How Far Have You Walked in Total on Caminos?

[Robo]

OK this is not for any purpose other than a bit of fun.
Certainly not to 'grade' members or imply anything at all!

It was triggered because I was thinking of that idea, that to become an 'Expert' at something typically takes 10,000 hours! I think in fact the 'rule' now debunked by the way, was that 10,000 hours of practice was required to become World Class at something.

I reckon we might have a few 10,000 hour walkers amongst our members here!

But it got me thinking, I wonder how many kilometres our members have walked?
Wouldn't it be fun to see the spread?

I consider myself a novice in terms of Camino experience, having clocked up only 1,750 kms so far. Nowhere close to many members here.

Good point from @Bradypus below. VdlP we'll count as a Camino, and any route such as Le Puy that connects to the Spanish Caminos. Basically Caminos that head towards SDC!

OK. let’s include any route specifically covered (with it’s own sub forum) on this Forum. I don’t think we should go broader than that. This is a Camino forum after all.

So How about you?
How many kilomteres do you think you have walked on Camino so far, or maybe you are still planning your first ?
I'm jealous, I think the first is the best

I'll try to think of some logical distance breaks

P.S. Only kilometres walked on Camino please...

 

[Al the optimist]

10,000 hours! ouch! I have done a little over 5,000k in the last 6 years so I guess I have only managed a 1,000 hours or so. I imagine we are looking for someone with a lot more Camino years in them. Someone who was a veteran Caminoist before Ivar even started this forum.

 

[Bradypus]

P.S. Only kilometres walked on Camino please...

Just to be clear - you mean only kilometres walked in Spain on routes generally recognised as Caminos (and perhaps we might allow the Via de la Plata which isn't actually named a "Camino" but... )? Not counting the various French Chemins or pilgrim routes in other countries?

 

[Robo]

Just to be clear - you mean only kilometres walked in Spain on routes generally recognised as Caminos (and perhaps we might allow the Via de la Plata which isn't actually named a "Camino" but... ). Not counting the various French Chemins or pilgrim routes in other countries?

Correct! I will amend the first post

 

[Robo]

10,000 hours! ouch! I have done a little over 5,000k in the last 6 years so I guess I have only managed a 1,000 hours or so. I imagine we are looking for someone with a lot more Camino years in them. Someone who was a veteran Caminoist before Ivar even started this forum.

We are looking at Kms, not hours. I think Kms are more relevant for Us

 

[Bradypus]

How many kilomteres do you think you have walked on Camino so far, or maybe you are still planning your first ?
I'm jealous, I think the first is the best

Your post prompted me to add up the distances I have walked on recognised pilgrim routes over the years - in Spain and elsewhere. A little under 10,000km I think fairly evenly split between the Spanish Caminos and other countries and destinations. Like many people the Camino Frances was my first walking pilgrimage. In some ways the best and certainly the one that set the benchmark for my future walks. One of my reasons for walking routes other than the Caminos now is to try to recapture something of the essence of that first Camino which is almost impossible to find along the Camino Frances these days.

 

[LGLG]

That's a big jump from over 1000 to over 5000, however.
And 10,000 hours at 4 km ph would equate with 40,000 km! A trip around the world perhaps? Sorry, too late in life for me to still find salvation by walking enough caminos.

 

[celinehenriette]

So my 2000 pilgrim km from the Netherlands to Rome don't count? That's too bad...

 

[Bradypus]

My most recent non-Camino pilgrimage was to walk the 1200km Shikoku 88 temple circuit in Japan in February and March. On my final day - just a few hours before the end - I visited a pilgrim welcome centre and museum. If I had any smugness about having almost completed this long walk then the photograph of this gentleman and its caption certainly knocked it out of me. No matter how far you walk you will always find someone who has gone that extra mile or two...

 

[Robo]

That's a big jump from over 1000 to over 5000, however.
And 10,000 hours at 4 km ph would equate with 40,000 km! A trip around the world perhaps? Sorry, too late in life for me to still find salvation by walking enough caminos.

That’s why I suggested kms rather than hours as the measure

 

[Robo]

So my 2000 pilgrim km from the Netherlands to Rome don't count? That's too bad...

So, shall we include all religious pilgrimages? Just Christian ones?
How about all routes that are covered by this Forum ?

 

[tpmchugh]

10,000 hours! ouch! I have done a little over 5,000k in the last 6 years so I guess I have only managed a 1,000 hours or so. I imagine we are looking for someone with a lot more Camino years in them. Someone who was a veteran Caminoist before Ivar even started this forum.

About half your distance but at the rate I walk, probably the same amount of time . Thats why I try to avoid stepping on snails, we are probably related

 

[ksam]

Thats why I try to avoid stepping on snails, we are probably related

This snail says thank you very much!!

 

[mspath]

In ten years of walking the CF from SJPdP to Santiago and on to Finisterra I walked at least 8,000 km and probably close to 10,000 km when you add in small detours and getting lost. ...Each km was and still is unforgettable!

 

[alexwalker]

More than 5000 but less than 10000. I really don't know...

 

[VNwalking]

That's a big jump from over 1000 to over 5000, however.

I'm guessing a lot of folks with several caminos under their belts will fall someplace in here, hence the big peak on the bell curve...

 

[backpack45scb]

Just over 5000km. How about adding 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000 to your tally? Should cover 99% of walkers.

 

[Deleted member 39850]

810 in 2014; 500 planned for late summer this year (Sahagún to Fisterre). We shall see if we have the time for 500, but we will definitely make it to Santiago on 400k with time to spare.
I remember that when I did the 2014 walk I was wearing a Jawbone tracker and after I completed the walk my Jawbone announced to me that I'd walked the equivalent of New York City to Miami.... And I thought, "No, dude! I walked from Saint Jean to Santiago. Dur."
This time I will have my Apple watch with me, and I will be very interested in its GPS data. I *really* wish that I could get a 3D map of the distance, but the scale just does not work... Maybe I can get a favourite snippet, like Foncebadon to Pontferadda or something... using my own GPS data.
I have roughly 11,000 steps per km -- so 8,910,000 *steps* from SJPDP to Santiago for me. No wonder we need really good shoes.

 

[LTfit]

This thread has finally gotten me to sit down and calculate. I was curious anyway. Numbers come from the Spanish Camino webpages Gronze and Mundicamino.

Total since 2010 is 8,043 km. I guessed that it would be closer to 10,000 than 5,000 and the year is not over

As we all know we walk extra km's every day to visit the towns we are staying in. This also does not include the times I got lost on a few solitary Caminos!

Now I am quite curious to hear who has walked greater than 15,000 km. I would guess that @peregrina2000 has done more than that

 

[High Endeavours]

This is an interesting thread. I gave up wondering about this when I met this fellow on the Spanish portion of the Portugese in fall 2016, knowing then that I'd never get at all close to what he has experienced, distance wise. A local restaurant was hosting him for his birthday dinner and seeing that we were peregrinos he graciously invited us to join him for a piece of his cake. We had a great time and it was fun to be a part of the celebrations, a true Camino memory! At that time he had walked over 107,000 kms!!!! Imagine that?! He was smoking a cigar and didn't have the obvious visual fitness one would expect, but the framed press clipping apparently told the story. Wish I could read it. Perhaps some of our members can? Enjoy!!

 

[naplesdon]

So if one was to walk 3km/hr for 775 km, that is 258 hours. Therefore walking the Camino France 38.76 times would make me World Class. I think not. Another way to look at it is 45 days times 24 hours/day which is only 1080 hours; that equals 10 Camino Frances by your definition. I think you need to redefine the definition of World Class in this example.

 

[Robo]

So if one was to walk 3km/hr for 775 km, that is 258 hours. Therefore walking the Camino France 38.76 times would make me World Class. I think not. Another way to look at it is 45 days times 24 hours/day which is only 1080 hours; that equals 10 Camino Frances by your definition. I think you need to redefine the definition of World Class in this example.

That’s why I though kms would make more sense

 

[Robo]

Does anyone know if it is possible to add more options to an existing poll?
And still have them in the right sequence.....

 

[lt56ny]

One little point. There is a big jump between 1000k and 5000k. I bet there are a whole lot of pilgrims reading this that are in the middle of treat spread somewhere. There are 4 plateaus up to 1000 and then nothing till 5,000. I have walked about 3,500. A lot of them hard miles.
It will be Two more Caminos before I get to 5000. Not a very big deal but just making an observation.

 

[Robo]

Sorry, I was trying to add some more options and screwed it up
I was only able to add one more, and it had to go at the bottom.........

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I've walked approximately 2600 kilometers on four various Caminos. (I'm in agreement that there is too big a gap between 1,000 and 5,000 kilometers walked.) But a fun thread you started anyway! Maybe there will be a lone winner when all is said and done.

 

[Robo]

I've walked approximately 2600 kilometers on four various Caminos. (I'm in agreement that there is too big a gap between 1,000 and 5,000 kilometers walked.) But a fun thread you started anyway! Maybe there will be a lone winner when all is said and done.

No 'winners' just some fun and curiosity.........
I suspected I could only have about 10 answers to pick from.
So I wanted to make sure we had break points lower down that would cater for Saria to SDC stage only and some of the shorter Caminos.......

I agree 100% it would be nice to have more options with smaller 'steps'.

Maybe Ivar could reset the poll function so it allows 20 selections

But then it will be a mess becuase all those extra options will be at the bottom out of sequence......
OK, I screwed it up.

But it's still fun to see the results isn't it ?

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Yes, it is!

 

[Robo]

I think what the Poll might show, is the relative split between three broad groups of members. Definitely not very scientific, but..............

Relative newbies who might have tried one Camino or a couple of the shorter ones.

Those who are developing a bit of a 'habit'.

And the complete addicts who can't keep away from the area and are to be seen wandering all over remote areas of Spain and France.......

I hope to join the last group at some stage in the future

 

[Anamya]

Wish I could read it. Perhaps some of our members can? Enjoy

The first paragraph of the newspaper is quite amazing indeed. It's something like:

"Everything started when my ship sank in Norway. We were 17 codfish fishermen, but I was the only survivor. My 16 friends died. I found myself over a corpse for 9 hours waiting for rescue and promised to the Virgin that, if I survived, I'd walk to all sacred places". He is originally from Bilbao and started walking 15 years ago.

 

[Robo]

This Poll is looking VERY skewed!
I would have expected many many more in the first few options.............

 

[nycwalking]

I walked approximately 3000 kilometers on five caminos: only one of which was SJPP-Fisterra every step of the way.

 

[celinehenriette]

Just changed to over 2000 km
2000 km Netherland to Rome and last week I finisged 1250 km of trail to Santiago. First Vienna to Innsbruck (about 450 km walked), then 3 days of rest and and travel time to St. Jean to walk the last 800 to Santiago. About to start a new walk: 500 km through the Netherlands. No pilgrims trail this time

 

[JabbaPapa]

6.600 K at least I'd say

 

[alhartman]

Fun thread! But I have tracked only nights--France, Spain, Portugal. 346 days since my first CF in 2005 in 10 trips. I love walking!!

 

[Houlet]

and I suspect all of us have walked far more non-camino kilometres.

 

[Camino Jim]

5 Spanish Caminos approx. 1784 km next year the VDLP

 

[Deleted member 12253]

We are looking at Kms, not hours. I think Kms are more relevant for Us

24 caminos over 8 years 15000km not counting rest days which would add at least another 1000 and 30km from muxia to finisterra my gps says 16000 +

 

[Ernesto.IT]

OK this is not for any purpose other than a bit of fun.
Certainly not to 'grade' members or imply anything at all!

It was triggered because I was thinking of that idea, that to become an 'Expert' at something typically takes 10,000 hours! I think in fact the 'rule' now debunked by the way, was that 10,000 hours of practice was required to become World Class at something.

I reckon we might have a few 10,000 hour walkers amongst our members here!

But it got me thinking, I wonder how many kilometres our members have walked?
Wouldn't it be fun to see the spread?

I consider myself a novice in terms of Camino experience, having clocked up only 1,750 kms so far. Nowhere close to many members here.

Good point from @Bradypus below. VdlP we'll count as a Camino, and any route such as Le Puy that connects to the Spanish Caminos. Basically Caminos that head towards SDC!

OK. let’s include any route specifically covered (with it’s own sub forum) on this Forum. I don’t think we should go broader than that. This is a Camino forum after all.

So How about you?
How many kilomteres do you think you have walked on Camino so far, or maybe you are still planning your first ?
I'm jealous, I think the first is the best

I'll try to think of some logical distance breaks

P.S. Only kilometres walked on Camino please...

No 'winners' just some fun and curiosity.........
I suspected I could only have about 10 answers to pick from.
So I wanted to make sure we had break points lower down that would cater for Saria to SDC stage only and some of the shorter Caminos.......

I agree 100% it would be nice to have more options with smaller 'steps'.

Maybe Ivar could reset the poll function so it allows 20 selections

But then it will be a mess becuase all those extra options will be at the bottom out of sequence......
OK, I screwed it up.

But it's still fun to see the results isn't it ?

OK this is not for any purpose other than a bit of fun.
Certainly not to 'grade' members or imply anything at all!

It was triggered because I was thinking of that idea, that to become an 'Expert' at something typically takes 10,000 hours! I think in fact the 'rule' now debunked by the way, was that 10,000 hours of practice was required to become World Class at something.

I reckon we might have a few 10,000 hour walkers amongst our members here!

But it got me thinking, I wonder how many kilometres our members have walked?
Wouldn't it be fun to see the spread?

I consider myself a novice in terms of Camino experience, having clocked up only 1,750 kms so far. Nowhere close to many members here.

Good point from @Bradypus below. VdlP we'll count as a Camino, and any route such as Le Puy that connects to the Spanish Caminos. Basically Caminos that head towards SDC!

OK. let’s include any route specifically covered (with it’s own sub forum) on this Forum. I don’t think we should go broader than that. This is a Camino forum after all.

So How about you?
How many kilomteres do you think you have walked on Camino so far, or maybe you are still planning your first ?
I'm jealous, I think the first is the best

I'll try to think of some logical distance breaks

P.S. Only kilometres walked on Camino please...

In the last 7 years over 11.500 km.

 

[GuyA]

3,000 Kms +/- 10 kms over 6 different Camino routes through Switzerland, France, Spain and Portugal. The +/- 10 is a best guess

 

[Albertagirl]

800 (Frances) + 900 (Aragones etc.) + 1,000 (VdlP/Sanabres) = 2,700 km

 

[LTfit]

Just changed to over 2000 km
2000 km Netherland to Rome and last week I finisged 1250 km of trail to Santiago. First Vienna to Innsbruck (about 450 km walked), then 3 days of rest and and travel time to St. Jean to walk the last 800 to Santiago. About to start a new walk: 500 km through the Netherlands. No pilgrims trail this time

What route will you be walking? Several years ago I followed the Pelgrimsweg (part one LAW 7 if I recall correctly) from Amsterdam - Den Bosch. Did it on Sundays but at one point transportation time took longer than walking and I have not continued. Come to think of it these km were not included in my calculations.

 

[celinehenriette]

What route will you be walking? Several years ago I followed the Pelgrimsweg (part one LAW 7 if I recall correctly) from Amsterdam - Den Bosch. Did it on Sundays but at one point transportation time took longer than walking and I have not continued. Come to think of it these km were not included in my calculations.

I'm walking the Pieterpad, 500 km from Pieterburen to Maastricht. I'm on day 5 and about 115 km in.

 

[LTfit]

I'm walking the Pieterpad, 500 km from Pieterburen to Maastricht. I'm on day 5 and about 115 km in.

Yes, the most well-known long distance walk in The Netherlands. I've done a few stages around Milligen aan de Rijn. Beautiful and a bit hilly, very unlike Zuid-Holland where I live. You have been very lucky with the weather! Good luck!

 

[geraldkelly]

I recently worked out how many weeks I've spent walking Caminos and it came in at 60.
So 60 * 7 = 420 days
420 * 25 (average km per day) = 10,500km
That's since 2003.

Also, doing Camino Baztán and Francés starting Thursday

 

[Luka]

Several years ago I followed the Pelgrimsweg (part one LAW 7 if I recall correctly) from Amsterdam - Den Bosch. Did it on Sundays but at one point transportation time took longer than walking and I have not continued.

Agree. I walked the whole Pelgrimspad 1 from my home in Amsterdam to Den Bosch, and I recall having very complicated public transport connections. But at that time I was still the freak that wanted to have walked every meter from my home to Santiago... And then on to Vessem and the Via Monastica. By that time I was already a Camino addict I think, without having seen any other pilgrim yet...

A rough calculation of pilgrim kilometers adds up to 4.500, but I chose 'more than 5.000' because of the gap, the forgotten kms and the many detours ;-)

 

[Marbe2]

Robo saiid: It was triggered because I was thinking of that idea, that to become an 'Expert' at something typically takes 10,000 hours! I think in fact the 'rule' now debunked by the way, was that 10,000 hours of practice was required to become World Class at something.


I must respectfully disagree here.
There are many more factors to becoming an expert at something than the amount of time that one performs the activity. How many people have played the piano for 10,000 hrs and still have trouble playing songs without difficulty....Or,how many golfers have played certainly more than that amount of time and consistently score over 90 for a round of 18 holes.

 

[hel&scott]

I'm no expert, but a bit of a pedant, thanks for explaining why the 2000km stage isn't slotted neatly between the 1000 and 5000.

I think you may find your data will be squewed as your question attracts the long distances nuts like us.

Also good to see others already picked up that caminos are not limited to kms walked in Spain, traditionally caminos started by walking out your door so for the Dutch pilgrim walking to Santiago their total distance counts, not just the last 900kms in Spain. Given the Vdlp and other routes are recognised as ways to st James these are also rightly called caminos.

As we have to literally fly across the world to comence our caminos, I am not going to claim 20,000km for each of the 5 caminos I've had the privilege of undertaking... it is a bit hard to walk on water, especially across the great southern sea.

I've found that it tends to be the blisters that makes you an expert, the newbeis on the way often spout off like experts when they start, after a few kms their feet start to shred, confidence crumbles then the learning starts. The real experts are the ones that maintain their feet in shape enough to keep putting one in front of the other.

 

[Robo]

Robo saiid: It was triggered because I was thinking of that idea, that to become an 'Expert' at something typically takes 10,000 hours! I think in fact the 'rule' now debunked by the way, was that 10,000 hours of practice was required to become World Class at something.


I must respectfully disagree here.
There are many more factors to becoming an expert at something than the amount of time that one performs the activity. How many people have played the piano for 10,000 hrs and still have trouble playing songs without difficulty....Or,how many golfers have played certainly more than that amount of time and consistently score over 90 for a round of 18 holes.

It was merely that concept that got me thinking about doing a poll.
I'm not agreeing with it

 

[Robo]

I've found that it tends to be the blisters that makes you an expert, the newbeis on the way often spout off like experts when they start, after a few kms their feet start to shred, confidence crumbles then the learning starts. The real experts are the ones that maintain their feet in shape enough to keep putting one in front of the other.

I haven't had any yet

 

[JohnMcM]

I haven't had any yet

Try to be patient Robbo.
If you walk it, they will come.

 

[Marbe2]

It was merely that concept that got me thinking about doing a poll.
I'm not agreeing with it

It would be interesting to hear from folks what makes one an “expert” on the Camino?
Is it being blister free? Logging more than 10,000 km? Knowing first aid and what to do in an emergency? The perfect clothing combos? Knowing the best albergues to stay in? Where is the best meal to be found in every village? Masses anyone? When to seek and when to avoid? And.........

 

[Paul S.]

I´m glad the km´s that ´count´ have somehow come to include those outside of Spain as well, because otherwise I´d end up somewhere between the rookies...

Since I went from my hometown all the way to Fisterra in one go, I´d like to count all of that as ´a camino´ - and that adds up to something like 3000+km (not counting all the detours I did not plan in the first place...).

(Happy to see some more Dutchies around here btw)

 

[Robo]

It would be interesting to hear from folks what makes one an “expert” on the Camino?
Is it being blister free? Logging more than 10,000 km? Knowing first aid and what to do in an emergency? The perfect clothing combos? Knowing the best albergues to stay in? Where is the best meal to be found in every village? Masses anyone? When to seek and when to avoid? And.........

I suspect it would have nothing to do with hours or kms.............but would be some kind of 'inner' quality.

 

[VNwalking]

what makes one an “expert” on the Camino?

Being patient, content, and kind no matter what the way throws at you.

 

[Marbe2]

Robo said:
suspect it would have nothing to do with hours or kms.............but would be some kind of 'inner' quality.

VN walking said: Being patient, content, and kind no matter what the way throws at you.

So an “expert” is a inner quality only?

 

[Robo]

Robo said:
suspect it would have nothing to do with hours or kms.............but would be some kind of 'inner' quality.

VN walking said: Being patient, content, and kind no matter what the way throws at you.

So an “expert” is a inner quality only?

Who knows? What do you think?

 

[LTfit]

Who knows? What do you think?

I don't believe that there is such a thing as a Camino "expert". Some have great knowledge about the history, food and culture; others about different routes. Then you have those that presume to know all about the "best" equipment or how you must treat blisters. Maybe, just maybe if you join all of the Forum members, with all their particular knowledge and expertise, we together could be considered an "expert" on the Camino. But most of us are just lovers of all things Camino and like to share our experiences with others.

Although @VNwalking 's comment: "Being patient, content, and kind no matter what the way throws at you" sounds like wonderful advice, for both on the Camino and off! Equanimity

 

[Marbe2]

I think finding consensus on who is an expert on the Camino would be difficult to determine because not everyone brings similar criteria for what goes into an expert. Being patient and kind are wonderful qualities..but I would nor necessarily consider them a necessity to being an expert?... Nor would I use the kilometer count. Experience, of course is a factor...but there is a transfer of learning experiences so someone who had a great deal of experience on other routes and pilgrimages might not need so much experience. I do know that there are a number of people on this forum with a great deal of Camino experience whose opinion I highly value.

 

[VNwalking]

@LTfit has a super answer to this:

Maybe, just maybe if you join all of the Forum members, with all their particular knowledge and expertise, we together could be considered an "expert" on the Camino. But most of us are just lovers of all things Camino and like to share our experiences with others.

This is a place to take refuge in collective expertise!

 

[Robo]

Don't 'over think' it folks.

The idea of the poll on this thread was merely prompted by that 'idea' that it takes 10,000 hours to be an Expert at anything. Now debunked.

And nor was I trying to imply that walking any specific distance makes a Pilgrim an Expert.

It was merely intended to give an indication of the 'degree of addiction' amongst our members

Note the first 2 lines of the first post.

OK this is not for any purpose other than a bit of fun.
Certainly not to 'grade' members or imply anything at all!

 

[camino07]

Just counted up and I have walked 8288 kms approx since my first in 2007. Learn new things each time.Will keep going until I drop.

 

[caminka]

very interesting reading the results and the comments.

since all my caminos so far have led me to sdc (even when I started at my front door) I will take all of them into account.

at the moment I am at about 8776 kms, but I'm still working on wikiloc to get a more detailed number. that's only the distance from accommodation to accommodation, I'm pretty sure that all the afternoon strolls and the 'rest days' would add 100-200 km to that number.

2005: 873 kms (frances, fisterra)
2009: 2378 kms (about, working on this one; domitia, tolosana, aragones, frances, fisterra)
2012: 3496 kms (all the conundrum from ljubljana, incl. piedmont, viejo and invierno)
2016: 2029 kms (podiensis, norte, primitivo, muxia)

I might even top off the 10.000 mark on my next camino!