I have just returned from walking alone the wonderful Camino del Baztan.
I am a 64 year old man from England and received an unexpected but welcome opportunity when my long term employer decided to part company with me,enabling me to attempt my first Camino.I decided upon the Baztan as I had previously researched it and it appeared to meet my requirements.
My 6 stages were-
Bayonne to Espelette
Espelette to Urdax
Urdax to Elizondo
Elizondo to Venta San Blas
Venta San Blas to Olague
Olague to Pamplona
My great respect to anyone who completes in 5 but 6 days was as anticipated,far more realistic for me and time was not a factor
Every stage met or exceeded my expectations and in the 6 days,I did not meet a single other walker on my route.
My general observations are rather naive but for what they are worth,are as follows-
Make sure all equipment is organised,well packed and balanced,if it doesn’t feel right,do not continue but adjust until feeling comfortable….learnt that from painful lesson.
Good boots offering ankle support and a telescopic shock absorbing pole were invaluable for me as ground was often difficult with loose rocks and slippery.
As others have indicated,route markets are easier to follow in Spain as opposed to France,but I always retraced steps if unsure and was able to pick up correct route.
I couldn’t understand how easily I initially missed the correct path but obviously an indication of how relaxed you can become when enjoying the walking.
There is an alternative route following green/ white markets which I took leaving Urdax for the very demanding climb to the pass at Oxtondo,recommended by owner of the hotel Irigoienea at Urdax.Apparently not so steep but a more progressive climb than official Camino route.
Walking alone provides great rewards in allowing oneself to be more self centred in choosing totally your own approach and not having to compromise to fit in with companions wishes but the big downside is not being able to share the magic moments,of which there were many.
Also form a safety viewpoint it was sobering to see a number of Gendarmes and police helicopter trying to find a missing hiker in the hills above Espelette and it did focus the mind of potential pitfalls of travelling solo.
I was only visitor 151 this year at the Albergue in Olague which is difficult to comprehend considering how magnificent this Camino is and although my expectations were high,they were comfortably exceeded.
I did however enjoy meeting other Pilgrims when my path crossed the Camino Francés at Trinidad de Arre and in the space of a few minutes,I exchanged stories with friendly Americans an Austrian and Hungarian.
In summary,for someone who has lived a relatively sheltered existence and perhaps relied too heavily on others at times,the Camino was an extremely,rewarding and satisfying physical and mental challenge and although very tired,I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and sense of achievement
It was also some satisfaction to he that I completed 7 different train journeys,3 bus rides,2 flights and stayed in 7 different accommodations in addition to walking in excess of 110 kms without any major mishaps.
Lesson learnt for me was to not concentrate too much on the “ what might happen “ scenarios as this saps too much energy ,but be confident you have the necessary resourcefulness and ability to deal with anything that does actually happen.
Thank you for reading and I am already looking forward to Camino number 2
I am a 64 year old man from England and received an unexpected but welcome opportunity when my long term employer decided to part company with me,enabling me to attempt my first Camino.I decided upon the Baztan as I had previously researched it and it appeared to meet my requirements.
My 6 stages were-
Bayonne to Espelette
Espelette to Urdax
Urdax to Elizondo
Elizondo to Venta San Blas
Venta San Blas to Olague
Olague to Pamplona
My great respect to anyone who completes in 5 but 6 days was as anticipated,far more realistic for me and time was not a factor
Every stage met or exceeded my expectations and in the 6 days,I did not meet a single other walker on my route.
My general observations are rather naive but for what they are worth,are as follows-
Make sure all equipment is organised,well packed and balanced,if it doesn’t feel right,do not continue but adjust until feeling comfortable….learnt that from painful lesson.
Good boots offering ankle support and a telescopic shock absorbing pole were invaluable for me as ground was often difficult with loose rocks and slippery.
As others have indicated,route markets are easier to follow in Spain as opposed to France,but I always retraced steps if unsure and was able to pick up correct route.
I couldn’t understand how easily I initially missed the correct path but obviously an indication of how relaxed you can become when enjoying the walking.
There is an alternative route following green/ white markets which I took leaving Urdax for the very demanding climb to the pass at Oxtondo,recommended by owner of the hotel Irigoienea at Urdax.Apparently not so steep but a more progressive climb than official Camino route.
Walking alone provides great rewards in allowing oneself to be more self centred in choosing totally your own approach and not having to compromise to fit in with companions wishes but the big downside is not being able to share the magic moments,of which there were many.
Also form a safety viewpoint it was sobering to see a number of Gendarmes and police helicopter trying to find a missing hiker in the hills above Espelette and it did focus the mind of potential pitfalls of travelling solo.
I was only visitor 151 this year at the Albergue in Olague which is difficult to comprehend considering how magnificent this Camino is and although my expectations were high,they were comfortably exceeded.
I did however enjoy meeting other Pilgrims when my path crossed the Camino Francés at Trinidad de Arre and in the space of a few minutes,I exchanged stories with friendly Americans an Austrian and Hungarian.
In summary,for someone who has lived a relatively sheltered existence and perhaps relied too heavily on others at times,the Camino was an extremely,rewarding and satisfying physical and mental challenge and although very tired,I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and sense of achievement
It was also some satisfaction to he that I completed 7 different train journeys,3 bus rides,2 flights and stayed in 7 different accommodations in addition to walking in excess of 110 kms without any major mishaps.
Lesson learnt for me was to not concentrate too much on the “ what might happen “ scenarios as this saps too much energy ,but be confident you have the necessary resourcefulness and ability to deal with anything that does actually happen.
Thank you for reading and I am already looking forward to Camino number 2
