My Next Camino

[MikeJS]

I think this will be my next camino with either the Invierno at the end to SdC or maybe the Frances - depends how I feel when I get to Ponferrada. My intention this year is to start around 12 Sept (I’m currently banned from another spring time walk as everything in the garden grows too fast!). Have gathered info from the various posts in the forum and the only bit I am struggling with is the first couple of days where accommodation choices seem limited. Seems the only choice is walk 25 or 35kms first day to Guenes/Balmaseda and then on to Espinosa de los Monteros which is 43kms from Balmaseda. I don’t particularly mind those distances but would prefer slightly shorter days at the start. Also I don’t want to detour off to Villasana de Mena. Anyone got other options? I see there is a Casa Rural at San Pelayo about 30kms from Balmesada which may be an option although a little pricey!

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi Mike,
I don’t have access to all my notes right now but I was one who went on to Villasana — I take it you are not a fan of Romanesque. I do remember thinking that it would be inconvenient for someone not so enamored to carve out the early stages

I also remember a lot of asphalt those first few days. Lots on hard paved bike paths. If that’s a problem you could consider a permutation some of us are thinking about for 2019. Vasco interior and then connect to olvidado in Aguilar de Campoo. The part before Aguilar has some uninspiring stages but it really gets going afterwards. Just a thought to throw in the mix.

 

[MikeJS]

Hi Mike,
I don’t have access to all my notes right now but I was one who went on to Villasana — I take it you are not a fan of Romanesque. I do remember thinking that it would be inconvenient for someone not so enamored to carve out the early stages

I also remember a lot of asphalt those first few days. Lots on hard paved bike paths. If that’s a problem you could consider a permutation some of us are thinking about for 2019. Vasco interior and then connect to olvidado in Aguilar de Campoo. The part before Aguilar has some uninspiring stages but it really gets going afterwards. Just a thought to throw in the mix.

Yes, it was your info that I extracted the bit about Villasana! Not that I am not a fan of Romanesque but having lived in Italy for a few year I have found liitle that compares. Also, I am a bit compulsive about doing the path! I’ll look at your alternative, but tarmac (or any other surface except deep mud!) does not worry me overly. Often I rely on AirB&B but even that failed this time…..

 

[MikeJS]

Peregrina2000 - Had a look now and can see the Vasco interior route from Irun to Estavillo, is there then a marked route from Estavillo to Aguilar?

 

[peregrina2000]

Well, what a few of us have been murmurring about is Vasco Interior to Haro. And then a GR to Aguilar, followed by the rest of the Olvidado to Ponferrada. @caminka is the one who suggested this, maybe she will chime in with helpful information as she always does!

Here is a website on the GR she referred to
http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/desarro...ales/sector-noreste/ebro/ebro_occidental.aspx

This is still in the vague dreaming stages, since it would not happen till 2019, and Camino 2018 will be happening in a few months. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MikeJS]

Well, what a few of us have been murmurring about is Vasco Interior to Haro. And then a GR to Aguilar, followed by the rest of the Olvidado to Ponferrada. @caminka is the one who suggested this, maybe she will chime in with helpful information as she always does!

Here is a website on the GR she referred to
http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/desarro...ales/sector-noreste/ebro/ebro_occidental.aspx

This is still in the vague dreaming stages, since it would not happen till 2019, and Camino 2018 will be happening in a few months. Buen camino, Laurie

I like the look of that! Unfortunately, the link does not work. Do you know the GR ID? The nearest I can see is the GR99 which you could also pick up at Miranda de Ebro but as far as I can see that does not cross the Olvidado or reach quite as far as Aguilar? Mike

 

[MikeJS]

With a bit more hunting I can see that the GR 1 meets up with the Olvidado somewhere near Sotoscueva and that can be picked up at Miranda De Ebro?

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Mike, I am pasting in what Caminka has suggested. That's 11 days and the road connection is only 125 kms, so I assume there is a lot of weaving up and down. I really haven't looked in depth at this. I personally am tempted to skip from Miranda de Ebro to Aguilar by some kind of public transportation and continue on the Olvidado. Another thing that I would HIGHLY recommend is that when you get to Ponferrada, consider the detour to Penalba de Santiago https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...n-splendor-from-ponferrada-or-el-acebo.27697/ (You could walk Ponferrada to El Acebo to Penalba to As Medulas rather than back to Ponferrada if you wanted to continue on the Invierno).

miranda de ebro - banos de sobron: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21019390

banos de sobron - quintana martin galindez: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21020131
ask if the footbridge into banos is still destroyed. perhaps a diversion via the dam is possible, otherwise you need to stay on the northern side of the river.

quintana martin galindez - trespaderne: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21024273

trespaderne - quintana de valdevieso: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21102426

quintana de valdevieso - pesquera de ebro: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21103048

pesquera de ebro - orbaneja del castillo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123

orbaneja del castillo - polientes: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123
orbaneja del castillo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21434010

polientes - villanueva de la nia: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21435429

villanueva de la nia - aguilar de campoo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21436186
quite unpleasant crossing of N627 with lots of traffic and trucks.
aguilar de campoo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21436953

 

[peregrina2000]

I think this will be my next camino with either the Invierno at the end to SdC or maybe the Frances - depends how I feel when I get to Ponferrada. My intention this year is to start around 12 Sept (I’m currently banned from another spring time walk as everything in the garden grows too fast!). Have gathered info from the various posts in the forum and the only bit I am struggling with is the first couple of days where accommodation choices seem limited. Seems the only choice is walk 25 or 35kms first day to Guenes/Balmaseda and then on to Espinosa de los Monteros which is 43kms from Balmaseda. I don’t particularly mind those distances but would prefer slightly shorter days at the start. Also I don’t want to detour off to Villasana de Mena. Anyone got other options? I see there is a Casa Rural at San Pelayo about 30kms from Balmesada which may be an option although a little pricey!

So I have checked through all my notes and don't find any option between Balmaseda and Espinosa. And I can't even find San Pelayo, where is this place?

The day into Balmaseda is not taxing at all, but it is almost all on asphalt. We left Bilbao very late, around 9 am I think it was, and still had plenty of time in Balmaseda. As I remember, this was my first venture with a GPS, and there was a GPS meltdown that involved contacting @GunnarW for help. But we still had a lot of free time there.

From Nava de Ordunte to Espinosa, there were some tricky parts, maybe the signage is better now. We had company since an association member surprised us early in the morning when the taxi took us back to Nava, and we had a GPS, which we would have needed had it not been for our in-person guide!

I take it you want to avoid the taxi back from Villasana to Nava. I get that, it does feel weird, but better than sleeping in a field for me! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MikeJS]

San Pelayo - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...b32429fd5e08570!8m2!3d43.0773479!4d-3.5521721 Just about 2kms NNE of Bercedo.
I can see from the wikiloc links in your other post that this follows in part the GR99 but also tries to take a few ‘short’ cuts.
Thankfully, I am used to using GPS tracks and my great friend google maps to find my way so am fairly content that I won’t get too lost, too often!
These 2 links that you posted:
pesquera de ebro - orbaneja del castillo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123
orbaneja del castillo - polientes: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123
Are the same maps so I guess there was a cut and paste error.
Thank you very much for your help and suggestions. I will have to cogitate my options now. Fortunately, I’m off to Mauritius for a few weeks!
MIke

 

[caminka]

Well, what a few of us have been murmurring about is Vasco Interior to Haro. And then a GR to Aguilar, followed by the rest of the Olvidado to Ponferrada.

did you mean GR 99? camino vasco intersects with it in miranda de ebro, so you don't need to go all the way to haro - unless you want to, of course.

this part of the GR 99 is probably the most spectacular of the whole GR as it goes through several gorges and ravines and one canyon. I really enjoyed it. there are even several romanesque churches, too .

I can see from the wikiloc links in your other post that this follows in part the GR99 but also tries to take a few ‘short’ cuts.
Thankfully, I am used to using GPS tracks and my great friend google maps to find my way so am fairly content that I won’t get too lost, too often!
These 2 links that you posted:
pesquera de ebro - orbaneja del castillo: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123
orbaneja del castillo - polientes: https://es.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=21433123
Are the same maps so I guess there was a cut and paste error.

yes, this is quite correct. I always try to make a doable route but also an interesting one. if possible, I use local paths (PRs and the green ones). I also have no problem detouring to an interesting site off any route. also, I do get lost sometimes, so that is reflected in the gps tracks.

this is the correct gps for orbaneja - polientes: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino2012-128-orbaneja-del-castillo-polientes-21434689. and coincidently, it's right here that I didn't see a turn and missed a romanesque church .

the comment about the destroyed footbridge goes to miranda de ebro - banos de sobron day. it's right at the end of the day and I'm not sure how you get to the other side of the river where GR continues if it's still down.

 

[caminka]

I found this post from when I returned from the 2012 camino, number 42: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/viejo-camino-de-santiago.7585/post-138545.

 

[peregrina2000]

did you mean GR 99? camino vasco intersects with it in miranda de ebro, so you don't need to go all the way to haro - unless you want to, of course.

this part of the GR 99 is probably the most spectacular of the whole GR as it goes through several gorges and ravines and one canyon. I really enjoyed it. there are even several romanesque churches, too .



yes, this is quite correct. I always try to make a doable route but also an interesting one. if possible, I use local paths (PRs and the green ones). I also have no problem detouring to an interesting site off any route. also, I do get lost sometimes, so that is reflected in the gps tracks.

this is the correct gps for orbaneja - polientes: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/camino2012-128-orbaneja-del-castillo-polientes-21434689. and coincidently, it's right here that I didn't see a turn and missed a romanesque church .

the comment about the destroyed footbridge goes to miranda de ebro - banos de sobron day. it's right at the end of the day and I'm not sure how you get to the other side of the river where GR continues if it's still down.

Hi, caminka,
I don't know why I am paying attention to this route, when I can't even walk it till 2019. You are a terrible temptress! I was hoping you would post here.

Your comment about the footbridge led me to poke around on the internet, and I don't see any mention of a problem like that on that stage of the GR-99. See a couple of pages: http://luismiportu.blogspot.com/2017/05/gr-99-etapa-11-banos-de-sobron-miranda.html

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/desarro...sector-noreste/ebro/etapa11/ebro_etapa11.aspx

The group of us that is dreaming about this route had thought we would get to Haro on the Interior and then cut across to Aguilar on the Olvidado, using the GR-99 as the connector. I have never been to Haro and I know it is a very nice place, so that is the reason, I guess.

Thanks so much for all your help! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MikeJS]

Caminka - Thank you very much for the extra info and the enthusiasm.

 

[caminka]

Hi, caminka,
I don't know why I am paying attention to this route, when I can't even walk it till 2019. You are a terrible temptress! I was hoping you would post here.

Your comment about the footbridge led me to poke around on the internet, and I don't see any mention of a problem like that on that stage of the GR-99. See a couple of pages: http://luismiportu.blogspot.com/2017/05/gr-99-etapa-11-banos-de-sobron-miranda.html

http://www.mapama.gob.es/es/desarro...sector-noreste/ebro/etapa11/ebro_etapa11.aspx

The group of us that is dreaming about this route had thought we would get to Haro on the Interior and then cut across to Aguilar on the Olvidado, using the GR-99 as the connector. I have never been to Haro and I know it is a very nice place, so that is the reason, I guess.

Thanks so much for all your help! Buen camino, Laurie

, I know the feeling. I thought my next camino will be a collections of portuguese caminos and I made the guide(s) for that. then I got to reading blogs about lebaniego and picos and the new olvidado (what a nice juxtapisition, ) and I decided I want to walk that combo instead, so I made the guides for that. let's hope I don't get too excited about another camino(s) before those come around! (I am looking too much into italian routes already .)

it's strange that noone mentions that broken footbridge, maybe they have walked it before it was destroyed? if you look at google maps you can clearly see that the middle of the bridge is missing and the upper half twisted to the right. I attached a still. also, if you look at google video footage (the blue spot) from september 2017 on google maps, it's clear that the footbridge has been torn in half. the dam has a big fence on the side facing the road, so I am not sure how one would get across the river without that bridge.



I assume camino vasco does not follow the same route as GR 99, so perhaps you can 'retrace' your steps to miranda after visiting haro. or, maybe there are local PR routes that you can use to cut directly to puentelarra, for example. or maybe make your way to pancorbo and follow the other branch of camino vasco to miranda. or maybe from pancorbo go to frias via tobera (a very nice and historic spot according to info). .. er, I will stop suggesting routes now. .. but don't miss frias or its bridge, they are amazing.

Caminka - Thank you very much for the extra info and the enthusiasm.

any time! if you have any questions, I'm happy to answer.

 

[MikeJS]

I’m lost! Where about is the ’broken bridge”?

 

[caminka]

in the middle of the photo I posted, right next to where it says Ebro. there is what looks like a ledder bent in a half circle. the usual transparent line google uses for roads, tracks, paths etc. goes right across the river where the bridge used to be.

without the bridge, I guess the only option is to follow the road running along the northern bank of ebro from puentelarra/larrazubi.

 

[MikeJS]

Sorry, I obviously did not make myself clear - what is the location of the bridge?

 

[caminka]

it's at the end stage of GR 99 from miranda de ebro to banos de sobron, right as you enter banos by crossing the river - so really inconvenient to be destroyed. banos has about the only accommodation for this stage, unless you continue and climb to sobron alto with a casa rural. (I avoided this climb by taking the road through the gorge.)

 

[MikeJS]

Just got back from my trip so sorry for the delay in responding. Found it now! Looks like the nearest option is to cross at Puentalarra.

 

[caminka]

sadly yes. do enquire in miranda, perhaps it will be fixed soon enough.

 

[MikeJS]

Caminka - I’m still pondering which route to do. Probably won’t deiced until much nearer the time.

 

[caminka]

certainly. I can't comment on the first part of the olvidado because I haven't walked it (or researched it yet), but on the part from cistierna forward, I would recommend the new mountain alternatives. the old road route is just that, road options (mostly).

if you will decied for GR 99, I can send you a pdf of my 2012 description (updated after return).

 

[MikeJS]

Caminka - Thank you. For the Olvidado I intend to use the one published by enderjace - https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...gacervera-y-caminayo-camino-olvidado-15178871 is that what you mean by the new mountain alternative?

 

[peregrina2000]

Caminka - Thank you. For the Olvidado I intend to use the one published by enderjace - https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...gacervera-y-caminayo-camino-olvidado-15178871 is that what you mean by the new mountain alternative?

Hi, Mike,
Ender has new tracks, I will try to get them and post them here. He told me that they take a few more bits off the road. Here are updated stages and services information sheets. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[peregrina2000]

Mike, Ender just sent me the new tracks. I have them in separate files, one for each stage. If you (or anyone else) wants me to send them, a PM with your email address is the way to go. I will ask the more tech savvy mods about how to post them in resources, because I can't figure it out.

Ender also told me he is writing a guide to the Olvidado, which I will be happy to translate into English when it is done. It probably won't be done before you leave in September. Have you seen the little thing that Susanna and I did building on Caminka's work? http://www.elcaminoolvidado.com/Camino Olvidado Guide.pdf

Edited to say that I THINK I have posted the tracks on Resources, can anyone verify that? They are in 5 separate documents, because there is a limit to 5 files per resource. Fingers crossed.

 

[MikeJS]

Mike, Ender just sent me the new tracks. I have them in separate files, one for each stage. If you (or anyone else) wants me to send them, a PM with your email address is the way to go. I will ask the more tech savvy mods about how to post them in resources, because I can't figure it out.

Ender also told me he is writing a guide to the Olvidado, which I will be happy to translate into English when it is done. It probably won't be done before you leave in September. Have you seen the little thing that Susanna and I did building on Caminka's work? http://www.elcaminoolvidado.com/Camino Olvidado Guide.pdf

Edited to say that I THINK I have posted the tracks on Resources, can anyone verify that? They are in 5 separate documents, because there is a limit to 5 files per resource. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for all the info. Just popped into the forum for a quick look so will check all the detail later. Are enders new tracks on wikioc?

 

[omicko]

Mike, Ender just sent me the new tracks. I have them in separate files, one for each stage. If you (or anyone else) wants me to send them, a PM with your email address is the way to go. I will ask the more tech savvy mods about how to post them in resources, because I can't figure it out.

Ender also told me he is writing a guide to the Olvidado, which I will be happy to translate into English when it is done. It probably won't be done before you leave in September. Have you seen the little thing that Susanna and I did building on Caminka's work? http://www.elcaminoolvidado.com/Camino Olvidado Guide.pdf

Edited to say that I THINK I have posted the tracks on Resources, can anyone verify that? They are in 5 separate documents, because there is a limit to 5 files per resource. Fingers crossed.

Well Laurie you've gone and done it,the tracks are there and I've put them onto my GPS and they seem fine. A few months ago I had downloaded Ender's Camino Olvidado tracks on Wikiloc, onto my laptop. The new tracks in Resources has 10 times as many points as these "old" tracks on Wikiloc. As for Mike's question it looks like Ender has NOW changed all of his tracks of the Camino Olvidado on Wikiloc to the same format as the "new" ones that are in Resources.
I only compared 2 of the " new" Wikiloc tracks to the ones in Resources.
Suerte Mick.

 

[MikeJS]

As for Mike's question it looks like Ender has changed all of his tracks to these new ones. (I just compared 2 of the Wikiloc tracks to the ones now in Resources).Suerte,Mick.

Do you mean that enders latest tracks are on wikiloc?

 

[omicko]

Do you mean that enders latest tracks are on wikiloc?

Yes, but I came to this conclusion after comparing only 2 of Enders " new" Wikiloc gpx tracks to the same ones that Peregrina2000 put in Resources and they were identical. In other words I didn't try to compare all the tracks that Peregrina2000 had put in Resources.

 

[caminka]

Caminka - Thank you. For the Olvidado I intend to use the one published by enderjace - https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...gacervera-y-caminayo-camino-olvidado-15178871 is that what you mean by the new mountain alternative?

that is the gps track I used for my guide from cistierna onwards here: https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/guide-to-olvidado.52042/.

I looked at the separate ender's tracks on wikiloc (probably the same as laurie posted in resources which I can't take a look at?) from cistierna onwards and they are the same as the one long track except in a few instances:

- the climb from riello to pandorado is the old route on a path by the beehives that many people had trouble with. in my guide I described the new route via LE-4405 road then a gravel lane.
- the off-road option from guisatecha to el castillo. this was unmarked and orientation-challenging in 2012, so I opted for the road option in my guide.
- a detour via torecillo which I considered by then opted for the road option. this would be a bit longer but less tarmac.

Ender also told me he is writing a guide to the Olvidado, which I will be happy to translate into English when it is done. It probably won't be done before you leave in September.

laurie, do you think the guide I wrote for olvidado would be of help to ender? if so, please feel free to send it to him.

 

[MikeJS]

I have now had the opportunity to compare the separate tracks in the resources section with Enders track on wikiloc (https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trai...gacervera-y-caminayo-camino-olvidado-15178871). The separate tracks offer 2 alternatives between Guardo and Puente Almuhey - seemingly to avoid the mountains. There is also an alternative offered between Bonar and La Magdelena. Again the separate tracks offer a road alternative from the hills. In general I prefer hills!

 

[omicko]

Hiya Mike, as I sumised in my Post 28 , Ender's tracks on Wikiloc are the same as the tracks of Peregrina2000 in Resources. I have checked all of them. You have to download EACH individual track. When I download tracks I always download individual tracks. If there is also one long complete track I download it for backup. (If you have a glitch on one track you only lose that one track instead of all of it).
There is a very slight difference on track 10a between Guardo and Puente Almuey and Enders long complete track. In the print out of the Asociacion Leonesa Del Camino Olvidado a Santiago ( PDF in post 25) it mentions Track B Cistierna via San Pedro to Ercina. There is not a GPX track for this.
Post 31 of Caminka about the track from Riello has her alternative suggestion on Enders long complete track.
I'm led to believe that Ender's alternatives is to limit the amount of road walking.Good luck,Mick.

 

[omicko]

Mike, Ender just sent me the new tracks. I have them in separate files, one for each stage. If you (or anyone else) wants me to send them, a PM with your email address is the way to go. I will ask the more tech savvy mods about how to post them in resources, because I can't figure it out.

Ender also told me he is writing a guide to the Olvidado, which I will be happy to translate into English when it is done. It probably won't be done before you leave in September. Have you seen the little thing that Susanna aend I did building on Caminka's work? http://www.elcaminoolvidado.com/Camino Olvidado Guide.pdf

Edited to say that I THINK I have posted the tracks on Resources, can anyone verify that? They are in 5 separate documents, because there is a limit to 5 files per resource. Fingers crossed.

Hola Laurie, this is an update to my post 28. Only a few of the tracks have 10 times the amount of points than the old tracks. Also you have duplicated the Etapa-16a-17b-Riello-Fasgar.gpx in group IV and group V.
Suerte, Mick.

 

[pelerine]

Hi everybody! I want to walk the Olvidado next year and was not going to seriously start planning until after this year’s camino. But then I happened to look for this thread after Laurie offered to help me with my planning And now I am hooked and cannot let go. Will try to work out what it all means - not being very good with IT generally, GPS etc.

Thank you all for such a wealth if information!

 

[peregrina2000]

I think this will be my next camino with either the Invierno at the end to SdC or maybe the Frances - depends how I feel when I get to Ponferrada. My intention this year is to start around 12 Sept (I’m currently banned from another spring time walk as everything in the garden grows too fast!). Have gathered info from the various posts in the forum and the only bit I am struggling with is the first couple of days where accommodation choices seem limited. Seems the only choice is walk 25 or 35kms first day to Guenes/Balmaseda and then on to Espinosa de los Monteros which is 43kms from Balmaseda. I don’t particularly mind those distances but would prefer slightly shorter days at the start. Also I don’t want to detour off to Villasana de Mena. Anyone got other options? I see there is a Casa Rural at San Pelayo about 30kms from Balmesada which may be an option although a little pricey!

Hi, Mike,
Just wondering if some of the other Olvidado threads have given you ideas about changing it up a bit. Seems to me that there are now at least three options -- start in Bilbao (as Susanna and I did); start in Pamplona (as Sheffield James did), or start on the Vasco Interior in Irún, go from Miranda de Ebro to Aguilar de Campoo, and then continue on the Olvidado. This last patched-together option combines a lot of what caminka and James have walked and is very tempting (right, @VNwalking?), but it is longer. There's a lot of asphalt, or at least there was, on the first bit of the Olvidado, but some very nice parts too, which may or may not be an issue for you. Ender's new mountain alternatives, and the day from Fasgar through Campo de Santiago, are all after Aguilar. Actually, I'm not trying to convince you of anything, just talking out loud as I think through Camino 2019!!!!!

Have you figured out a solution to the question you asked in the first post -- about the day from Balmaseda? I was unable to find that Casa Rural you referred to.

Buen camino, Laurie

 

[MikeJS]

Hi Laurie

The Casa Rural is between Balmesada and Espinosa de los Monteros is in San Pelayo near Aguera (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...m1!1s2018-06-17!8m2!3d43.1064584!4d-3.4343433) its called Casa Rural Zalama. For my planning walking from Bilbao I had the stops and routes shown in the spreadsheet here - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mdwd90tntrgra3w/AACcd8AdKw7lG4tT1IIoFwT7a?dl=0

I followed Sheffield James’ thread with great interest but would still probably favour the Olvidado route not least because i would like to give some more info for this route for others to follow. That all said, it is now veryunlikely that I wll walk a camino this year as life has got in the way. However, plans are all in place so hopefully I will be back out again next year.