Short cuts?

[Hopeful Pilgrim]

My husband and I have just finished The Portugues da Costa. We were surprised to find that a number of pilgrims used apps. to find the shortest routes between A and B. This often meant they were walking long distances beside busy roads. The route seemed meaningless to them. Is it just us or is this not in keeping with the spirit of the camino.

 

[Paul-CH]

to find the shortest routes between A and B.

All people are different, some don't like to walk over a hill, if they see a shortcut. Let it up to themselves. For me it's like attending a marathon and use the tube for some parts. But this is only my opinion.

 

[Kathy F.]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you considered the meaning of the Camino. If the purpose is to walk a long distance, why not save money and just find a route nearer your home (assuming these were not Spanish or Portuguese hikers)?

 

[TravellingMan22]

I think you hit the nail on the head when you considered the meaning of the Camino. If the purpose is to walk a long distance, why not save money and just find a route nearer your home (assuming these were not Spanish or Portuguese hikers)?

Not many hikes have the infrastructure, the pricing structure, the weather and so on of the Camino which I think makes it attractive to many for many different reasons. It’s hard to get similar in the UK and USA for example at a good price. Long walks with lots of accommodation, nice restaurants, and all the facilities that the Camino offers are quite rare worldwide. Also suitable for folks of all ages that may not be used to hiking.

People do it for all different reasons of course.

 

[roving_rufus]

Equally pilgrims of old before someone came along with yellow arrows would have walked the shortest route village to village to village- and sometimes these routes have been overtaken by main roads. Most marked routes now try to keep pilgrims off main roads for safety reasons.
Camino routes may be marked by yellow arrows but even these routes have been re-routed in places.

 

[C clearly]

Is it just us or is this not in keeping with the spirit of the camino.

Yes, it is just you, because the spirit of your Camino is just within you, and it can change.

Many of us are trying to suggest that the "spirit of the camino" is not violated by a deviation of a few km, or the weight of your pack, or the type of bedding you choose.

. If the purpose is to walk a long distance, why not

That is a narrowly defined "if". Even so, there could be many answers to the question "why not?"

 

[Molly Cassidy]

If your aim is to walk to Santiago to visit the cathedral, I'm not sure the exact route matters. While it may be convenient to stay on the marked route for accommodation etc., the journey is the journey, whichever road you choose.