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.

 

[Jarrad]

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.

Hmmm. It could be that for some it was just a long walk that they wanted to make shorter. But I personally would hesitate to question their motivations for walking the route. I'm sure we've all met people on the Way who seem to be, for lack of better words, working outside the spirit of the Camino. But it's also impossible for us to know what's going on with their interior life or how the Camino could be affecting their, if you will, outlook (sorry, we're dancing around Rule #3 here).

I met a surgeon who was walking only because his close friend asked him to come along. The surgeon had no idea what the Camino was all about and told me he had just come to accompany his dear friend, who had been experiencing some troubles, on a long walk. The friend who had invited him said after two weeks on the CdF, "You know, the Camino has given me what I needed. I'm heading home." But the surgeon said that the pilgrimage was one of the most powerful and unexpected experiences he'd ever had, so he was staying and walking to see the bones of Saint James. His emotion when he shared his story was powerful. My point is that a person's intent, regardless of how they commence, can certainly change and it might not be clear to interpret that based on their use of apps, shortcuts, or upscale accommodations.

 

[PiesIrlandeses]

I saw this behaviour only in the last 100km from Lugo - young people, one-third my age, skipping the messy forest sections.

I think they were making sure their prominently-displayed leg tattoos didn't get covered in mud, or something.

Smile and wave.

 

[Kathar1na]

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)?

One might as well argue: If the purpose is to walk quiet scenic well-marked routes, why not save money and just find a route nearer to your home?

I asked, a long time ago, how the "Spirit of the Camino" is defined but I never got an answer. Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGTP for a definition and the answer was actually not too bad. The app summed up the usual Camino wisdoms in four key elements and one of them was "**Connection with Nature and History**: The Camino's ancient paths lead pilgrims through beautiful landscapes, towns, and historic sites. The journey connects them with centuries of tradition, fostering a sense of being part of something larger than themselves."

I guess what the OP dislikes about these other Camino walkers is the fact that they don't connect as much with nature as they perhaps could when they walked on a busy road instead of the marked Camino trail and they did not walk as many kilometres as they could have walked and they made their own individual way to Santiago? The temerity!

Of course, the actual Camino footpaths we walk on aren't particularly ancient. They have been created and selected for us to keep us away from the ancient paths because the ancient pilgrim paths lie under the busy roads.

 

[K_Lynn]

The only thing I saw that shocked or annoyed me when walking Camino Frances was people walking three abreast on the road. The trail is 10 feet away to their right! I do understand that for some the trails may be too uneven or slippery, but if you are going to walk on the road, walk facing traffic at the very edge in single file.

 

[bullingtonce]

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.

There will not and never will be 'one way' or the 'best way' to do a Camino. Each individual person ought to be allowed to do the Camino their way and to live their life their way, regardless of whether it is logical, prudent, wise, or practical. This is one aspect of people that I like and want to keep forever--their quirks, their individuality, their peculiarity, even their wackiness. God made them this way; I hope he does not change this practice. Plus, I prefer not to have a regulated 'this constitutes the spirit of the Camino.' Having said all this, you pose a good and interesting question. Chuck

 

[Pafayac]

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.

This summer, when I walked on the Camino del Norte sometimes I was not exactly on the Camino. I am a user of mapy.cz. At the beginning, I chose to follow the straighter way shown by my app rather than find the arrows as soon as possible...
But it was a mistake: following the yellow arrows gives you the guarantee that you follow the most enjoyable way, with the best sceneries and paths. After a few days, when I realised that I was walking on ways which were not the most convenient, I changed my mind and try to found the Camino as soon as possible.
IMHO, following an app rather than the arrows is not against "the spirit of the Camino" (which is inside each pilgrim), it is just a pity.