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Ponte de Lima to Santiago in 4 days

J

J11

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
4 August 2023
Hello! I'm new here!

How realistic is to walk from Ponte de Lima to the Santiago in 4 full hiking days? I run around 50 miles/week around my working day. For example I can run 10 miles on Saturday, 13 on Sunday and then shorter (7-8 mile runs on week days) with 1 day rest, so I'm fit but I've not tried walking 25 miles/day and I don't know how tough the route is?

I'll just be taking a small day pack and getting my larger rucksack transported.

Thanks!
 
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We did the 115k from Sarria to Santiago in 3 days last year (btw without that backpack transport nonsense). But we had 700km of training on the CF before that. So i guess, ~155k in 4 days would be possible, but only for a small percentage of persons if they are properly trained.
I would advise against it even if you would be able to do it. You will not have much time to experience the camino since you'll spend most of it walking.
 
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Hmm thanks. In terms of why I think it was a combination of thinking Ponte de Lima looks like a beautiful place to visit, and being quite up for a bit of a ‘challenge’.

Plus of course that I can only take four days off work.

But maybe I should revisit my decision
 
I agree with Trecile. It isn’t the distance but the consecutive days of walking. Before we walked we did a test run in a place that had similar climate to Portugal and walked 5 days in a row. Tested our walking, pack loading, sink washing and drying, etc. Taught us a lot and glad we did it before traveling across the pond. If you have a chance to walk high mileage on consecutive days I highly recommend it.
 
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Thank you. Struggling to find the time but I'm going to try running >10 miles on 3 consecutive days over this weekend (did 11 today before work) and see how that works out.
 
Yes, thank you all. I think I’m going to back myself and attempt it. My instinct is that I’ve got the fitness but the mental endurance (and possibly the blisters) could be an issue. My flight out from Santiago will give me a couple of days or wiggle room so if I need to slow down I will!
 
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You might want to look at the training/preparation recommendations for one of the European multi-day walks, like the Nijmegen 4 Days walk. You would be doing something similar to the four 40 km walks for that event. Having an idea about how to prepare yourself for walking, rather than running, might help. There is a training schedule here: https://www.voorbereidingvierdaagse.nl/trainingsschema. If you use Chrome to open the page, it will give you the option to translate it to a language of your choice.
 
JimG59 said:
It is realistic, but only you know the real answer.
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Thank you. Helpful!
thanks !
 
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What is the rush? if you are simply trying to complete a regulation Camino to qualify for a Compostela, start at Tui, on the Spanish side of the bridge. That is the 100 km threshold. You might be able to do the remaining +/- 100 km in four days.

As VNwalking correctly points out, the entire point of the Camino is to experience the Camino - not just DO a Camino. But, to each his or her own.

Buen Camino - or Bom Caminho (Portuguese)

Tom
 
I am curious what is your priority, is it either the Camino or the physical challenge?

If it is the Camino, I would start 100km and enjoy the vibe, if your goal is to cover 150km in 4 days I personally would look for 2 towns/cities that distance apart elsewhere and go for it, because on the Camino doing 150km in 4 days you will be the odd one out if that matters.

Anyway, an interesting question always good to have something different being asked on the forum, good luck whatever you choose.
 
VNwalking said:
Ummm, puzzled.
Walking the Camino IS the experiencing yhe Camino.

Sounds like you've set yourself a worthy goal, @J1and I hope you have a wonderful time!
Buen camino!
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Maybe i used the wrong words. Yes, Camino is walking. But it is also meeting people, having talks, visiting churches, etc. If i spend 8h (which is optimistic) "covering distance" then i have less time for the other parts.
 
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Just remember running is a completely different activity from walking using different muscles, stride length, foot impact, foot movement within the shoe, and where impact placement is on the foot.
 

You’ve got a good chance of that working.

You would get the same cultural experience by heading to the gym, taking to the treadmill and having someone give you a portion of tortilla de patatas every few hours.

Dial down the distance and smell the roses.
 
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Hahah thank you all. Yes I"m keen not to make it too much of a "sport". I just don't have much holiday time and Ponte de Lima looks beautiful. Your feedback has been very helpful so I'll reflect on that.
 
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My knees don't allow me to run anymore, but at 62 and with decent hike/bike/elliptical training, I consistently average 23 miles per day on the whole Frances, and can do many consecutive 25 mlle days, AND I meet and converse with numerous people along the way, during long breaks in the cafes and long diners at the albergues. I also take many side excursions and visit various historical sites and buildings. If you can run those distances with under 8-minute-miles, you should have no problem. Your stamina and aerobic capacity on the hills will be tremendous. So take a day or two and see how walking 25 miles feels in your camino shoes with pack.
 
Thank you so much!!
 
On a separate note - I'm going on 3 August - do you think a sleeping bag liner will be enough, or should I bring a sleeping bag? Might lightest one is +7 Celsius so still quite warm. I'm usually quite a cold person but I'm guessing the hostels stay pretty warm at night, and I can wear jumpers if needed....?
 
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You can get away with the liner in August
 
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Hello. Just an update from me - I landed in Porto yesterday and started walking from Ponte de Lima today. I made it to Tui which I’m pleased about. Let’s see how the next few days go and how my feet feel tomorrow!
 
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Hello! Another update...

I made it from Tui to Arcade yesterday - felt like I could have gone further at the end, but then was SO shattered that evening - in bed by 845. I think maybe because of the heat.

I was really worried that I'd overdone it last night but actually although I was still a bit stiff this morning I'm now in Caldas De Reis and am feeling much more energetic than yesterday. This could be to do with a shadier route and more wind so it wasn't as hot. It is also less far of course!

Overall it's an incredible experience and I'm pleased with my choices so far. It's what I needed for now. I think another time with shorter distances, a couple friends and more local wine would also be amazing - for a future trip!
 
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