposing to start and in an entirely different landscape

 

[drgalvin]

I'm walking a short 3 day Camino.

Pontevedra to Caldas de Reis ( Day 1)
Caldas de Reis to Padron ( Day 2)
Padron to Santiago de Compostela ( Day 3)
FREE day in Santiago then head home ( Day 4).

Is there elevation & difficult terrain in these cities? Will I need hiking poles?

I have gotten to Compostela five times. I always see walkers carrying, not using, their poles toward the end. Earlier, they are walking with the poles but don't need them; just extra hand baggage.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

I have gotten to Compostela five times. I always see walker carrying, not using, their poles toward the end. Earlier, they are walking with the poles but don't need them; just extra hand baggage.

In cities they are stowed.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

ok, I can only base it on my experience. Poles have saved me so many times.

Sometimes its just from falling after I'm tired and walking down a rocky slope.

Sometimes it is when crossing a log over a river.

Sometimes it is for a little leverage while crossing a tiny stream of water so my feet don't get wet.

And they have no downside.

I have done week-long hikes and also a Camino Francés without poles ... and without any problems. Still, when I happen to have poles with me, I always love them.
The only reason I sometimes travel without them is because I love to travel without checked in luggage. For my last camino I sent hiking poles to a hotel in Oviedo and picked them up upon arrival.
However, that is not always a good option.

 

[JerryStroebele]

I carry one pole, a folding Black Diamond, and use it mainly just for nasty descents and stream crossings. Carried folded in my hand at the non-handle end, with its' 6 inch cloth wrist strap on the handle, it is the best darn fly swatter on the Camino. Buen Camino

 

[trecile]

In cities they are stowed.

Same for me.

When I entered Valença on the Camino Portuguese I stowed my poles on my backpack. As I left the city I didn't bother to take them off my backpack because I knew that it was just about 3km to Tui where I was stopping for the day. By the time I got to Tui my back was sore. For me, the poles help my posture while I'm wearing a backpack and keep my back from getting sore. They also keep my hands from getting swollen, and provide my arms with exercise to keep them toned.

 

[KDub]

There are a couple of ascents and descents on that route that I wished I would have had poles for. Or at least one pole. There is a steep descent into a town where you come down a road that seemed like it might be slippery in the rain. Does anyone else remember that??

 

[Ella L.]

I loves poles, they are brakes (downhill), engines (uphill) and stabilizers...or outriggers! But, I find that in warm conditions, my hands swell uncomfortably, and using poles alleviates that. You will not find huge gradient differences...although there is a bit of an uphill slog on the last stretch...