I probably won’t do this again

[bbates225]

Ok... here is my two cents and a question. In 2017 I walked the Camion from SJPP putting up with rain, freezing temps, snoring, farting, rustling, and all the above "annoyances". I loved sleeping in albergues. I really did. Do I snore? I've never been told I do, but I have another "annoying" problem that I worry about disturbing others... I have to get up several times a night to go you know where? I try my best to be quiet but short of wetting the bed, I have no choice. I try to be as quiet as I can. Anyway, I understand we, as humans, are not perfect. My above Camino was cut short in Astorga due to bursitis in both heels (some of you may remember me writing about it). I swore I would never do a Camino again. I came back very angry and feeling like a failure. Not because someone was snoring, or farting, or anything else, only because of my own body. Well, the Camino has called me back. I originally was going to start in Astorga but have decided to start over at SJPP. I will train harder, see what I can do about my feet, and yes, will stay in albergues. Here is my question. Can anyone suggest a good earplug? Or are they all good, just not for me. I tried several different ones and they always fall out (perhaps my ears are shaped funny). Have a year to experiment... going back to SJPP in 2020 if the good Lord is willing and my body holds out. I apologize to anyone in advance if my night time bathroom runs disturb you. Seriously, because I can't afford, and don't want, private accommodations

 

[Leibniz]

Can anyone suggest a good earplug? Or are they all good, just not for me. I tried several different ones and they always fall out (perhaps my ears are shaped funny).

I am a very light sleeper and used to be married to an extreme snorer. So I have become an expert in earplugs and this gave me a bit of an edge on the Camino.

The best I’ve ever had were made by Quiès (a French brand). Not the wax ones but the foam ones. They are sold in little boxes of three pairs. The important thing is to place them correctly. You need to roll them between your fingers so they become all thin, then you plush them into your ears and feel them expand as you suddenly cease to hear anything.

Good luck!

 

[Antomuchacho]

I remember staying in the municipal in pamplona jesus y maria i think it was called!! The massive one!! I think it sleeps a couple of hundred!! But anyway i woke up at 3 am for the loo and there was a huge wave or melancholy of people snoring in this huge building and old chapel!! It was like a slumber of many lol thot it was funny!! I slept well tho prob due to tiredeness!

 

[Delphinoula]

About those noises I saw with me that it was my attitude that made a difference.
In Tarifa I was in a mixed room I was about three times their age. They had three days of no wind very unusual and deadly for kitesurfing. So the guys partied.
I went to bed early and in the middle of the night loud almost stage whispering wakes me: pst be quite she is already asleep. No yes no pst be quite you don’t want to wake her. It was so cute I loved them for their consideration in their tipsy drunk ways. I smiled and went right back to sleep.
BB no worries hope you find plenty of beds close to the door and on the lower bunk.

 

[Leibniz]

there was a huge wave or melancholy of people snoring

I believe the correct terminology is “murder”.

“A murder of snorers”.

 

[peregrina2000]

Yes, and having carried one in 2016, I was disappointed to find that people were intolerant of the relatively low level of white noise it made.

Wow, @dougfitz, I don’t know who those people were, but when I see someone plugging in a CPAP, I do whatever is necessary to get my bunk right next to his/hers. White noise is the best antidote to snoring in the world! In fact I have often wondered why albergue owners don’t install industrial fans or play a white noise app loudly so everyone could sleep.

 

[MikeyC]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Currently a few days away from Burgos we may have encountered the same pilgrims. It was snoring unlike anything I have heard and, even with earplugs, I found the sounds to be quite disturbing on an emotional level. My wife and I grabbed our sleeping bags and spent a cold night sitting upright in the albergue reception.
The pilgrims, in the light of day, were extremely apologetic and continued to be so when we met them later in another town. They were charming people and explained there was an underlying health issue. Understanding helped but it didn't replace those lost hours of sleep. We also checked their intended stops for the next few days.

 

[Bumpa]

Wow, @dougfitz, I don’t know who those people were, but when I see someone plugging in a CPAP, I do whatever is necessary to get my bunk right next to his/hers. White noise is the best antidote to snoring in the world! In fact I have often wondered why albergue owners don’t install industrial fans or play a white noise app loudly so everyone could sleep.

Ah, I quoted you earlier in this thread without remembering who said it. I'll let you know when my CPAP machine and I are travelling next.

 

[JohnMcM]

Reading threads like this make me wary of EVER trying an Albergue

Hello Robo,

I can't recall ever directly replying to any of your posts, although, many of your fair and apparently well considered posts have tempted me to.

You come across to me like a 'good guy' so I have no concern about making this reply to your post this time.

It's truly admirable that you would be wary of using an albergure, not excepting the reason is out of your control.

I am of the mind that any problem lies in the mind of those who would berate, speak of or condemn your sleep problem.

Buen (peaceful nights - however they may come) Camino

 

[JohnMcM]

Im relieved to know I can go and snore in peace... I'm not alone! 1st camino this coming September. Catch you all en route

Eeeek!

 

[JohnMcM]

Even with all these horror stories, all of a sudden I am missing being in an albergue. Being one small cell in a large organism that includes us all. Looking at this picture of my bunk somewhere on the Frances always makes me feel happy.View attachment 56767

Who made that sleeping space,,,,,,,,, 'The very tidy fairies'?

 

[Robo]

Hello Robo,

I can't recall ever directly replying to any of your posts, although, many of your fair and apparently well considered posts have tempted me to.

You come across to me like a 'good guy' so I have no concern about making this reply to your post this time.

It's truly admirable that you would be wary of using an albergure, not excepting the reason is out of your control.

I am of the mind that any problem lies in the mind of those who would berate, speak of or condemn your sleep problem.

Buen (peaceful nights - however they may come) Camino

Thanks @JohnMcM . It's not just that I snore. (Not that badly actually) But I also prefer a bit of privacy.
Though I am sure at some point I'll end up in an Albergue..........

 

[Albertagirl]

Ok... here is my two cents and a question. In 2017 I walked the Camion from SJPP putting up with rain, freezing temps, snoring, farting, rustling, and all the above "annoyances". I loved sleeping in albergues. I really did. Do I snore? I've never been told I do, but I have another "annoying" problem that I worry about disturbing others... I have to get up several times a night to go you know where? I try my best to be quiet but short of wetting the bed, I have no choice. I try to be as quiet as I can. Anyway, I understand we, as humans, are not perfect. My above Camino was cut short in Astorga due to bursitis in both heels (some of you may remember me writing about it). I swore I would never do a Camino again. I came back very angry and feeling like a failure. Not because someone was snoring, or farting, or anything else, only because of my own body. Well, the Camino has called me back. I originally was going to start in Astorga but have decided to start over at SJPP. I will train harder, see what I can do about my feet, and yes, will stay in albergues. Here is my question. Can anyone suggest a good earplug? Or are they all good, just not for me. I tried several different ones and they always fall out (perhaps my ears are shaped funny). Have a year to experiment... going back to SJPP in 2020 if the good Lord is willing and my body holds out. I apologize to anyone in advance if my night time bathroom runs disturb you. Seriously, because I can't afford, and don't want, private accommodations

I use wax earplugs, bought in a pharmacy. All the foam plugs I have tried just popped out of my ears, no matter what I did to try to keep them in. I am assuming that you, like myself, are an older pilgrim. Don't worry about disturbing people getting up to relieve yourself at night. Provided you don't actually step on the person in the bottom bunk climbing down, no one is likely to notice you or care. It is important that you can manage to get enough sleep to be functional, of course. Buen camino.

 

[Diceallion]

Eeeek!

Lol, but I'm also happy to say that in the last year I've lost 103lbs, so I'm not as bad as I used to be. Let's just say, my daughters say sometimes I do and sometimes I don't and no where as bad as it used to be! none the less, im sleeping in peace... To all the snorers out there, you're all welcomed in my books.

 

[Kos]

Snoring is a serious medical problem and I hope all snorers get checked. To the ones who say I’m not going to use a machine because I have to get up frequently in the night, a CPAP May cure that problem. The reason you get up is because your are not getting enough oxygen so your little brain takes the oxygen and deprives your bladder of oxygen so it gets confused and makes you think you have to pee. My husband was a snorer who got up 5-6 times a night. With a CPAP, which took a few nights to get used to, doesn’t get up for at least 6-7 hrs. Now he still keeps me awake because it’s so quiet I’m always checking to see if he’s still breathing. What’s the solution? I don’t think it will be solved here but everyone knows it happens so plan what YOU want to do for yourself. As very light sleeper, I’ll get my own room and enjoy the Camino and not complain or embarrass someone.

Not all snores are suffering from sleep apnea. Even if someone is suffering from sleep apnea might have good reasons for not using a CPAP.

 

[Lucyk]

Here is my question. Can anyone suggest a good earplug? Or are they all good, just not for me. I tried several different ones and they always fall out (perhaps my ears are shaped funny). Have a year to experiment... going back to SJPP in 2020 if the good Lord is willing and my body holds out. I apologize to anyone in advance if my night time bathroom runs disturb you. Seriously, because I can't afford, and don't want, private accommodations

I use Ohropax. They are wax, from Germany. They have worked in albergues full of snorers, and even with my husband.

 

[bbates225]

I use wax earplugs, bought in a pharmacy. All the foam plugs I have tried just popped out of my ears, no matter what I did to try to keep them in. I am assuming that you, like myself, are an older pilgrim. Don't worry about disturbing people getting up to relieve yourself at night. Provided you don't actually step on the person in the bottom bunk climbing down, no one is likely to notice you or care. It is important that you can manage to get enough sleep to be functional, of course. Buen camino.

Thanks, I've never used wax ones but will give them a try. Planning to experiment between now and next year. Yes, an older pilgrim and thankfully, thus far have never stepped on anyone

 

[bbates225]

I use Ohropax. They are wax, from Germany. They have worked in albergues full of snorers, and even with my husband.

Thanks for the info. Will certainly give them a try. The foam ones have never worked so hopefully these will.

 

[Deleted member 73526]

117 responses and no update from @Zordmot.
Looks like he was serious when he said he wouldn't do this again.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

117 responses and no update from @Zordmot.
Looks like he was serious when he said he wouldn't do this again.

He has read the responses as of noon Monday. Perhaps he does not want to belabor the point! Not all posts or Members are argumentative.

 

[Rebekah Scott]

The Camino is not for everybody. Albergues certainly are not.
Anytime I am awake enough to write at 2 a.m., I am usually quite upset about whatever´s got me awake. The things I write are rants. Once I rise in the morning I feel a lot less cranky.
I hope the OP got past his anger and despair and continued on his Way.
Pilgrimage has so much to show us, mostly about ourselves, and how we react to others. It´s often not very pretty.

 

[VNwalking]

Pilgrimage has so much to show us, mostly about ourselves, and how we react to others. It´s often not very pretty.

What Reb just said sums it all up.

Not all posts or Members are argumentative.

Hee hee...We were arguing?

 

[markgrubb]

The obvious question to me is how do you know they have sleep apnoea? Did you ask them? Because if not, you can't tell easily from their sleep patterns

Snorers and sleep apnoea=involuntary and that's life. Getting used to wax earplugs sorts that problem for me

5am head torch flashers and bag rustlers...now don’t get me started

 

[Albertagirl]

The obvious question to me is how do you know they have sleep apnoea? Did you ask them? Because if not, you can't tell easily from their sleep patterns

Snorers and sleep apnoea=involuntary and that's life. Getting used to wax earplugs sorts that problem for me

5am head torch flashers and bag rustlers...now don’t get me started

Perhaps you might try to get used to using a sleep mask with the wax earplugs. That works for me. When I am ready to go to bed, I put in the earplugs, put on the sleep mask, and prepare to ignore (or preferably not notice) any noises or light around me, until I am ready to get up. This also means that you do not have to wait until others are ready to put the lights out and retire, which simplifies going to bed in an albergue. And you avoid the energy-wasting rage at others in the morning, when their lights or packing may be active.

 

[easygoing]

117 responses and no update. He is probably sleeping under a tree like Rip Van Winkle. I wonder if birds snore. LOL

 

[Karl Oz]

117 responses and no update from @Zordmot.
Looks like he was serious when he said he wouldn't do this again.

Well, some of the responses were strident, and some edged toward indignant, so maybe he thought it better to withdraw.

 

[Karl Oz]

I use wax earplugs, bought in a pharmacy. All the foam plugs I have tried just popped out of my ears, no matter what I did to try to keep them in. I am assuming that you, like myself, are an older pilgrim. Don't worry about disturbing people getting up to relieve yourself at night. Provided you don't actually step on the person in the bottom bunk climbing down, no one is likely to notice you or care. It is important that you can manage to get enough sleep to be functional, of course. Buen camino.

I have used those fat tapering foam earplugs, and indeed, after a short time they do pop-out, leaving you looking like Shrek. I was recommended some firmer barrel-shaped foam plugs a couple of year sago in Portugal, and these stayed in and were quite effective.

 

[Kathor1]

Well, some of the responses were strident, and some edged toward indignant, so maybe he thought it better to withdraw.

Yes, and I do hope that @Zordmot found something in these 120+ comments that turned out to be useful, encouraging or soothing for him. And it would be nice to hear back from you, @Zordmot! I hope you are well.

 

[Morning Waters]

I have found these flat speaker phones headband https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014T3QN36/?tag=casaivar02-20
and a pair of foam earplugs are the bees knees. Comfortable to wear while sleeping, the headband stays in place, and I plug into my phone and listen to white noise. I love the Prizz app for a variety of white noise choices.

 

[Delphinoula]

I have found these flat speaker phones headband https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014T3QN36/?tag=casaivar02-20
and a pair of foam earplugs are the bees knees. Comfortable to wear while sleeping, the headband stays in place, and I plug into my phone and listen to white noise. I love the Prizz app for a variety of white noise choices.

So cool are they realy soft on your ears when you roll over and sleep on them?
My very next buy if yes.

 

[Morning Waters]

YES...the speakers are flat discs and inside the headband and are hardly felt. Best of all they are positionable inside the headband so you can scooch them around to get them into the best position for your ears.

 

[Keyes]

I believe that few -- very, very, very few -- of the "annoyers" cited in this thread are doing whatever they do with the intent to deliberately annoy or disturb anyone.

SO, maybe the solution is to ban "whiners"

 

[Roy Howard]

Dear Zordmot, I am so glad that you do not snore yourself, but here are a few words to help your understanding, I have sleep apnea and snore, loud enough that I have to wear ear plugs so not to wake myself at night. I do not think I have had a good night sleep for over 20 years due to this. I have twice tried to use CPAP machines, which seem to successfully decrease my incidence of snoring/apnea episodes, but have to give up after a couple of months of dedicated use. They are uncomfortable, limit ones movements in bed, troublesome to detach from to get up in the middle of the night, etc. I am very worried about the health problems that apnea can cause for me but just cannot do the CPAP route and other solutions, such as surgery do not have a great success rate. So treatment is not as easy or successful as one might think.
On a previous post about snoring and albergues, a kind member recommended a dental device that might help my apnea/snoring. I have ordered one, though it may not arrive in time for my camino. (Whoo Hoo, leaving in a week) I will be saying prayers during my camino for alleviation from this condition, however, I have also planned on staying in private rooms along my route to protect others from the experience of my snoring/gasping for air.

The kind of device you order is worthless. I had a dentist make a snore guard mouth device. It’s excellent. I sleep well. My fellow pilgrims are happy and so is my wife. I will return next year for my 3rd camino.

 

[Viggo]

Totally agree with you.

I know that I sleep poorly walking Caminos, (yes, all 20+!) for whatever reason that may be. I am consoled by the fact that I sleep perfectly when at home and so I accept the broken nights. In April I took the experience to the next level:

I was staying in the municipal in Arzúa, joining the Francés after walking the Primitivo. The albergue was packed with young Spanish in a partying mood, hoping to reach Santiago by Easter .10 p.m. curfew? Don't think so. Across the street locals were chatting till about 1 a.m., then began the Flamenco singing! To top it all off I was sleeping between 2 snorers, me awake from 9:30 till 2 a.m. I finally gave up the prospect of sleeping and actually got up and walked to Santiago at 3 a.m. By 6:30 I had coffee in Pedrouzo and at 10:30 I was standing in front of the Cathedral after a 39 km stroll .Granted, this might not be your cup of tea but it was an interesting experience. The previous night had been a full moon so I rarely even needed by head lamp. Just me, the moon, the occasional barking dog, birds chirping and frogs...hmm, what do frogs do?

To think you would have missed all of that if you had slept in a private room.

 

[RosemaryMcG]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

 

[john larimer]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Zordmot, that’s why they call them Albergue’s, why not stay in the 1 star to 4 star accommodation’s however you stayed in seven? I think I see the problem.

 

[tonya w]

Enjoyed your videos, Robo.....

And I don't often stay in albergues anymore either!

so where do you stay? please. thanks. plan on walking in 2020

 

[john larimer]

A couple of points if I may: I am not sure where you reside but $200 to $800 for a cpap machine seems a little on the light side. Especially if you wish to get the "travelling" type which tends to be more compact and more expensive. As far as the warm moist air is concerned; I travel with the humidifier half of the cpap removed. This lessens the weight considerably and means that I am breathing in the same air as I would without the machine. Most machines are designed to readily remove the humidifier for cleaning and so it is easily done. Lastly, if working properly, the air flow in a cpap machine is not an overwhelming noise and often not louder than the typical ambient noise of an albergue room. There was a person on the forum who indicated that she tried to get next to a cpap user as the soft flow of air was soothing. To each their
own I guess. As a sleep apnea sufferer, carrying the extra weight of the cpap is my attempt to take into consideration the affect on others and try and alleviate some of the effects I have on my fellow travellers.

P.S. I am never sure when to use Affect and Effect. So I used both.

Staying in a room full of people involves a lot of compromise. I would recommend that you find other lodging; there are lots of options. (Not everyone with sleep apnea can afford to buy and carry a portable CPAP machine with them on the Camino.)

Most of us use earplugs. 5mg of Zolpidem helps, too.

Zordmot, that’s why they call them Albergue’s, why not stay in the 1 star to 4 star accommodation’s however you stayed in seven? I think I see the problem.

great post Zordmot, I’m reading this along with 4 other pilgrims in Villafranca at a cafe. Not making fun of you or anything like that. I’m just saying thank you! You made us all laugh as you sound so serious and then say you will never walk a Camino again? Where are you from? The other pilgrims have different bets on this!

 

[HelenVanW]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Not everyone can budget to stay in other types of lodging, but there are many options besides the big municipal albergues. Good, inexpensive ear plugs (like Mack's ultra foam) are also a BIG help when there is no other option. Millions of people from all over the world have had positive experiences, and are still recommending a walk on the Camino because of how life-giving has been.

 

[john larimer]

When the snoring is that bad I agree, it can be totally soul destroying! Ask them where they are walking to tomorrow. Then don't go there!

But you don't need to sleep in albergues/dorms. Private rooms are easy to find.

I really hope you find some quiet nights and get some good rest Zordmot!

Buen quiet Camino!
Davey

Oh my? I just walked from Sevilla to Astorga, rain, snow, sleet at Cruz de Ferro, rocks going down big & sharp etc., however these posts sound so damn heart wrenching, we are all crying out loud here in Villafranca!

 

[john larimer]

Oh my? I just walked from Sevilla to Astorga, rain, snow, sleet at Cruz de Ferro, rocks going down big & sharp etc., however these posts sound so damn heart wrenching, we are all crying out loud here in Villafranca!
[/QUOTE
Big Dave, soul destroying? Really? Not making fun of you brother however you sound so serious.

 

[john larimer]

But may keep people

I prefer to have several snorers in the room rather than just one, because they tend to fill in the gaps between the other snorers, and (hopefully) it becomes more like white noise.

I think and I’m being very serious at this moment here in Villafranca what works better than CPAP machines, ear plugs or for that matter anything else is a minimum of one bottle of Vino Blanco!

 

[rappahannock_rev]

so where do you stay? please. thanks. plan on walking in 2020

Cheap hotels, hostels, etc..... I appreciate a private room, and can afford one.... I'm now 65+, snore, and am increasingly fond of the opportunities that the Camino provides to me for reflective quiet....

After all these years, it's still a pilgrimage for me....

I understand the enthusiasm many have for the vibrant social side of the albergue experience, but I've never had the slightest difficulty in finding/enjoying company when I wanted it.

 

[Sandra Riordan]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

You do not have to stay in albergues there are plenty of alternatives.

 

[Ungawawa]

What a shame to shun the whole camino just because you haven't found a way of dealing with the snorers!

For just £100 or so you could fix the problem: foam earplugs plus noise cancelling headphones. Play a little white noise over the top if necessary. I guarantee you won't hear a single thing. Solved!

 

[Richmond Gardner]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

You could think more creatively and go to a private albergue or hostel

 

[ChefJen]

This is worth a try, it has worked for me!

Change Your Life Overnight with Mouth Tape: 20 Reasons to Nose Breathe While You Sleep

Do you wake up with a dry mouth, bad breath, or a scratchy throat? Do you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea? Curious about an unorthodox technique based

lifespa.com

 

[Ungawawa]

This is worth a try, it has worked for me!

Change Your Life Overnight with Mouth Tape: 20 Reasons to Nose Breathe While You Sleep

Do you wake up with a dry mouth, bad breath, or a scratchy throat? Do you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea? Curious about an unorthodox technique based

lifespa.com

Haha yes - go round taping up all the snorers mouths. That'll learn 'em!

 

[david g]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would let snoring or c-pap machine usage stop them from walking their Camino or recommending it to others. To me it sounds selfish that the OP would expect the noise maker to change up THEIR Camino for the sake of his. Part of the Camino experience is staying in the Albergue, sharing jokes with new friends you've made that day, planning dinner or exploration of the village. Don't take that away from someone simply because they make noise at night. No disrespect meant but for someone to quit the Camino over snoring/c pap noise makes me question how serious they were about the Camino to begin with

 

[trecile]

I think and I’m being very serious at this moment here in Villafranca what works better than CPAP machines, ear plugs or for that matter anything else is a minimum of one bottle of Vino Blanco!

I prefer vino tinto

 

[Albertagirl]

I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would let snoring or c-pap machine usage stop them from walking their Camino or recommending it to others. To me it sounds selfish that the OP would expect the noise maker to change up THEIR Camino for the sake of his. Part of the Camino experience is staying in the Albergue, sharing jokes with new friends you've made that day, planning dinner or exploration of the village. Don't take that away from someone simply because they make noise at night. No disrespect meant but for someone to quit the Camino over snoring/c pap noise makes me question how serious they were about the Camino to begin with

The OP's original post notes that he had not had much, if any, sleep for a week. Sleep is a human necessity and has left him in a state of desperation. I would certainly not continue an activity which has driven me to such a state. Some of us have tried to suggest ways to mitigate this situation. If he cannot do so, it only makes sense to me to not do this again.

 

[Canucks]

Sometimes one searches for a reason to end something that is difficult and this is the reading I got from the OP. There are options but, if one has mentally checked out of moving on, it would be difficult to keep going.
We stay in private rooms so we don’t bother others with our various bodily functions and aren't disturbed by others. Yes, there are additional costs but I don’t see how someone could reasonably plan a camino with hostel type accommodation and not consider the reality of what would happen.
We encountered many who succumbed to the various pressures of the Camino and the most unrecoverable issues were mental.

 

[Mark61]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

 

[Mark61]

I agree you shouldn't do the Camino again; you probably shouldn't have done it in the first place. As far as not recommending to someone else? I can picture you turning towards your Disciples and saying............

 

[tomnorth]

Wow, @dougfitz, I don’t know who those people were, but when I see someone plugging in a CPAP, I do whatever is necessary to get my bunk right next to his/hers. White noise is the best antidote to snoring in the world! In fact I have often wondered why albergue owners don’t install industrial fans or play a white noise app loudly so everyone could sleep.

I use the White Noise app on my iPhone. I keep the earbuds in with a buff. It works incredibly well to drown out snoring.

 

[Chica36]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

As a snorer myself I will be staying in casa rurals when I do my Camino in two weeks. But remember that not everyone is aware of whether they snore.

 

[MichelleElynHogan]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Hello Zordmot,

Even after 100 responses, I will not yawn. It is about being human and respecting all, equally.

However, I do, if worthy, wish to contribute in a different way.

No one has, from what I have read so far, mentioned that most have received a call to walk the Camino. They may not even realize that this has happened, but it does. There is a purpose to it and if this purpose is not known before starting, it usually reveals itself between SJPdP and SdC. And there are those who return to repeat or walk a different CaminoOne of the challenges, just one of them, is cohabitating with many in Albergues. There are options, yes. Very few do not use Albergues at all. For me, that is a mistake.

The Camino has a lot to do with challenging our tolerance, of ourselves, first, but many other things like, walking a lot every day, handling communication is a foreign land, finding water when you have been out if it for hours and, getting along with our fellow peregrinos, in all aspects, only one of which is, collective snoring.

The Camino helps us learn what our strengths and weaknesses are and if we are lucky, maybe we can work on those weaknesses and come out of it a better person. For you, my fellow Peregrino, it is my greatest wish that better life is revealed to you, and what must be your focus.

 

[tjb1013]

I use a portable CPAP - on the Frances in 2017 and last month on the Portuguese.

In two Caminos, only one person told me they could hear the machine but he said that I t did not bother him. I carry a canister of ear plugs with me and offer them to anyone near me.

If the mask is fitting properly, the noise from the machine should not exceed the ambient noise in an albergue. Mine can get “unadjusted” when I move around while sleeping and it’s loud enough to wake me up and fix it.

I sympathize with the OP. I was sleep deprived for some time before getting the apnea diagnosis, and getting sleep was/is life-changing.

One thing I found on my Caminos: staying in places with communal meals tended to infuse tolerance into the rest of the stay. You get to know the people snoring, rustling and moving about and most of them are pretty nice, and it makes it possible to shrug off a lot. Worth trying to find that if you’re exasperated.

 

[john larimer]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

I agree you shouldn't do the Camino again; you probably shouldn't have done it in the first place. As far as not recommending to someone else? I can picture you turning towards your Disciples and saying............

I would suggest a cruise ship vacation!

 

[john larimer]

I use a portable CPAP - on the Frances in 2017 and last month on the Portuguese.

In two Caminos, only one person told me they could hear the machine but he said that I t did not bother him. I carry a canister of ear plugs with me and offer them to anyone near me.

If the mask is fitting properly, the noise from the machine should not exceed the ambient noise in an albergue. Mine can get “unadjusted” when I move around while sleeping and it’s loud enough to wake me up and fix it.

I sympathize with the OP. I was sleep deprived for some time before getting the apnea diagnosis, and getting sleep was/is life-changing.

One thing I found on my Caminos: staying in places with communal meals tended to infuse tolerance into the rest of the stay. You get to know the people snoring, rustling and moving about and most of them are pretty nice, and it makes it possible to shrug off a lot. Worth trying to find that if you’re exasperated.

I would suggest for us pilgrims that snore and what always works is this-> sing us a lullaby and rub our tummy’s this always works great, and get us a glass of vino before bedtime!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

one thing I must say “It has not taught you a thing!” Camino is a pilgrimage, not a vacation a place to purge your iniquities, to find your MOJO, to help others, to find a oneness with GOD! It’s a place where thing are thrown at you, whether the snoring, the blisters, the bad knees, the undesirable food! It’s a place where all these things come together in a package, and we take them as they come. It’s not a place for site seeing, for that they got the tour buses! It’s a place for commitment, patience, endurance and love!

So anyone without that perspective has not learned a thing?????

 

[arch]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

My wife is a wicked snorer so I have been wearing foam ear plugs for years. Consequently I had no problems on my 2016 Camino

 

[Kathor1]

It doesn’t diminish your own camino experience if someone else doesn’t have the same experience ...

And I wonder how many of you can remember how you felt after the first seven days, in particular if you had never done anything even remotely similar before ...

 

[domigee]

It doesn’t diminish your own camino experience if someone else doesn’t have the same experience ...

And I wonder how many of you can remember how you felt after the first seven days, in particular if you had never done anything even remotely similar before ...

I do! The walking was fine, the sleeping was no problem (in albergues), I was so tired. What I could not cope with though was .... organising my backpack For the first week, if I found my toothbrush I couldn’t find the toothpaste, my comb had disappeared..... Oh, and the best bit: I thought I had to FOLD my sleeping bag into its stuff sack. Most times it worked but not always. I shudder to think what I was like
@Kathar1na , you should open a new thread!

 

[Bohemiana]

My husband and I are very light sleepers. Our first two nights of communal sleeping experiences with extreme snorers left us exhausted and cranky. (One was a pilgrim who snores so badly he starts choking every few minutes and is actually banned from some municipals.) Because there are two of us, it's not much more money to get a private room so that's what we did in 2015. Although we felt we were missing something of the community feeling by staying in private rooms, sleep is important to both mental and physical well being. This year we are going with a friend and we will sleep in a few communal rooms so she can get the experience and then we will decide what to do after that but we have budgeted for bare-bones private rooms and we realize that if we stay in communal rooms we won't sleep much at all.

 

[Thomas Yingst]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Ear plugs

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Two words: Private rooms.
Will completely transform your Camino.
Leave the bunk rooms for students or those that can't afford better.
Bunk rooms are always my absolute last option when private rooms, pensions or hotels are not available.

 

[Walking Lover]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Spend a little more money, fond a privately owned albergue, or use booking.com. I must sleep and these options have worked well for me.

 

[Tony Bobcat]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Ho Zortmor
I fully agree we had the same problem last year, not only did a man kept us awake ( he actually had a breathing machine with him). A lady next bed made sure that no one else in the room wasn’t going to get any sleep by using her phone most of the night. We finished up with noise and bright light all night.

 

[Nana6]

Reading threads like this make me wary of EVER trying an Albergue

Me too

 

[Tertia B]

I have been known to snore when sleeping on my back. I find that wearing one of these hair clips on the back of my head is effective at keeping me on my side.
View attachment 56730
Those without hair can try sewing a pocket on the back of a t-shirt and putting a tennis ball in it trick.

What a thoughtful travel buddy you are!

 

[WayWalker]

If the snoring is rhythmic it helps me sleep. That's one way to look at it.

 

[Montana Jayne]

At home I have sleep issues, no sleep apena, just wakefulness. On our 35 day camino on the CF there were occasional snorers, yes, but nothing like the original writer describes. Nothing! On the camino I was so tired after a 16k day sleep was never a problem. I believe the letter writer is highly sensitive to sound and should have stayed in private accommodations. The solution was obvious.

 

[truthseeker]

i took a useful piece of gear along: noise cancelling earbuds. They don't even have to be connected to a music source -- as long as the noise cancellation is turned on, it screens out much of the outside noise. I put some soothing music on my phone to play if needed at night, but never used it. Even better (but bulky) are over-the-ear noise cancelling headphones. And you don't need the very expensive ones.

 

[Stivandrer]

I am revisiting the thread again and am reminded of what I found annoying, and what my inconsolable noise was:
The spoken noiselevel everywhere:
I am annoyed at home, when my family loudly discusses trivial stuff while I try to find the finer points of daily politics as it is being explained on the telly, in Spain it is when people sitting perfectly close, are shouting like a group hard of hearing. My senses very easily overloadeed on some inputs.
Notice how loud you can tolerate your favourite rock band, but not nescessarily some metal bands at the same volume !!??
Noise is what you cannot make sense of and that you cannot filter out ! My POV !!
I found that out well & good when I had my first Camino finished and spent the days I had counted on as sickdays or laying - over days in Bilbao and tried to let the stress of the daily toil peter out by mere touristing before my return ticket was due......
-and on the the third day here I suddenly noticed, after tapas and several sips of red wine that the noise disappeared.
My hearing had found the buttons to push that made the noise seperate into background existence instead of bothering me...
I am not saying it easy & willingly to do that, but that is might just happen....

 

[Leibniz]

I am revisiting the thread again and am reminded of what I found annoying, and what my inconsolable noise was:
The spoken noiselevel everywhere:
I am annoyed at home, when my family loudly discusses trivial stuff while I try to find the finer points of daily politics as it is being explained on the telly, in Spain it is when people sitting perfectly close, are shouting like a group hard of hearing. My senses very easily overload on some inputs.
Notice how loud you can tolerate your favourite rock band, but not nescessarily to some metal bands at the same volume !!??
Noise is what you cannot make sense of and that you cannot filter out ! My POV !!
I found that out well & good when I had my first Camino finished and spent the days I had counted on as sickdays or laying - over days in Bilbao and tried to let the stress of the daily toil peter out by mere touristing before my return ticket was due......
-and on tge the third day here I suddenly noticed, after tapas and several sips of red wine that the noise disappeared.
My hearing had found the buttons to push that made the noise seperate into background existence instead of bothering me...
I am not saying it easy & willingly do that, but that is might just happen....

Totally agree...I find all of this difficult...also at work when people are having conversations that I find too loud even though everyone seems to find them at normal level. I find other stimuli like for example draughts or even people brushing past me or clothes too tight hard to deal with also...there’s nothing I can do about it, it stresses me out.

So i think we all have different levels of tolerance and it’s a bit unfair to criticise OP when we just don’t know how sensitive he is and how external stimuli affect him. He was just having a tough time and that wasn’t helped by the lack of sleep.

 

[Martha567]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

Zordmot, I hope you'll find a way to deal with this, rather than end your Camino. What I do find disturbing is that people with apnea and loud snorers would choose not to be considerate enough to ask for a private room, as they must be aware of their condition. I'm also sure that many albergues (if not all) would offer them private accommodation for the same price if only they came forward with their reason.

 

[Delphinoula]

There is only one you can change that is you.
Great tips here what to do if nothing helps maybe sleep in a tent?
There are people out there that have difficulties to sleep for more serious reasons than listening to snoring. There are people who have a messed up sleep pattern because the have been to long on call duties, that have conditioned themself to rise at any breathing change because their asthmatic babies my have deadly attacks at night, they can’t sleep because of a stress reaction to a life threatening event? We do not know what is going on?
Again selfcare is so important.
If you cannot sleep with a lot people find a different solution for yourself.
It’s like fair trade coffee. If can not afford to drink 4 cups a day of it, just drink 2 cups.
So if you can only afford a couple of private hostel make a shorter Camino as much as you can afford that may be exactly what you need. It’s your labor to work it out, if others can help good, if they cannot good.

 

[Ungawawa]

I'm not surprised the OP has gone and not returned. The self-righteous sanctimony happening in this thread is suffocating. How eager all the "spiritual" people here are to deal out tough-love. I appreciate this forum for many things, but this isn't one of them.

 

[Nancy McD]

As I lay here in my 7th albergue awake at 2 am after walking 27 km yesterday, each night has been the same: the room is dominated not by snorers but by people with sleep apnea- a severe medical untreated medical condition. The asleep person 4 ft away from me is in a marathon struggle for survival and sounds at as loud as a chain saw. I can hear two others in this room in the same boat. Why oh why do these people who know what their sleeping does to others stay in albergues? We all sympathize for their condition—although it is treatable-but this lack of consideration for others is mind boggling to me. For this reason I won’t be walking again and I can’t recommend the Camino to others.

It took me about four nights last year in an alburgue to realize that without sleep due to the snorers and bag rustlers, I was miserable. I wound up getting sick and injured because of it. I quickly got on booking.com and found private accommodations. As a fellow peregrina reminded me when I despaired of feeling slightly guilty about my private rooms, “you are actually doing others a great favor by freeing up a bed in the alburgues for those who might not be able to afford the private rooms”. I was instantly vindicated. This year, I will do the same. For me, the Camino is not a test of my sleeping abilities. It is much more than that. Staring at the bunk above me is not the essence of it. Staring at the vistas and sharing experiences with others while awake is at the heart of my Camino experience.

 

[Kathor1]

when I despaired of feeling slightly guilty about my private rooms, “you are actually doing others a great favor by freeing up a bed in the alburgues for those who might not be able to afford the private rooms”. I was instantly vindicated.

I often wonder where this idea comes from that one has to sleep in misery and must not spend more than 6-12 € on a bed in a room for 1 or 2 people? Because the poor in the Middle Ages may have slept under similar circumstances?

Perhaps they did but the medieval poor had, compared to us, also miserable shoes, miserable clothes, miserable food, miserable health care. So why do people believe, and try to make others believe, that we must emulate the sleeping conditions but not the full package of misery?

 

[Dorpie]

Zordmot, I hope you'll find a way to deal with this, rather than end your Camino. What I do find disturbing is that people with apnea and loud snorers would choose not to be considerate enough to ask for a private room, as they must be aware of their condition. I'm also sure that many albergues (if not all) would offer them private accommodation for the same price if only they came forward with their reason.

I fear you are being a little over optimistic. Not only do very many albergues not have any private rooms but even if they did and it became known that you could have one for the same price as a dormitary bed as a snorer I think the number of pilgrims identifying as snorers would be up around the 90% mark!!!

 

[MikeyC]

I often wonder where this idea comes from that one has to sleep in misery and must not spend more than 6-12 € on a bed in a room for 1 or 2 people? Because the poor in the Middle Ages may have slept under similar circumstances?

Perhaps they did but the medieval poor had, compared to us, also miserable shoes, miserable clothes, miserable food, miserable health care. So why do people believe, and try to make others believe, that we must emulate the sleeping conditions but not the full package of misery?

Although I must say that we've had one or two dishes from pilgrim menus these last few days that could qualify as miserable. Partially raw chicken tonight being the highlight.

 

[jungleboy]

P.S. I am never sure when to use Affect and Effect. So I used both.

Affect is the verb, e.g. ‘All the snoring in the albergues greatly affected her sleep.’

Effect is the noun, e.g. ‘The lack of sleep because of all the snoring had an effect on her during the next day’s walk.’

Edit: in their most common usages. See below for more!

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

I'm going to open a new part of the discussion - windows open or closed?

I have earplugs against all the different noises, but often I thought I was going to suffocate - because all the windows were closed. You can go up ten times very silent to open the windows, the pilgrims from around the Mediterranean will go up eleven times to close it

Are they afraid of mosquitoes?

For nearly every German it´s the last thing to do before going to sleep - open the window. We stop it only, when it´s really frosty outside but not if it´s 10 or 12 °Celsius.

Well, we have windows that can be tilted, that means, the upper part of the window is about 10cm open, the lower part is closed - ingenious.

A little story
A few years ago I slept at Casa Fernanda on the Portuguese way. All the pilgrims came from the middle part of Europe (Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech, Germany) except one pilgrim from Brazil - Alberto. His English was not so good and he had more conversation with Fernanda and her husband than with us. The Europeans talked over this and that and we all agreed, that it´s really bad, that every window is closed during the night in the Albergues. Sometime in the evening one of us noticed that there were no Italians, no Spaniards, no Portuguese. All the freshair fanatics from the north were happy "Yeah - we will open every window and it stays open the hole night". We had all together a very funny evening and Alberto was the first one who left us for sleeping. All the others went into the bedroom later and did what we had been looking forward to - we put all the windows wide open.
In the morning we all got up more or less at the same time and then we saw Alberto sitting in his sleeping bag on the bed, wearing all the clothes he could find in his backpack, a hat on his head and stockings on his hands.
"I´m so cold, I'm cold like never before in my life. I come from Recife near the equator. It´s never less than
20 ° Celsius in the night at home and you opened all the window. I closed them a few times, but everyone who got up to the toilet opened it again....and again....and again." Unfortunately, he didn't dare stop us.
We were so sorry, but we didn´t think about it. It was maybe around 14°. Normal for us to sleep with a wide open window..

Recognition: Not only my needs count.

We all met Alberto in different combinations a few times on the Camino and that was the running gag in every Albergue.

If it´s possible I choose a bed directly at the window in every Albergue and hopefully the Italians will be asleep by the time I go to bed. so I can open it - only three centimeter is enough

 

[Albertagirl]

Affect is the verb, e.g. ‘All the snoring in the albergues greatly affected her sleep.’

Effect is the noun, e.g. ‘The lack of sleep because of all the snoring had an effect on her during the next day’s walk.’

Affect as a noun means the observable results of an emotion or feeling: "patients … showed perfectly normal reactions and affects." [Oliver Sachs] This is a less common psychological usage and I have adapted the definition from the Miriam Webster Dictionary.

Effect as a verb means to bring about a result, as in "She was not able to effect the desired changes."

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

...I love not having a lot of stuff. At home, I'm an artistic wreck.

Now there's an excellent description, I'll be hanging onto!

 

[andylm65]

Perfectly silent and respectful 5am riser here! Just thought I’d mention that we do exist!

It is a skill I developed and share!

 

[Derrybiketours]

This topic is keeping me awake and the only contribution that I can make is from my own experience listening too an orchestra of snorers and dogs barking whilst sleeping in that we'll known large albergue in Pamplona. I had a restless night and with little sleep decided to walk towards the hill of forgiveness. As I was walking surprisingly I felt alert and energetic despite the lack of sleep. My adrenaline was no doubt kicking in and a number of lessons were experienced that day. It was very surreal and without going into detail I became someone else's guardian angel, I had an emotional outpouring that helped me heal, my guardian angel walked behind me on the descent after the 'hill of forgiveness' and I experienced what I later discovered was a thin place. The key to this revelation I believe was my fellow Pilgrim snoring musicians who contributed to this awakening and for that I am grateful. After this experience I embraced the idea of sharing a space with snorers but ironically I slept like a baby every other night without the need to use earplugs as the sleepless nights due to snoring ceased. Maybe it was all just a dream

 

[Mark T17]

May I prescribe a simple fix: walk 25km/ride 50km a day, drink vino tinto and insert silicon ear plugs at night. I never heard a thing, woke up at 7am and didn't even know most of the early risers had already left.

 

[Ungawawa]

So why do people believe, and try to make others believe, that we must emulate the sleeping conditions but not the full package of misery?

Lol, I love the phrase "full package of misery". It sounds like something terrible from a package tour company. Misery Pilgrim Tours Ltd. It could specialise in recreating all the discomfort and indignities of being a middle-ages pilgrim.

 

[VAtoNC]

Im relieved to know I can go and snore in peace... I'm not alone! 1st camino this coming September. Catch you all en route

I snore a bit and will see you in September!

 

[Albertagirl]

I snore a bit and will see you in September!

And I'll probably be hearing both of you.

 

[Stivandrer]

Is there a Snorers Anonymous ?
" I am AA. I am a Pilgrim and I snore ..."

 

[freeflyer123]

Even after 100 responses, I will not yawn. It is about being human and respecting all, equally.

However, I do, if worthy, wish to contribute in a different way.

No one has, from what I have read so far, mentioned that most have received a call to walk the Camino. They may not even realize that this has happened, but it does. There is a purpose to it and if this purpose is not known before starting, it usually reveals itself between SJPdP and SdC. And there are those who return to repeat or walk a different CaminoOne of the challenges, just one of them, is cohabitating with many in Albergues. There are options, yes. Very few do not use Albergues at all. For me, that is a mistake.

The Camino has a lot to do with challenging our tolerance, of ourselves, first, but many other things like, walking a lot every day, handling communication is a foreign land, finding water when you have been out if it for hours and, getting along with our fellow peregrinos, in all aspects, only one of which is, collective snoring.

The Camino helps us learn what our strengths and weaknesses are and if we are lucky, maybe we can work on those weaknesses and come out of it a better person. For you, my fellow Peregrino, it is my greatest wish that better life is revealed to you, and what must be your focus.

Yes! Everything you say and more. We used both communal albergues and on a few rare occasions a private room when we rode the Camino in 2013. We were, of course, occasionally kept awake because of people snoring but there was even a beauty in that. Snoring did not both me as much as sleeping in albergues in large cities when you were often woken up by loud noises out in the streets below. But the only time I felt a little annoyance was when we stayed at an albergue with a group of young people who had been driven there in a coach and needed to get rid of some of their pent-up energy playing in the dorm while others, having walked and ridden all day, were desperate to get some sleep. But eventually even they settled down. One thing the Camino teaches us, if we are willing to learn, is tolerance of our and respect for others and our differences.

 

[tomnorth]

I'm going to open a new part of the discussion - windows open or closed?

I have earplugs against all the different noises, but often I thought I was going to suffocate - because all the windows were closed. You can go up ten times very silent to open the windows, the pilgrims from around the Mediterranean will go up eleven times to close it

Are they afraid of mosquitoes?

For nearly every German it´s the last thing to do before going to sleep - open the window. We stop it only, when it´s really frosty outside but not if it´s 10 or 12 °Celsius.

Well, we have windows that can be tilted, that means, the upper part of the window is about 10cm open, the lower part is closed - ingenious.

A little story
A few years ago I slept at Casa Fernanda on the Portuguese way. All the pilgrims came from the middle part of Europe (Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech, Germany) except one pilgrim from Brazil - Alberto. His English was not so good and he had more conversation with Fernanda and her husband than with us. The Europeans talked over this and that and we all agreed, that it´s really bad, that every window is closed during the night in the Albergues. Sometime in the evening one of us noticed that there were no Italians, no Spaniards, no Portuguese. All the freshair fanatics from the north were happy "Yeah - we will open every window and it stays open the hole night". We had all together a very funny evening and Alberto was the first one who left us for sleeping. All the others went into the bedroom later and did what we had been looking forward to - we put all the windows wide open.
In the morning we all got up more or less at the same time and then we saw Alberto sitting in his sleeping bag on the bed, wearing all the clothes he could find in his backpack, a hat on his head and stockings on his hands.
"I´m so cold, I'm cold like never before in my life. I come from Recife near the equator. It´s never less than
20 ° Celsius in the night at home and you opened all the window. I closed them a few times, but everyone who got up to the toilet opened it again....and again....and again." Unfortunately, he didn't dare stop us.
We were so sorry, but we didn´t think about it. It was maybe around 14°. Normal for us to sleep with a wide open window..

Recognition: Not only my needs count.

We all met Alberto in different combinations a few times on the Camino and that was the running gag in every Albergue.

If it´s possible I choose a bed directly at the window in every Albergue and hopefully the Italians will be asleep by the time I go to bed. so I can open it - only three centimeter is enough

I’m with you on this. Being from Minnesota, I love sleeping with the window open. If I have to snuggle down into my sleeping bag, that’s even better.

 

[Michael; Camino-addicted]

I’m with you on this. Being from Minnesota, I love sleeping with the window open. If I have to snuggle down into my sleeping bag, that’s even better.

Warm feet and a cold nose keep us healthy

 

[Delphinoula]

I had it big guy next to me snores, long nosed girl on the other side snores, little guy under my bed snores and now comes little missy yells around wants to get in , gets in and takes my pillow and snores, too.
I kicked her out. Enough is enough.
Oh wait you are not talking about home base? That’s my two dogs my better half and you guessed it our kitty.

 

[Stivandrer]

I woke up this morning on the job in the night duty I have in an institution, usually very peaceful !
It was a lonely blackbeard serenading in the the courtyard across from us, had to get up and shut the window.

Somehow the gentle (!) snoring of umpteen tired peregrinos is a lesser distraction in my sleep !!!

 

[tomnorth]

Snoring on the Camino is like gravity. Complaining about it does no good. Getting mad at the source of it is futile. Having expectations of a world without it is unrealistic.